In The News

How to Prevent the Climate Change Summit From Failure

Scott Barrett May 1, 2009
The Framework Convention on Climate Change set to meet in Copenhagen in December 2009 could be a lame duck session if the US is not ready to meet international targets, according to environmental economist Scott Barrett. The chances of the US Congress agreeing on climate change targets prior to the convention are unlikely given the timetable. A solution, as Barrett argues, would be to draft a...

Population: Some Boom, Some Decline

Joseph Chamie March 18, 2009
World population nearly quadrupled during the 20th century, and in early March, US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that by 2025 it could grow by another 1 billion people. That would put pressure on the global environment as well as on food, water and energy supplies, setting up the potential for conflicts over resources. While...

China Reluctant to Lead

Orville Schell March 11, 2009
As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized during her first trip overseas, the US has great expectations for China's leadership and help on fixing the economy, and reducing climate change. Following the model of Richard Nixon in the 1970s, who sought to make common cause against the Soviet threat, Clinton emphasized common challenges for the two nations, playing down any differences...

Revenge of the Rain Forest

Steve Connor March 6, 2009
The Amazon region may seem remote for much of the world, but researchers have long credited the rain forest, 25 times larger than Great Britain, for absorbing large amounts of carbon emissions. But a new study suggests that the Amazon rain forest emitted more carbon than it absorbed for a period in 2005, reports Steve Connor for the Independent. “Four years ago, a sudden and intense drought in...

Worst Drought in Half-Century Shrivels the Wheat Belt of China

Michael Wines February 25, 2009
Northern China, which provides three fifths of the nation's crops, is suffering the worst drought in 50 years. “Water supplies have been drying up in northern China for decades, the result of pervasive overuse and waste,” reports Michael Wines for the New York Times about the world's most populated country that controls growth with a one-child policy. “The drought is peaking as millions...

Germany Joins EU in Tying Car Fees to Emissions

February 4, 2009
In Germany, described as the EU’s “most car-obsessed nation” in this Spiegel Online article, the government will reduce taxes on small cars and charge a penalty of €2 for every gram of carbon emitted per kilometer over a 120-gram limit. The tax plan may encourage consumers to choose small, fuel-efficient vehicles. “With carmakers Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche leading the way, a large percentage...

Norway and the Environment: Binge and Purge

January 29, 2009
Along with its Northern European siblings, Norway has long been viewed as a leader in sustainability, a reputation earned by prodigious domestic efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030. The nation is well on its way: gas taxes are high, public transportation is booming, and 99 percent of Norwegian electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants. On the world stage, Norway is a strong voice in...