Industrialised Countries Under Critical Spotlight at U.N. Meet

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Julio Godoy BONN, Germany, May 18, 2012 (IPS) – The latest session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place May 15-25 in the former German capital Bonn, is the perfect opportunity to reaffirm the enormous and growing body of scientific expertise on [...]


Rising Resource Demand A Big Challenge

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IDN Credit: Transatlantic AcademyBy J.C. Suresh IDN-InDepth NewsReport TORONTO (IDN) – "Unless the transatlantic community takes the lead in addressing the challenges arising from the unprecedented global demand for land, energy, food, water, and minerals, severe market disruptions are likely to occur, as are increased chances of violent conflict [...]


An Argentine Perspective on Degrowth

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Marcela Valente * BUENOS AIRES, May 10, 2012 (Tierramérica) – The controversial concept of degrowth receives little press coverage in a region like Latin America. But the idea of a way of life that is not aimed exclusively at GDP growth does have its proponents in Argentina. [...]


Business20 Makes Its Weight Felt at G20 Meeting

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Emilio Godoy PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, Apr 19, 2012 (IPS) – The concerns of the business community basically monopolised the first day of the meeting of trade and economy ministers of the G20 group of industrialised and emerging countries in this Mexican resort city Thursday. The meeting of [...]


Brazil Pushes for Sustainable Development Goals

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Fabíola Ortiz RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 6, 2011 (IPS) – With seven months to go until the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, Brazil is uniting in support of proposals to be included in the summit’s draft final document, which aim to transfer its successful national social and [...]


OP-ED: The Future of Carbon Markets: Taking Politics Seriously

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Peter Newell * BRIGHTON, United Kingdom, Nov 22, 2011 (Tierramérica) – Carbon markets are under attack on all sides, despite ongoing faith in their ability to deliver meaningful reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs). As the Durban climate summit approaches and as the first commitment period of the [...]


Survival Fear Stalks Millions in West Africa

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IDN By Jerome Mwanda IDN-InDepth NewsReport NAIROBI (IDN) – Massive leasing of lands, which the government of Mali justifies with the need to "modernize" the country’s agriculture, is threatening the survival of populations dependent on the water flows of the Niger River in Mali and in the rest of [...]


The Tale of Two Cleaned Up Asian Cities

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IDN By Taro Ichikawa IDN-InDepth NewsFeature DALIAN (IDN) – The partner cities of Dalian in Northern China and Kitakyushu in Western Japan have distinguished themselves as dedicated proponents of pollution control and clean environment. Back in the 1960s and 1970s the two cities were severely polluted by heavy industry [...]


Unique Mexican Oasis in Danger of Vanishing

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Nov 18, 2011 (IPS) – A rare wetlands ecosystem in the Chihuahuan desert in northern Mexico that may hold key information about the origins of life on earth – and even about possible life on Mars – is in serious danger of disappearing [...]


CENTRAL ASIA: Together They Lose

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Christopher Pala ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Nov 18, 2011 (IPS) – Rarely have so many donor countries spent so much for so long to achieve so little. In fact, the scores of Western countries ranging from the Netherlands to the United States that have tried for 20 years to [...]