International Update Volume 43, Issue 1
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<p>Beijing warned residents that air quality had reached serious pollution levels and that people should "avoid outdoor activities" last Friday. The U.S. embassy confirmed over Twitter that pollutants had reached "hazardous" levels and and were at their worst since at least December 1. The warning follows an announcement from March of last year that the government would demand stricter monitoring of fine particulate matter by cities, and it marks the fifth warning since January 1, when the measures went into effect.

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<p>Alberta's oil sands development has produced carcinogens in surrounding lakes well beyond natural levels, according to a study released last week, and the contamination may cover a much larger area than initially believed. The study analyzed sediment dating back 50 years from six small lakes in the center of the oil sands industry, finding that levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons had risen steadily since the beginning of large-scale oil production in 1978.

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<p>Japan's government is attempting to reverse plans to phase out nuclear power, almost two years after the Fukushima disaster. The previous government promised to rid the nation of all 50 nuclear reactors by 2040, dramatically shifting earlier plans to increase Japan's dependence on nuclear from 30 percent to 50 percent by 2030. The new government has announced a review of the nuclear phaseout, and has promised to restart reactors that pass safety tests.

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