Blogs & Opinions

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…

Geothermal Expansion and Maasai Land Conflicts in Kenya

Nov 2, 2015 | Shiloh Fetzek

The booming geothermal industry in Kenya illustrates how rapid transitions to renewable energy systems can risk generating conflicts if they are not done with sensitivity…

New Threats to National Security in the Age of Climate Change

Nov 2, 2015 | Rep. Adam Schiff

In California, climate change is no longer an abstract concept found in the scientific journals. Record temperatures, extreme drought and a surge in devastating wildfires are a…

Cholera Is Coming

Nov 2, 2015 | Laurie Garrett

The last great epidemic of Vibrio cholerae to hit Africa and the Middle East occurred from 1997 to 1998. Over 200,000 people were afflicted and…

Water Wars: The PRC's Double Trouble in the South China Sea

Oct 31, 2015 | Zack Bluestone

The past few days have witnessed two huge developments in the South China Sea. On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy conducted a long-anticipated freedom of navigation (FON)…

A U.S. Naval Signal in the South China Sea

Oct 28, 2015 | Jonathan Masters

Recent U.S. naval maneuvers in the South China Sea signal how the United States plans to safeguard its interests in the Asia-Pacific region, says Capt.…

Climate Change, Food Security and the Refugee Crisis: Connecting the Dots to Avoid Future Tragedy

Oct 28, 2015 | Bruce Campbell and Lisa Goddard

It is widely held that climate change will have negative impacts on agricultural communities. Now, research is supporting the theory that climate impacts will catalyze…

Liberia: Don't Blame Nocal Alone for Its Bankruptcy

Oct 27, 2015 | The New Republic

Welcome to plain Talk. It hurts to see a lucrative and enterprising entity to go bankrupt ahead of the discovery of oil. What? Is it…

How to Fight Conflict Minerals? Mandatory Disclosure.

Oct 26, 2015 | Cass R. Sunstein

At least in theory, one of the best ways for Congress to protect consumers and investors is by requiring companies to disclose information. Credit card…

'Greening' of a Dam Prompts Damning Accusations

Oct 26, 2015 | Kyaw Phyo Tha

In Burma these days, there are really only two colors that people are talking about: red and green.

If you say “red,” you are no longer…

Will the European Endgame on Conflict Minerals Put an End to Financing Rape in the DRC?

Oct 26, 2015 | Margot Wallström and Denis Mukwege

In the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), armed groups and criminal operators terrorize the population. Sexual violence against women is…

Levy and Fischer on Water Security for Sustainable Development

Oct 21, 2015 | School of Professional Studies

Marc Levy and Alex Fischer, of Columbia University’s Environment, Peace, and Security program, were among the coalition of experts that produced a report on the…

Coffee Capsules Boost Business and Living Standards of South Sudanese Farmers

Oct 21, 2015 | Antonio Pasolini

There’s much more to a cup of coffee than meets the eye - or the nose, for that matter. One of the most beloved hot…

Migratory Labor for Extractive Industries Creating “Sons of Soil” Conflict in China

Oct 14, 2015 | Isabelle Côté

In May 2011, two weeks before I was scheduled to start research in the region, a Mongol herder named Mergen was hit by a mining…

Climate Data Can Be Critical in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States – Here’s How to Get It

Oct 5, 2015 | Schuyler Null

When war breaks out, what happens to the weather forecast? Violent conflict disrupts many essential services in developing countries and one of the most overlooked…

Asean Environmental Security Concerns

Oct 3, 2015 | Amado S. Tolentino, Jr.

The effects of extreme weather events caused by climate change are now felt all over the world – warmer temperature causing desertification and inadequate food…

New Amnesty Report Provides Insights into the Diamond Trade in Central African Republic

Oct 1, 2015 | Kasper Agger

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been rocked by renewed violence this week with 36 people killed and 42,575 displaced persons over the last few days. A new report from…

OP-ED: Mass Firing at National Oil Company of Liberia is Overdue

Oct 1, 2015 | Francis Cordor

In August, the National Oil Company of Liberia fired its entire staff of 200 people in a move aimed at reducing costs and saving the…

Friday Deadline for SEC to Appeal Latest Conflict Minerals Court Ruling

Sep 30, 2015 | Enough Team

This Friday, October 2, is the deadline for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other parties to petition for a review of the most recent…

Guest Post: Setting the Boundaries in the South China Sea

Sep 30, 2015 | Micah Zenko

Tensions between China and Vietnam over the South China Sea are rising and a miscalculation or miscommunication risks an outbreak of hostilities. Earlier this month, imagery…

Getting to the Root of Gender Equal Land Governance

Sep 23, 2015 | Catriona Knapman

While there is international agreement that we need gender equality in land ownership – achieving this in practice is more complex.

Women face a number of…

Why Climate Change is Australia's Greatest National Security Issue

Sep 20, 2015 | Clive Williams

I recently gave my "National Security and Counterterrorism" Masters students a syndicate exercise at the end of their course requiring them to prioritise the most…

US and China have Escalating War of Words over South China Sea Territory Dispute

Sep 18, 2015 | Zachary Davies Boren

The world's two most powerful countries are involved in an escalating dispute over territory in the South China Sea. China has nearly finished developing artificial…

Amazon Women on the Front Lines: The Waorani

Sep 17, 2015

Meet the Waorani of the Ecuadorian Amazon. They are fighting for traditional life and championing alternatives to threats to their ancestral territory—one of the wildest,…