Blogs & Opinions

The ECC Factbook Illustrates How the Environment Can Contribute to Peace and Conflict

Nov 30, 2015 | Johannes Ackva & Benjamin Pohl

In his speech on climate change and national security on November 10, Secretary of State John Kerry said climate change is already a “threat multiplier,”…

Why It’s Time for a Free Kurdistan

Nov 27, 2015 | Aliza Marcus and Andrew Apostolou

It’s time to stop debating whether or not the Kurds deserve an independent state. There are around 40 million Kurds across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and…

House Hearing on Conflict Minerals Rule: A Mixed Bag

Nov 27, 2015 | Cydney Posner

At a hearing last week before a subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, the members heard testimony regarding the Dodd-Frank conflict minerals provision. The Chair expressed…

Nigeria's Oil Curse

Nov 25, 2015 | Hilary Matfess

On Nov. 8, the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, announced that the state-run company was on the verge of a major oil…

Will Low Oil Prices Increase Internal Instability In Conflict Countries?

Nov 25, 2015 | Ryan Opsal

With over 1.6 million internally displaced in South Sudan, and another 600,000 refugees in neighboring countries, are oil price declines exacerbating humanitarian crises in oil-producing African countries,…

Ex-CIA Chief: Fear for Environment Stays US Hand on ISIS Oil Wells

Nov 25, 2015 | Bradford Richardson

A former CIA director says concerns about environmental impact have prevented the White House from bombing oil wells that finance the Islamic State in Iraq…

RFS is Crucial to National Security

Nov 24, 2015 | Jon Soltz

As a veteran, I’ve witnessed fellow servicemen and servicewomen risk life and limb over oil interests in hostile regions, all so we can feed our…

Will a Welcome Peace Derail Colombia’s Sustainable Development Plans?

Nov 23, 2015 | Rocio Rodriguez Granados

In August 2012, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos began negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the People’s Army, or FARC,…

How Bad Will this El Niño Be? Worse Than You May Think

Nov 20, 2015 | Marc Levy

This week the Earth Institute’s International Research Institute on Climate and Society convened a 2-day workshop reflecting on efforts over the past 20 years to improve responses…

Let's Face It, Supply Chain Transparency Is Not Going Away

Nov 20, 2015 | Justmeans

Supply chain transparency is not going away. Consumers want to know where the products they buy come from. Companies will have to disclose more supply…

Water Wars: Maritime Disputes Feature Prominently during International Summit Circuit

Nov 20, 2015 | Zack Bluestone

By week’s end, the major players in the South and East China Sea will have participated in three separate international conferences touching on tensions in…

Will Everything Change in Conflict Minerals Reporting Year Three?

Nov 19, 2015 | Alexandria Bennett

On Tuesday, The Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services held a hearing entitled “Dodd-Frank Five Years…

Rwanda a Conflict-Free Mineral Country - Govt

Nov 19, 2015 | James Karuhanga

Rwanda must be considered as a conflict-free mineral country, the Minister of State in charge of Mining, Evode Imena, told the US House of Representatives.…

The Right Way to Think about Climate Change and National Security

Nov 19, 2015 | David Roberts

Thanks to some comments by Bernie Sanders in the last Democratic debate, the question of whether climate change is a national security threat has once again bubbled…

Prof. Marc Levy Talks About Peace, Conflict, and Climate Risk

Nov 17, 2015 | Security and Sustainability Forum

Prof. Marc Levy, Deputy Director of the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and faculty member of the Certification of Professional Achievement in…

Climate Change, Paris, the Rise of ISIS, and What “Causes” Terrorism

Nov 17, 2015 | Andrew Holland

Over the past few days, there have been a number of discussion in the press around the country and around the world on the links…

What States Said on Conflict and the Environment at the UN Last Week and Why It Matters

Nov 16, 2015 | Doug Weir

Last week, quite a lot of governments said quite a lot of things about 2015’s report from the International Law Commission on legal protection for…

Bernie Is Absolutely Right: Climate Change Makes Terrorism Worse

Nov 14, 2015 | Eric Holthaus

At Saturday night’s second Democratic presidential debate, just a day after ISIS launched horrific coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris, moderator and Slatepolitical columnist John Dickerson asked Bernie…

Kerry Announces New Task Force to Integrate Climate Change and Security Issues Into U.S. Foreign Policy

Nov 13, 2015 | Lauren Herzer

In a commanding speech at Old Dominion University this week, Secretary Kerry announced a dramatic step toward integrating climate and security into U.S. foreign policy.…

Water Wars: Is a Drying World Stoking the Migration Crisis?

Nov 12, 2015 | Hannah Lawrence

In a heated debate on Wednesday 11 November at the Frontline Club, a panel of writers and scientists discussed the extent to which a drying world…

Fisheries Resource Management and Peacebuilding in Uganda and DRC

Nov 11, 2015 | Jo Robinson

Climate change and population increases are adding pressure to fisheries resources in a lake shared by Uganda and DRC, thereby intensifying intra-and inter-community conflicts in…

2015 Wrap up for Responsible Sourcing and Conflict Minerals

Nov 10, 2015 | Harrison Mitchell

We recently started a series of gossip calls with one of our clients – swapping stories from responsible sourcing before getting down to business. It’s…

How to Keep the Peace in an Age of Water Wars

Nov 9, 2015 | ​John Converse Townsend

Water is life, but it’s increasingly scarce on planet Earth. The issue isn’t so much one of availability, but of poor management. One billion people…

Congo-Kinshasa: Why Dependence On Natural Resources Is Bad for the DRC

Nov 8, 2015 | Yvan Yenda Ilunga

Many African countries have in recent years shown phenomenal economic growth. But recent developments on global markets - including the drop in prices of commodities such…

Crimes Against the Environment: The Silent Victim of Warfare

Nov 8, 2015 | Steven Freeland

Acts perpetrated during the course of warfare have, through the ages, led to significant environmental destruction. These have included situations in which the natural environment…

China's Xi Jinping Talks Peace, Not War, Heading Off Conflicts In Summits With Historic Old Foes

Nov 7, 2015 | Donald Kirk

President Xi Jinping is shaking the hands of so many leaders of neighboring powers with which China has been on unpleasant terms, he gives the impression he’s…

Growing the Conflict-Free Movement at Illinois College

Nov 6, 2015 | Allie McNamara

If someone had asked me exactly a year ago what I thought of conflict minerals, I would have had no idea what to say. Today, I…

SEC to Issue Final Dodd-Frank Resource Extraction Disclosure Rule by June 2016 (Maybe)

Nov 5, 2015 | Cydney Posner

As noted in this Law 360 article  and in this thecorporatecounsel.net blog , on Friday, the SEC filed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking  in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in…

New Desk Study on Syria Identifies Pollution Risks to Civilians

Nov 4, 2015 | Doug Weir

The ongoing conflict in Syria is likely to have a disastrous impact on the environment and public health, according to a new study published by…

Why the Paris Climate Summit Will Be a Peace Conference

Nov 3, 2015 | Michael T. Klare

At the end of November, delegations from nearly 200 countries will convene in Paris for what is billed as the most important climate meeting ever…