Center for Strategic Communication

EPA Releases Much-Anticipated Limits on Power Plant Emissions

Kate Sheppard / Huffington Post

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new standards on Monday, calling for a 30 percent cut in carbon emissions from power plants by 2030. The regulations are the first of their kind for the fleet of existing power plants, which currently produce 39 percent of U.S. emissions.

Mali and the Sahel: The war is far from over

BAMAKO / The Economist

Despite assurances from the government that dialogue was the only way forward, on May 21st they [Mali’s army] were ordered to attack the rebels. Within hours the army was in retreat. After trading heavy machinegun and rocket fire, rebels seized the government camp in Kidal, as well as a former French fort that has a commanding position above the fly-blown town.

IAEA gains “better understanding” of Iran’s nuclear programme

World Bulletin / News Desk

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief praised Iran on Monday for showing increased openness about its disputed nuclear programme but he also made clear Tehran must do more to address questions about suspected atomic bomb research.

Iran’s supreme leader urges closer ties with Arab states

Associated Press

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, sounded a conciliatory note on the second day of the Kuwaiti leader’s visit.

Spain King Juan Carlos To Abdicate After 40 Years On The Throne In Favor Of Son

Alan Clendenning / Associated Press

The king told Spaniards in a nationwide address that he first started thinking seriously about giving up the throne when he turned 76 in January. He said Monday that the 46-year-old Crown Prince Felipe is ready for the post and will “open a new era of hope combining his acquired experience and the drive of a new generation.”

Russia grants gas respite but seeks U.N. vote on Ukraine

Thomas Grove and Mark Trevelyan / Reuters

Russia accused Ukrainian authorities on Monday of escalating violence against civilians in the rebel-held east of the country, even as it offered Kiev a brief respite in a dispute over billions of dollars’ worth of unpaid gas bills.

 Chuck Hagel: Beijing ‘destabilising’ South China Sea

BBC News

The US defence secretary has accused China of “destabilising” the South China Sea, saying its action threatened the region’s long-term progress. Mr. Hagel was speaking at a three-day summit – the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – that involves the US and South-East Asian countries.

 

ASP Recent Reports

 Water Management in the American Southwest

Andrew Holland

Climate change is likely to make droughts in the region longer, more intense, and more unpredictable – similar to other drylands regions around the world. These three characteristics of water management can provide a model for adaptation for the rest of the world in a future of unpredictable climate change.

Texas and Climate Change

Andrew Holland

Climate change threatens states across the country – few are as exposed to extreme weather as Texas. The combination of a long coast exposed to sea level rise and an inland, arid region exposed to intense heat and drought make the state vulnerable.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 Argonne National Lab Facilities Address the Climate Call to Action

Andrew Holland

Argonne National Lab is engaged in pathbreaking nuclear energy research, which can help meet the challenges of climate change.

 

Upcoming Events

DALLAS EVENT – Climate Change: Risks for National Security

June 02 @ 1:00 – 2:00PM

Join us June 2, 2014 at 1:00pm for a discussion at The Crescent Club in Dallas, Texas. In 2014-2015, the American Security Project (ASP) is undertaking a grassroots effort to build a consensus among Americans around the country from left to right, and especially among the non-political, that climate change is not simply a low-priority ‘green’ issue: but instead it is a pressing national security threat.

Al Qaeda 3.0: Three Responses to the Changing Nature of Al Qaeda

June 05 @ 8:30 – 9:30AM

Join us to hear from three key experts about the different responses to the threat of terrorism from Morocco, Egypt and Yemen – and what the implications will be for U.S. policy to the region and wider counterterrorism efforts.

Listening in Public Diplomacy: The 2014 ASDA’A Burson Marsteller Arab Youth Survey

June 10 @ 12:30 – 1:30PM

Join us at ASP on June 10, 2014 as Jay Leveton presents the findings of the 2014 ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey and what this means for the Middle East.

SAN ANTONIO EVENT – Climate Change: Risks for National Security

June 10 @ 7:00 – 9:00PM

Join us June 10, 2014 at 7:00pm for a discussion at the University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas. In 2014-2015, the American Security Project (ASP) is undertaking a grassroots effort to build a consensus among Americans around the country from left to right, and especially among the non-political, that climate change is not simply a low-priority ‘green’ issue: but instead it is a pressing national security threat.

 LAS VEGAS EVENT – Climate Change: Risks for National Security

June 11 @ 5:30 – 8:00PM

Join us June 11, 2014 at 5:30pm for a discussion at the Spanish Trail Country Club in Las Vegas, Texas. In 2014-2015, the American Security Project (ASP) is undertaking a grassroots effort to build a consensus among Americans around the country from left to right, and especially among the non-political, that climate change is not simply a low-priority ‘green’ issue: but instead it is a pressing national security threat.

Lasting Impact: A Call to Business and Education

June 12 @ 6:30 – 9:30PM

Join the HBS Club on June 12, 2014 at the Embassy of France as they discuss new research on improving the educational system of the United States.

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