Tomorrow, Japan will begin a decadeslong process of releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Japanese officials say it’s a necessary step to decommission the plant, which was wrecked in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami there and suffered a nuclear disaster. For the past 12 years, hundreds of underground tanks have stored roughly 1.34 million metric tons of contaminated water from the nuclear plant and releasing the water into the ocean is considered the most feasible option.

It’s become a major controversy in the region. In July, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cleared the Japanese government’s plan to dump the water in the ocean. But neighboring countries, environmental activists, and the seafood industry are urging Japan to find an alternative.

• In Japan, which exported $2 billion worth of fish in 2022, seafood workers are worried that this move will cause reputational harm and cost them their livelihoods.
• South Korea and China, the biggest importers of Japanese seafood, have already banned fish imports from Fukushima.

Baby, there’s tritium in the water

Japan says it’s filtered out all the radioactive elements in the water…except one: tritium. This element that can’t be filtered (only diluted) has become the main point of tension around the plan.

Opponents warn of the potential harm of releasing tritium, which emits radiation, but supporters say that disposing of nuclear wastewater with minimal amounts of tritium has been done before in Japan and other countries.

• The released water will contain 190 becquerels of tritium per liter, far below the World Health Organization’s safety limit of 10,000 becquerels per liter for drinking water, according to the Tokyo Electric Power Company.
• Two plants in the UK release between 400 and 2,000 terabecquerels of tritium into the ocean every year. Plants in Japan also discharged terabecquerels of tritium before the Fukushima accident.

But critics, including the US National Association of Marine Laboratories, argue that there are still unanswered questions and a lack of evidence about the safety of the water.

Looking ahead…after the discharge begins, Japan plans to test seawater and fish near the plant starting as early as next month. But disposing of all the water is expected to take between 30 and 40 years.—CC

Attention sneakerheads, shoe legends, and everyone in between: There’s a fresh pair of kicks on the scene. With celebs like Jon Hamm and Helen Mirren lacing up, you know these instant classics are the real deal. Want the deets?

We’re talkin’ about Cariuma, the buzzy, sustainable (yep, B Corp-certified) sneaker brand that’s earned over 40k 5-star reviews and cleared a 104k waitlist. They’re great for every season—so call off your search for the perfect pair of autumn kicks.

Cariuma has it all, really. Aside from being super comfortable with a broken-in feel straight outta the box, each purchased pair plants 2 trees in the Brazilian rainforest to directly aid in restoration and preservation.

These don’t go on sale (even for Labor Day), but MB readers can get 20% off with code BREWAUGUST.

Dick’s had its worst day ever. The sporting goods retailer lost nearly a quarter of its value after it warned that increased theft and slowing sales of outdoor gear would result in lower-than-expected profits for the rest of the year. Only pickleball players can save you now, Dick’s. Meanwhile, Macy’s also posted a sad excuse for a quarter, reporting shrinking sales across the board and particularly dramatic declines in categories like activewear and casual apparel. Macy’s CEO said consumers are spending less on goods and more on experiences this summer (see: Barbie’s $1+ billion at the box office).

Biden’s student loan repayment plan went live. The Biden administration is now allowing sign-ups for its Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan for student loans, which it says can slash some borrowers’ monthly payments by 50% and eliminate all obligations for others. The typical borrower could save $1,000 per year under the new plan, the White House and the Dept. of Education said, though some benefits won’t kick in until next summer. Biden is trying to find ways to provide relief to student borrowers after the Supreme Court blocked his debt wipeout initiative in June.

The first Republican presidential debate is tonight. Front-runner Donald Trump is skipping the event, but eight other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, ex-NJ Gov. Chris Christie, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will attempt to dunk on each other and President Biden to make up some ground in the polls. The debate, which is taking place in Milwaukee at 9pm ET, will be moderated by Fox News Channel hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum and broadcast on various Fox channels and streaming platforms.

Ikea is banking on it. Today, the furniture seller is opening a smaller-scale format of its iconic store in a downtown SF mall even after dozens of other retailers have said to the struggling area.

Like the company’s relationship-ending nightstand assembly directions, its 2020 announcement that it would occupy a three-floor store in an abandoned mall was hard to comprehend. At least 150,000 office workers abandoned San Francisco during the pandemic, and nearly 40 stores have shut down in the city’s Union Square area over the last three years, according to Coresight.

Still, the new store’s manager told the WSJ, “We do feel it’s a viable place.”

Trust the process: The new SF store is one of at least 17 stores Ikea plans to open in the US by 2026 in a $2.2 billion expansion push. Some of those locations will be mini Ikeas in downtowns that focus on selling Tvärfot table lamps to impecunious unpaid interns who don’t have much apartment space to fill.

• These compact stores are performing well in cities like London, Mumbai, and Paris, Ikea said.
• But in December 2022, the company shuttered its Queens, NY, location—its first attempt at a store in a dense, urban environment in the US.

Ikea’s arrival is a relief for a city that some critics say could enter a “doom loop.” But signs of life are popping up: The excitement around AI is starting to bring workers back into SF’s desolate offices.—MM

How do you $tack up? Wonder how your finances compare to your fellow Brew readers? Peep the status of your financial “health” by taking Facet’s free, 5-minute Financial Wellness Quiz. You’ll receive your Financial Wellness Score, which unlocks key personalized insights about the current state of your finances.

How do you think you’ll score?

Stellar. I’m definitely on the Brew leaderboard.
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Eh. I’ve had some hiccups, but I should be in the average range.
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Sailing the high seas may give off Master and Commander vibes, but it’s coming back in 2023 as an innovative way to lower commercial shipping’s carbon footprint.

A cargo ship retrofitted with solid wing sails embarked on a trial voyage earlier this week, chartered by food giant Cargill for a fuel-efficient journey from China to Brazil. A UK company started by yacht racing pros, BAR Technologies, designed the so-called WindWings tech.

How it works:

• Two foldable sails made from wind-turbinelike material were installed atop the bulk cargo vessel Pyxis Ocean and stand 123 feet above deck when raised.
• Those sails enable a ship to harness sea wind for propulsion, reducing fossil fuel use by up to 20%.

The concept could be a game changer for the shipping industry, which relies primarily on oil-powered vessels and spits out around 3% of global carbon emissions. That existing ships can be modified to breeze along with the winds is particularly promising for making old gas guzzlers cleaner.

But this tech faces some headwinds. It’s unclear whether WindWings will be commercially viable before we all hit the age when a cruise becomes the go-to vacation: Cargill expects it’ll take at least seven to 10 years for fuel savings to surpass the cost of installing the sails on the Pyxis Ocean.—SK

Stat: American homes are increasingly looking like your college dorm. Of the more than 1 million new single-family houses built in the US last year, 48% contained at least four bedrooms, the highest share since the US Census started keeping track in 1973. The bedroom explosion comes at a time when American houses are getting considerably smaller and builders are cutting out dining areas, living rooms, and bathtubs from their blueprints, per the WSJ. Only 33% of existing US homes have four or more bedrooms, but the work-from-home era jacked up demand for a home office (which is presumably what all those extra bedrooms are for…).

Quote: “Literally subsisting on bread and water…sometimes peanut butter.” 

In a hearing yesterday, Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers decried their client’s living conditions in a Brooklyn jail where he was sent after a judge revoked his bail earlier this month. SBF’s lawyers said his requests for his prescription medication (Adderall and an antidepressant) were denied, and, if that continues, SBF will be “severely negatively impacted in his ability to assist in his own defense.” SBF’s fraud trial over the collapse of the crypto exchange he founded, FTX, is set to begin in October.

Read: On social media, Italian culture gets flattened to the lowest common denominator. (The Baffler)

Listen: This website will play the sounds of space, such as Mercury’s solar wind and the merging of two black holes.

Look: Panorama views of scenic places in the world.

Watch: One of the best traditions in sports is the Elaine dance contest at the Brooklyn Cyclones’ annual Seinfeld Night.

Read: 24 books to look forward to this fall.

Sound like a pro: Horizon AX hearing aids are earning rave reviews from audiologists nationwide. The 2-chip processing system from hear.com tunes out the noise so you can hear what matters. Start your no-risk trial.*

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Word Search: Australia’s isolation has resulted in the evolution of unique critters. See if you can identify the Australian wildlife in today’s Word Search.

Air travel trivia

In today’s “revenge of the geography nerds” trivia, we’ll give you a US airport and you have to name the most popular domestic destination from that airport (as of May 2023).

Example: If we said Salt Lake City, the correct answer would be Denver.

1. Boston Logan International

2. Detroit Metro Wayne County

3. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental

4. Los Angeles International

5. Newark Liberty International

6. Philadelphia International

7. Charlotte Douglas International

1. Washington, DC (DCA)
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Denver, CO
4. New York City (JFK)
5. Orlando, FL
6. Orlando, FL
7. Orlando, FL

Word of the Day

Today’s Word of the Day is: impecunious, which means “having very little or no money usually habitually.” Thanks to Troy in Orange County for the submission!

Submit another Word of the Day here.