In The News

40 Percent Decline in the Ocean's Phytoplankton

Steve Connor October 1, 2010
Researchers have found that phytoplankton – the microscopic plants at the base of the ocean’s food chain – have declined by 40 percent over the past century. The change is the biggest for the global biosphere, with more implications than deforestation, reports Steve Connor for the Independent. Warmer ocean waters could prevent the flow of nutrients, food for the micro plants, from the ocean’s...

China's Row With Japan Threatens to Escalate

John Garnaut September 20, 2010
The collision of a small fishing vessel with a coastal patrol vessel of another nation should be a minor incident with a quick resolution. But common sense doesn’t prevail when politicians and media of either nation have long stoked nationalistic fervor among their citizens. A September collision, in waters with ownership disputed by China and Japan, immediately ignited anger, calls for military...

Growing Challenges of Energy and Environment – Part II

Olivier Cattaneo June 24, 2010
Reliance on carbon fuels varies wildly among developed and undeveloped countries. Nations that have yet to take action on limiting carbon emissions are not necessarily the globe’s major polluters. This two-part series examines government responses to transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and the second article describes US and European proposals to impose tariffs on nations that...

Growing Challenges of Energy and Environment – Part I

Susan Froetschel June 22, 2010
Emerging economies have joined developed nations in the wild scramble for energy, all taking greater risks in drilling for oil and gas supplies while largely shrugging about effects on climate, the environment or public health. Nations and corporations go to great lengths to explore and drill, but repairs are not so easy, as seen with a broken well gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April...