We strive to examine issues important to U.S. national security from a post-partisan perspective, meaning we try to break through the spin to find ideas we can use to encourage fresh thinking and build genuine consensus.
China's solar energy advance is a wake-up call for US
posted by Louis McCoy on August 25, 2009 at 3:27 pm
As the US lumbers on in debate over renewable energy reform, the PRC is moving forward to become the world’s biggest contender in the solar energy market. Boosted by generous government subsidies, bountiful cheap labor and an ever-increasing demand for green energy, Chinese companies like Suntech are gradually overtaking their American and German competitors. This…
Dr. Evelyn Farkas urges new approach in Afghanistan
posted by Louis McCoy on August 25, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Our Senior Fellow and member of last week’s International Republican Institute’s election monitoring delegation, Dr. Evelyn Farkas, published a piece today in the Daily Beast on how to move beyond the Afghan elections and execute a new decentralized and dynamic approach to Afghanistan. She writes: The outcome of the Afghan elections may very well make the task…
Concerns about "Securitizing" Climate Change
posted by Jim Ludes on August 24, 2009 at 11:19 am
There is a growing understanding that the impacts of climate change will bring with them serious implications for U.S. national security. The Senate Foreign Relations and Energy committees have held hearings on this topic. The intelligence community and the Department of Defense–in the George W. Bush administration–began to examine the topic and factor it into…
Action Urged at World Water Week Conference
posted by Louis McCoy on August 21, 2009 at 4:22 pm
An interesting article is out on the AP Wire today about the effect of climate change on world water supplies, and what experts at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm are saying. From the article: “Thousands of scientists and experts urged world leaders Friday to include strategies for global water management in the planned…
Utilities unprepared for threats from climate change
posted by Louis McCoy on August 21, 2009 at 1:49 pm
IBM has released a report warning of huge risks posed to the global utilities sector by climate change. According to the report, “90% of utilities around the world know they are at risk from climate change but fewer than a third said they have performed any financial review of the possible impacts on their business.”…
Afghan Election Day – and After: Rocks Under the Rice?
posted by Louis McCoy on August 21, 2009 at 11:01 am
Afghan Election Day – and After: Rocks Under the Rice? Looks like by and large the Afghan elections are free of major problems. The international observers are starting to issue statements (see iri.org), the U.S. government (or at least Ambassador Holbrooke) seems pretty satisfied. If there was fraud, chances are it happened before election day –…
