In The News

How a Persian Gulf Backwater Became an International Power Broker

Sonia Verma April 20, 2011
Qatar, an independent state since 1971 and long overshadowed by richer neighbors, raises its profile by taking advantage of global trends. The country of 1.4 million – 200,000 of whom are Qatari – arms Libyan rebels, hosts US Central Command headquarters, shelters Saddam Hussein’s widow, and serves as the base for the Al Jazeera global news network. Huge natural gas reserves enriched the country...

Study: Some Natural Gas Threatens Climate More Than Coal

Tennille Tracy April 13, 2011
Colorless, odorless natural gas is touted as a clean combustible with few emissions. But it’s composed of at least 70 percent methane. A Cornell University study suggests that extracting natural gas from shale with hydraulic fracturing can release methane. The greenhouse gas traps far more heat than carbon dioxide, also blamed for climate change. Tennille Tracy summarizes the study’s conclusion...

How Worried Should We Be About Radiation

Jeffrey Lewis April 11, 2011
Trace amounts of radiation from the damaged Fukushima reactors have been detected in some vegetables of Japan and milk in the US and Europe – spreading alarm about food safety among consumers. Thanks to the internet, information – and rumors – about radiation go global fast, which wasn’t the case with nuclear accidents or weapons testing only a few decades ago. The Fukushima disaster has led to...

Spanish Scientists Search for Fuel of the Future

Virginie Grognou April 6, 2011
Countries that don’t have massive oil or natural-gas reserves may soon be able to construct their own biofuel reserves. Spanish and French scientists, working for the small firm Bio Fuel Systems, or BSF, are researching a new alternative fuel – based on algae mixed with carbon dioxide. Like solar energy, the process of growing algae requires wide open space. “[T]he idea is to reproduce and speed...

Saudis Focus on Nuclear, Solar Energy

David Hope April 1, 2011
Nations that cling to petroleum as a leading energy source should take notice: The nation with the largest oil reserves is diversifying its energy sector, developing nuclear and solar sources. Within two decades, Saudi Arabia anticipates using most of its oil for domestic purposes, reports David Hope for UPI. A limited supply of water in the country requires desalination for consumption, which...

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...

Confluence of Horrors, Global Impact Makes Japan's Tragedy a Transcendent Event in History

Joji Sakurai March 21, 2011
As humans learn from the experience of others and make accommodations, the tsunami and nuclear accident could transform many future endeavors, explains Joji Sakurai in an essay for the Canadian Press. Japan, an advanced economy, has been the second most generous foreign aid donor in the world and now welcomes financial and technological assistance from around the globe. The internet and...