A survey reveals the effect of walking for 2 minutes after meals would lower blood sugar levels

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

食後２分間のウォーキングで血糖値下げる効果　調査で判明

2022.09.07 Wed posted at 07:02 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 食後に２～５分ほど散歩するだけで血糖値を下げる効果があるという研究結果が、スポーツ医学誌に発表された。食後に立っているだけでも、座り続けるよりは血糖値を下げる助けになるとしている。

論文を発表したアイルランドのリムリック大学の大学院生エイデン・バフェイ氏によると、日中を通じ、食後に立ち上がって休憩するだけでも、血糖値は長時間座り続けた場合に比べてが平均９．５１％下がることが分かった。しかし軽いウォーキングをすれば、長時間座り続けた場合に比べて血糖値は平均１７．０１％下がるという。

今回の研究では、座ることと立つこと、歩くことが体内のインスリン濃度と血糖値に与える影響を比較した７件の調査結果を分析した。被験者は、１日を通じて２０～３０分ごとに２～５分立ち上がるか、ウォーキングをするよう求められていた。観察中の活動時間の合計は約２８分間だった。

Translation

(CNN) A walk for 2- to 5-minute after eating could help lower blood sugar levels, according to a study published in the journal Sports Medicine. Standing after a meal, compared to sitting down, could help lower blood sugar levels.

Aiden Buffey, a graduate student at the University of Limerick in Ireland who published the paper found that throughout the day, simply standing up to rest after eating, compared to sitting for long periods of time, could lower blood sugar levels by an average of 9.51%. However, light brisk walking lowers blood sugar by an average of 17.01% compared to prolonged sitting.

The current study analyzed the results of seven studies that compared the effects on insulin levels and blood sugar levels in the body due to sitting, standing, and walking. Subjects were asked to stand or walk for 2-5 minutes every 20-30 minutes throughout the day. Total activity time during observation was approximately 28 minutes.

              So, it is found out that a walk for 2- to 5-minute after eating can help lower blood sugar levels. Standing after a meal can help lower blood sugar levels compared to sitting down. It seems that body movement, even a simple one, could improve our health condition.

Antarctica's ``Domesday Glacier'', if it collapses, sea level will rise several meters - holding on to 'the tip of a finger nail' situation: researchers said

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

南極の「ドゥームズデー氷河」、崩壊なら数メートルの海面上昇も　「爪の先で」持ちこたえている状況と研究者

2022.09.06 Tue posted at 19:45 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） 南極大陸の氷河の一つについて、今後数年間で急速に崩壊する可能性があると研究者らが警鐘を鳴らしている。実現すれば急激な海面上昇を引き起こし、氷河自体消滅する恐れがあるともしている。

当該のスウェイツ氷河は、崩壊の危険が高いことや世界的な海面上昇を引き起こす脅威などから「ドゥームズデー（最後の審判の日、この世の終わりの日）氷河」の異名をとる。５日刊行の学術誌、ネイチャー・ジオサイエンスに掲載された論文によると、地球温暖化に伴い、同氷河は海面下の基部が減退しつつある。このまま融解すれば、数メートルの海面上昇を引き起こす可能性がある。

研究者らはスウェイツ氷河のこれまでの崩壊過程を地図で示した。過去の状態を把握することで、今後の変化についての予測を立てるためだ。

その結果、過去２００年のある時点で、氷河の基部が海底から分かれ、年２．１キロのペースで崩壊していたことが判明した。これはこの１０年余りの間に観測したペースの倍に相当する。

この急速な崩壊は恐らく「ごく最近の２０世紀半ば」に起きた可能性があると、論文の筆頭著者で米サウスフロリダ大学の海洋地球物理学者、アラステア・グレアム氏は報道向けの発表で述べた。

これはスウェイツ氷河が近い将来急速に崩壊しかねない状況にあることを示唆する。ひとたび氷河が海底の尾根を越えてせり出せば、それは現実のものになるとみられる。

論文の共著者を務めた英国南極観測局所属のロバート・ラーター氏によれば、現在のスウェイツ氷河は「まさに指の爪の先だけで持ちこたえている」状態であり、今後の短い時間尺度の中で大きな変化が起きると予想される。氷河の崩壊を食い止めている尾根はそれほど高くはなく、そうした変化は今後１～２年後にも生じる可能性があるという。

スウェイツ氷河は南極西部に位置する地球上でも最大規模の氷河で、その大きさはフロリダ州を上回る。ただ南極西部の氷床はさらに広大で、米航空宇宙局（ＮＡＳＡ）によると、そこに閉じ込められている氷は地球の海面を最大４．８メートル上昇させる水準だという。

Translation

  (CNN) One of Antarctica's glaciers could collapse rapidly in the next few years, researchers warned. If this happened, it could lead to rapid sea level rise and even the disappearance of glaciers.

The Thwaites Glacier was nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier" due to its high risk of collapse and the threat of global sea level rise. The glacier's subsurface base was receding as the planet warmed, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Geoscience. If it continued to melt, it could raise sea levels by several meters.

Researchers had mapped the disintegration process of Thwaites Glacier so far. By understanding past conditions, predictions about future changes could be made.

They found that at some point in the last 200 years, the base of the glacier had separated from the ocean floor and was collapsing at a rate of 2.1 kilometers per year. The collapse doubled the pace as observed over the last decade.

The rapid collapse likely occurred "it is very near, in the middle of the 20th century",  the lead author Alastair Graham, a marine geophysicist at the University of South Florida said in a press release.

This suggested that the Thwaites Glacier was in a state of rapid collapse in the near future. If the glacier protruded beyond the ridge of the seabed, that could become a reality.

According to study co-author Robert Larter of the British Antarctic Observatory, Thwaites Glacier was currently "holding on at the tip of its fingernails", and big changes were expected in a short time scale in the future. The ridges that were holding back the collapse of the glacier were not very high, and such a change could occur in the next year or two, he said.

Located in western Antarctica, Thwaites Glacier was the largest glacier on Earth, larger than Florida. But the West Antarctic ice sheet is much larger, according to NASA the ice trapped there could raise global sea levels by up to 4.8 meters.

              So, researchers have warned that one of Antarctica's glaciers could collapse rapidly in the next few years, if this happens, it could lead to rapid sea level rise and even the disappearance of glaciers. This is another shocking prediction on the impact of global warming.

World's first: China grants emergency use permission for inhaled vaccine

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、吸入型ワクチンに緊急使用許可　世界初

2022.09.06 Tue posted at 20:45 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 吸入型の新型コロナウイルスワクチンが世界で初めて、中国で緊急使用許可を得た。開発した中国の製薬会社、カンシノ・バイオロジクス（康希諾生物股分公司）が４日に発表した。

 ワクチンの名前は「コンビデシア・エア」。吸入器を使って口から投与する。中国の医薬品規制当局が、追加接種での緊急使用を許可した。

 同社の注射型ワクチン「コンビデシア」はすでに中国で使われ、ほかの数カ国でも承認されている。

 世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）のデータベースによると、吸入専用のワクチンで臨床試験の段階に達したのは、世界でコンビデシアともう１種類のみ。

 カンシノによると、実際に供給が始まる前にまだいくつか規制関連の手続きが必要だという。中国では現在９種類のワクチンが承認されているため、同社は「厳しい競争」を覚悟しているという。

 カンシノは報道発表の中で、コンビデシア・エアが体液と細胞、粘膜を通して強い免疫反応を誘導すると説明した。

 その裏付けとなるデータは示さなかったが、同社が８月に報告した小規模な研究では、中国シノバック・バイオテック（科興控股生物化学）製のワクチン「コロナバック」を２回接種した後で追加接種にコンビデシアを使った場合、３回目もコロナバックを接種したケースに比べて抗体価が高くなったとされる。ただしこの研究では、吸入型で感染や人にうつすリスクをどの程度抑えられるかを調べていない。

 注射型以外にスプレーや滴下、タブレットなどの方法で口や鼻から直接投与するワクチンは、粘膜上の抗体を増やすことでウイルスの侵入や拡散を防ぐ効果が期待され、世界で計十数種類の開発が進められている。

Translation

(CNN) The world's first inhaled new coronavirus vaccine had received emergency use authorization in China. The Chinese pharmaceutical company that developed it, CanSino BIO, announced this on the 4th.

The name of the vaccine was "Combidesia Air", to be inhaled by mouth using an inhaler. China's drug regulator had authorized its emergency use as boosters.

The company's injecting vaccine, “Conbidesia”, was already in use in China and had been approved in several countries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) database, about inhaling vaccine in the world, only Combidesia and one other had reached the stage of clinical trials.

CanSino said there were still some regulatory procedures to go through before actual supply would begin. With nine vaccines currently approved in China, the company said it expected "hard competition".

In a press release, CanSino explained that Conbidesia Air induced a strong immune response in bodily fluids and cells through mucous membranes.

The company did not provide supporting data, but in a small study it reported in August, it found that in the situation of after receiving two doses of CoronaVac which was a vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Co., if Combidesia was used as a booster dose, antibody titers were reported to be higher than those using CoronaVac as a booster. However, the study did not examine the extent to which inhaled forms could reduce the risk of infection or transmission among human.

In addition to injectable vaccine and vaccines such as sprays, dripping, and tablets, vaccines administered directly through the mouth or nose might easily increase antibodies on the mucous membranes, and were expected to be effective in preventing the invasion and spread of viruses; a total of more than ten types were under development around the world.

So, China will be the world’s first in using inhaled new coronavirus vaccine that is developed by CanSino BIO, a Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Air Self-Defense Force's next fighter - Coordinating with the United Kingdom for common aircraft development

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機 イギリスと共通の機体開発で調整

2022年9月4日 4時58分

航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機をめぐり、防衛省は開発費の抑制などのため、エンジンの共同研究を行っているイギリスと共通の機体を開発する方向で調整を進めています。

航空自衛隊のF2戦闘機の後継となる次期戦闘機をめぐっては、ことし1月から日本とイギリスの大手企業がエンジンの共同研究を始めていて、5月の日英首脳会談では開発に関する両国間の協力の全体像をことしの年末までに合意することで一致しました。

これを受けて防衛省は、次期戦闘機に求める性能がイギリスとほぼ同じで、開発費も抑制できるとして、共通の機体を開発する方向で調整を進めています。

また、共同開発には、戦闘機の開発でイギリスと協力関係にあるイタリアの参加も検討されています。

防衛省は来年度予算案の概算要求に次期戦闘機の開発費などとして1432億円を盛り込んでいて、F2戦闘機の退役が始まる2035年ごろまでに次期戦闘機の配備を始めたいとしています。

Translation

Regarding the Air Self-Defense Force's next-generation fighter, the Ministry of Defense which was already conducting joint research on engines, in order to control development costs was making adjustments to develop a common airframe with the United Kingdom.

Regarding the next-generation fighter that would succeed the Air Self-Defense Force's F2 fighter, major Japanese and British companies had started joint research on the engine since January this year, and at the Japan-UK summit meeting in May they shared the view that they could agree on an overall picture of cooperation by the end of this year.

In response to this, the Ministry of Defense was proceeding with coordination in the direction of developing a common aircraft as its performance requirement for the next fighter was almost the same as that of the UK, and the development costs could be suppressed.

In addition, the joint development was also considering the participation of Italy which had a cooperative relationship with the United Kingdom in the development of fighter aircraft.

The Ministry of Defense had included 143.2 billion yen in the budget request for the next fiscal year's budget proposal for development costs for the next-generation fighter, and wanted to start deploying the next-generation fighter by around 2035, when the F2 fighters would retire.

So, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force will develop a common airframe with the United Kingdom for it's next-generation F2 fighter in order to control development costs. My understanding it that currently Japan is also using F-35 fighter jet bought from the US.

隨著天然氣價格的上漲，頁岩油公司變得有氣勢

Recently Yahoo New on-line reported the following:

As natural gas prices jump, shale oil firms get gassy

Wed, August 31, 2022 at 4:09 AM

By Liz Hampton

(Reuters) - Natural gas a few years ago was so unwanted that U.S. shale oil producers sold it at cost just to pump more oil. Today, prices are near 14-year highs, and new export terminals are rising along with production forecasts.

The result is an earnings bonanza for companies that once shunned the fuel as an annoying by-product. U.S. benchmark natural gas prices in late August topped $10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), a level not seen since 2008, and the boom-bust cycles from North American demand appear to have been broken amid surging exports.

The U.S. fuel has become key to Western Europe cutting its reliance on Russian gas. Liquefied gas exports this year have averaged 11.5 billion cubic feet per day, up 18% year-over-year. There are at least four new export projects under construction and nearly a dozen others aiming for financial approvals by 2023. Most of the projects will not add to output for years.

"Two or three years ago, oil companies would not even set a hand in natural gas... it was a negative, it was a nuisance, but it's not today," Jay Allison, chief executive of shale producer Comstock Resources, said at a conference in Denver in August.

CASHING IN

The largest U.S. independent oil producer, ConocoPhillips, reported last quarter that it sold natural gas for an average $10.15 per million cubic feet, up 143% from a year ago. The company does not break out profit contribution from gas.

Chesapeake Energy, which in 2019 spent nearly $4 billion to buy an oil-producer, now plans to sell that property and become a pure-play gas company. It is adding two drilling rigs in the Haynesville gas field and recently signed an agreement to deliver the fuel to Golden Pass LNG, a proposed LNG exporter.

Companies like Conoco that do not hedge gas production are getting the benefit of strong U.S. prices, said Matt Hagerty, a senior analyst for market researcher BTU Analytics, a FactSet company. Hedging is when companies sell future production at fixed prices, which can be lower in a rising market.

BTU has raised its forecast for 2022 gas production for four straight months, with its current outlook 365 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) higher than April's view, while holding its 2022 oil outlook flat.

Not all companies will cash in. Producers including CNX Resources and Southwestern Energy hedged about 60% of their 2022 production, placing a ceiling of around $3 per mmcf. They can either pay to close those hedges, if able, or risk missing out on the price gains, Hagerty said.

U.S. shale gas production is projected to reach 93.84 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in September, up 6.715 bcfd from a year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration. This includes year-over-year volume increases in the three largest fields of 2.6% in Appalachia, 7% in Permian and 13.9% in the Haynesville shale fields.

MORE INVESTMENT

The gains could continue. APA Corp in August said it moved a rig into a West Texas gas field and began drilling again. Three months earlier, it said the field was unlikely to get additional resources. Conoco also said it plans to increase exposure to natural gas, and invest in two LNG projects.

High prices are helping revive asset sales in U.S. gas fields. Exxon Mobil this month said it is selling its Fayetteville shale properties after finding a buyer for North Texas gas that had been on the market for at least a year.

LNG developer Tellurian in July moved to expand its gas holdings, spending $125 million on land to feed a proposed Louisiana export plant. This week, Cheniere Energy disclosed plans to expand its Corpus Christi LNG plant, a move that will take years to complete.

"Natural gas is far, far from a waste product," said Joel Moxley, chief executive at GPA Midstream Association, whose members are seeing a boost from higher volumes on their gathering and processing systems.

"They are making a lot of money at these prices," he said, referring to natural gas producers. The growth will require more pipelines to avoid transportation constraints, he said.

Another change: U.S. gas prices increasingly are set by global demand - not domestic consumption, say experts.

"The U.S. should get used to the likelihood of high double-digit gas prices," said Albert Lin, executive director of Pearl Street Station Finance Lab, which conducts economic analysis related to the energy sector.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; editing by Richard Pullin)

Translation

（路透社） - 幾年前，天然氣非常不甚受歡迎，以至美國頁岩油生產商以成本出售它只是為了抽出更多的頁岩油。如今，價格接近 14 年高位，隨著產量預測, 新的出口站增加。

結果是, 那些曾經將燃料視為令人討厭的副產品的頁岩油公司獲得了豐厚的收益。美國基準天然氣價格在 8 月下旬突破了每百萬英熱單位 (mmBtu) 10 美元，這是自 2008 年以來的最高水平，而在出口激增的情況下，北美需求的繁榮-蕭條週期似乎已經被打破。

美國燃料已成為西歐減少對俄羅斯天然氣依賴的關鍵。今年的液化氣出口量平均為每天 115 億立方英尺，同比增長 18%，至少有四個新的出口項目正在建設中，還有近十個其他項目期待到 2023 年獲得財務批准。大多數項目多年之内不會增加產量。

頁岩油生產商Comstock Resources首蓆執行官 Jay Allison 八月份在丹佛一次的會議上表示: “兩三年前，石油公司甚至不會涉足天然氣...... 是一個負面的副產品，是一個麻煩，但今日不是 “。

兌現賺錢

美國最大的獨立石油生產商ConocoPhillips上季度報告稱，其天然氣平均售價為每百萬立方英尺 10.15 美元，同比增長 143%。公司沒有單獨列出天然氣的利潤貢獻。

Chesapeake Energy 在 2019 年斥資近 40 億美元收購了一家石油生產商，現在計劃出售該資產並成為一家純天然氣公司。 它正在Haynesville氣田增加兩台鑽井平台，最近還簽署了一項協議，將燃料運送給在建議中的液化天然氣出口商 Golden Pass LNG。

作為一間市場研究公司 (FactSet), BTU Analytics 的高級分析師Matt Hagerty表示，像Conoco這樣不對沖天然氣生產的公司正在從美國強勁的價格中受益。對沖保值是指公司以固定價格出售未來產品，在上漲的市場中價格可能會較低。

BTU 已連續四個月上調了對 2022 年天然氣產量的預測，目前的展望比 4 月份的展望高出 3.65 億立方英尺/天 (mmcfd)，同時保持其 2022 年的石油展望持平。

並非所有公司都會兌現賺錢。包括 CNX Resources 和 Southwestern Energy 在內的生產商對 2022 年產量的約 60% 進行了對沖，將上限設置為每 mmcf 約 3 美元。Hagerty說，如果可以的話，他們可以支付費用去停止這些對沖的，或者冒著錯失價格收益的風險。

根據美國能源信息署的數據，9 月份美國頁岩氣產量預計將達到每天 938.4 億立方英尺 (bcfd)，比一年前增加 6.715 bcfd。這包括三個最大頁岩油田的產量: Appalachia同比增長 2.6%，Permian增長 7%，Haynesville增長 13.9%。

更多投資

收益可能會繼續。 APA 公司在 8 月表示，它已將一個鑽井平台移入西德克薩斯氣田，並再次開始鑽探。三個月前，它表示該領域不太可能獲得額外資源。Conoco還表示，它計劃增加對天然氣的投資，並投資兩個液化天然氣項目。

高價格正在幫助恢復美國氣田的資產銷售。埃克森美孚本月表示，為已推銷至少一年的北德克薩斯天然氣找到買家而出售其Fayetteville頁岩資產。

液化天然氣開發商 Tellurian 在 7 月開始擴大其天然氣儲備，在土地上花費了 1.25 億美元，為擬建的路易斯安那州出口廠房供氣。本週，Cheniere Energy 披露了擴建Corpus Christi液化天然氣廠房的計劃，這一舉措將需要數年時間才能完成。

GPA Midstream Association首席執行官Joel Moxley說: “天然氣遠非廢物” ，該協會的成員看到其收集和處理系統的產量增加帶來了提振效應。

他說: “他們以這些價格賺了很多錢” ，指的是天然氣生產商。他又說，增長將需要更多的管道以避免運輸上的拘束。

另一個變化：專家說，美國的天然氣價格越來越多地由全球需求決定，而不是國內消費。

從事與能源行業相關的經濟分析的Pearl Street Station Finance Lab的執行董事 Albert Lin說： “美國應該習慣高兩位數的天然氣價格的可能性。”

              So, among the U.S. shale oil producers, a few years ago natural gas was an unwanted by-product that was sold at cost only. Today, gas price is near 14-year highs, and new export terminals are increasing along with production forecasts. I think the high gas price is creating a new business opportunity for the American shale oil producers.

Translation note:

1. Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen. The refined products can be used for the same purposes as those derived from crude oil. (Wikipedia)

2.FactSet is a type of specialized company that creates flexible, open data and software solutions for over 170,000 of investment professionals around the world, providing instant anytime, anywhere access to financial data and analytics that investors use to make crucial decisions. https://go.factset.com/

3. BTU Analytics, a FactSet Company, combines bottoms-up fundamental analysis with upstream financial research to produce insightful, useful intelligence for investors at every level of the market. (https://btuanalytics.com/)

European study - Sea level to rise nearly 30 centimeters is unavoidable due to melting of the Greenland ice sheet

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

グリーンランドの氷床融解で３０センチ近い海面上昇は不可避　欧州研究

2022.08.31 Wed posted at 10:25 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） グリーンランドの広い範囲で進む氷床の融解により、世界の海面が近い将来、３０センチ近く上昇することは避けられないとする研究結果が発表された。

気候変動の専門誌「ネイチャー・クライメート・チェンジ」で２９日に報告された研究によると、たとえ世界が今すぐ温室効果ガスの排出をやめたとしても、グリーンランドの氷が解け、少なくとも２５センチの海面上昇が起きることは確実とされる。

これは、過去１００年にグリーンランド、南極大陸での氷融解と、海水の熱膨張によって上昇した分を全部合わせた幅にほぼ等しいという。

デンマーク・グリーンランド地質調査所（ＧＥＵＳ）の研究チームは、グリーンランドやその周辺で氷床の変化を観察してきた。すでに起きている気候変動が原因で、グリーンランドの氷床全体の約３．３％、氷の重さにして１１０兆トンが解けることは避けようがないと指摘した。

またこれによる海面の上昇は、今世紀中に気候がどんなシナリオをたどっても同じように起きるとしている。ただし研究チームは、今世紀末までのどの時点で上昇するのかを言明していない。

チームが示した上昇幅はあくまでも最低限の推定値で、温暖化がほぼ確実にこのまま続く前提で考えると、数値はさらに大きくなる。

氷床は気温が高くなれば短時間で解けるほか、端が暖かい海水に触れることで解け出す可能性もある。

米海洋大気庁（ＮＯＡＡ）は最近出した報告書の中で、米国の沿岸部では今後３０年で２５～３０センチの海面上昇が観測される可能性を指摘した。

グリーンランドの気温は１９８０年代以降、１０年に１．５度と、世界平均の４倍のペースで上昇している。

グリーンランドの氷が全部解けたら、世界の海面は約７．６メートル上昇すると予想される。それも世界各地で均一な上がり方をするのではなく、グリーンランド自体のように、引力などの理由で逆に海面が下がる場所もあるという。

グリーンランド北部では、先月１５～１７日に１日当たり６０億トン、オリンピックサイズのプール７２０万面分を満たすほどの氷が解けた。

世界の研究者らによると、気候変動が加速している流れは明らかで、温室効果ガスの排出量がただちに削減されない限り、こうした異常な融解は引き続き激しさや頻度を増していくと考えられる。

Translation

  (CNN) According to a study, the widespread melting of the Greenland ice sheet would inevitably lead to global sea level rise of nearly 30 centimeters in the near future.

According to a study reported Wednesday in the journal “Nature Climate Change”, even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases right now, Greenland's ice would melt, and sea level could certainly rise by at least 25 centimeters.

This was roughly equal to the combined extent of ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica; and the rise due to thermal expansion of sea water over the past 100 years.

A research team at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) had been observing changes in the ice sheets in and around Greenland. It was said that about 3.3% of the total Greenland ice sheet, or 110 trillion tonnes of ice by weight, would inevitably melt due to climate change already happening.

The resulting sea level rise was expected to occur in the same way under any climate scenario during this century. However, the research team did not say at what point up to the end of the century that it would rise.

The increase the team indicated was purely a bare minimum estimate, and the numbers would be even higher if we assumed that warming was almost certain to continue.

Ice sheets melt quickly when temperatures rose, and they could also melt when their edges came into contact with warm seawater.

A recent report by the America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that coastal areas of the United States could see sea level rise of 25 to 30 centimeters over the next 30 years.

Since the 1980s, Greenland's temperature had risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius per decade, four times the global average.

If all of Greenland's ice melted, global sea levels could rise by about 7.6 meters. It is said that the sea level would not rise evenly all over the world; conversely in some places such as Greenland itself the sea level could go down for reasons such as gravitational force.

In northern Greenland, between 15th and 17th last month, 6 billion tons of ice melted each day, enough to fill 7.2 million Olympic-size swimming pools.

According to researchers around the world, it was thought that climate change was clearly accelerating, and unless greenhouse gas emissions were cut immediately, these abnormal melts would continue to grow in intensity and frequency.

              So, according to a study, even if the world stops emitting greenhouse gases right away, Greenland's ice will continue to melt, and sea level could certainly rise by at least 25 centimeters. If all of Greenland's ice melts, global sea levels will rise by about 7.6 meters. This prediction is shocking.

日本計劃開發遠程導彈以對抗中國，俄羅斯

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Japan plans to develop longer-range missiles to counter China, Russia

Tue, August 30, 2022 at 9:54 PM

By Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will develop and mass produce a cruise missile and a high-velocity ballistic missile, it said on Wednesday, as it seeks the ability to strike more distant targets as part of a military expansion aimed at meeting threats from China and Russia.

The procurement plan unveiled in the Ministry of Defence's annual budget request represents a clear departure from a decades-long range limit imposed on Japan's constitutionally constrained Self Defence Forces, that meant they could only field missiles with ranges of a few hundred kilometres.

"China continues to threaten to use force to unilaterally change the status quo and is deepening its alliance with Russia," the ministry said in its budget request.

"It is also applying pressure around Taiwan with supposed military exercises and has not renounced the use of military force as a way to unite Taiwan with the rest of China," it said.

Alarm about China's regional ambitions grew this month after it fired five ballistic missiles into waters less than 160 km (100 miles) from Japan in a show of force after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visited Taiwan.

The ministry also mentioned North Korea as a threat to Japan.

The budget request is for funding to mass produce ground-launched cruise missiles, an extended range version of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designed Type 12 missile already in use, to strike ships, and a new, high-velocity glide ballistic missiles capable of hitting ground targets.

The ministry is also seeking money to develop other projectiles, including hypersonic warheads.

The ministry did not give a range for the proposed weapons, or say how many it planned to field, but they would likely be able to reach targets in mainland China if deployed along Japan's nearby southwest Okinawa island chain.

Japan has already ordered air-launched missiles, including the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) made by Norway's Kongsberg, and Lockheed Martin Corp's Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile (JASSM) with a range of up to 1,000 km (620 miles).

Unlike with ship or ground-based launchers, however, the number it can fire is limited by how many planes it can put in the air to fire them.

The ministry asked for a 3.6% increase in spending to 5.6 trillion yen ($39.78 billion) for the year starting on April 1, but said the figure would rise after it calculated the cost of new procurement programmes.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government will approve that increased request at the end of the year when it will also unveil a major defence strategy overhaul and new midterm military buildup plan.

Kishida, who has described security in East Asia as "fragile" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has promised to "substantially" increase defence outlays to prepare Japan for regional conflict.

His ruling Liberal Democratic Party in its upper house election manifesto in July promised to double defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product over five years.

That would make Japan the world's third biggest military spender behind major ally the United States, and neighbouring China.

In addition to increasing stockpile of missiles and other munitions, Japan's military wants to develop its cyber defences, electromagnetic warfare capabilities and space presence.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Translation

東京（路透社）- 日本週三表示，因為它正去尋求可打擊更遠距離目標的能力, 它將開發和大規模生產巡航導彈和高速彈道導彈，作為軍事擴張的一 部分, 旨在應對來自中國和俄羅斯的威脅。

防衛省年度預算申請中所公佈的採購計劃, 明顯背離了對日本憲法約束的自衛隊長達數十年的射程限制，這意味著他們能部署射程達幾百公里的導彈。

該省在其預算請求中表示: “中國繼續威脅使用武力去單方面改變現狀，並正在深化與俄羅斯的聯盟” 。

它說: “中國還通過所謂軍事演習在台灣周圍施加壓力，並且沒有放棄使用武力作為一種方式,將台灣與中國統一起來”。

在美國眾議院議長佩洛西訪問台灣後，中國向距離日本不到 160 公里（100 英里）的水域發射了五枚彈道導彈，以顯示武力，令日本對中國在地區野心的擔憂加劇。

該省還提到北朝鮮是對日本的威脅。

預算請求是提供資金, 為大規模生產陸基巡航導彈、即是三菱重工設計的並已在使用的 12 型導彈的增程版本, 以打擊艦船, 及能夠擊中地面目標的新型高速滑翔彈道導彈。

該省還在尋求資金來開發其他發射体，包括高超音速彈頭。

該省沒有給出建議武器的射程，也沒有說明計劃部署多少，但如果部署在日本附近的沖繩西南島鏈沿線，它們很可能能夠射到中國大陸的目標。

日本已經訂購了空射導彈，包括挪威Kongsberg聯合攻擊導彈（JSM）和Lockheed Martin Corp's的聯合空對地防區外導彈（JASSM），射程可達 1,000 公里（620 英里） 。

然而，它與艦載或陸基發射器不同的是，它可以發射的數量, 是受到有多少架飛機可以在空中發射的限制。

該省要求從 4 月 1 日開始的年度支出增加 3.6%，至 5.6 萬億日元（397.8 億美元），但表示在計算新採購計劃的成本後，這一數字將上升。

岸田文雄首相的政府將在年底批准這一增加的要求，屆時還將公佈一項重大的國防戰略改革和新的中期軍事建設計劃。

在俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭後，岸田曾將東亞的安全描述為 “脆弱” ，並承諾 “大幅” 增加國防開支，為日本應對地區衝突做好準備。

他的執政黨自民黨在 7 月份的上議院選舉宣言中承諾在五年內將國防開支翻一番，達到國內生產總值的 2%。

這將使日本成為僅次於主要盟友美國和鄰國中國的世界第三大軍費開支國。

除了增加導彈和其他彈藥的庫存外，日本軍方還希望發展其網絡防禦、電磁戰能力和太空參与。

       So, Japan will develop and mass produce missiles so as to seek the ability to strike more distant targets to meet threats from China and Russia. This represents a clear departure from a decades-long range limit imposed on Japan’s Self Defense Forces. It seems that Asia has become more dangerous and war cloud is gathering there.