In The News

The World Consequences of US Decline

Immanuel Wallerstein August 16, 2011
For the past decade, analysts around the globe have suggested that the United States – its economy, innovations, political will and global influence – are in decline, and many US citizens agree, especially since the nation’s AAA credit rating was reduced by Standard & Poor’s. US citizens aren’t handling the decline well, and lash out at their political system and government officials. Other...

In the US, Clean Water Is No Guarantee

Susan Froetschel August 11, 2011
Americans use twice as much water as Europeans do and pay half as much for it. Low fees lead many Americans to take their abundant supplies for granted. Globally, most water is used for irrigation purposes, but in the US, thermoelectric generation requires more water. “During an economic recession, protecting water supplies takes a back seat to industries that promise jobs,” notes journalist...

Global Economy: Is Anybody in Control?

David Dapice August 9, 2011
Around the globe, national leaders show no clue, no confidence, about how to re-engineer job creation or global economic security, contends economist David Dapice. The US has many resources for resolving its large debt, but bickering and stubborn quests for power prevent speedy resolution. Europe’s resistance to enact long-term policies on unequal accrual of debt among its member states and...

Huge Arctic Fire Hints at New Climate Cue

Richard Black August 2, 2011
Dry conditions stemming from climate change could lead to more wildfires even in the cool Arctic; in turn, the fires could hasten the pace of global warming. A 2007 fire in Alaska put as much carbon into the air as the entire Arctic tundra can absorb in one year, suggests ecology research released by Nature magazine and reported by the BBC News. “Fires in the tundra are uncommon because the...

A Global Laughingstock, US Politicking Threatens Economy

Philip Bowring August 2, 2011
US Congress went to the wire, lifting a debt ceiling to allow payment of its bills, salaries and benefits. The world wasn’t impressed by a last-minute show of unity, after weeks of unseemly squabbling that put the global economy at risk. Financial journalist Philip Bowring contends the spectacle that raised the long-term costs of government borrowing also exposed an undercurrent of troubles: US...

Employment Versus Debt

Nayan Chanda July 26, 2011
Confronting an ongoing economic crisis, US politicians have assigned greater priority to the nation’s large deficit rather than an unemployment rate officially listed at 9.2 percent. Also overlooked is a report from the US Department of Labor that 3 million job openings go unfilled. It’s a head-scratching moment, suggests Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor in his regular column for Businessworld,...

How Foreign Money Can Find Its Way Into Political Campaigns

Dan Froomkin July 20, 2011
The US government and campaign-funding reform groups struggle to prevent foreign money influencing US elections. Foreign governments and corporations openly spend millions on lobbying efforts, more than $200 million in 2008, reports Dan Froomkin for the Huffington Post. Lobbyists can easily hike their own wages and redirect foreign funds as donations. “[S]ome of that money may well be wending its...