Barcelona Climate Change Talks.

The Climate Change Talks are being held from 2-6 November 2009, in Barcelona, Spain. UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer opened the Barcelona Climate Change and highlighted the significant advances in the negotiations on adaptation, technology transfer, capacity-building and reducing emissions from deforestation (REDD) The Barcelona meeting is unlikely to resolve the big issues on finance [...]

Security and Water in Israel

A recent report from Amnesty International finds that Israel has developed discriminatory practices that have created sever water scarcity for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Much has been made of the potential for resource scarcity to cause violent security issues.  In this case it seems that insecurity has resulted in resource scarcity.  According [...]

Global Environmental Governance: Fixing a troubled system: An Interview with Professor Adil Najam

In an interview with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Adil Najam, a senior fellow for IISD and leading expert in international environmental affairs, discusses the challenges facing global environmental governance today.  Najam highlights the need for systematic reform to the way that global environmental governance is approached by the various players.  He compares organizing [...]

Obama Sets Energy Innovation as International Competition

I had the very good fortune to attend President Obama’s clean energy speech at MIT yesterday.  I was extremely excited to be in the room, yet left disappointed in the lack of new commitments and jingoistic tone set by President Obama. The theme of the speech was innovation, geared toward the research oriented host, MIT.  [...]

Developing solutions for countries suffering water scarcity

Advances in technology and knowledge need to be encouraged in developing countries which are challenged with the problem of water scarcity.

Issues of Environment Are Aspects of Peace

Although a majority of us were surprised by President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace prize, he has claimed that by his acceptance there is the goal for all nations to come together–not only in terms of disarming nuclear weapons but also the need to focus on combating climate change. He states that it is essential [...]

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind