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Energy & Environment

FEATURED COMMENTARY

Energy Is at the Heart of Many Recent Conflicts
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate
Posted: 09/16/08

[Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 16, 2008] The raison d'être of the row between Russia and Georgia now seems obvious enough to the trained eye. Wading through a geopolitical swamp of post-Cold-War balkanization, this latest conflict was the result of a potent mixture of Russian nationalism, Ossetian-Abkhazian quest for identity and autonomy, and a Georgian (by proxy) exertion of American power. Buried below the laundry list of laudable explanations lies a more salient truth: This violence was chiefly, if not solely, spurred by the desire for mastery over natural resources. READ MORE

RECENT COMMENTARY

Congress Must Extend Tax Credits for Renewable and Efficient Sources
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
Posted: 09/10/08

[Published, The Hill, September 10, 2008] Governors and state legislators are doing it. Mayors are doing it. Universities are doing it. Businesses and individuals are doing it. The greening of America is occurring for a host of environmental, economic, religious, security and humanitarian reasons. However, Congress remains noticeably recalcitrant. READ MORE

Drill Here, Drill Now? No: Sustainability Lies Elsewhere
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate, and US Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)
Posted: 08/30/08

[Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 30, 2008] To drill or not to drill, that is the question. But is it? Offshore oil reserves, once online -- a feat that would come long after the new president's first term -- will garner less than three years of supply. Drilling in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge will surface even less. When the U.S. supplies 3 percent of the world's oil reserves but demands 25 percent, short-term fixes will invariably make for insufficient long-lasting solutions.READ MORE

US Needs to Take Lead on Reducing Emissions
Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
Posted: 07/14/08

[Published, USA Today, July 14, 2008] That China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa nudged the richer G8 nations to "take the lead in achieving … greenhouse gas emissions reductions" is entirely appropriate, despite the fact that it flies in the face of American finger-pointing ("Bush lauds G-8 leaders for work on environment, trade issues," USATODAY.com, July 9). U.S. leaders have long launched assaults on China's and India's inaction, claiming that Asia's giants contribute more carbon than America. READ MORE

Larger Meaning of 'Use it or Lose it'
Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
Posted: 07/10/08

[Published, The Hill, July 10, 2008] That Congress is pressuring oil companies to "use it or lose it" on public lands is understandable enough given constituent discontent with rocketing petrol prices (article, "Energy bill out of gas," July 8). But this narrow and nebulous agenda is near-sighted for two reasons. READ MORE

This Earth Day is Different
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
Posted: 04/22/08

[Published, The Hill, April 22, 2008] Earth Day, for some, is comparable to a sacred holiday, reminding us to tread carefully on nature's hallowed ground. For others, Earth Day serves as a starter on the basics of recycling and light-bulb changing. Regardless of the myriad ways in which Americans approach Earth Day '08, it remains substantially different from '07. What changed in one year? Washington joined the world in tackling climate change. Beyond the irrefutable science, the benefits of pursuing a more sustainable energy footprint were too vast to be ignored. While much work awaits us, the change in attitudes is profound. READ MORE

U.N. Security Council Must Act Preemptively - on Climate Change
By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student, and US Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Posted: 03/24/08

[Published, Christian Science Monitor, March 24, 2008] The United Nations tackled the task of troubleshooting climate change last month. Between holding special General Assembly meetings at headquarters in New York, bringing 100 environmental ministers to Monaco in the largest meeting of ministers since Bali, and launching a Climate Neutral Network to highlight best practices in tackling global warming, the UN appears to be doing what it can to ensure that climate change does not fall off the political radar. Yet, it still isn't enough. A concerted international strategy, on a par with the seriousness and scope of an UN Security Council resolution, is what's needed to counter this climate crisis. READ MORE

Bali Confirmed the Shift: Nation Is On Board Now
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
Posted: 02/22/08

[Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 22, 2008] It's missing the point to think about the United Nations climate change conference in Bali last December based upon on whether specific targets were agreed upon or not. This point ignores dramatic historical changes in the world concerning climate change-related attitudes and approaches. Bali is not Kyoto. The new consensus among the U.S. Congress, President George Bush, and leaders of formerly recalcitrant countries such as India, China, and Australia is this: The international community recognizes climate change, recognizes our shared contribution to it and its impact on all of us, and recognizes our shared responsibility in tackling it. READ MORE

GMU's Broadside Features ICAR's Role in Forum on Climate Change
By Dan Abernathy
Posted: 02/18/08

[Published, GMU Broadside, February 18, 2008] George Mason University is no stranger to the color green. Anyone looking at the university colors - which happen to be green and gold - or the lush forestry surrounding our campuses can see the evidence. So it is no surprise that one of Mason's recent policy events, presented by the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, addressed one of the many issues related to the world-wide effort to "go green" on sustainability. READ MORE

Running Low
Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
Posted: 02/01/08

[Published, The Economist, February 1, 2008] America will not adopt constraints on its emissions when a new president is inaugurated ("Get the price right", January 19th). The momentum in Washington is simply not there. Last year's energy legislation was passed by a Democratic Congress, which failed to eke out a bill with any teeth: no electricity standards mandating utilities to use renewable energy; no cut to the level of greenhouse-gas emissions; no carbon tax. READ MORE

The Irony of Indonesia as Climate Change Host
By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
Posted: 12/14/07

[Published, Jakarta Post, December 14, 2007] The irony of Indonesia hosting the United Nations climate change conference in Bali is not lost on anyone. The host county is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the United States, and the world's leader in deforestation rates at five football fields of forest a minute, 80 percent of which is illegally cut timber. If Bali produces a post-Kyoto international framework for emissions reductions, Indonesia, as well as China and the U.S., will need some help in carbon offsetting. One answer is in the forest. READ MORE

Congress's Goals on CAFE, Biofuels Don't Go Far Enough
By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
Posted: 12/06/07

[Published, The Hill, December 6, 2007] Coinciding with the United Nations climate change conference in Bali this week, Congress remains mired in energy bill deliberations. And it appears that foreign leaders abroad are the more formidable fighters against global warming. In the article "New groups get in ring as energy bill nears vote" (Dec. 3), the Senate and House leadership readies itself to boast two wins, a revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and increased investments in biofuels. Unfortunately neither gets us significantly closer to our goal of a cooler planet. READ MORE

The Soil that Saves
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
Posted: 10/04/07

[Published, Foreign Policy in Focus, October 4, 2007] It is generally understood that trees are good for the environment. That the forest will be an important ally in preventing global warming is a less known fact. The European Union (EU), however, seems bound to change that. Deforestation and fossil fuel use result in the annual emission of 7-8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. While the earth is capable of sequestering, or storing, some of those gases, roughly half, or 3.5 billion metric tons, remains trapped in the atmosphere, causing the gradual but certain warming of the planet. READ MORE

Biofuels are Helpful but no Panacea for Relieving America's Dependence on Oil
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Posted: 09/28/07

[Published, The Hill, September 27, 2007] House and Senate conferees working on the omnibus energy bill should include provisions in the conference report that will support the expansion of sustainable biofuels. To do that, several myths about biofuels need to be corrected. First, biofuels can make the United States independent of imported oil. Second, biofuels are good for the environment. Third, biofuels will help America’s farmers. We learned the facts firsthand from farmers and our work on the House Science and Technology Committee. They are also reaffirmed in the cover story of the October 2007 National Geographic, “Growing Fuel: the Wrong Way, the Right Way.” READ MORE

Pioneers Can Secure Our Future
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and Rep. Bartlett (R-MD)
Posted: 09/13/07

[Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 13, 2007] Russia, Canada, and the United States are rushing to the North Pole in a pioneer-like land grab for an estimated 25 percent of the world's unknown oil and gas reserves. One wonders when we will learn. Oil and gas are not forever. We need to change course and save some to ensure a secure energy future. READ MORE

Who's the World's No. 1 Producer of CO2?
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
Posted: 06/29/07

[Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 28, 2007] Regardless of whether or not one believes in climate change, no American wants the United States to be the world's top greenhouse-gas emitter. Thus, Americans were thankful that China was queuing up to surpass the U.S. as the globe's No. 1 producer of carbon dioxide. Now, according to a report released by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Americans can breathe a sigh of relief. In 2006, the report states, China surpassed the U.S. in emissions by about 7.5 percent. Whew. No longer will the U.S. be the primary target, China will now be held culpable. READ MORE

Going Green
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
Posted: 06/03/07

[Published, Foreign Policy in Focus, March 13, 2007] Elected officials far and near are doing it. The European Union is doing it. U.S. governors are doing it. Even U.S. mayors are doing it. France’s Jacques Chirac calls it “revolutionary,” and California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger says “the time to act is now.” Even Wal-Mart is getting off the dime. The world is waking up to the crisis of global warming. But the U.S. Congress is still dozing. Given the fact that the United States produces 25% of all greenhouse gases, while only accounting for 5% of the world’s population, it is not difficult to understand why Congress is so intractable on this issue. READ MORE

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ICAR News Network Energy & Environment FEATURED COMMENTARY Energy Is at the Heart of Many Recent Conflicts Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate Posted: 09/16/08 [Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 16, 2008] The raison d'être of the row between Russia and Georgia now seems obvious enough to the trained eye. Wading through a geopolitical swamp of post-Cold-War balkanization, this latest conflict was the result of a potent mixture of Russian nationalism, Ossetian-Abkhazian quest for identity and autonomy, and a Georgian (by proxy) exertion of American power. Buried below the laundry list of laudable explanations lies a more salient truth: This violence was chiefly, if not solely, spurred by the desire for mastery over natural resources. READ MORE RECENT COMMENTARY Congress Must Extend Tax Credits for Renewable and Efficient Sources Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) Posted: 09/10/08 [Published, The Hill, September 10, 2008] Governors and state legislators are doing it. Mayors are doing it. Universities are doing it. Businesses and individuals are doing it. The greening of America is occurring for a host of environmental, economic, religious, security and humanitarian reasons. However, Congress remains noticeably recalcitrant. READ MORE Drill Here, Drill Now? No: Sustainability Lies Elsewhere Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate, and US Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) Posted: 08/30/08 [Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 30, 2008] To drill or not to drill, that is the question. But is it? Offshore oil reserves, once online -- a feat that would come long after the new president's first term -- will garner less than three years of supply. Drilling in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge will surface even less. When the U.S. supplies 3 percent of the world's oil reserves but demands 25 percent, short-term fixes will invariably make for insufficient long-lasting solutions.READ MORE US Needs to Take Lead on Reducing Emissions Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student Posted: 07/14/08 [Published, USA Today, July 14, 2008] That China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa nudged the richer G8 nations to "take the lead in achieving … greenhouse gas emissions reductions" is entirely appropriate, despite the fact that it flies in the face of American finger-pointing ("Bush lauds G-8 leaders for work on environment, trade issues," USATODAY.com, July 9). U.S. leaders have long launched assaults on China's and India's inaction, claiming that Asia's giants contribute more carbon than America. READ MORE Larger Meaning of 'Use it or Lose it' Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student Posted: 07/10/08 [Published, The Hill, July 10, 2008] That Congress is pressuring oil companies to "use it or lose it" on public lands is understandable enough given constituent discontent with rocketing petrol prices (article, "Energy bill out of gas," July 8). But this narrow and nebulous agenda is near-sighted for two reasons. READ MORE This Earth Day is Different Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) Posted: 04/22/08 [Published, The Hill, April 22, 2008] Earth Day, for some, is comparable to a sacred holiday, reminding us to tread carefully on nature's hallowed ground. For others, Earth Day serves as a starter on the basics of recycling and light-bulb changing. Regardless of the myriad ways in which Americans approach Earth Day '08, it remains substantially different from '07. What changed in one year? Washington joined the world in tackling climate change. Beyond the irrefutable science, the benefits of pursuing a more sustainable energy footprint were too vast to be ignored. While much work awaits us, the change in attitudes is profound. READ MORE U.N. Security Council Must Act Preemptively - on Climate Change By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student, and US Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Posted: 03/24/08 [Published, Christian Science Monitor, March 24, 2008] The United Nations tackled the task of troubleshooting climate change last month. Between holding special General Assembly meetings at headquarters in New York, bringing 100 environmental ministers to Monaco in the largest meeting of ministers since Bali, and launching a Climate Neutral Network to highlight best practices in tackling global warming, the UN appears to be doing what it can to ensure that climate change does not fall off the political radar. Yet, it still isn't enough. A concerted international strategy, on a par with the seriousness and scope of an UN Security Council resolution, is what's needed to counter this climate crisis. READ MORE Bali Confirmed the Shift: Nation Is On Board Now Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and US Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) Posted: 02/22/08 [Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 22, 2008] It's missing the point to think about the United Nations climate change conference in Bali last December based upon on whether specific targets were agreed upon or not. This point ignores dramatic historical changes in the world concerning climate change-related attitudes and approaches. Bali is not Kyoto. The new consensus among the U.S. Congress, President George Bush, and leaders of formerly recalcitrant countries such as India, China, and Australia is this: The international community recognizes climate change, recognizes our shared contribution to it and its impact on all of us, and recognizes our shared responsibility in tackling it. READ MORE GMU's Broadside Features ICAR's Role in Forum on Climate Change By Dan Abernathy Posted: 02/18/08 [Published, GMU Broadside, February 18, 2008] George Mason University is no stranger to the color green. Anyone looking at the university colors - which happen to be green and gold - or the lush forestry surrounding our campuses can see the evidence. So it is no surprise that one of Mason's recent policy events, presented by the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, addressed one of the many issues related to the world-wide effort to "go green" on sustainability. READ MORE Running Low Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student Posted: 02/01/08 [Published, The Economist, February 1, 2008] America will not adopt constraints on its emissions when a new president is inaugurated ("Get the price right", January 19th). The momentum in Washington is simply not there. Last year's energy legislation was passed by a Democratic Congress, which failed to eke out a bill with any teeth: no electricity standards mandating utilities to use renewable energy; no cut to the level of greenhouse-gas emissions; no carbon tax. READ MORE The Irony of Indonesia as Climate Change Host By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student Posted: 12/14/07 [Published, Jakarta Post, December 14, 2007] The irony of Indonesia hosting the United Nations climate change conference in Bali is not lost on anyone. The host county is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the United States, and the world's leader in deforestation rates at five football fields of forest a minute, 80 percent of which is illegally cut timber. If Bali produces a post-Kyoto international framework for emissions reductions, Indonesia, as well as China and the U.S., will need some help in carbon offsetting. One answer is in the forest. READ MORE Congress's Goals on CAFE, Biofuels Don't Go Far Enough By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student Posted: 12/06/07 [Published, The Hill, December 6, 2007] Coinciding with the United Nations climate change conference in Bali this week, Congress remains mired in energy bill deliberations. And it appears that foreign leaders abroad are the more formidable fighters against global warming. In the article "New groups get in ring as energy bill nears vote" (Dec. 3), the Senate and House leadership readies itself to boast two wins, a revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and increased investments in biofuels. Unfortunately neither gets us significantly closer to our goal of a cooler planet. READ MORE The Soil that Saves Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student Posted: 10/04/07 [Published, Foreign Policy in Focus, October 4, 2007] It is generally understood that trees are good for the environment. That the forest will be an important ally in preventing global warming is a less known fact. The European Union (EU), however, seems bound to change that. Deforestation and fossil fuel use result in the annual emission of 7-8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. While the earth is capable of sequestering, or storing, some of those gases, roughly half, or 3.5 billion metric tons, remains trapped in the atmosphere, causing the gradual but certain warming of the planet. READ MORE Biofuels are Helpful but no Panacea for Relieving America's Dependence on Oil Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) Posted: 09/28/07 [Published, The Hill, September 27, 2007] House and Senate conferees working on the omnibus energy bill should include provisions in the conference report that will support the expansion of sustainable biofuels. To do that, several myths about biofuels need to be corrected. First, biofuels can make the United States independent of imported oil. Second, biofuels are good for the environment. Third, biofuels will help America’s farmers. We learned the facts firsthand from farmers and our work on the House Science and Technology Committee. They are also reaffirmed in the cover story of the October 2007 National Geographic, “Growing Fuel: the Wrong Way, the Right Way.” READ MORE Pioneers Can Secure Our Future Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and Rep. Bartlett (R-MD) Posted: 09/13/07 [Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 13, 2007] Russia, Canada, and the United States are rushing to the North Pole in a pioneer-like land grab for an estimated 25 percent of the world's unknown oil and gas reserves. One wonders when we will learn. Oil and gas are not forever. We need to change course and save some to ensure a secure energy future. READ MORE Who's the World's No. 1 Producer of CO2? Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student Posted: 06/29/07 [Published, Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 28, 2007] Regardless of whether or not one believes in climate change, no American wants the United States to be the world's top greenhouse-gas emitter. Thus, Americans were thankful that China was queuing up to surpass the U.S. as the globe's No. 1 producer of carbon dioxide. Now, according to a report released by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Americans can breathe a sigh of relief. In 2006, the report states, China surpassed the U.S. in emissions by about 7.5 percent. Whew. No longer will the U.S. be the primary target, China will now be held culpable. READ MORE Going Green Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student Posted: 06/03/07 [Published, Foreign Policy in Focus, March 13, 2007] Elected officials far and near are doing it. The European Union is doing it. U.S. governors are doing it. Even U.S. mayors are doing it. France’s Jacques Chirac calls it “revolutionary,” and California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger says “the time to act is now.” Even Wal-Mart is getting off the dime. The world is waking up to the crisis of global warming. But the U.S. Congress is still dozing. Given the fact that the United States produces 25% of all greenhouse gases, while only accounting for 5% of the world’s population, it is not difficult to understand why Congress is so intractable on this issue. READ MORE News Network Homepage / Armenia / 2008 Elections / Afghanistan / Diplomacy/ Egypt / Environment / Global Peace Index / Health / Immigration / Iraq / Iran / Islam / Kosovo / Nuclear Proliferation / Pakistan / Palestine-Israel / Russia / Somalia / South America / Turkey /		About ICAR Student Information Prospective Students Faculty and Staff Alumni Career Services Academic Programs Library ICAR In The News Events Technology Resources ICAR Publications Point Of View Center Center for World Religions, Diplomacy & Conflict Resolution