Environmental
Evacuations lift near California’s Little Saigon as chemical spill probe widens
Orange County authorities lifted all evacuation orders Tuesday night after declaring that a damaged chemical tank at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove no longer posed a risk of explosion,…
Man who threw rock at endangered seal in Maui says he was ‘protecting turtles’
A Washington state man accused of throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on Maui never meant to harm the animal and thought he was shielding nearby sea turtles, his attorney said. A Good…
Indonesia bans elephant riding in landmark moment for animal welfare
Indonesia has formally prohibited elephant riding across the country, issuing one of the most sweeping bans of its kind in Southeast Asia. A win for animal rights: In an order issued late 2025, the…
Trump admin pulls US out of foundational climate treaty
President Donald Trump directed the U.S. to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) last week, marking the only nation to exit the 1992 treaty that underpins…
Floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia kill more than 1,400
More than 1,400 people have been killed across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia after days of heavy rain triggered severe flooding and landslides. Three cyclones formed in the same week…
Asians face highest risk of early death from oil and gas air pollution, study shows
Air pollution from oil and gas operations causes about 91,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, with Asians, Black, Hispanic and Native American communities bearing the greatest health…
Deadly Typhoon Kajiki forces mass evacuations in Vietnam
Typhoon Kajiki struck central Vietnam on Monday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 600,000 residents from high-risk areas and leaving at least four people dead and 13 injured. The typhoon brought…
Air pollution a major factor in lung cancer among never-smokers: study
Never-smokers exposed to high levels of fine particulate air pollution have a significantly greater risk of developing lung cancer, according to a study published July 2 in Nature by the University…
Asia leads solutions as global plastic crisis hits $1.5 trillion
Plastic pollution represents a grave crisis costing the world at least $1.5 trillion annually in health-related economic losses, a landmark report reveals. Key findings: The comprehensive review…
Sixth-largest earthquake in world history caused whales to beach on Japanese coast
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, immediately triggering tsunami warnings for Japan and the U.S. The quake, one of the six largest ever…
Hawaii becomes 1st state to tax tourists for climate change
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green enacted legislation on May 27 establishing the country’s first tourist tax designed to fund climate resilience efforts, adding a 0.75 percentage point increase to lodging fees…
US rice found to have high levels of arsenic, cadmium
New testing reveals that virtually all rice sold in the U.S. contains arsenic and cadmium, with one-fourth of samples exceeding federal safety limits established for infant rice cereal. Key findings:…
Myanmar’s capital is having to be redrawn after devastating earthquake
Myanmar’s military rulers have announced plans to redraw the layout of the nation’s capital city, Nay Pyi Taw, after last month’s catastrophic earthquake caused widespread destruction. Catch up The…
FEMA, Ad Council launch AANHPI-focused disaster preparedness campaign
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the Ad Council, has launched the latest iteration of its “Ready” campaign, this time addressing disaster preparedness within Asian…
Chinese man claims he defaced Tokyo shrine over Fukushima discharge
Jiang Zhuojun, a 29-year-old Chinese national living in Japan, pleaded guilty to charges of property damage and disrespecting a place of worship in Tokyo District Court on Friday. Jiang, who was…
Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ live-action teaser drops
Disney released the first official teaser for its live-action “Lilo & Stitch” film on Nov. 26, offering a glimpse of the mischievous alien Stitch causing chaos on a Hawaiian beach. The 30-second clip…
Japan finds massive rare metals deposit worth $26,290,800,000
A survey by the University of Tokyo and The Nippon Foundation from April 24 to June 9 has uncovered a vast deposit of rare earth metals worth an estimated $26.3 billion near Minami-Torishima Island.…
Meet Kirby, Houston Zoo’s new baby Asian elephant
The Houston Zoo on Friday welcomed Kirby, a 314-pound female Asian elephant calf born to 34-year-old Shanti after a 19-hour labor. The pachyderm strengthens the zoo’s growing herd, joining siblings…
Storm-worn Philippines battles sixth typhoon in a month
The Philippines is reeling after Super Typhoon Man-yi, the unprecedented fourth major typhoon to strike in less than two weeks — and its sixth storm overall in a month — battered the country with…
Mount Fuji remains snow-less as November approaches, breaking record
Despite November fast approaching, the peak of Japan’s iconic Mt. Fuji remains bare, with no snow in sight as of Tuesday. Snowcap typically starts to form on Japan’s tallest mountain at 3,776 meters…
Chinese aquarium slammed for using fake whale shark
Visitors to the newly opened Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, China, are furious after discovering that its star attraction — a whale shark — was a robot. The aquarium, which opened on Oct. 1…
Forever chemicals found in 99% of bottled water samples globally, study finds
A recent international study led by researchers from the University of Birmingham Southern University of Science and Technology reveals that over 99% of bottled water samples worldwide contain…
Seventeen teams up with BBC Earth to showcase natural wonders in ‘Asia’ trailer
K-pop group Seventeen has collaborated with BBC Earth on a song featured in the trailer for its upcoming natural history series titled “Asia.” The two-minute trailer, released on Thursday, showcases…
47 tigers, 3 lions and a panther die from bird flu in Vietnamese zoos
Forty-seven tigers, three lions and a panther died in Vietnamese zoos due to the H5N1 bird flu virus, according to state media. The deaths reportedly occurred at My Quynh safari park in Long An…
Taiwan begins ban on single-use plastic cups nationwide
Taiwan’s ban on single-use plastic cups at drink shops took effect nationwide at the start of September in an effort to reduce plastic waste. The policy, spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment…
Super Typhoon Yagi continues deadly path across Asia as it hits Thailand
Thailand deployed military special forces to Chiang Rai province after severe flooding, caused by Typhoon Yagi, left thousands stranded. The storm has killed at least nine people in the past week,…
Dozens dead as Typhoon Yagi devastates Vietnam
Typhoon Yagi has caused significant devastation in Vietnam but is met with unity and resilience of the affected communities. In one viral video, cars on the road are seen moving slowly next to…
Over a million evacuated as Super Typhoon Yagi hits China
Super Typhoon Yagi has made landfall on China’s Hainan Island on Friday, bringing heavy rain and winds up to 245 kilometers per hour which make it 2024’s second-strongest tropical cyclone globally.…
Typhoon Shanshan destroys Japan’s 3,000-year-old ‘Princess Mononoke’ tree
Typhoon Shanshan, also known as Typhoon No. 10 in Japan’s numerical naming system, tore a 3,000-year-old Yayoi Sugi (Yayoi Cedar) tree — believed to be the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s “Princess…
Climate change poses grave threat to South Korea’s kimchi
Kimchi, South Korea’s national dish, is facing serious shortage challenges as rising temperatures threaten the production of key ingredient napa cabbage. The shrinking supply of the vegetable has…
At least 4 dead, over 90 injured as Typhoon Shanshan wreaks havoc in Japan
Japan is bracing for continued risks of landslides and floods as Tropical Cyclone Shanshan, now downgraded to a tropical depression, slowly moves inland after three days of record rainfall. Shanshan,…
Disaster threats trigger panic buying for rice amid decreasing supply in Japan
The Japanese government issued a warning on Tuesday, advising people to remain calm and refrain from panic buying rice in supermarkets. Japan is experiencing an unprecedented decline in the rice…
People in Japan are being attacked by a ‘horny, lonely’ dolphin
Japanese biologists believe that a “lonely” Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin searching for a mate is responsible for a series of attacks on 18 beachgoers near the town of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture,…
Japan braces for Typhoon Shanshan, estimates up to $20 billion in damages
Typhoon Shanshan is rapidly approaching Japan, prompting nearly a million people to evacuate as authorities issue the highest-level emergency warnings for violent winds, high waves and heavy…
‘Twisters’ director explains lack of climate change message
“Twisters,” which premiered on July 19, highlights the devastating impact of tornadoes, along with elements such as scientific challenges and disaster capitalists. Interestingly, it omits direct…
Typhoon wreaks havoc in Manila as Taiwan braces for impact
The Philippines declared a state of calamity for the 13 million residents in its capital region on Wednesday due to monsoon rains intensified by Typhoon Gaemi, known locally as Typhoon Carina. The…
