In The News

Japan in a Post 3/11 World – Part I

Daniel Sneider October 5, 2011
Like the aftershocks of an earthquake, Japan encounters economic and other little warnings almost daily following the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. An ongoing transformation of the Japanese economy and political system could permanently alter the nation, explains this YaleGlobal series. Even as the Japanese people unite and sacrifice throughout the crisis, the...

Huge Arctic Fire Hints at New Climate Cue

Richard Black August 2, 2011
Dry conditions stemming from climate change could lead to more wildfires even in the cool Arctic; in turn, the fires could hasten the pace of global warming. A 2007 fire in Alaska put as much carbon into the air as the entire Arctic tundra can absorb in one year, suggests ecology research released by Nature magazine and reported by the BBC News. “Fires in the tundra are uncommon because the...

Warning: Extreme Weather Ahead

John Vidal June 15, 2011
“Everyone complains about the weather and no one does anything about it” – Mark Twain’s observation also applies to climate change. The entire globe is experiencing a “climate rollercoaster” of extreme weather with record-setting droughts, flooding, winds, temperatures, wildfires and snow, writes John Vidal for the Guardian. He adds, “The impacts of extreme weather are greater in poorer countries...

After the Fukushima Disaster

Richard Weitz May 26, 2011
The world has more than 400 nuclear reactors in 29 nations, with 64 more under construction. Disaster rather than industry growth exposes the need for industry review and regulation updates, suggests a YaleGlobal series. The accident at the Fukushima power plant in Japan revealed that global emergency-response and safety standards currently in place may be inadequate for aging reactors,...

A Link Between Climate Change and Joplin Tornadoes? Never!

Bill McKibben May 25, 2011
The US government and media are like children who have joined a strange cult, and environmentalists take on the role of frustrated parents trying to show connections between behavior and consequences. Many in the US stubbornly resist connecting extreme weather events with climate change. News anchors, reporters, government weather officials studiously avoid mentioning climate change, carbon...

A Tryst with Destiny

Yoichi Funabashi March 23, 2011
On 11 March, a 9.0 earthquake struck the Japanese coast, followed by a tsunami’s powerful wall of water. Natural disaster damaged a nuclear power plant, releasing radiation that taints some crops and Tokyo’s water supply. Tragedy that devastated the world’s third largest economy will transform Japan’s identity and policies, too, explains journalist and author Yoichi Funabashi, writing from Tokyo...

命运的幽会

船桥洋一(Yoichi Funabashi) March 23, 2011
3月11日，9.0级地震袭击日本海岸，紧接着是海啸带来的强大水墙。自然灾害破坏核电厂，辐射泄露，部分农作物和东京的供水遭受污染。记者、作家船桥洋一在东京写道，这场毁坏全球第三大经济体的悲剧也将改变日本的身份和政策。日本在艰难困苦中坚守文明，已成为强有力的楷模。政治领导人面对一生中最大的挑战，正在重新校准他们在一些问题上的立场。合作至关重要，与之融合在一起的是紧迫感、诚实和问责制，而不是政治姿态。本文认为，所有日本人必须全心投入规划和重建，参与世界，设定最高的目标。如此规模的危机将不可避免地影响全球政策，并可能导向宿命论。全世界将从意志坚定的日本身上学到很多。人类期待，并且需要一个充满活力的重生的日本。——耶鲁全球