In The News

Report Sounds Alarm on Pace of Arctic Climate Change

Juliet Eilperin October 31, 2004
One of the key issues separating the candidates in the upcoming US election is environmental policy. John Kerry has pledged to bring the United States back in sync with international initiatives to protect the environment; an arena he claims has been neglected by his opponent. This position may win greater legitimacy, considering the findings of a recent report on Arctic climate change. Compiled...

US Presidential Campaigns and the World – Part II

Alan Bisbort October 20, 2004
Environmentalists all over the world may be aghast at the US lack of concern about global warming, but the American electorate has been left blissfully undisturbed. This year's presidential candidates have been almost entirely silent when it comes to the environment, a politically divisive issue that – contrary to public belief in the United States – remains globally relevant. According to...

Greenpeace Releases GM Corn Study

Michael O. Boyle October 19, 2004
A recent study on genetically modified (GM) corn was originally a project commissioned by the US, Mexican, and Canadian governments. On Monday, however, environmental activist group Greenpeace leaked the results, which included a recommendation for Mexico to enact strict controls over GM corn. Environmentalists say that an unchecked use of GM agriculture could be detrimental to local ecosystems...

US Report, in Shift, Turns Focus to Greenhouse Gases

Andrew C. Revkin August 26, 2004
After rejecting the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 2001 and questioning the scientific validity of reports issued by a UN climate panel, the Bush administration issued a report indicating that emissions of heat-trapping gases were the only likely explanation for global warming. The White House report to Congress is said to reflect "the best possible scientific information" on...

Certified Globalization

Tim Bartley August 26, 2004
In recent years, certification – private regulation of corporate labor and environmental practices – has developed through complex interactions with and reactions to governments, NGOs, and corporations. Indiana University sociologist Tim Bartley traces this history and outlines the controversy surrounding the adoption of these standards. While critics view certification as thinly veiled...

Japan Elbows its Way into Far East: Not Only for Energy

August 12, 2004
As a country poor in natural resources, Japan has had to look elsewhere for its energy needs. Although most of Japan's oil imports presently come from the Middle East, instability in the region has prompted Japan to look to relatively oil-rich Russia as an alternative source. Through building good relationships with the local government, investing in the area, and fostering a positive...

Mapuche Indians in Chile Struggle to Take Back Forests

Larry Rohter August 11, 2004
Chile’s native Mapuche people have struggled against the government since the arrival of the Spaniards. In those colonial days, the Mapuches were pushed south of Chile’s Bío-Bío river, where they retained formally recognized autonomy. After Chilean independence, however, they were forcibly incorporated into the state and, decades later, pushed onto reservations so as to make room for European...