As the Arctic warms, more countries venture into the region and the US Pentagon monitors Chinese activities. In June, China released a white paper that describes plans for shipping lanes, a “Polar Silk Road” linked to the nation’s far-reaching Belt and Road Initiative. “China, despite being a non-...
WASHINGTON (Reuters): Deepening Chinese activities in the Arctic region could pave the way for a strengthened military presence, including the deployment of submarines to act as deterrents against nuclear attack, the Pentagon said in a report...
Security comes in many forms and some nations invest in broader preparation than others, as demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Writing for Deutsche Welle, Miodrag Soric argues that countries that focused on arms purchases rather than disaster preparedness struggle with the pandemic. “Tanks,...
While soccer has contributed to nationalism in the face of sectarian violence for some Middle Eastern countries, it also reemphasizes some deep divisions that resound across the region. The violent fallout stemming from the Egypt-Algeria World Cup qualifying match indicates how notions of Middle...
Click here for the article in Foreign Policy.
In a draft report for the United Nations, the US admits that its carbon emissions will continue to rise over the next decade, not drop. In sum, the US and others find it difficult to sacrifice – and blithely contribute to crisis by expending energy in wasteful ways. “For the last century, our...
Click here for the original article on The Los Angeles Times website.
Refugees and migrants seeking work in Europe will be welcomed by some countries and rejected by others. In a last minute effort before the completion of the draft EU constitution, Germany successfully prevented the European Union from pursuing the harmonization of immigration policy throughout...
In a last-ditch effort ahead of Thursday's completion of a draft EU constitution, Germany foiled European Union plans to pursue a common immigration policy when it secured the right for national governments...
Tensions have long simmered between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, though both are monarchies and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia and two allies severed diplomatic ties after Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was reported to have delivered a speech on 22 May, suggesting support...
Before the storm: Trump meets Qatar’s Emir Bin Hamad Al-Thani in Saudi Arabia during a May visit; Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah holds a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2014
LONDON: Long-...
Although the consequences of global warming are painfully vivid, some scholars still question whether it requires urgent action. In January, a group of scientists, including those from the United States, Australia, France and the Netherlands, summarized reasons for their skepticism and opposition...
Burning coal, melting glaciers: Greenhouse gases emitted by plants in cities trap heat (top); rushing water from a melting glacier adds to rising sea level
NEW HAVEN: A January 27 opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal by a group of 16 scientists...
经济学家斯科特•巴雷特（Scott Barrett）分析认为，与欧洲社会对债务危机的迅速反应相比，筹划已久的德班（Durban）气候大会不免相形见绌，但这一对比也揭示了全球治理中存在的问题。两场危机均表明，在应对已知危机时，集体行动存在种种局限。巴雷特解释道，在欧洲，任何一个欧元区成员国失败的财政政策都将威胁到其他国家；而在气候变化问题上，任何国家的排放都会增加大气浓度，危及全球，但是每个国家却又独自承担着减排成本。因此，在一己私利的诱惑下，有些国家开始“搭便车”，自己迟迟按兵不动，不费气力地坐享他国成果。巴雷特比较了两场危机，提出了诸多经验教训：有效的国际协议不但要使成员遵守规定，...
惶然无措：欧盟领导人为应对欧债危机争论不休（上图）；德班联合国气候变化大会面对气候问题一片茫然
纽约：今年，筹划已久的德班联合国气候大会备受世界瞩目，而在布鲁塞尔匆忙举行的欧盟峰会也应成为全球关注的焦点。这两个事件看似毫不相干，但来势汹汹的欧债危机和反应迟缓的气候问题有着共同的根源，要解决这两大危机，国际社会的集体行动必不可少。
就欧债危机而言，问题在于，任何一个欧元区成员国失败的财政政策都将危及其他成员国。欧元区统一了货币政策，但未统一财政政策，这就使那些不守纪律的国家有机可乘，...
