No. of oil-covered dead birds rises to 4,000 on Hokkaido shores
March 17, 2006The number of dead birds covered in oil has risen to 4,000 on the shores of Hokkaido and the cause remains a mystery, officials of the prefectural government said Friday. Officials of Shari town in Abashiri said an additional 1,600 birds were found dead in oil on the shores of the Shiretoko Peninsula on Thursday as snow melted in the area.
Frost on trees of Zao, Yamagata Pref., becoming more acidified
March 17, 2006The silver frost on trees in Zao mountains in Yamagata Prefecture, whose beauty attracts winter tourists, has been acidified over a decade, partly due to air pollution from steel plants in China's Shanxi Province, research by environment experts showed Friday. Acidity in the frost may kill the Aomori Todo pine and other trees, said the group, which includes Fumitaka Yanagisawa, an assistant professor specializing in environmental chemistry at Yamagata University.