In The News

Emissions in the EU: US Vilifies Carbon-Trading Scheme for Airlines

July 29, 2011
In its desire to reduce carbon emissions, the European Union has come up with a plan that has run into strong headwind. An EU regulation, in effect as of January 2012, requires carbon-trade certificates from airlines taking off or landing at EU airports. Europe’s airline industry has operated under the regulation since 2005. The US government, the US airline industry and China protest the...

East Africa Famine Threatens Regional Stability, USAID Chief Says

Joshua Hersh July 20, 2011
Unrelenting drought in East Africa has put the region at risk for major famine. “Aid workers in East Africa have spent months gearing up for the looming crisis, thanks in part to an early-warning system operated by USAID [US Agency for International Development] that first predicted a round of devastating crop failures and food shortages late last year,” reports Joshua Hersh for the Huffington...

Keepin' It Cool: How the Air Conditioner Made Modern America

Rebecca J. Rosen July 18, 2011
The world’s wealthiest can easily ignore rising temperatures by turning up their air conditioners. “But the effects of air conditioners reach far beyond atmospherics to the ways we build our houses, where in the country we live, and how we spend our time,” explains Rebecca J. Rosen of the Atlantic. “Air conditioners are the enablers of modern American life.” The 1902 invention transformed...

The Decline of Agriculture?

Dahr Jamail July 18, 2011
Farmers who depend on reliable seasonal patterns are troubled by climate change, whether gradual or volatile disruption. Farmers and climate researchers increasingly question agriculture’s ability to feed fast-growing populations. Early sprouting, dry spells, torrential rains, virulent pests and need for replanting are no longer rare occurrences. The weather extremes of 2011 are unprecedented,...

Water Challenges Asia’s Rising Powers – Part II

Rohini Nilekani July 14, 2011
India and China account for one third of the world’s population; each consumes more freshwater than other nations. Per inhabitant per year, though, India uses less than half what’s used in the US, China uses less than one third. This YaleGlobal series examines India and China’s water use, their expectations for rising demand and recognition that shortages will disrupt economic progress. The...

Water Challenges Asia’s Rising Powers – Part I

Keith Schneider July 12, 2011
Scarcity of water increasingly challenges economic growth of India and China. Water’s role in economic development is taken for granted, yet for running the growth engine it’s as precious a commodity as fossil fuels. This YaleGlobal series examines strategies for negotiating demands among competing industries. Conflicts over water could disrupt China’s steady economic progress, argues journalist...

BC Eyes Ban on Home Use of Pesticides

Randy Shore July 8, 2011
Flawless lawns without insects are unnatural, but that does not stop homeowners from striving for that goal. Canada’s British Columbia government is preparing legislation that would ban homeowners’ use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes, reports Randy Shore for the Calgary Herald. Lawn chemicals have been linked to leukemia and other cancers, with children especially susceptible. Nearly 40...