Latest blog items
The Opec state that clears its own, greener pathPublished 26.2.2010 The United Arab Emirates, led by its wealthiest emirate Abu Dhabi, is finally taking the steps necessary to align its domestic and international policies in the field of climate change. Who would have thought just three years ago that it would stand out as the only Opec state to associate itself to a controversial climate change accord, have a Climate Change Envoy, dub nuclear as clean energy, and, most importantly, set international climate change mitigation ahead of oil industry interests. » |
Kööpenhamina koetteli demokratian rajojaPublished 21.12.2009 Hataraan ratkaisuun päättynyt Kööpenhaminan ilmastokokous oli matalista ennakko-odotuksista huolimatta monille valtava pettymys. Kööpenhaminan ilmastokokous muistetaan varmasti käännekohtana, mutta aivan vääristä syistä. » |
Odottelua ja suljettuja ovia Kööpenhaminan viime päivinäPublished 17.12.2009 Toisen neuvotteluviikon aikana neuvottelijoita on nähty lähinnä joko odottelemassa tai kiistelemässä neuvottelujen menettelytavoista. Suurin osa delegaateista odottelee sillä aikaa kun rajattu, puheenjohtajan valitsema joukko maita käy keskenään konsultaatioita. Menettelytavoista kiistellään, koska ”salaisista” konsultaatioista pitävät vain niihin mukaan kutsutut. » |
The Arab climate is changingPublished 15.10.2009 Today marks the third international Blog Action Day that unites thousands of bloggers around the world to post on October 15 on a single topic. This year’s theme is - guess what - climate change. UPI-FIIA partipates with a post on the state of climate change in the Middle East. » |
Time to think about climate change and security in the Middle East?Published 17.6.2009 Climate change has, until the last few years, attracted little attention from Middle Eastern decision-makers. In a region where wars in neighbouring states and suppression of domestic political dissent are everyday state business, talk of temperatures and sea-levels rising within the next few decades seems still as distant as the formation of a Palestinian state. » |
From geopolitics to energy security?Published 24.4.2009 In the Middle East, nuclear energy has arrived on the domestic energy policy agendas through a very different route than in the West. Nuclear energy started off in the region mainly as a geopolitical issue, and has only then become an issue of energy politics. » |
Have we given up on six degrees?Published 26.1.2009 Picture how 500 billion tonnes of carbon escape into the atmosphere from the Arctic soils, how the Amazon basin turns into a desert and the city of Alexandria is swallowed underwater. This is likely to be the world with only a couple of degrees more than today. » |
The Arab World’s chronic disintegration – now in PoznanPublished 15.12.2008 2 comment(s) The Arab World has yet again proved to be an increasingly empty political construct; this time in the framework of climate politics. The fault line between the rich Gulf and the poor ‘rest’ was revealed amidst domination by the OAPEC-axis and passive consent by most of the other Arab states. » |
The Gulf monarchies’ looming ‘ecological credit crunch’Published 31.10.2008 WWF published its Living Planet Report 2008 this week. The report ranks two Gulf monarchies in the top-three of its ecological footprint index. The United Arab Emirates’ inhabitants, according to WWF, place the world’s heaviest burden on the biosphere in terms of biologically productive land and sea required to provide the resources used and to absorb the waste produced. Kuwait ranks third right after the UAE and United States. » |
Onko Brasilia tulevaisuuden energiasuurvalta?Published 30.9.2008 2 comment(s) Brasilian talous kasvaa ja vienti vetää ennätysvauhtia. Köyhyys on vähentynyt ja uusia öljylähteitä löydetty. Maan tuottama sokeriruokoetanolikin lukeutuu kansainvälisen energiaturvallisuuskeskustelun suosikkiaiheisiin. Tuleeko Brasilia sittenkin lunastamaan paikkansa isojen poikien BRIC-kerhossa? » |
