In The News

Rice Industry Troubled by Genetic Contamination

Rick Weiss March 16, 2007
A decade ago, European farmers and regulators questioned US plans to defy insect or weather problems in the agriculture industry by modifing plant genetics. US researchers and regulators dismissed such concerns as unreasonable and protectionist, but have since discovered that the tiny bits of pollen can spread in many unintended ways. “Biotech crops approved only as animal feed have found their...

China Edges Towards a Greener Shade of Red

Jonathan Watts March 7, 2007
China’s rapid economy must slow in order to protect the environment, according to the nation’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in his annual report to parliament. In the speech, which sets policy direction for the upcoming year, environmental protection took priority over many other issues confronting the nation, reports journalist Jonathan Watts for “The Guardian.” China is the world’s most populous...

Who Should Foot the Bill on Climate Change?

Scott Barrett March 2, 2007
While the historic responsibility for the current state of atmospheric greenhouse gases lies with the now-developed countries, the fastest growing emitters are currently in the developing world. Scott Barrett, director of the International Policy Program at Johns Hopkins University, argues that it is in everyone’s interest to pursue the most efficient policy rather than the apparently populist...

Global Climate Change: Taking the Battle to the Campus

Richard Levin February 26, 2007
Climate change is a global problem that demands immediate leadership. Governments debate various capping and taxation measures to reduce fossil-energy use, but ordinary citizens can also take steps to conserve in their own daily lives. As a hub of scientists and future leaders, universities are a natural place for devising innovative strategies for emission reduction and can serve as a powerful...

A Battle Over the Costs of Global Warming

David Leonhardt February 21, 2007
Now that environmentalists and scientists are unanimous that human activities cause global warming, the debate has shifted to the cost and pace of slowing it down. Two sides have emerged among economists: those who support immediate action versus those who support gradual steps. Sir Nicholas Stern of the UK released a 700-page report in late 2006 that suggests global warming could rival World...

Climate Change: Scientists Warn It May Be Too Late to Save the Ice Caps

David Adam February 20, 2007
New studies of ice in Greenland and Antarctica show that ice is melting faster than scientists had expected. Melting ice would raise sea levels by 6 meters and sharply reduce the world’s supply of fresh-water. Low-lying areas – from Bangladesh to London and New York – can expect major flooding. Scientists estimate a 50 percent chance that the planet’s ice caps will melt, regardless of what...

The New Cyprus Controversy: Oil

George Gilson February 15, 2007
Cyprus has at least several billion barrels of oil in offshore fields, although the exact amount is uncertain. The island has been divided into two parts since 1974, when Turkey intervened in a coup and Turkey protests attempts by Cyprus to make oil deals with neighboring nations such as Egypt or Lebanon or international oil firms. The United Nations maintains a buffer zone across Cyprus – one-...