Energy Archives - Page 39 of 70 - Foreign Policy In Focus

Japan’s Persian Gulf Policies in the Koizumi Era

by John Gershman, Michael Penn | Jun 29, 2006

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has managed to create one of the warmest eras in U.S.-Japan relations by standing in solidarity with Washington through the Sept. 11 attacks and the Iraq War. But how have these decisions impacted Japan’s crucial energy strategies in the Persian Gulf and its long history of friendly relations with the Islamic world? As Prime Minister Koizumi makes what is likely to be his last visit to Washington as the leader of Japan, the time has come for reflection on the achievements and the failings of the surprisingly long and important Koizumi Era in Japanese postwar history.

After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming

by John Gershman, William D. Nordhaus | Mar 26, 2006

Abstract: This paper reviews different approaches to the political and economic control of global public goods like global warming. It compares quantity-oriented control mechanisms like the Kyoto Protocol with price-type control mechanisms such as internationally harmonized carbon taxes. The pros and cons of the two approaches are compared, focusing on such issues as performance under conditions of uncertainty, volatility of the induced carbon prices, the excess burden of taxation and regulation, accounting finagling, corruption, and implementation. Although virtually all policies involving economic global public goods rely upon quantitative approaches, price-type approaches are likely to be more effective and more efficient.

Breaking the U.S. Oil Addiction

by Nadia Martinez, Emily Schwartz Greco, Daphne Wysham | Feb 3, 2006

In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush admitted to the American people that America has a problem: Oil addiction. The first step in overcoming an addiction is acknowledging the problem. The logical second step should be addressing the root causes of that addiction and correcting the imbalances that enable it. But the Bush proposal does little to meet this challenge.

Living on a Life Support Machine: The Challenge of Rebuilding Afghanistan

by John Gershman, Peter J. Middlebrook, Sharon M. Miller | Jan 27, 2006

The forthcoming “London Conference” on Afghanistan (January 31-February 1, 2006), to be attended by President Hamid Karzai, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, brings together high ranking dignitaries from the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international development community to endorse a new multilateral agreement to be known as the “Afghanistan Compact,” the successor of the Bonn Agreement.

Climate Politics after Montreal: Time for a Change

by John Gershman, Larry Lohmann | Jan 9, 2006

There’s no escaping it. Changing monsoons, agriculture in crisis, environmental refugees—climate change is looming ever larger on the horizon of governments everywhere.

As U.S. Energy Sources Decline, Russian and Caspian Sea Oil Won’t Solve Supply Problem

by Michael Klare, Emily Schwartz Greco | Oct 18, 2005

The United States now stands at a critical juncture in the evolution of its energy policy, particularly with respect to petroleum and natural gas consumption. The demand for energy in this country has been rising steadily over the past years as a result of continued economic growth and the vital role of air, ground, and sea transportation in all aspects of economic activity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), total energy use in the United States grew by 16 percent between 1990 and 2002, and is projected to grow by another 35 percent between 2002 and 2025. At the same time, many other countries, both developed and developing, have also experienced an increased need for energy, pushing total world energy use from 348 quadrillion BTUs in 1990 to a projected 645 quadrillion BTUs in 2025, an increase of 85 percent.

Responding to North Korea’s Surprises

by John Feffer | Oct 4, 2005

Africa Policy Outlook 2005

by Ann-Louise Colgan, John Gershman | Oct 3, 2005

There are some people in the world’s wealthy countries who forecast that 2005 will be a decisive year for Africa.

Emphasize Conservation, Alternative Fuels

by Michael Klare | Oct 3, 2005

Of the many lessons to be learned from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, none is perhaps more important over the long run than the obvious need for a new national energy strategy.

The Kyoto Protocol, and Beyond

by Tom Athanasiou, John Gershman | Oct 2, 2005

The first thing to say about Kyoto’s entry into force (Feb 16th) is that it is a significant victory, won particularly by the Europeans, over social and economic complacency, cash-amplified, flat-earth pseudo-science, the carbon cartel, and, of course, the Bush administration. The second is that, if itÂs not soon followed by other victories, deeper and even more challenging ones, the EarthÂs climate will soonÂthink 2050 or even soonerÂbe transformed into one that is far more inhospitable, and even hostile, than even most environmentalists imagine.