This week, world leaders are gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26, a meeting of nations that has been billed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the world's last chance to avert catastrophic climate change.

At this point, the science behind climate change could not be clearer. In August, the IPCC released its most comprehensive report to date on the state of the global climate, and concluded it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. 

Japan is an important part of this in two ways. First, it is a significant emitter of CO2, the fifth largest globally by total annual emissions. And second, it is a country that is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change. The climate crisis is here and it is affecting everything from the strength of typhoons and flooding, to the timing of the annual cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. 

The true cost of the climate crisis on Japan (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times)

A crucial U.N. climate summit kicks off Oct. 31. Here's what you need to know. (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times)

As Japan looks to expand renewable energy, nuclear power's role remains unclear (The Japan Times)

On this episode:

Eric Margolis: Twitter | Website

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

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