Environment

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Snapshot,
Ruth Greenspan Bell and Barry Blechman

Climate negotiators are celebrating the deal reached over the weekend at the conference in South Africa. But the agreement only validates an approach to climate change that has failed to reverse global warming for more than 20 years now.

Snapshot,
S. Julio Friedmann

China's appetite for energy and jobs has made it a global hub for green innovation. Washington and the West will have to change their strategies to catch up.

Essay, Nov/Dec 2011
Yanzhong Huang

In their single-minded pursuit of economic growth, China's leaders have long overlooked public health -- which, by some measures, is now worse than under Mao. Despite recent reforms, China's citizens keep getting sicker, threatening the country's health-care system, the economy at large, and even the stability of the regime.

Snapshot,
Ruth Greenspan Bell, Barry Blechman, and Micah Ziegler

Even the biggest boosters of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change hold out little hope that its next conference this November will achieve anything concrete. It is time to supplement such global meetings with more limited talks -- which have a better chance of success.

Letter From,
Nicholas Fromherz

Bolivian President Evo Morales rose to power as a champion of indigenous rights and the environment. Now he has trampled both, undermined his authority, and thrown his future into question.

Essay, Nov/Dec 2011
Ernest Moniz

The world cannot let the March disaster at Japan’s Fukushima power plant scare it into forgoing the benefits of nuclear energy -- a cheap, reliable, and safe source of electricity. Still, writes a former U.S. undersecretary of energy, the United States does need to update its safety standards and reform its handling of nuclear waste.

Postscript,
S. Julio Friedmann

Even as many energy plants across the world have implemented carbon capture and sequestration technologies, hundreds more heavily polluting facilities have come online. At current rates, green carbon technologies just can't keep up.

Snapshot,
Edward L. Morse and Eric G. Lee

Bringing Libyan crude oil back to market will ease world prices and provide much-needed funding for Libya's new government. But getting the pumps flowing again will not be easy.

Snapshot,
Ken Menkhaus

The ongoing famine in Somalia has placed millions of lives at risk. To feed its victims and prepare for what comes next, the United States and its allies must expand food aid and ramp up the pressure on al Shabab.

Comment, Sept/Oct 2011
Michael L. Ross

No state with serious oil wealth has ever transformed into a democracy. Oil lets dictators buy off citizens, keep their finances secret, and spend wildly on arms. To prevent the “resource curse” from dashing the hopes of the Arab Spring, Washington should push for more transparent oil markets -- and curb its own oil addiction.

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