In The News

Poor Harvest Could Spell Hard Winter for Rural North Koreans

Eric Talmadge December 30, 2015
North Korea has an average income of about $1500 and the unemployment rate is about 25 percent. The country’s rural poor is suffering. “The combination of the limited variety of foods that are available and the stresses on the body from the frigid weather creates major hardship for most North Koreans,” writes Eric Talmadge for the Japan Times. “But winter is generally not the toughest time of...

Bye, Bye, Bananas

Roberto A. Ferdman December 25, 2015
The popular Cavendish banana, representing 99 percent of all export bananas, is under threat. It’s not the first time export bananas have succumbed to a disease, explains Roberto A. Ferdman, after a fungus spread from Australia to South America and destroyed the previous top export banana, Gros Michael. A new variation of the fungus, Tropical Race 4, emerged in Southeast Asia 50 years ago and...

2016: Time for Energy to Reinvent Itself?

Tara Schmidt December 22, 2015
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that renewable energies represent more than 10 percent of world’s marketed energy consumption. A technological breakthrough could make renewables like solar or wind more competitive, suggests Tara Schmidt, Global Trends Research manager, in an essay for Forbes. “While renewables continue to grow, the fossil fuel industry is facing more...

India's Role in Climate Change

Nayan Chanda December 17, 2015
Global leaders attending COP21 in Paris have pledged to reduce carbon emissions – and now must follow through, convincing citizens and businesses at home to support tough policies that curb fossil-fuel production. The national commitments are voluntary. “After initially resisting Western pressure, Modi government has announced a pledge – the so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions...

Global Consensus on Climate Change Is a Good Start

Scott Barrett December 15, 2015
The world has reached consensus: Climate change is a serious threat, and each nation can play a role in reducing fossil fuel emissions. The Paris Agreement relies on a voluntary approach for developing policies for transitioning away from fossil fuels. “The biggest challenge with voluntary agreement to limit countries’ emissions is enforcement,” explains Scott Barrett, economist and Columbia...

China Backs Malawi’s Wildlife Crime Crusade

Charles Mkoka December 14, 2015
The Chinese Embassy is pledging support for a Stop Wildlife Crime campaign to stop ivory trafficking in Malawi. China’s ambassador to Malawi said that blame for such smuggling often centers on Chinese nationals, but the government opposes the criminal activity. Zhang Qingyang, China’s ambassador to Malawi, “added that China has put into force a number of laws and regulations and consistently...

Can Paris Reconcile Political and Economic Interests to Combat Climate Change?

David Dapice December 10, 2015
The scientific evidence is overwhelming that climate change threatens the global economy for future generations. Strategies to combat climate change are well known: increased reliance on renewable energies, decreased subsidies for fossil fuels, imposing a carbon tax, incentives for fuel efficiency and conservation, international transfers so poor countries avoid burning coal. Countries attending...