In The News

In Post-9/11 World, US President Has the Loneliest Job

Bruce Stokes September 10, 2007
That fateful day in September six years ago brought about a changed world for the US and a new world view of the US. The world is weary of the Iraq war, missed opportunities in diplomacy, unilateralism and a general belligerence associated with the Bush administration. The Pew Global Attitudes Survey suggests that anti-Americanism stands at an all-time high, even within nations that count among...

Biofuelling the Food Crisis

John Vidal September 10, 2007
The notion of an automobile powered by fuel produced from plants appeals to any nation worried about dependence on foreign oil or declining oil reserves. A biofuel boom presents ostensibly environmentally-friendly implications, yet leads some analysts to predict a food crisis for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Plants for fuel will inevitably compete with food-plants, prompting rising...

Storm Surge

Bjorn Lomborg September 7, 2007
Extreme weather events spur public worries about global warming, and costs associated with such events have increased steadily in recent years. Yet the high costs are linked to increased development in low-lying coastal areas more so than climate change, suggests author Bjorn Lomborg. Governments have developed a “blinkered focus” regarding ways to slow costs associated with extreme storms and...

The Great Leap Backward?

Elizabeth C. Economy September 7, 2007
China has become a leading polluter in the world, with its citizens suffering from air pollution, decreasing supplies of potable water and reckless development. Consumers around the world buy inexpensive goods from China, but do not pay the true costs. The country has environmental laws, but businesses and local leaders ignore them in order to increase jobs and profits. The nation is capable of...

The Mouse That Roared

September 6, 2007
Computer networks could become new battlegrounds for countries that don’t trust one another. Governments, businesses, universities, public utilities rely on computer systems for organization, information, research and trade. Advanced economies rely on the internet, and security specialists constantly look out for thefts, spy operations or disruptions. The UK, the US, Estonia, China, Germany have...

Big Questions for Big Oil

Sacha Kumaria September 5, 2007
Oil prices will probably rise with the approach of winter in the northern hemisphere, continuing a wave of profits. But the world’s largest oil companies plan for contraction rather than expansion. National oil companies in countries like Russia or Venezuela, as monopolies, demand high payments from the competing independent firms, allowing less funds for research and development. Independent...

Blue Skies for Globalization?

Richard Aboulafia September 4, 2007
At times, global trade seems to make more enemies than friends. Politicians tend to hear from constituents who fear outsourcing and job cuts rather than workers who benefit from foreign investment and trade. International teamwork is essential for complex fields like the aerospace industry, argues Richard Aboulafia in the Star-Telegram. US air carriers account for less than 10 percent of all...