One of Japan’s top beverage makers plans to unroll a new vending machine that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, Bloomberg reported last Thursday. The soft drink subsidiary of Tokyo-based Asahi Group Holdings plans to run a pilot phase of the machine — which houses a material that absorbs carbon dioxide as it takes in air to cool or warm the drinks inside — next month. Dubbed a potential “forest in the city,” the vending machines will contain a white powder-like material made from several calcium minerals. The absorbed CO2 can then be used for industrial purposes, including manufacturing fertilizers and algal sea beds.

More details: The pilot phase will begin with 30 units in the Kanto and Kansai regions, under a plan by the company to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Each vending machine should absorb c. 60 kg of CO2 — or 20% of the carbon emissions it generates — annually. The firm plans to embark on a wider replacement program for its current 260k machines by next year, he said, adding that no specific target for the overall number of units has yet been determined.

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Extreme heat is testing the limits of human endurance: Climate change-driven extreme heat, which saw record highs last year in several parts of the world, is detrimental to human health and is driving countries like India to issue heat warnings weeks in advance, Bloomberg wrote in an in-depth explainer last week. One study estimates that some 90% of India’s 1.4 bn people suffered “severe health and economic effects” as a direct result of extreme weather last year, the business news service notes. Workers from developing countries like India are particularly vulnerable to global warming given that most people work outside and lack adequate cooling systems at home. The health risks associated with extreme heat include dehydration, which increases the likelihood of stroke and heart failure.

It is also taking a toll on the global economy, Bloomberg explains, noting that India’s heat woes last year hindered wheat production, leading the country to ban exports which raised fears of global food shortages. Chickpeas, rapeseed, and wheat supplies are expected to dwindle this year as well due to similarly extreme weather, Bloomberg notes. Climate change-induced heat waves, which lead to droughts, will also limit hydropower and nuclear power production, raise energy consumption and prices, and add extra stress to power grids.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• A number of US startups are foreseeing a major climate tech waste problem and are thinking ahead by constructing facilities for recycling tons of PV solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion EV batteries. (CNBC)