In The News

Time to Cut the Knot

July 9, 2008
Ideally, the US would possess its own energy sources, thus ensuring energy independence and stability. Unfortunately, a dependence on fossil fuels leads to drilling around pristine beaches and using technologies that exacerbate global warming. During a presidential- election year, politicians are less willing to take a firm stance on environmental protection – and pursue any short-term measures...

Obama, McCain Campaigns Go Global

Linda Feldmann July 8, 2008
Foreign countries may not vote in US presidential elections, but they do offer presidential candidates the opportunity to impress voters with their command of foreign policy and their stature on the world stage. At a time when some US voters are concerned about their country’s poor standing in the world, the candidates may win more votes in the US by building bridges overseas. – YaleGlobal

Indian Investors Enter the Caribbean

Loro Horta July 8, 2008
Following the footsteps of China, Indian firms have been investing in the Caribbean nations, building infrastructure in exchange for the opportunity to purchase natural resources. Foreign direct investments represent a large slice of the Caribbean economic pie; China and India could effectively determine the speed and direction of some nations’ growth, explains analyst Loro Horta, visiting...

The Luckiest Girl

Nicholas D. Kristof July 7, 2008
Beatrice was destined to become another statistic in Africa, a woman without education or much chance of social mobility. But then a goat donated by schoolchildren in Connecticut changed her destiny. Heifer International is a program that encourages church groups and schools to raise funds and donate livestock to the poor in developing nations. A goat reached Beatrice’s village in Uganda, her...

Chinese Checkers

Nayan Chanda July 7, 2008
Producer and consumer countries can’t expect to escape unscathed if economic problems strike one or the other as a maze of complicated challenges confront the global economy: The subprime mortgage crisis battered global banks; businesses have trouble finding credit; consumer spending has slowed; and energy prices are on the rise. Giant sovereign wealth funds based in Asia and the Middle East came...

Food Prices Threatened by Silence of the Bees

Tom Leonard July 4, 2008
The United States is the world’s biggest food exporter, but declining bee populations could make farming more difficult. Bees are responsible for pollinating one third of the crops grown in the US, and reduced bee populations will shrink the variety and size of crops, thus adding to rising food prices. Food prices have already almost doubled during the past three years, reports the World Bank....

Weather Plays Larger Role in Global Fuel Prices

Jad Mouawad July 3, 2008
Developed nations expect biofuels to help end reliance on fossil fuels, but the agricultural products – and their prices – are subject to the whims of weather. Flooding throughout the region that produces much of US corn raised ethanol prices by more than 20 percent, reports Jad Mouawad for the International Herald Tribune. He notes that energy prices also jumped after hurricanes struck oil rigs...