In The News

The Land of Gas and Honey

Robin M. Mills October 27, 2011
The discovery of two huge natural gas fields, Tamar and Leviathan, off Israel’s coast promises energy security for the nation at a time when its Egyptian gas deal is under risk and its current largest field, Mari-B, nears depletion. But like other gas fields around the globe, these stretch along waters that belong to feuding countries. Israel’s two fields overlap a bit with waters off Lebanon,...

Economic Fixes Should Not Worsen Environmental Crisis

Dodo J. Thampapillai October 19, 2011
During economic crises, political leaders often urge suspension of environmental protections to save jobs. That is a mistake, argues economist Dodo J. Thampapillai, with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, because the economy ultimately depends on a healthy environment and sustainable use of resources. The current financial crisis presents an opportunity...

Fall of Gaddafi: Policy Challenge for China and Russia

James M. Dorsey September 7, 2011
As rebels organize to govern Libya, global powers pay their respects to new rulers of a nation ranking ninth in the world with oil reserves. NATO supported overthrowing the Gaddafi regime, while Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa abstained from voting on Resolution 1973, approved in March, authorizing UN member states to protect Libya’s civilians. Now abstainers are scrambling to win...

The Kremlin's Short-Term Gains Are Russia's Long-Term Losses

Yuri Mamchur August 5, 2011
Stability throughout the Middle East should matter more to Russia than the United States, argues writer Yuri Mamchur. But while the US cheered democratic aspirations and greater freedoms promised by the Arab Spring, Russia remained mute. “The dearth of official Russian involvement in the Arab Spring demonstrates the country’s fading influence in the world, at least the type of influence needed to...

Could Compost Piles Someday Heat a Home?

Kenneth Sturtz June 28, 2011
Organic waste is part of everyone’s garbage, and a group of high school students in upstate New York have set out to study if compost piles could someday heat homes. In that part of the world average low mid-winter temperatures dip below -10 degrees Celsius. Bacteria and microorganisms break down organic materials and produce heat as a byproduct. The students studied three industrial-sized...

Eurasian Geopolitics Face Astana Earthquake

Pepe Escobar June 16, 2011
While the Middle East captures the most focus, Central Asia also offers strategic energy supplies. The South Yolotan gas field in Turkmenistan, for example, is the world’s second largest, reports Pepe Escobar in an opinion essay for Al Jazeera. Russia and China could be gambling that cooperation could be better than conflict at securing those supplies, and envision Central Asia re-emerging as a...

Worst Ever Carbon Emissions Leave Climate on the Brink

Fiona Harvey May 31, 2011
Record levels of greenhouse-gas emissions for 2010, as estimated by the International Energy Agency, could dash hopes of controlling climate change, reports Fiona Harvey for the Guardian. The IEA also notes that global recession did little to dent reliance on fossil fuels. Governments, by allowing emissions to rise, cannot hope to prevent average global temperature rising by more than 2 degrees...