In The News

The Potential Downside of Natural Gas

Matthew L. Wald June 20, 2014
The natural gas industry suggests that reliance on its fossil fuel rather than coal will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but the effects are difficult to quantify. A US plan to control carbon emissions at power plants centers on that promise. Natural gas produces fewer emissions than coal, but may not be superior to nuclear energy. Two consequences of replacing nuclear power with natural gas:...

Japanese Consortium Set for Turkish Nuclear Power Deal

Daniel Dombey, Jonathan Soble, Hugh Carnegy May 6, 2013
Ample energy is necessary for strong economic growth, and Turkey is moving ahead on a deal to construct a second nuclear power plant in cooperation with Japan and France. It’s the first overseas project for Japan since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and the second nuclear plant for Turkey. Russia is constructing Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and is absorbing all risk to establish itself as a...

Pyongyang Declares New State of War

Nayan Chanda April 15, 2013
Chinese leader Xi Jinping did not name names when he said that no country "should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain.” Many in the West took the comment as criticism of North Korea. But China’s state media have quoted Chinese academics who retorted that the comment also refers to the United States and Japan, reports Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s...

Chinese President Xi Jinping Expresses Concern Over North Korea’s Rhetoric

William Wan April 10, 2013
Global consensus is that China holds the most leverage over the Kim regime. As tensions rise, the international community follows every word from top leaders, especially those in China. While not specifically mentioning North Korea, President Xi Jinping noted, “No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains.” International scrutiny should...

WMD Proliferation Threatens the World

Carol E. B. Choksy, Jamsheed K. Choksy April 5, 2013
Forces battling in Syria accuse each other of discharging chemical weapons; the United States and North Korea shift equipment about, raising the threat of nuclear exchange. The globe has many accords to curtail weapons of mass destruction. Yet most are “are trumped by influence-peddling, profit-seeking and ideology-spreading considerations,” explain Carol E.B. Choksy and Jamsheed K. Choksy, who...

Should South Korea Pursue Nuclear Arms?

Bennett Ramberg March 29, 2013
South Korea and the United States confront a dilemma in responding to erratic threats from impoverished, nuclear-armed North Korea. South Korea ranks among the top 15 largest economies, while the North is dysfunctional. In recent weeks North Korea has test-launched a long-range missile, criticized China’s response to the launch, severed all communications with South Korea, and threatened...

Annoyed, China Sticks With North Korea

Nayan Chanda March 11, 2013
In 1961, China and North Korea signed the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, committing either party to come to the aid of the other if attacked. China has since been doling out food and energy aid despite North Korea regularly issuing threats to South Korea and the US, as well as repeatedly defying UN resolutions on nuclear and missile tests. In a departure from past...