In The News

OPEC’s Control Over Global Oil Prices Slips Away

Chris Miller April 26, 2016
Member countries of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries produce about 40 percent of the world's crude oil, with exports representing about 60 percent of petroleum traded internationally. But when OPEC failed to reach agreement on controlling oil production levels at its April meeting, prices surprisingly crept up higher. For now, the global market has concluded that no producer...

The Death of Berta Cáceres

Jonathan Blitzer March 17, 2016
Activist Berta Cáceres, 44, spoke out against the government awarding contracts for hydroelectric dams throughout Honduras, including areas inhabited by indigenous people. Her murder is drawing attention to her efforts as well as violence and corruption in Honduras. “Cáceres was on the front lines from the start, having founded the group that has organized much of the opposition, the Council of...

Russia’s Syrian Intervention Gives the West a Chance to Re-Engage Turkey

Marc Grossman February 11, 2016
The bilateral relationship between Russia and Turkey shifted from strategic partnership to wariness in the course of a year as civil war in Syria intensified. The West has extended limited support to the rebels, including Kurds, while targeting the Islamic State terrorists. Turkey, bordering Syria, has sheltered 2 million refugees, but also targeted Kurdish troops who have been effective in...

The Sun Gets Brighter

T.N. Ninan February 3, 2016
Oil prices are dropping and so, too, are the capital costs of solar energy installations. “Solar power is now cheaper than what electricity would cost if based on either oil at $50 per barrel, or its coal equivalent – or for that matter liquefied natural gas,” writes T.N. Ninan for Business Standard. “Solar energy has become the new energy source in many countries in Africa and South America, and...

The World Is Hemorrhaging Methane, and Now We Can See Where

Christina Nunez January 19, 2016
Since late October, a natural gas storage well in California has been leaking 100,000 pounds of methane per hour. The colorless and odorless gas is hazardous to health and the environment. The Aliso Canyon leak is accidental but many companies deliberately burn off excess natural gas at energy sites, explains Christina Nunez for National Geographic. Researchers with the US National Oceanic and...

The 5 Key Trends in Globalization That Are Changing the US and the World

Edward Goldberg December 23, 2015
Events in one country or one industry can have repercussions that spread throughout the world. Edward Goldberg, a professor who teaches about globalization, identifies five trends for the Huffington Post: China’s economy is slowing, and the government will likely adjust, eliminating inefficient state-owned companies and accepting citizens’ need to adapt to rising unemployment through...

2016: Time for Energy to Reinvent Itself?

Tara Schmidt December 22, 2015
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that renewable energies represent more than 10 percent of world’s marketed energy consumption. A technological breakthrough could make renewables like solar or wind more competitive, suggests Tara Schmidt, Global Trends Research manager, in an essay for Forbes. “While renewables continue to grow, the fossil fuel industry is facing more...