Senaste blogginlägg
Torsdag, 3. Juni 2010  0 comment(s) |
Seeking for water in the Levant (the story of a course)This spring, The Finnish Institute of International Affairs, together with the Finnish Institute in Damascus, organised a training course for Finnish professionals on the topics of water, climate change and security in the Middle East. The course culminated in a one-week trip to Damascus and Beirut where the participants met with local stakeholders and visited water projects in the vicinity of the two cities. This is a postcard blog from our trip. |
| Fredag, 7. Maj 2010 0 comment(s) |
Nuclear energy on a silver plate for Iran’s neighboursWestern debate on the Iran issue has always focused on the military side of the coin – and certainly for a reason. It is, however, particularly striking to observe the ease at which nuclear developments Iran’s neighbourhood have been watched. In fact the West, the US and France in the forefront, are anxious to offer nuclear to Iran’s neighbours in the Middle East. |
| Fredag, 26. Februari 2010 0 comment(s) |
The Opec state that clears its own, greener pathThe 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. |
| Måndag, 21. December 2009 0 comment(s) |
Kööpenhamina koetteli demokratian rajojaHataraan ratkaisuun päättynyt Kööpenhaminan ilmastokokous oli matalista ennakko-odotuksista huolimatta monille valtava pettymys. Kööpenhaminan ilmastokokous muistetaan varmasti käännekohtana, mutta aivan vääristä syistä. |
| Torsdag, 17. December 2009 0 comment(s) |
Odottelua ja suljettuja ovia Kööpenhaminan viime päivinäToisen 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. |
| Torsdag, 15. Oktober 2009 0 comment(s) |
The Arab climate is changingToday 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. |
| Onsdag, 17. Juni 2009 0 comment(s) |
Time to think about climate change and security in the Middle East?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. |
| Fredag, 24. April 2009 0 comment(s) |
From geopolitics to energy security?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. |
| Måndag, 26. Januari 2009 0 comment(s) |
Have we given up on six degrees?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. |
| Måndag, 15. December 2008 2 comment(s) |
The Arab World’s chronic disintegration – now in PoznanThe 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. |
