Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Natural resource management

The Future of the International Whaling Commission: Strengthening Ocean Diplomacy

Calestous Juma — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:27:13 -0500

"Whales symbolize divergent issues ranging from science-based management of natural resources to moral considerations associated with our relationship with the natural world....While much work has been done on the management of terrestrial ecosystems, there is growing concern over the state of the world's oceans and the limited number of comprehensive international regimes that can address critical issues such as the resources that lie beyond national jurisdiction. This problem is compounded by scientific uncertainties associated with the current state of knowledge of marine ecosystems.

But these uncertainties also represent opportunities to position the International Whaling Commission as a flagship organization in ocean diplomacy and science-based conservation and management...."

Challenges of Integrating the Advancement of Coal Gasification Technology and CO2 Capture Storage (CCS) Technology

Jennie Stephens — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:42:54 -0600

Invited Presentation in Symposium on "Coal Gasification: Myths, Challenges, and Opportunities" American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, February 15, 2008, Boston, MA.

Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being

John P. Holdren — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:29:19 -0600

"I would urge every scientist and engineer with an interest in the intersection of S&T with sustainable well-being...to 'tithe' 10% of your professional time and effort to working in these and other ways to increase the benefits of S&T for the human condition and to decrease the liabilities. If so much as a substantial fraction of the world's scientists and engineers resolved to do this much, the acceleration of progress toward sustainable well-being for all of Earth's inhabitants would surprise us all."

Linking Climate Policy with Development Strategy: Options for Brazil, China, and India

John P. Holdren — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:04:23 -0600

Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program Director John P. Holdren spoke at a Woods Hole Research Center–sponsored side event at the 13th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia.

ETIP's Kelly Sims Gallagher at Chicago Public Radio/The Economist Debate on China's Environmental Legacy

Kelly Sims Gallagher — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Energy Technology Innovation Policy Research Group's Kelly Sims Gallagher participated in a debate, "Will China's Rise Lead to an Environmental Catastrophe?" on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, which was sponsored by Chicago Public Radio and The Economist magazine.

Don't Count Out Malthus

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 30, 2007

The great demographer and economist Thomas Malthus was 23 years old the last time a British summer was this rain-soaked, which was in 1789. The consequences of excessive rainfall in the late 18th century were predictable. Crops would fail, the harvest would be dismal, food prices would rise and some people would starve. It was no coincidence that the French Revolution broke out the same year.

Nine years after that summer, Malthus published his "Essay on the Principle of Population." We would do well to reread it today. Malthus' key insight was simple but devastating. "Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio," he observed. But "subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio." In other words, humanity can increase like the number sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, whereas our food supply can increase no faster than the number sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

What is the Future of U.S. Coal?

Robert N. Stavins — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"The competitiveness of coal-fired generation diminishes as the stringency of an emissions cap increases."

2007 Roy Family Award - Joined by the United Nation's Achim Steiner, Harvard to Honor African-German Project Making Renewable Electricity from Jatropha Nut

Tue, 08 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

May 8, 2007

Incorporating Stakeholders' Perspectives Into Models of New Technology Diffusion: The Case of Fuel-Cell Vehicles

Gustavo Collantes — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The extreme dependency on oil of ground transportation systems across the world – particularly in the United States – has become a weakness in national economies.

Searching for Oil: China's Oil Initiatives in the Middle East

Henry Lee and Dan Shalmon — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Explores China’s relationships with oil-producing countries in the Middle East and the possible geopolitical implications of its widening market reach.

Symposium 2006: Climate Change, Energy, and Developing Countries

Ananth Chikkatur, Ambuj Sagar and Hongyan He Oliver — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

An analysis of the role of developing countries vis-a-vis the climate problem and the global energy situation must begin with an understanding of the role of energy in economic, social, and human development.

Technological Innovation in the Energy Sector: R&D, Deployment, and Learning-by-Doing

Ambuj Sagar and Bob van der Zwaan — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0600

This paper discusses aspects of R&D and ‘learning-by-doing,’ the main contributors to technological change that are complementary yet inter-linked.

CCS: Research is Not Enough

Jennie Stephens — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Governments and industry face a dilemma: how to reconcile increased energy demand with the need to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) offers a means of reducing pollution from coal-fired power generation.

Growing Interest in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for Climate Change Mitigation

Jennie Stephens — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Interest in technologies associated with carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been growing rapidly in both the public and private sectors over the past five to ten years as governments, industry, and individuals grapple with how to reconcile increased energy demand with the need to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to mitigate the risks of climate change.

Scaling Up Biomass Gasifier Use: An Application-Specific Approach

Debyani Ghosh, Ambuj Sagar and V.V.N. Kishore — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Biomass energy accounts for about 11% of the global primary energy supply, and it is estimated that about 2 billion people worldwide depend on biomass for their energy needs.

Reducing China's Thirst for Foreign Oil: Moving Towards a Less Oil-Dependent Road Transport System

Hongyan He Oliver — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

China’s oil demand is likely to continue increasing in the next two decades, mainly driven by its rapidly growing vehicle fleet, particularly, personal cars.

Hurricanes are an American Problem

Bob Graham — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The 2006 hurricane season began on June 1. Floridians approached this date with dread. During the last two seasons we have suffered some of the most damaging hurricanes in modern history. In the calm months since then, yet another storm has arisen -- the increasing cost and shrinking availability of insurance for wind driven damage for homes and businesses.

Taxes and Charges to Manage Oil Demand in Australia: Policy Recommendations for the Australian Government

Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500

May 31, 2006

Assesses the options available to the Australian federal government to reduce demand for gasoline and diesel through taxation and charges

Book review - China: 'The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China's Future' by Elizabeth C. Economy

Kelly Sims Gallagher — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gallagher reviews Elizabeth Economy's book on the state of the environment in China.

Tame Oil's Wild Price Ride with a Tax

Henry Lee — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Volatile oil prices keep energy companies from investing in alternatives. With the onslaught of high oil prices, war in the Middle East, an increasingly bellicose Iran, and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, energy security has reemerged as a major public policy priority.

State-Federal Everglades Marriage on the Rocks

Bob Graham — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600

The dream to save the Everglades was first proposed in 1983 but did not become official until 2000 when President Clinton signed the legislation establishing the marriage of the federal government and the state of Florida. Both parties pledged their commitment to provide an equal share of the financing and committed to sharing the decision-making to preserve this international treasure.

Land-Use Change and Carbon Sinks: Econometric Estimation of the Carbon Sequestration Supply Function

Robert N. Stavins — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Investigates the cost of forest-based carbon sequestration by analyzing econometrically micro-data on revealed landowner preferences, modeling six major private land uses in a comprehensive analysis of the contiguous United States.

Making the Best Use of India's Coal Resources

Ananth Chikkatur — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0600

The importance of coal for the future of the Indian power sector
cannot be overstated. Yet, the extractable coal reserves in the
country are estimated to last only 50 to 60 years under current
techno-economic conditions.

Global Challenges: Furthering The Multilateral Process for Sustainable Development

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Taking a uniquely broad outlook and interdisciplinary approach, this book examines the challenges facing the global policy process for sustainable development as it continues beyond Johannesburg into the future.

Appointments That Disappoint

Juliette Kayyem — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0500

September 12, 2005

At the very least, Congress should reconsider its position of "once approved, always approved."

Coupling CO2 Capture and Storage with Coal Gasification: Defining "Sequestration-Ready" IGCC

Jennie Stephens — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Carbon dioxide can be separated and captured more efficiently and at a lower cost from an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal generation power plant than from a conventional pulverized coal power plant.

Will Security Problems That Have Plagued Oil Trade Re-emerge as Gas Trade Expands? Harvard Energy Expert Says No

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0500

June 3, 2005

Harvard Experts Comment on the BTC Pipeline

Wed, 25 May 2005 22:15:51 -0500

May 25, 2005

Corporate/Environmental Innovators to be Honored at Harvard

Mon, 02 May 2005 00:00:00 -0500

May 2, 2005

Energy Technology for Sustainable Development

John P. Holdren — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0500

April 25, 2005

Human well-being rests on a foundation of three pillars: economic conditions and processes; sociopolitical conditions and processes; and environmental conditions and processes. Arguments about which pillar is “the most important” are misguided. All three pillars are indispensable.