October 18
U.N. nuclear chief rejects Iran “saboteurs” accusation
Maria Golovnina and Fredrik Dahl/Reuters
The U.N. nuclear chief dismissed Iran’s allegation his agency may have been infiltrated by saboteurs and voiced concern about “intensive activities” at the Parchin military installation that his inspectors want to examine.
S. Korea, US, Japan agree to close cooperation on NK nuclear issues
The Korean Times
Nuclear envoys from South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed on Wednesday to closely cooperate on North Korean nuclear issues, foreign ministry officials here said.
Clinton to Say Energy Plays Key Role in Diplomacy
Keith Johnson/WSJ
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will map out a plan Thursday for making energy a centerpiece of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. In a speech at Georgetown University, Mrs. Clinton will argue that “energy diplomacy” can strengthen America’s allies, help counter potential rivals and, by fostering economic growth around the world, ultimately help strengthen the American economy.
Natural Disaster Trends Report Cites Link To Climate Change ‘Footprint’
Huffington Post
North America has seen the world’s sharpest increase in the number of natural catastrophes during the past 32 years, a trend that in some respects is linked to manmade global warming, according to a report released Wednesday from the global reinsurance giant Munich Re.
Models of Earth’s climate change confirmed on Mars
Deborah Zabarenko / NBC News
Astronomers say computer models have accurately forecast conditions on Mars and are valid predictors of climate change on Earth. These computer programs predicted Martian glaciers and other features on Earth’s planetary neighbor, a U.S.-French team of scientists found.
Mr. Putin’s Gift to Terrorists
Editorial / The New York Times
There will be plenty of losers from Russia’s recent decision to end two decades of cooperation with Washington on cleaning up nuclear and chemical weapons sites left over from the cold war. Russia will now have to pay for such efforts on its own.
Fusion: Maybe Less Than 30 Years Away, but This Year Unlikely
Bill Chameides / The Great Energy Challenge, National Geographic
Fusion energy holds the promise of all the benefits of nuclear fission, without the downsides. Research at the National Ignition Facility is progressing, but the NIF failed to meet a fiscal year deadline. Despite the setback, scientists believe they are on the right path.
Defense spending in Asia on the rise; China leading the way
Larry Shaughnessy/ CNN
A new report shows a trend of increased defense spending among Asia’s major military powers, with China’s military budget accounting for nearly half of all spending in the region. It’s a trend that reflects one reason why the Pentagon is heavily focused on increasing its presence in the region.
In the News
ASP Senior Fellow Andrew Holland featured in AOL Energy
In a new Op-ed featured by AOL Energy, ASP Senior Fellow Andrew Holland responds to a New York Times editorial criticizing the National Ignition Facility.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Connecting the Asia Pivot to Acquisition Strategy
Elizabeth Deal
With the pivot to the Asia-Pacific region already in motion, the US military is restructuring its forces to better position for operations in a theater of oceans and islands. Leaders have identified some creative solutions to deal with the theater-wide transport and ship-to-shore movement challenges they anticipate facing in the Pacific.
U.S. and EU at Impasse Over Airline Emissions
Nicholas Cunningham
On January 1, 2013, a new law will take effect in Europe that subjects airlines to limits on carbon emissions. The U.S. and two dozen other countries are so far refusing to comply.
America, Germany, and the Race to Reduce CO2 Emissions
Martin Bee
Dr. Buehler’s recent paper compared German and American CO2 emissions from ground transportation. His data reveals that the U.S. has fallen way behind.