Gazprom’s Demise Could Topple Putin
Anders Aslund / Bloomberg
No large company in the world has been so spectacularly mismanaged as Russia’s state-dominated natural-gas corporation Gazprom OAO. (GAZP) In the last decade, its management has made every conceivable mistake.
Iran Election Contenders Lash Top Atomic Envoy
Global Security Newswire / NTI
Iran’s chief atomic diplomat on Friday faced blunt questioning of his negotiating record from several other politicians vying for the nation’s presidency, Agence France-Presse reported.
China Gets Top Ranking for Shale Reserves
United Press International
China has the most technically recoverable shale natural gas reserves and the third highest shale oil reserves in the world, the U.S. Energy Department said.
Former Dutch Leader Steps into U.S. Nukes Debate
Harvey Morris / New York Times
In a report that caused some consternation in the Netherlands on Monday, a former prime minister was said to have confirmed for the first time that American Cold War-era nuclear bombs are being stored on Dutch soil.
Nuclear Power’s Future May Hinge on Georgia Project
Matthew L. Wald / New York Times
The two nuclear reactors rising out of the red Georgia clay here, twin behemoths of concrete and steel, make up one of the largest construction projects in the United States and represent a giant bet that their cost – in the range of $14 billion – will be cheaper than alternatives like natural gas.
The World is About to Get a New ‘Largest’ Concentrated Solar Plant
Jared Anderson / Breaking Energy
Energy companies love to brag about being the world’s largest, first or producing the most of something and the bragging is about to begin. The Shams 1 concentrated solar plant located in the UAE’s Western Region is currently the world’s largest, but not for long, as an enormous project in the US western desert is on the verge of usurping that distinction.
Global Carbon Emissions Hit Record High in 2012
Mark Trevelyan and David Goodman / Reuters
China led a rise in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a record high in 2012, casting doubt over the chances of limiting global warming to what scientists regard as an acceptable level.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
The Carbon Bubble: What We Know and Why You Should Care
Rory Johnston
While the Earth only has 565 GtCO2 of its carbon budget remaining, proven fossil fuel reserves represent a footprint of 2795 GtCO2, almost five times that amount. This means that only about 20% of the proven fossil fuel reserves can be burned, leaving the remaining 80% as “unburnable stranded assets.” The result is that the world’s financial markets are carrying a “carbon bubble.”
Corporate Tax Reform: Is Territorial the Solution?
Justin Winikoff
Corporate tax reform must begin with lowering the rate and eliminating deferrals. Should a territorial tax system be the next step?
Engagement: What does it Mean for Public Diplomacy?
Matthew Wallin
Missing in the discourse about engagement and its attractiveness as a term is a substantial discussion of exactly what engagement means. Since “engagement” is used so commonly without explanations of what it actually entails, it appears to have become little more than a buzzword developed to encompass various activities that are otherwise difficult to succinctly describe.
Chinese Premier Xi on Fusion: “A Grand Conception”
William Joyce
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping applauded EAST’s fusion research and contributions to ITER upon visiting in April 2011. While China continues to invest in fusion energy, the United States is falling behind.
ASP in the News
BGen Stephen Cheney: Climate Change Threatens America’s National Security
ASP CEO Brigadier Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.) wrote an op-ed for TakePart on the threat that climate change presents to America’s national Security
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The Future of Stability Operations: Lessons from Afghanistan
Monday, June 17th from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Location: 110 New York Avenue, 7th Floor West Tower. The international community has learned a great deal about how to conduct stability operations in the last 12 years. Join us for a fact-based discussion with leading experts on stability operations.
North Korean Nuclear, Missile, and Space Programs: Imagery Brief Policy Options with Joel Wit
Tuesday, June 25th from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. Location: 110 New York Avenue, 7th Floor West Tower. Join us for a lunchtime discussion with Visiting Scholar and former State Department official Joel Wit as he describes current North Korean nuclear, missile, and space programs using imagery slides. Mr. Wit will give his views on the policy options for dealing with this difficult and dangerous nation.
Redefining US Energy Security for the 21st Century – New York Energy Week
Tuesday, June 25th from 4:15 pm to 5:30 pm. Location: 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY. With the United States in the midst of an oil and natural gas boom, long-held concerns about energy security are giving way to bold predictions of energy independence and diminishing concerns about climate change. These trends raise important questions for business leaders and policymakers alike. Join us s we explore them with some of the nation’s foremost national security experts.
