During his recent tour of Europe, United States President Obama displayed a humbled diplomacy. Is this the end of American exceptionalism? Is this a sign of America’s decline and indication of its weakness? Not necessarily. Some view Obama’s conciliatory tone as a symbol of an overextended superpower without adequate influence to dictate events. In reality, […]
The discussions were imperfect and the actions were inadequate, but it was better that they met than not. Last week, leaders representing nearly 90 percent of the global economy convened to solve the world’s economic ills. There were no absolute remedies offered, but did the Group of 20 summit address the hopes of rising powers? […]
Show throwing is quickly becoming a popular form of protest. Both former United States President George W. Bush and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao previously fell victim. This week, Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram became the latest world leader to enjoy the dubious distinction of having a shoe thrown at him. If it’s a sign […]
Here is a big boost for low-tech, low-cost, potentially very high-impact solutions to “dangerous anthropogenic interference” (DAI) with the climate system: a solar-powered cooker that costs less than $5 to build. I wrote about the FT’s Climate Change Challenge last month here. The FT and its partners, Forum for the Future and HP, are providing […]
0. United States President Barack Obama called for a “world without nuclear weapons” in a speech last weekend in Prague. A peacenik ideal or calculated political move? Both. Hours after North Korea fired a rocket over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, President Obama outlined his vision for a nuclear-free world. Getting to zero may […]
The danger of delivering food aid in unstable regions or conflict zones was further illustrated by yesterday’s hijacking of a U.S. cargo ship by Somali pirates. The Maersk Alabama was delivering food supplies to East African countries for several aid organizations: “‘The vessel’s manifest showed it was carrying 401 containers of food aid from USAID, […]
I don’t care what anyone says about them. Purely from the perspective of a Market participant, these guys are thinking with their helicopter-caps on, and fully engaged. What do I mean..?? Simply this: President Obama and the ‘brain trust’ in his cabinet have outlined plans for what I believe to be a simply […]
This world icon is getting a makeover. The ESB is “…undergoing a major sustainability retrofit to become a leading example of economic and environmental revitalization.” This is a critical milestone in the battle to lower energy use and thus lower GHG emissions because the building is so famous and glamorous. The project partners have created […]
Here’s an odd, but interesting piece from HuffPo: ‘As chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan was known for using quirky, proletariat metrics to judge the temperature of the economy. The most famous of these, as recounted by NPR’s Robert Krulwich in January 2008, were the sales […]
I’m reading another review of President Obama’s trip to Europe, this one by Michael Shear and Kevin Sullivan writing in The Washington Post. I would recommend it for the casual reader, it’s balanced (noting comments from the both sides of the political spectrum) and it summarizes the highlights of the trip, allowing the reader to […]
Nicholas Kristof, Moises Naim, Martin Wolf and Fareed Zakaria recently discussed the global economic crisis and American foreign policy on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS. Mr. Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, commented that we are “seeing a power shift and an emergence” of others, but Mr. Wolf, a columnist for the Financial Times, emphasized that the […]
United States President Barack Obama enjoys the number one ranking in both popularity and influence of the world’s leaders, according to a recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune. The survey measured the views of adults in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States. Leaders of […]
A joint report issued by the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) in New York and the Overseas Development Institute in London cited that 122 aid workers were killed and over 260 were attacked in 2008 while conducting aid programs, making it the most dangerous year for aid workers. A Reuters article quotes Abby Stoddard from […]
Secretary began a four-city tour this week to discuss ideas for harnessing the energy potential of offshore areas. He has made broad claims regarding resources offshore such as windpower off the coasts can produce the energy of 3,000 coal-fired plants as he boasts about offshore’s energy potential. He is likely to face resistance in opening […]
Former President Bill Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg appeared at a press conference on the Empire State Building’s 80th floor today to announce a cooperative initiative between the Clinton Climate Initiative and other partners to help green New York’s 78-year old signature building. This phase of renovation, expected to take about 18 months. Under the plan, […]