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19 Nov 09
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Asia is Outspending the USA 3-to-1 in Clean-Tech Investments The Race for Clean-Tech is On
A new study by the Breakthrough Institute and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation shows that the U.S. could be left behind by Asia (specifically by China, South Korea and Japan) when it comes to investing in... |
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18 Nov 09
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GEO Power System Preheats and Precools The Air with a Vertical Earth Tube One of the most important components of a tightly sealed house or a super-sealed Passive House is a fresh air system. Often they are heat recovery ventilators, and others have used earth tubes running under the home or in the garden. Japan's Geo Power... |
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13 Nov 09
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Cap and Trade Works: Europe to Hit Kyoto Targets with Ease Photo via Greenpacks
Well, so much for the truckloads of naysayers that have lambasted the EU's carbon trading system over the years--Europe is set to easily meet the emissions reduction goals set by the Kyoto Protocol. You know, that treaty the US... |
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08 Nov 09
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Japan Space Solar Plans: Of Laser Beams and Solar Streams Image: Japan USEF, SSPS project
Space Solar Power System Closer to Reality
Japan's space agency, USEF, is in the news again with their plans to build a space solar power station, equivalent to a medium sized nuclear plant, by 2030. Inspired by hope that... |
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06 Nov 09
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Yet Another Video of Amazing Japanese Bike Storage System Link to video here
A while back we showed a Japanese video of How They Store Bikes In Tokyo in crazy multistorey computerized bike parking garage. Now the Guardian picks up the story and shows us a video in English that you can see here.
The Guardian... |
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30 Oct 09
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South Park Takes Aim at Whale Wars, Japan and Everyone Else Image via South Park Studios
South Park has done what it does best - make fun of everyone ruthlessly, hilariously, and without bias. Their latest episode takes on the Japanese (who hate all dolphins), Whale Wars' Captain Paul Watson (who isn't bad-ass... |
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29 Oct 09
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Next Stop COP15! Kyoto-Copenhagen Train to Tout Climate Change Awareness & Sustainable Transport Not the actual train... photo: Craig Nagy via flickr.
While not a substitute for practical action, I'm a big fan of the symbolic, so this next one is pretty cool: The UNEP has just announced that a one-time train link between Kyoto and Copenhagen will... |
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23 Oct 09
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Toyota Prius Hybrid Wins 2010 Car of the Year in Japan Photo: Flickr, CC
Battle of the Hybrids: Prius Narrowly Beats Honda Insight
It's not just Japanese consumers that seem to like the new Toyota Prius (we wrote about the huge increase in sales). The jurors for the Japan Car of the Year award also selected... |
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22 Oct 09
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Suzuki Unveils First Fuel Cell Scooter, Will Hit Market in Few Months Image via: EV WORLDwire
The Bergman scooter launched this week at the Tokyo Motor Show and announced that it will be available globally within the next few months. There are still quite a few unanswered questions, like how much it will retail for, just... |
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22 Oct 09
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Nissan's New Lithium-Ion Hybrid to be Sold as Fuga in Japan (2010), Infiniti M35 in U.S. (2011) Photo: Nissan
Nissan's Moving Fast These Days
Nissan had already announced that it wanted to make its Infinity luxury brand more "socially responsible", starting with an Infiniti M hybrid (sold as the Nissan Fuga in Japan), but we didn't have too many... |
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20 Oct 09
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Nissan and Sumitomo will Give a Second Life to Electric Car Batteries Nissan Leaf battery. Photo: Nissan
A "4R" Business
Nissan and Sumitomo (a huge business group from Japan) announced today plans to "Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle" lithium-ion batteries previously used in electric cars, "giving them a... |
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15 Oct 09
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Japan's High Tech Graveyard Solution as Burial Space Grows Scarce Green (or not so green) burial rituals routinely catch our eye, one of the reasons being the carbon footprint of coffins being built just to go into the ground or the amount of lawn that has to be manicured. Japan has come up with a novel, high-tech and... |
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12 Oct 09
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Does Peeing Before Boarding an Airplane Really Save Carbon Emissions? Image Source: Specialkrb
Dear Pablo: Can Airlines really save fuel by asking their passengers to empty their bladders before boarding?
Although their website makes no mention of it, Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been widely reported to be trying... |
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08 Oct 09
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Nippon Airlines Asks You to Please 'Drop A Load' Pre-Board Image via: HeadovMetal on Flickr.com
We're not sure how to say this, politely, erm, before you board, can you please remove your shoes, empty your water bottles, and well, your bladders too. Whew, that wasn't so bad. Now, if you fly Japan's Nippon... |
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08 Oct 09
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The DROP, Urban Art Infill: Trees from Hiroshima and Solar Powered DJs in New York Ice Flow musical performance by Paul D. Miller. Photo by Sergio Carratalá
A solar powered DJ booth, tree seedlings from Hiroshima, a melting iceberg performance and Yoko Ono - all of this is happening under the High Line in New York this month. The Dro... |
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07 Oct 09
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Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly? Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Can nuclear-generated electricity lead us off fossil fuels?
After years of sitting in the energy dustbin, nuclear power is enjoying a renaissance. Countries such as France, Germany, Japan and China are furiously building... |
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05 Oct 09
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Video: Battery Technology for the Nissan LEAF Electric Car Video: NissanNissan just sent us the first in a series of videos meant to "tell Nissan's Zero emissions story." This one-minute spot focuses on the Leaf, Nissan's forthcoming fully-electric hatchback. We were there in Yokohama when the car was |
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30 Sep 09
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The Cove To Be Screened in Tokyo, One Time Only Initially, the Tokyo International Film Festival passed on screening The Cove, the documentary about the annual slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. Though it didn't offer a reason, considering the government's media ban on whale/dolphin news due to the... |
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16 Sep 09
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More News from Taiji: 70 Dolphins Released and Quota Drops Image credit AFP/ Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
It looks like things are still going better this year than in years past for dolphins swimming near Taiji, Japan. The latest word is that earlier this week, 70 of the 100 dolphins gathered in a recent... |
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16 Sep 09
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Europe - US Split on National Emission Reduction Counting Could Threaten Post-Kyoto Agreement "Progress of America" by Domenico Tojetti: Wikipedia.
Just what we didn't want to hear: The Guardian reports that it has learned of a new split between European nations and the United States on aspects of the post-Kyoto climate bill to be decided at the... |
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16 Sep 09
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Energy Secretary Chu Says Deep Emission Reductions Not Politically Achievable in US photo: Center for American Progress Action Fund via flickr
Reuters has some interesting quotes from Energy Secretary Steven Chu on how we shouldn't undermine the post-Kyoto climate change treaty to be hammered out in Copenhagen in three months time by... |
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15 Sep 09
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Pop-Up Prefab Plopped on Paris Roof images Maxime Schaal via Pascal Grasso
Architect Pascal Grasso has dropped a restaurant onto the roof of Le Palais de Tokyo in Paris. It is called the Module Electrolux and it is certainly a room with a view....Read the full story on TreeHugger |
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15 Sep 09
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The First 3290% Energy Self-Sufficient Town In Japan Poster welcoming visitors to Hachouboru Geothermal Center, image from biki8
Yanaizu Town, Kawanuma District, Fukushima Prefecture is rural-at-best and about as far away as you can get from the big cities. The town recently made the news when Chiba... |
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09 Sep 09
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Bad News at The Cove - Taiji Dolphin Hunt Begins Photo via Japan Probe
Richard O'Barry was waiting for this, knowing that the halt on this year's dolphin hunt was too good to be true, or last very long. Eight days later than usual, but still arriving, this year's seasonal dolphin killing has begun at... |
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09 Sep 09
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How Much Will Japan's New Proposal To Reduce Emissions Cost? Image from Nikkei
As Daniel noted here on Treehugger, Japan's Yukio Hatoyama didn't miss a beat. Just days after being elected, he spoke up on climate change, with an "ambitious" target of 25% reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Cool. Speaking at the... |
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08 Sep 09
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400 Year Old Sake Company In Central Tokyo Creates Roof Garden To Combat Global Warming, Raise Awareness Photos from Toshimaya Co.
In 1971, sake brewer Toshimaya was prosperous enough to construct a brand new headquarter building in Tokyo. They probably took one look at the blueprints and thought it was the sexiest design ever: straight lines, simple... |
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07 Sep 09
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Japan Steps Up Its Greenhouse Gas Pledge. Will the U.S. Step Up Now, Too? Photograph: Itsuo Inouye/AP
Japanese prime minister-designate Yukio Hatoyama has pledged to reduce Japan's greenhouse-gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, a target more ambitious than made by outgoing premier Taro Aso's and a target that... |
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06 Sep 09
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Coral Reefs in Danger? Climate Champ to the Rescue Rebecca Chan, a California Climate Champion and Columbia University sophomore, recently returned from Okinawa, Japan where she studied the effects of climate change on coral reefs and discussed the ramifications of a warming world with scientists and... |
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03 Sep 09
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Japan's Moonshot? $21 Billion Invested in Space-Based Solar Power Image: NASA, Public domain.
Moving Towards Space-Based Solar Power
Solar power is very green, and the great big fusion reactor in the sky generates more than enough energy for all of humanity's needs. But if you put solar panels on the surface of the... |
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02 Sep 09
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The Cove is Empty - Taiji's Dolphin Slaughter Suspended Photo via TheCoveMovie.com
In April we highlighted the activists who have been courageously working to expose and stop the dolphin slaughter that occurs every year in Taiji, Japan. Over 23,000 dolphins are killed, and many are separated out to go to... |
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01 Sep 09
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Japan Election Results: Yamba Dam Project Suspended Photos from The Association of Concerned Citizens For Yamba Dam Project
The results of Japan's election on Sunday amounted to a "revolution" as the Democratic Party of Japan won a landslide, if I have ever seen one. And already, there is change in the... |
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27 Aug 09
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Japan's Election On Sunday: Massive Win For Opposition, How About Green Policies? Images from Midori no Mirai
Japanese voters go to the polls on Sunday and opinion polls show a massive win for the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, that could win 300 plus seats in the Parliament. There is no strong Green Party in spite... |
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20 Aug 09
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Miyajima Shrine: A Disappearing World Heritage As Inspiration For Change Miyajima is an island located just south of Hiroshima, that tourists reach by ferry. The spectacular red gate to the shrine is reflected in the sea when the tide is high, and this UNESCO World Heritage Site looks like it floats on the water. Now, locals... |
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11 Aug 09
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UN Secretary General Tries Climate Change Scare Tactics - Says Mass Unrest & Violence Possible if We Don't Act photo: Derek Baird via flickr
Calling climate change a fundamental threat to mankind and urging world leaders to basically get their collective act together and reach a strong post-Kyoto agreement in Copenhagen this December, UN Secretary General Ban... |
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10 Aug 09
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Prius Sales are Exploding in Japan: 392% More than a Year Ago in July People Wouldn't Have Believed You a Few Years Ago
The stars were aligned for the Prius in Japan: A new model, rising fuel prices, and new government incentives. The Prius has been the #1 car in Japan for three months in a row, and there's a 10-month... |
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10 Aug 09
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Beautiful Chinese Pedestrian Bridge Images via CA-GROUPRecently completed in the Qingpu district of Shanghai, this elegant pedestrian bridge is the work of CA-GROUP, an international architecture and urban planning collaborative triangulated between China, Spain, and Japan. The sharp eyes... |
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07 Aug 09
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Freitag Makes Arty Bags Images from Freitag
We saw them at the Tate Modern Museum and you can see them if you are at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, or the MoCA in Los Angeles at the right time. It's the latest Freitag bag, sort of a status symbol... |
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06 Aug 09
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2010 Toyota Prius a Big Hit, But Battery Bottleneck is Holding Back Production Cash for Clunkers Increasing Demand for the Prius Hybrid
The redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid has been selling very well, especially compared to other models in this economy (it even was the #1 car in Japan). But Toyota is now a victim of its success:... |
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06 Aug 09
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The World's Coolest Alternative Subway Maps: A Slideshow Tokyo revision, by Zeroperzero
Homemade subway maps have long been a pursuit of cartography nerds and transit lovers, a result of the perennial debate between the proponents of usability, who favor more distorted, schematic designs (hallo, Londoners),... |
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05 Aug 09
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How You'll Control Your Electric Car via iPhone (Exclusive Video and Pics) Being in Yokohama for the unveiling of Nissan's new all-electric Leaf was a thrill, but the days leading up to the big event were actually more exciting. We were given a chance to take a test car for a whirl around the track, a car that is almost exactly... |
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05 Aug 09
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Apple's New Headphones Made From Coconuts? Also, the Apocalypse is Upon Us! The end is nigh, so be quick and choose your own apocalypse!
Giant...humongous...immense...crazy large jellyfish invade japan! Godzilla mobilized! Seriously...check this out.
Coconut Headphones. You heard right. Headphones...made from coconuts! Is this... |
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02 Aug 09
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Nissan Unveils the All-Electric LEAF to the World (Exclusive Photos) Nissan drew back the curtain today on its ambitious all-electric LEAF. Along with a small parade of international journalists, I've been in Yokohama for the past three days meeting with executives, getting technology briefings, and driving the electric... |
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01 Aug 09
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Oceans 11 meets Flipper: Don’t Miss "The Cove" "Special ops" crew hide cameras from Taiji, Japan authorities to catch dolphin hunt. Photos courtesy of The Cove
The fate of 23,000 dolphins is in your hands, says Flipper’s old trainer Ric O’Barry who’s devoted years to ending the monster he cr... |
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01 Aug 09
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Driving Nissan's Global Electric Car So this lucky writer is in Yokohama, Japan, where Nissan is getting ready to unveil its global electric car. Yesterday, members of the press were given an extensive briefing on Nissan's flagship greentech programs, and given a chance to drive the car... |
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31 Jul 09
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Hayden Turns Hero, Justin Tees Off, Gisele Saves the World, and More Photo via Wallpapers Arena
Hayden Panettiere made her love for sea mammals clear when she joined with other protesters to stop a dolphin hunt in Japan, but she's proved herself as a hero to flying animals as well as swimmers; click through to see... |
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28 Jul 09
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Nissan's Electric Car Prototype: Rough Draft of the Car of the Future? Photo: Nissan
Nissan Expects to Produce 150,000 Electric Cars by 2012
On August 2nd, Nissan will unveil its new electric car in Japan, but in the meantime, we can have a look at the prototype that Nissan has been using to test their electric drivetrain.... |
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23 Jul 09
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Japan: Bicycle Fatalities Increase, Car Fatalities At Record Low Photo from Old Photos of Japan: Cars and street cars (trams) and at least one brave bicyclist in Nihonbashi, central Tokyo, 1934
New data from the National Police Agency show that car-related fatalities are decreasing dramatically in Japan, while bicycle... |
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22 Jul 09
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Japanese Bike Mamas Revolt - Government Relents (a Little) In Japan, sidewalk riding was one of the practices banned when the country reviewed its traffic laws. Along with that, however, the venerable urban biking tradition of moms (and some dads and grandparents) carrying two children on their low-slung safety... |
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22 Jul 09
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Total Eclipse Of The Sun Today In Asia Photo: Mainichi Shinbun
A string of countries in Asia are experiencing a total eclipse of the sun today Wednesday. Here in Japan, the spectacular eclipse will be visible from Akusekijima Island for 6 minutes and 25 seconds from 10:53 AM, local time. It... |
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21 Jul 09
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Giant Jellyfish Invade Japan's Waters The world--and especially the world's oceans--are full of strange animals, but the weirdest may be the Nomura jellyfish. It can measure up to 6 feet in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds. Half a dozen can break fishing lines and give a Japanese... |
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