Business
In Japan, an automotive light bulb manufacturer pivots to growing mushrooms
The global shift toward new automotive technologies can be difficult for companies producing parts that may become obsolete. It’s straining local economies in areas with a lot of manufacturing, like Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture. To adapt, one company specializing in automotive light bulbs has expanded into mushroom cultivation.
Germany’s culture war over animal welfare
Germany’s dachshund clubs say a new animal protection law could effectively outlaw their beloved sausage dog, whose long body and short legs can cause painful spine problems. Farmers are outraged with proposals in the law for how they should raise their livestock. Now, a culture war is brewing in Germany’s cities and hinterlands, with dachshunds, cows and their humans as unlikely standard-bearers.
Paraguay’s soy bonanza leaves small farmers in the cold
The tiny landlocked South American country of Paraguay is one of the top soy producers on the planet. Soy is the country’s top export and it accounts for a major chunk of the country’s gross domestic product. But the soy explosion has wreaked havoc on Paraguay’s ecosystem and been a disaster for many small farmers whose farms have been inundated with pesticides from neighboring soy plantations.
The rocky road to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest performing arts festival in the world, and it has catapulted the work of some artists to the West End, Broadway and television. But the road to the festival is also littered with stories of career-ending performances, mental health distress and financial ruin.
