In The News

China Rising: Have Cash, Buy Oil

Dilip Hiro October 9, 2009
While the global financial crisis has left much of the Western world in disarray, China’s position remains strong with a stockpile of cash ready to acquire cheap assets. In many cases, these assets are natural resources, especially hydrocarbons. According to author Dilip Hiro, Beijing’s acquisition strategy seeks to insulate itself from the vagaries of raw material price fluctuation while...

Thai Workers Fly to Sweden Where the Wild Berries Are

Bertil Lintner September 23, 2009
Wet summer weather in Northern Sweden has affected not only the yield of wild berries growing there, but also the economic well-being of the berry pickers, which, in this case, happen to be temporary workers from Thailand. Journalist Bertil Lintner writes that in 2007, Sweden began to give Thais temporary work visas to pick berries, encouraging close to a five-fold increase in workers by 2009. It...

China Takes First Step Towards Climate Deal By Committing To Carbon Target

Suzanne Goldenberg September 22, 2009
At the UN, China’s President Hu Jintao made a dramatic commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, specific targets were not forthcoming. However, US President Obama failed to provide even a commitment to work with the US Senate to craft a bill that would cap greenhouse gas emissions. China, for its part, is factoring climate change into the long term direction of its economy. The...

How Not to Kill the Oceans for Fish

Alex David Rogers September 18, 2009
The oceans and the seas – lifegivers to billions of people through sustenance and subsistence – are being quickly depleted of their fish through wasteful fishing methods, fisher overcapacity, and illegal fishing, writes Alex Rogers, Scientific Director of the International Programme on the State of the Ocean. The degradation not only affects the sustainability of an important food source and the...

Climate Change Warning from Greenland

Kerri Smith September 17, 2009
In the past, environmental scientists have analyzed Greenland’s ice sheet to study the effects of climate change. By examining samples of the core from the ice sheet, scientists are able to get a picture of the climate history going as far back as 6,000 to 12,000 years ago. A new study shows what might happen to the sheet should temperatures increase. The data from Greenland’s ice sheet show that...

Something Is Fishy

Nayan Chanda September 15, 2009
A recent proposed treaty on illegal fishing has the potential to aid the world’s poor nations and improve global governance. If enforced, the proposal, formulated in Rome and signed by 91 countries, would prevent fishing boats from landing in various ports if inspectors deem the catch to be illegally procured. Such a system still relies on the honesty of the individuals that uphold it....

US and China to Unveil Joint Plan to 'Take Over' Cleantech Market

Jonathan Watts September 11, 2009
China and the US have finalized a plan to dominate the world market in low carbon technology. While the details will be revealed later, the plan includes investment in wind, solar and carbon capture technology and infrastructure mainly in China. But with any comprehensive plan, the devil is in the details. Patent rights remain an open issue especially as many believe that China simply uses...