(March 2, 2010) As calls for a “Marshall Plan for Haiti” continue to make headlines, an increasing number of reports are beginning to ask: is aid the answer? A recent report from PBS interviews a number of aid supporters and critics, asking them if a massive aid program to Haiti is the best option.
China: Dam plans open gates to tough choices ahead
(February 25, 2010) The Nu River flows from the Tibetan highlands through China’s western Yunnan province, cutting between two mountain ranges before rushing through Burma into the Andaman Sea. It is home to a third of the country’s ethnic groups and a diverse ecosystem of 7,000 species of plants and 80 rare or endangered animals and fish. It’s also one of only two major rivers in China yet to be dammed.
Chinese investment good for Africans? Depends on who you ask.
(March 1, 2010) Soaring Chinese investment in Africa has placed the international aid community on high alert. While policymakers around the world debate whether China’s no-strings-attached approach to African investment is good for the continent’s economic development, many onlookers have failed to ask: how do Africans feel about it? A recent poll, "How do Africans see China after all?" by academic Loro Horta, suggests opinion is strongly divided.
Ecuador’s Sovereign Default: A Pyrrhic Victory for Odious Debt?
(February 28, 2010) Ecuador’s strategic default on some of its external debt last year has drawn much commentary and generated passionate reactions. Some commentators who advocate creating a mechanism for addressing odious or illegitimate debt encouraged Ecuador to repudiate its obligations and have generally applauded its decision to do so. For those who are sympathetic to efforts to create such a mechanism, however, this enthusiasm may be misplaced.
Ecuador’s Sovereign Default: A Pyrrhic Victory for Odious Debt?
(February 28, 2010) Ecuador’s strategic default on some of its external debt last year has drawn much commentary and generated passionate reactions. Some commentators who advocate creating a mechanism for addressing odious or illegitimate debt encouraged Ecuador to repudiate its obligations and have generally applauded its decision to do so. For those who are sympathetic to efforts to create such a mechanism, however, this enthusiasm may be misplaced.
‘Carbon cowboy’ in PNG legal spat
(February 26, 2010) Australia’s self-proclaimed ‘carbon kingpin’ Kirk Roberts is being investigated by a Papua New Guinea government agency for allegedly misleading villagers in deals he hopes will net millions.
The plight of Three Gorges migrants: in the government’s own words
(February 24, 2010) In what might be a first, China’s state media is telling the truth about migrants who were forced off their land to make way for the massive Three Gorges dam. A recent China Daily story covered the painstaking details of a family trying to integrate in a new community after being forced to move to an east coast city from their home in the southwest.
The great carbon con
(February 23, 2010) Optimists say the carbon market could one day be worth as much as $2-3 trillion dollars if countries like the United States implement a legally-binding cap-and-trade system. But those numbers may be wildly optimistic in the wake of the scandals involving scientists and research centres supporting climate change and the recent political back-tracking on implementing cap-and-trade schemes. More realistically, the carbon market is struggling just to stay relevant.
REDD: Breathing new life into the scam of carbon trading
(February 23, 2010) A massive new market in forest carbon would come with a series of new (and not so new) risks.
Carbon markets deflating in the wake of Copenhagen
(February 22, 2010) After political leaders failed at December’s climate summit in Copenhagen to agree to a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the price of carbon has been slowly deflating. Many investors are now wary of pouring more money into a scheme that depends on political will, rather than economic fundamentals.
Help Haiti build a real government
(February 22, 2010) Aid makes governments unaccountable to their own people – with devastating results.
The Mekong river’s last stop: Vietnam
(February 20, 2010) To help acquaint readers in the West with the importance of the Mekong, National Public Radio’s (NPR) Southeast Asia correspondent Michael Sullivan is producing a five-part series, journeying the length of the river and offering a closer look at the people who live along its banks. The fifth part of the series, "As Mekong Rolls To The Sea, Turbulence On Its Banks" is reproduced below.
The Mekong river: Cambodia’s road to success
(February 19, 2010) To help acquaint readers in the West with the importance of the Mekong, National Public Radio’s (NPR) Southeast Asia correspondent Michael Sullivan is producing a five-part series, journeying the length of the river and offering a closer look at the people who live along its banks. The fourth part of the series, "Cambodia’s Fortunes Ebb And Flow Along The Mekong" is reproduced below.
A river runs through it: the Mekong river, Thailand and Laos
(February 18, 2010) To help acquaint readers in the West with the importance of the Mekong, National Public Radio’s (NPR) Southeast Asia correspondent Michael Sullivan is producing a five-part series, journeying the length of the river and offering a closer look at the people who live along its banks. The third part of the series, "Mekong Divides Different Worlds In ‘Golden Triangle’" is reproduced below.
Capital thirsts for water from Hebei
(January 20, 2010) Neighboring province tightens its belts to ease Beijing’s shortage. Four reservoirs in Hebei are expected to be called upon again this year to supply water to Beijing, but the water delivery plan is still being negotiated by the Beijing and Hebei governments. The temporary plan for Beijing to get water from the four reservoirs – two in Shijiazhuang and two in Baoding – will bridge the gap until the South-to-North water diversion project is completed in 2014.
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