Online Articles

A highway turnoff for an oil field in Xinjiang

An Old Enemy: The Regressive Tendencies of American Foreign Policy

January 4, 2022 by Hunter Wiand International

For years a CIA-linked think tank has covered Xinjiang. The current human rights crisis in the region may present a serendipitous moment for cynics in the American foreign policy establishment to pursue an old, familiar agenda.

The effects of climate change, including sea level rise and intense heat, threaten to make places like the island nation of Tuvalu uninhabitable within the next several decades.

The United States Needs a Plan for Climate-Driven Migration

January 29, 2021 by Eleanor Hildebrandt Climate change International Oceans Water

The effects of climate change will make swaths of the planet uninhabitable, displacing millions of people. How can the United States’ legal system facilitate an equitable, humanitarian response to those seeking safe resettlement within its borders?

The United States may finally ratify the Kigali Amendment—with potential implementing legislation already underway

January 15, 2021 by Sara Zaat Air Chemicals Climate change International

Hydrofluorocarbons, an alternative to the ozone-depleting substances that damage the Earth’s protective ozone layer, are potent greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. These chemicals are scheduled for reduction under international law: the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Will the United States join the majority of U.N. Member States in committing to phasing down its hydrofluorocarbon production and consumption in accordance with international law in a Biden administration?

Imagining a Greener Future for Post-COVID-19

October 25, 2020 by Hyunjin Kim Air Chemicals Climate change Fossil Fuels International

"Normal was a crisis." When we say we want to "go back to normal," do we really mean the world exactly as we left it? Or, could we use COVID as a means of building something better than what we had, perhaps greener?

The Energy Treaty 2.0 - What Does It Mean For The European Green New Deal

October 13, 2020 by Volodymyr Ponomarov Energy International Natural Resources Renewable Energy

The European Green New Deal is an environmental plan aimed at making Europe carbon-neutral by 2050.[1] In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the European Union (“EU”) initiated the revision of a number of international agreements. Among one of those agreements is the Energy Charter Treaty (“ECT”). In July and September, 2020, the European Commission and EU Member States had two rounds of negotiations at the Energy Charter Conference dedicated to the modernization of the ECT.[2] The call for the ECT’s reform was, among other things, prompted by the ECT’s purported “serious threat to Europe’s climate neutrality target and more broadly to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”[3] 

The ECT’s modernization is important because this is the first targeted attempt to reshape the unique, legally-binding, energy-related multilateral treaty and marks a step towards compliance with the Paris Climate Accord. Additionally, modernization of the ECT provisions is relevant to U.S. companies investing in both the renewable and fossil fuel energy sectors of the ECT Member States. At this point, it is unclear how the two rounds of negotiations went and whether the actual changes are coming in the nearest future. The third round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in December 2020. This post will take a closer look at the ECT’s history, goals, and environmental standards. Furthermore, this post will address novel critiques as to its incompatibility with the Paris Climate Accord.

Bike Sharing in China –– From Bicycle Graveyards to a Regulated Industry

April 29, 2020 by Jie Yang Climate change International Regulations Sustainability

Bike sharing is considered an environmental-friendly way of commuting.[1] It reduces people’s needs for driving and hence reduces carbon emission.[2] It also provides a solution to the “last mile” issue in urban commuting and promotes the development…

Forest Fires: A Concern that Warrants More Attention

October 26, 2019 by ustin Holtshouser Air Climate change Endangered Species Forests International Natural Resources Wildlife

With the consequences of forest fires being felt on both local and global levels, more needs to be done to mitigate these events – domestic government action is essential.

Amidst Climate Protests, Climate Refugee Remains Undefined

October 9, 2019 by Salma Shitia Climate change International

The focus on improving state infrastructures reinforces the archaic reluctance to recognize climate change as a human-made phenomenon exacerbated by the global community, including multinational corporations.