We show Akari data, Herschel data and data from the SCUBA2 camera on JCMT, of molecular clouds. We focus on pre-stellar cores within the clouds. We present Akari data of the L1147-1157 ring in Cepheus and show how the data indicate that the cores are being externally heated. We present SCUBA2 and Herschel data of the Ophiuchus region and show how the environment is also aecting core evolution in this region. We discuss the eects of the magnetic eld in the Lupus I region, and how this lends support to a model for the formation and evolution of cores in lamentary molecular clouds.