In The News

Climate Change and Financial Instability Seen as Top Global Threats

June 28, 2013
The Pew Research Center survey assessed global attitudes in 39 nations and identified climate change seen as a threat by 54 percent, financial stability by 52 percent, Islamic extremism by 49 percent and nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran by less than 40 percent of more than 37,000 respondents. Concern about climate change was highest in Latin America at 65 percent. Top concerns of...

Smoking Gun in Malaysian Hands

Rizal Harahap, Nurfika Osman June 27, 2013
Smoke drifting toward Singapore and Malaysia from Indonesian forest fires has started a tussle among the nations. Following a preliminary investigation, Indonesia’s environment minister suggested that eight Malaysian-owned palm-oil companies are at fault for using illegal slash-and-burn techniques, the quickest and cheapest way in the short term to clear land. Six other companies, yet to be...

The Quest for Green Jobs

Doaa Abdel Motaal June 27, 2013
The goal of sustainability is a clean environment for some, good jobs for others. Confusion is particularly acute in the area of renewable energy as countries accuse one another about unfair competition in solar panels, explains Doaa Abdel Motaal, deputy chief of staff for the World Trade Organization. “Much of the competition over green jobs ignores the fact that, in today's world,...

How to Allocate CO2 Emissions

Humberto Llavador, John Roemer, Joaquim Silvestre June 25, 2013
Delivering on his election pledge to tackle the climate change issue, President Barack Obama today instructed the US Environmental Protection Agency to establish carbon emission standards for both new and existing power plants. Important as this is, the unilateral move will have a limited impact as the world struggles over how to limit carbon emissions. Any global plan will lead to economic...

Panamanians Reject UN Forest Plan

Alex Kirby June 11, 2013
The REDD program, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, was promoted by the United Nations to protect vulnerable forests and stem climate change. A group in Panama is suggesting that REDD reduces local indigenous control of forest resources. “Instead of safeguarding the forests for the indigenous people of Panama, the chief argues, the UN scheme is being used to wrest...

Sustainability or Greenwashing?

João Paulo Cândia Veiga May 28, 2013
The candeia tree of Brazil is an excellent source of an ingredient valued for its anti-inflammatory effect and used in cosmetics for sensitive skin. “Brazil is the sole world producer of natural Bisabolol, and until 2010, when Symrise bought more than 70 percent of local production, controlled the market and defined the global price of the asset,” explains João Paulo Cândia Veiga, a professor of...

EU Considers Emissions Fines on Chinese, Indian Airlines

James Kanter, John M. Broder, Neha Thirani Bagri May 22, 2013
Ten airlines from China and India face fines over their refusal to comply with legislation that regulates carbon emitted into European air. According to the New York Times, Chinese carriers may be hit with fines of up to €2.4 million; Indian carriers are facing fines of €30,000. While the fines apply to flights within European airspace, there are plans to expand the coverage to international...