In The News

China’s Plan for Global Warming: Wait for the US

Michael Richardson June 5, 2007
China is poised to become the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, surpassing the US. Yet, at this point, while rhetoric from both governments shows growing recognition that climate change could wreak havoc with the global economy, both nations decline to set a mandatory cap on carbon emissions. Instead they claim to rely on improving industrial efficiency to reduce greenhouse emissions....

Snubbed By US, China Finds New Space Partners

Jim Yardley May 31, 2007
Space relations between the US and China have been anything but friendly in recent years. The US has prevented Chinese scientists from attending space conferences in the US and also imposed export restrictions on the use of American technology for satellites launched by China. So China has instead turned to developing countries, building relations with those looking to enter the space market....

Global Rush to Energy Crops Threatens to Bring Food Shortages and Increase Poverty, Says UN

John Vidal May 25, 2007
No one denies that there are benefits when a country adopts biofuel to supplement oil as a source of energy. But while production of biofuels could help stabilize oil prices and create new markets, the poor could also experience higher commodity prices. Not surprisingly a recent UN report warns governments to take into consideration the human and environmental impacts, which could have dire...

Global Warming May Be Spurring Allergy, Asthma

Gautam Naik May 10, 2007
Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a result of global warming, is boosting pollen rates and exacerbating allergy and asthma symptoms. A study from a US Department of Agriculture researcher has demonstrated that ragweed plants grown in urban settings, typically warmer and containing more exhaust fumes, have five times the pollen of rural plants, reports Gautam Naik for “The Wall Street...

From China to Panama, A Trail of Poisoned Medicine

Walt Bogdanich May 8, 2007
In 1937, more than 100 people in the US died, after taking medicine that contained diethylene glycol, a solvent used in some anti-freeze products that looks and tastes like glycerin syrup, a common base for cough syrup and other medical products. The tragedy led to tough regulations and the start of the modern Food and Drug Administration. Decades later, counterfeiters in China tried the same...

Filler in Animal Feed Is Open Secret in China

David Barboza May 4, 2007
Since it joined the WTO in 2001, China has come under increasing pressure to crack down on manufacturing of counterfeit and illegal goods within its borders. Beyond intellectual property concerns, safety fears are becoming increasingly prominent amid criticism of China’s lax enforcement against counterfeiters. Tales of fake medicines on US shelves and faithful replications of name-brand cars on...

Perverse Incentives

April 26, 2007
Unfortunately, when some companies know that a chemical or product is about to be banned, they push it off onto unsuspecting customers in other countries. Or, if companies anticipate being paid not to produce a certain chemical, they boost production to capture high returns in the short run. Unfortunately, some firms take advantage of international treaties like the Kyoto Treaty, violating the...