Yeah, the future of 2138 is very unfortunately a polluted crapsack, but Oni (by Bungie West) shows us it isn't impossible to appreciate nature in such awful times.

Even if there's things the megacorporations really don't want you to see. 

And getting a mere paper cut in a "nature preserve" could kill you. 

World's a big place. Awful lot could happen.

If anything, his science might not be legal. Or official. Or approved in any way by Japan's version of Big Brother. Either way we can make it work with some tweaking so I wouldn't worry about it.