In The News

Shale Industry Faces Global Reality Check

Richard Anderson April 8, 2014
New technologies in shale oil and gas recovery have reduced energy costs in the United States, and governments around the globe consider fracking for energy security. Richard Anderson of BBC News questions if the US trends can be replicated in Europe and elsewhere. Companies tried drilling in Poland with little luck because of geology challenges. Also in Poland, “A punitive tax regime and an...

Sovereign Debts in a Fossil-Fueled World

Will Hickey April 8, 2014
Transition away from fossil fuels toward new alternatives is not going smoothly. Proponents of alternatives confront a powerful industry with longstanding incentives and favorable tax policies, suggests analyst Will Hickey. Around the globe, economic struggles and immediate profits take priority over development of alternative energies. Emerging economies are in a race to catch up with the living...

Relief in Afghanistan After Largely Peaceful Landmark Election

Mirwais Harooni and Jessica Donati April 7, 2014
More than 7 million, 58 percent of 12 million eligible Afghan voters, defied Taliban threats and headed to the polls to begin a transition of power. “This could be the beginning of a potentially dangerous period for Afghanistan at a time when the war-ravaged country desperately needs a leader to stem rising violence as foreign troops prepare to leave,” report Mirwais Harooni and Jessica Donati...

On the Wrong Side of Globalization

Joseph E. Stiglitz April 7, 2014
Trade adds to market efficiency and the diversity of goods. But unlike trade agreements of old, which focus on eliminating ineffective tariffs, the modern agreements focus on non-tariff barriers and minimizing regulations that protect consumers, workers and the environment. Economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz – weighing in on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed agreement of 12...

Self-Insurance or Self-Destruction?

Gene Frieda April 7, 2014
The US Federal Reserve is gradually pulling back after months of purchasing bonds to inject liquidity into global markets. As liquidity shifts toward developed economies, the foreign reserves of emerging economies may not be enough to protect those financial systems, argues global strategist Gene Frieda for Project Syndicate: “In order to break the destabilizing cycle of short-term capital flows...

Saudi Arabia: Atheists Are Terrorists

Adam Withnall April 4, 2014
A series of royal decrees and laws in Saudi Arabia are defining terrorists – and atheists, peaceful protesters, members of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as those who leave to fight wars in other country, particularly Syria, all qualify, suggests a Human Rights Watch report. The crimes can be published with prison sentences up to 20 years. “Article one of the new provisions defines terrorism as ‘...

World Population Trends Signal Dangers Ahead

Barry Mirkin April 3, 2014
Demographers are often called upon to predict the future by extrapolating from population statistics and trends. The United Nations has revised population projections upward, and demographer Barry Mirkin suggests the warning signs are clear: The globe can anticipate a billion more people in a decade and another 2 billion by the end of the century for a total of 10.9 billion. People live longer,...