In The News

The Diplomat: Asia and the Fall of Coal

Nithin Coca June 26, 2017
Asia, accounting for about 60 percent of the world’s population, is abruptly shifting away from coal toward renewable energies, especially solar. The most populated nations could lead the continent. “From 2002 to 2012, the global coal trade doubled, with the four largest Asian economies – Japan, South Korea, China, and India – accounting for the majority of imports,” reports Nithin Coca for the...

Phys.org: Indonesia Vows Action After UK Cruise Ship Ruins Coral Reef

Awa Mulalinda March 16, 2017
The tourism industry relies on environmental wonders and wildlife, but a 4,200-ton British-owned cruise ship carrying birdwatchers struck and damaged a pristine coral reef in Indonesia at low tide. Attempting to remove the vessel caused more damage. “Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia has long been a top attraction for intrepid travellers and avid divers, home to palm-fringed islands surrounded by...

Project Syndicate: The Geopolitics of Environmental Challenges

Giulio Boccaletti March 8, 2017
Crises with immediate impact, including economic downturns or war, distract governments from the steady and creeping dangers of climate change. “Environmental degradation and natural-resource insecurity are undermining our ability to tackle some of the biggest global issues we face,” writes Giulio Boccaletti for Project Syndicate. “Environmental insecurity is a major, though often underestimated...

Asia Sentinel: Trouble in the Air

Neeta Lal February 7, 2017
Air quality is so poor in Delhi, the fifth largest metropolitan area in the world, that one official has described the city as a “toxic gas chamber.” Writing for Asia Sentinel, Neeta Lal explains that “The city’s thick layer of smog is no longer merely an inconvenience to residents or a danger to asthmatics.” Instead, the smog is harming health for all residents and economic investments. “A...

UNICEF: 300 Million Children Breathe Toxic Air

November 4, 2016
Air pollution is an increasing danger for children’s health. One out of every seven children, 300 million in all, are exposed to toxic levels of outdoor air pollution, reports the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF. “The World Health Organization, WHO, says air pollution kills about seven million people a year, nearly 12 percent of all deaths worldwide,” reports the Environment News...

In Your Phone, In Their Air

Peter Whoriskey October 28, 2016
Lithium batteries in smartphones and laptops include graphite. “The companies making those products promote the bright futuristic possibilities of the ‘clean’ technology,” reports Peter Whoriskey for the Washington Post. “But virtually all such batteries use graphite, and its cheap production in China, often under lax environmental controls, produces old-fashioned industrial pollution.” China...

Green Sovereign Bonds: Tactical Moves on an Emerging Market

October 20, 2016
France issued the first green sovereign bond in September and China may soon follow, joining the ranks of institutions like the World Bank and large companies. Green bonds fund programs aimed at stemming climate change and promoting alternative energies, energy efficiency, water treatment and other forms of sustainable development. So far, yearly issuances represent about 1 percent of the global...