In The News

Global Fishing Trade Depletes African Waters

John W. Miller July 23, 2007
Fish is a favorite food for the global palate. Since 1982, a United Nations treaty allowed countries to restrict fishing within 231 miles of their coasts. Poor African nations, such as Mauritania or Senegal, found a lucrative source for cash when they started selling fishing rights to wealthy European and Asian countries that had already depleted stocks in their own waters. Most of the African...

Japan's Nuclear Accident Should Prompt Review

July 21, 2007
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear power plant, and reports of leaks could slow the rush to develop nuclear-power sources around the world. Many governments plan some nuclear capability as a substitute for declining oil supplies. “Accidents of the kind that occurred in Japan are all too likely to take place in Iran, which has seen seven major earthquakes in as many years and is...

China Shutters Nonprofit Newsletter

Nicholas Zamiska July 17, 2007
Chinese government officials recently ordered a stop to publication of “The China Development Brief.” This newsletter, read by many NGO representatives around the country, covers a range of human-rights topics, from AIDS to environmental issues. Founding editor, Nicholas Young, reports that his organization was under scrutiny in recent ears and suspects the closure is part of a broader political...

Canada Heats Up Rhetoric Over Claims to North Pole

Ed Pilkington July 11, 2007
Canada means business when it comes to claiming, protecting and using the Arctic. With climate change gradually melting arctic ice, potentially exposing oil and minerals, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has warned other nations to stay away from the region. Canada is investing in a deepwater port to support eight military ships that will patrol Arctic waters. Canada, Denmark, Russia, the US,...

Pakistan's Political Monsoon

Graham Usher July 11, 2007
Cyclones and floods battering southern Pakistan contribute to increased political unrest in the nation. The 2007 monsoon season represents the worst disaster for Pakistan since the October 2005 earthquake. In 2005, Pakistanis united to bring relief to victims and President Pervez Musharraf rallied the world for international support. In contrast, the 2007 disaster reveals the divisions throughout...

Russia Puts Energy Importers Over a Barrel

Michael Richardson July 10, 2007
Russia, the world’s second largest oil exporter and leading exporter of natural gas, has traditionally targeted most of its sales to Europe. But demand for energy products is rising fast in India and China. Hoping to gain both economically and politically, Russia is poised to sell more energy products to Asia. China is the largest potential market, but Russia also targets Japan, South Korea and...

The Arctic, the Tropics and Ottawa

James Allen July 9, 2007
Despite their distance, the circumpolar North and the countries in the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian Oceans, known collectively as the Small Developing States, have much in common. Both regions feel threatened by increasing evidence of global warming – melting ice and changing species in the north, hurricanes and rising sea levels in regions closer to the equator. Both express concern about...