In The News

Ukraine's Empty Seat at Table Darkens Party for Putin's Ex-Soviet Bloc

Raushan Nurshayeva and Alexei Anishchuk June 26, 2014
The Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will begin in 2015, lifting trade restrictions among the three countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin states, “This document brings our countries to a new stage of integration while fully preserving the states’ sovereignty.” Putin makes no claims of attempting to recreate the USSR, though “he makes no secret that his dream is to...

The Potential Downside of Natural Gas

Matthew L. Wald June 20, 2014
The natural gas industry suggests that reliance on its fossil fuel rather than coal will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but the effects are difficult to quantify. A US plan to control carbon emissions at power plants centers on that promise. Natural gas produces fewer emissions than coal, but may not be superior to nuclear energy. Two consequences of replacing nuclear power with natural gas:...

Obama's Climate Plan Is Already Working — in China

Ryan Cooper June 11, 2014
The United States, considered a global leader on many issues, has long shied away from a climate change policy and reduction of carbon emissions. Now US President Barack Obama’s announced plans for new regulations on power plant emissions, reducing levels by 30 percent by 2030, and the new plan could inspire other countries to “take action of their own accord,” argues Ryan Cooper of The Week....

China Plan to Cap CO2 Emissions Seen as Turning Point in Climate Talks

Kathy Chen and Stian Reklev June 4, 2014
China, the world’s leading contributor to carbon emissions, has announced plans to set a cap on pollution levels, notably just a day after the US pledged to reduce its own global footprint: “[T]he fact that the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases made unprecedented announcements on climate within 24 hours of each other sparked optimism among observers hoping to see the decades-old deadlock...

The Global Pivot to China

Jean-Pierre Lehmann May 27, 2014
The United States is not alone in its pivot toward Asia. The Asia Pacific region is a center of bustling potential and security pitfalls. And China is the center of that region, notes Jean-Pierre Lehmann, international political economist. The United States claims its pivot is not intended to contain China, but other Asian nations seek such security. China is a lead trading partner for Japan and...

China’s Global Search for Energy

Clifford Krauss and Keith Bradsher May 23, 2014
A 30-year natural gas deal with Russia and towing a massive oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea are just two examples of China’s intense pursuit of energy. “Whether by diplomacy, investment or in extreme cases, force, China is going to great lengths to satisfy its growing hunger for energy to fuel its expanding car fleet and electrify its swelling cities,” report Clifford Krauss and...

Timor-Leste: Lessons of a Failing State?

Loro Horta May 22, 2014
Timor-Leste shares the island of Timor and a bloody history with Indonesia. The former Portuguese colony was part of Indonesia from 1976 until 2002, when it was declared an independent state. The country’s small population is less than half of 1 percent of that in neighboring Indonesia, and one quarter died in fighting for independence. Despite great natural resources, the country has since...