* Is the war in Afghanistan moral? Patrick Frost of FPA Afghanistan and I have found ourselves debating the issue in the comments sections of one of his posts. Check it out. * Though maybe we could forgo this whole moral debate and simply seek the advice of robots. * And on an unrelated note, […]
US aid offer boosts deal at UN climate talks is the headline from the AP tonight. “Large pieces of a climate deal fell into place Thursday with new offers from the U.S. and China, but other tough issues remained before President Barack Obama and other leaders can sign off on a political accord to contain […]
Overview 2009 was all about China. Early in the year, when energy prices crashed due to disappearing demand, oil sank to slightly more than $30 barrel from its mid-2008 high of $147 and natural gas from $14 to around $3 per thousand cubic feet. China, flush with cash, for all practical purposes stabilized the market […]
It’s been, indeed, a transitional year for the world. In the midst of a devastating global economic downturn, Barack Obama took the U.S. presidency January 20. In many ways, it has been the year of Obama. A strategic review of Afghan policy in March ended with sending more troops—and President Obama doubled down on a […]
WHO: Substantial progress against malaria Increased funding has helped slash the number of malaria-related deaths by half in a third of countries where the disease is endemic, the World Health Organization says in its World Malaria Report 2009. Funding increased from $300 million in 2003 to $1.7 billion this year, allowing for more widespread delivery […]
“I would say hold tight and mind the doors–the cable car is moving again,” said Yvo de Boer earlier today. The “WSJ” reports here that de Boer is encouraged. “Forbes” has some other notable quotes from today, among them Hillary Clinton’s commitment to help raise $100 billion in annual funding for adaptation and mitigation in […]
Overview: Looking from both sides of the border, the state of the economy certainly stayed top of mind in the philanthropic sector. In the U.S., there was great energy as the administration opened the Office of Social Innovation and set aside $50 million for a fund in the same name. Yet, spirits were tempered as […]
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has struck down an amnesty that protected the president, among others, from corruption charges. While presidential immunity may shield President Zadari from criminal investigation, there are widespread calls for him to step down. Corruption is a convenient accusation against political opponents in many countries, Pakistan included, because it is so often true […]
As a follow up to James Ketterer’s 2009 Year in Review, here is my part, which focuses on U.S. engagement on climate issues. In 2009, it became clear that scientists are now observing, rather than simply forecasting, a global environmental crisis. New data on melting snow and ice formations, rising sea levels, deforestation, and atmospheric […]
Speaking of R2P, might I wet your palate with a preview of the FPA-produced Great Decisions episode on R2P? The whole thing will air on PBS next year…
“And I’ve been from Tucson to Tucumcari Tehachapi to Tonapah… And I’m still willin’ To be movin’.” That’s what COP 15 feels like to me – from 3,500 miles away, admittedly, but like a truckdriver that’s seen it all, and is still willin’. I said yesterday that the lead negotiators would need “poise, intelligence, good […]
Copenhagen in the news today. 1) The talks are seemingly stalled, and most are pointing at a dispute over climate aid to developing countries. 2) The chief of the climate summit, Danish Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard, has stepped down from her post, after calls for increased transparency. The Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, will […]
GailForce Reflections of a retired Baby Boomer On December 16, two days before scheduled UN talks on its nuclear program, and in a not so subtle warning to the U.S. and its allies, Iran test fired, the Sajjil-2, the latest variant of their ongoing missile development program. The missile is powered by solid […]
The country perhaps most associated with corruption in the U.S. popular press today is Afghanistan. Coverage of corruption in Afghanistan has mushroomed since the August presidential election, which observers found to be riddled with fraud. While it is not necessarily a valid assumption that electoral fraud indicates systemic corruption, in this case the accusation is […]