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81. U.S.-China Cooperation on Clean and Efficient Transportation

Publication Date:
05-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Atlantic Council
Abstract:
Because of their significant contribution to global demand for improved living standards, meaningful actions by the United States and China on transportation and energy will be important in any effort to reduce global consumption of traditional energy sources. Together the United States and China consume 40% of the world's energy and are responsible for 50% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Given their economic size and impact on global markets, it is imperative that the U.S. and China join in a mutually beneficial process.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Environment, International Cooperation, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States and China

82. Nuclear Renaissance: Is It Coming? Should It?

Author:
Sharon Squassoni
Publication Date:
10-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:
Expectations for nuclear energy have grown dramatically. More than thirty nations now have plans to build nuclear power plants for the first time. A nuclear renaissance, however, is not a foregone conclusion. A major expansion would require significant policy and financial support from governments. Key questions need solid answers beforehand: Can nuclear power help reduce dependence on foreign oil or contribute significantly to needed reductions in carbon emissions? Is nuclear power economically competitive? Can safety be assured and is an acceptable solution for nuclear waste at hand? Can nuclear power be expanded in such a way as to adequately control the added risks of proliferation? To minimize some of the risks of nuclear expansion—whether related to economics, safety, security, or proliferation—the United States should consider several actions: help strengthen the rules of nuclear commerce and transparency, deemphasize the element of national prestige with respect to nuclear energy, help other countries undertake clear-eyed assessments of all available options for generating electricity, and limit the acquisition of sensitive nuclear technologies like uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Environment, and Government
Political Geography:
United States

83. Climate Change and the Electricity Sector

Author:
Paul Runci
Publication Date:
12-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
With the expectation that a new Administration and new Congress in 2009 will actively consider climate change legislation, the Aspen Institute's 2008 Energy Policy Forum chose the topic of “Climate Change and the Electricity Sector.” The Forum, now in its 31st year, convened a select group of leaders and policy experts to discuss commercial and public policy issues at the intersection of energy, the economy and the environment. As in previous years, the format relied heavily on dialogue among the diverse participants who brought a variety of perspectives and areas of expertise to the table. Short introductory presentations kicked off each half-day session, and a spirited, off-the-record discussion followed.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Globalization, and Government
Political Geography:
United States

84. Clean Coal: U.S.-China Cooperation in Energy Security

Author:
David Wendt
Publication Date:
05-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
As major consumers of the world's energy resources, the United States and China are in dire need of secure energy solutions that can keep pace with their large appetites for energy. Enter coal. Both countries possess abundant coal reserves measured in the hundreds of billions of tons. But the approach to coal policy has been one of favoring cheap extraction rather than taking into serious consideration the societal costs of coal. For the United States, coal represents a major source of electrical power—and a major source of pollution. In China, the accessibility of coal has overtaken the environmental and health arguments against its widespread use. China uses more coal than the United States and European Union combined. The damaging side effects of coal mining and consumption have been overlooked in the face of easy availability and undeveloped or less accessible alternatives. In the current context of global energy uncertainty, coal has been forgiven much.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Treaties and Agreements, and International Affairs
Political Geography:
United States and China

85. Energy Research: Grasping Transatlantic Opportunities

Author:
Phyllis Yoshida
Publication Date:
09-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
European Affairs
Institution:
The European Institute
Abstract:
The U.S. and EU are tackling many of the same challenges in energy technology, ranging from renewables to nuclear. Strong emphasis is needed on coal and the potential of carbon capture and sequestration systems to enable countries to use this abundant resource cleanly.
Topic:
Energy Policy and Environment
Political Geography:
United States

86. Overcoming the Challenges to the Implementation of Green Chemistry

Author:
William C. Clark, Kira J. M. Matus, Paul T. Anastas, and Kai Itameri-Kinter
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
The Harvard-Yale-ACS GCI Green Chemistry Project is investigating the overall question of the circumstances under which firms can enact innovations that have both economic and environmental benefits, through a focused examination of the implementation of green chemistry. The research project has taken up three fundamental, interrelated questions: What factors act as barriers to the implementation of green chemistry? What actions can be taken by the government, academia, NGO's and industry that will help alleviate these factors? What are the policy implications of these barriers and potential actions, for all of the involved stakeholders?
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, and Science and Technology
Political Geography:
United States

87. A Bridge to Somewhere: Rethinking American Transportation for the 21st Century

Author:
Robert Puentes
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
In the past, strategic investments in our nation's transportation infrastructure—the railroads in the 19th century, the interstates in the 20th—turbocharged growth and transformed the country. But more recently, America's transportation infrastructure has not kept pace with the growth and evolution of its economy. At the precise time when the nation desperately needs to prioritize its limited investments and resources, the federal transportation program has lost focus.
Topic:
Development, Environment, and Government
Political Geography:
United States and America

88. High-Speed Rail: The Wrong Road for America

Author:
Randal O'Toole
Publication Date:
10-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
In the face of high energy prices and concerns about global warming, environmentalists and planners offer high-speed rail as an environmentally friendly alternative to driving and air travel. California, Florida, the Midwest, and other parts of the country are actively considering specific high-speed rail plans.
Topic:
Development and Environment
Political Geography:
United States, California, and Florida

89. Confronting Climate Change: A Strategy for U.S. Foreign Policy

Author:
David G. Victor, Michael A. Levi, George E. Pataki, and Thomas J. Vilsack
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:
Unchecked climate change is poised to have wide-ranging and potentially disastrous effects over time on human welfare, sensitive ecosystems, and international security. This urgent challenge demands that the United States and the world take comprehensive action to limit the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and to address the consequences of any unavoidable climate change.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
United States

90. An Emergency Coordination Center Is Needed for a New Frontier

Author:
George B. Newton
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
European Affairs
Institution:
The European Institute
Abstract:
As global warming unfreezes the Arctic, these literally uncharted waters are going to be plied by shipping, but there is no collective network to coordinate emergency responses on land and sea.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Disaster Relief, Environment, and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
United States