Blogs & Opinions

Chinese Offshore Oil Company Fuels South China Sea Tension

Sep 29, 2014 | The Diplomat

The China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) announced on September 15 that the HD981 oil rig has discovered a new gas field called Lingshui 17-2, some 150…

Nepal’s Micro-hydropower Projects Have Surprising Effect On Peace Process

Sep 29, 2014 | Florian Krampe

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fifth assessment, which has been rolling out in stages since last September, confirms a crucial divide in current climate…

Supply Chain Disclosure Laws Splutter

Sep 25, 2014 | Foreign Policy

Europe is pushing ahead with rules designed to make companies disclose whether they use minerals mined in conflict zones, but efforts already underway in the…

Could Water Scarcity Prompt A Battle Between U.S. and Canada?

Sep 25, 2014 | Water Online

Is water so scarce that it could lead to war between the U.S. and Canada over ownership of the valuable substance?

Post Media's Canada.com recently reported: "Canada…

The Search for Win-Win Solutions to the Natural Resource Issues in the Kachin Conflict

Sep 25, 2014 | Dr. Evan Hoffman, Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution at Nova Southeastern University

Located in the northern part of Myanmar and sharing borders with China and India, Kachin state is rich in numerous different types of natural resources…

European Companies Allowed to Reap Rewards from Deadly Conflict Mineral Trade

Sep 24, 2014 | Amnesty International

The European Union is failing to stifle a deadly trade in conflict minerals, a coalition of rights groups including Global Witness and Amnesty International warned…

Message from Gaza: Israeli Policies & Climate Change, Pushing Gaza into the Grave

Sep 24, 2014 | Ahmad Abu Safieh

This message is from the city of Gaza where the annual population growth rate is 2.91% (2014 est.), the 13th highest in the world. Due…

Norway Gives Liberia $150 Million to Stop Cutting Down Trees

Sep 23, 2014 | Slate

Norway will provide Liberia with $150 million in development aid in exchange for reducing deforestation. Norway has made past attempts at this kind of policy in Brazil…

The Great New Oil and Gas Frontier of Myanmar, Warts and All

Sep 23, 2014 | Platts

Myanmar, the Southeast Asian country still called Burma by many people, is rapidly emerging from almost 50 years of military rule and related economic isolation.

The…

Vietnam and China: Conflict Over Islands Arouses Vietnamese Patriotism

Sep 23, 2014 | Mercury News

I lived in Hanoi from 2004 until 2009, down the street from the Chinese Embassy. Demonstrations were rare, if not forbidden by Vietnam's controlling government.…

Spending on Preventing Climate Wars versus Spending to Secure Sources of Oil

Sep 19, 2014 | Countercurrents

This summer, my CASSE blog featured the pending Iraq War III and argued that a steady state, true-cost, sustainable economy cannot be achieved if the US in…

Climate Change a National Security Issue, Say Local and National Leaders From Pacific Northwest

Sep 18, 2014 | New Security Beat

The effects of climate change “are here now” and pose a “serious challenge” for the United States, said Alice Hill, White House senior advisor for…

Land Disputes, Confusions & Conflicts - Liberia's Next National Challenge?

Sep 18, 2014 | All Africa

n a congratulatory message to the newly-appointed National Land Commission for its Draft Land Rights Policy recently made public for national, consultative debate and eventual…

Forget the Islamic State- the New Conflicts of the Future Could Be Sparked by Climate Change

Sep 18, 2014 | Foreign Policy

To the long list of the world's woes, add another: the growing impact of climate change, which could heighten tensions among nations and even spark…

Will Oil Make or Break the Islamic State?

Sep 18, 2014 | Gatestone Institute

Now, with the Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliphate having captured key oil wells in the Middle East this year, foreign oil has become an even more…

Climate Cast: Is Climate Change Destabilizing Iraq?

Sep 17, 2014 | Minnesota Public Radio News

The link between what we see as news events and climate change is often obscure. Does a particular extreme weather event, flood, or drought have it’s…

Canada to Vote on Conflict Minerals Legislation, Should Join Support for Mining Reforms and Livelihood Projects in Congo

Sep 16, 2014 | Enough Project

On September 24th, the Canadian House of Commons will hold a Second Reading vote on Bill C-486: The Conflict Minerals Act. The passage of C-486…

Dodd-Frank's Collateral Damage in Africa

Sep 15, 2014 | Wall Street Journal

Reminiscent of the racially discriminatory practice of "redlining" neighborhoods, a little-known measure in the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, designed to stop the trafficking of "conflict minerals"…

Energy Competition in South China Sea: A Front-Burner Issue?

Sep 12, 2014 | Nation Multimedia

The recent clashes between Vietnam and China over the latter's deployment of a deep-water drilling rig in disputed waters have refocused the spotlight on energy…

DRC: Conflict Minerals Movement at a Crossroads

Sep 11, 2014 | Aljazeera

When we think of the Democratic Republic of Congo today, we may think of bloody resource wars where women are being raped by armed groups…

Russia’s Next Land Grab

Sep 9, 2014 | New York Times

WASHINGTON — UKRAINE isn’t the only place where Russia is stirring up trouble. Since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Moscow has routinely supported…

Natural Resources and Violence in Nigeria

Sep 8, 2014 | Peace Direct

There is much to say about the on-going crisis in Nigeria, but little has been mentioned that goes beyond the kidnapping of a group of…

Climate Security Threat Remains Hidden Behind Current Conflicts

Sep 5, 2014 | Responding to Climate Change

At the NATO summit, the UK distributed leaflets outlining its five priorities for the summit. Number one is, obviously, the crisis in Ukraine. The phrase…

Investing in Collaboration to Manage Environmental Resource Conflict

Sep 2, 2014 | Environment, Conflict and Cooperation

Conflict over environmental resources endangers rural people’s livelihoods and can increase the risk of broader social conflict. Yet joint action to sustain shared resources can…

Combating Illegal Logging with Smartphones and Smarter Shopping

Sep 2, 2014 | Custom Made

Many of us make daily choices to try to live more environmentally conscious lifestyles. But there’s an element probably present in everyone’s home that’s contributing…

Opportunity Costs: Evidence Suggests Variability, Not Scarcity, Primary Driver of Water Conflict

Sep 2, 2014 | New Security Beat

Nearly 1 billion people lack reliable access to clean drinking water today. A report by the Water Resources Group projects that by 2030 annual global freshwater needs…

Opportunity Costs: Evidence Suggests Variability, Not Scarcity, Primary Driver of Water Conflict

Sep 2, 2014 | New Security Beat

Nearly 1 billion people lack reliable access to clean drinking water today. A report by the Water Resources Group projects that by 2030 annual global…

Climate Security Threat Matrix Must Be A Priority

Sep 2, 2014 | Poet Economist

The climate system is a complex of thermodynamic energy transfers, moving between the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Our local experience of weather—hot summers, breezy autumns,…

5 Reasons NATO Needs to Worry About Climate Change

Sep 1, 2014 | Responding to Climate Change

Climate change is likely to receive scant attention at the 2014 NATO summit, which takes place in Newport, Wales, this week.

With Russia and the west…

ISAF’s Environmental Legacy in Afghanistan Requires Greater Scrutiny

Sep 1, 2014 | Toxic Remnants of War

Since 2001, Afghanistan has seen intensive military activities from a number of countries that have contributed to the ISAF stabilisation force. With the drawdown of…