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2. Indigenous Peoples and Climate Justice in the Arctic
- Author:
- Shaugn Coggins and James D. Ford
- Publication Date:
- 02-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Arctic regions are experiencing transformative climate change impacts. This article examines the justice implications of these changes for Indigenous Peoples, arguing that it is the intersection of climate change with pronounced inequalities, land dispossession, and colonization that creates climate injustice in many instances.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Poverty, Culture, Income Inequality, Justice, Indigenous, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Arctic
3. Climate Change and International Migration: The Role of Foreign Aid
- Author:
- Dennis Wesselbaum, Michael D. Smith, and Shannon N. Minehan
- Publication Date:
- 02-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Global migration flows have increased over the last couple decades. Climate change is a key driver of these flows and will become more important in the future. Foreign aid programs, often intended to manage or even reduce these flows, are typically not large enough and lead to more rather than less migration.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Climate Change, Environment, Migration, Foreign Aid, Displacement, Multilateralism, Peace, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
4. PART I: How Auctions Helped Solar Become the Cheapest Electricity in the World
- Author:
- Benjamin Attia, Shayle Kann, and Morgan D. Bazilian
- Publication Date:
- 02-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The global energy transition has reached an inflection point. In numerous markets, the declining cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) has already beaten the cost of new-build coal and natural gas and is now chasing down operating costs of existing thermal power plants, forcing a growing crowd of thermal generation assets into early retirement. Perfect comparability between dispatchable and non-dispatchable resources invites debate, but the cost declines in solar PV are irrefutable: the global average unit cost of competitively-procured solar electricity declined by 83 percent from 2010 to 2018. This is due in part to module cost reductions of approximately 90 percent, capacity-weighted average construction cost declines of 74 percent, and a global paradigm shift in renewable energy procurement policies in the last six years.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Science and Technology, Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Electricity
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
5. How to Design a Co-benefit Framework Between Air Quality Improvement and Climate Policy: The Case of South Korea
- Author:
- Tae Yong Jung
- Publication Date:
- 11-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The South Korea case study indicates the co-benefits of air quality and climate change policy, by designing relevant legal and institutional frameworks in a more comprehensive and holistic way.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Science and Technology, Law, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Asia and South Korea
6. New ESG Practices in China and its Implications for Foreign Actors
- Author:
- Reza Hasmath
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- China’s implementation of new ESG practices suggests a serious shift towards meeting global standards and domestic-level sustainable development objectives. The new ESG regime also has the potential to be a tool for Chinese foreign policy in the 2020s.
- Topic:
- Economics, Environment, Governance, Business, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
7. The Lungs of the Earth: Shifting a Metaphor from Superstition to Science
- Author:
- Aria Ritz Finkelstein and Porter Hoagland
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Poor metaphors can muddy the nature of environmental policy problems, but good ones can help policymakers begin to understand how to solve them. Using language carefully is critical to crafting effective international agreements to encourage the sustainable conservation of the marine environment in areas beyond national jurisdictions.
- Topic:
- Environment, Science and Technology, Governance, Law, Multilateralism, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
8. Water Politics and the Human Geographies of the Aral Sea Crisis
- Author:
- Vincent Artman
- Publication Date:
- 09-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The ecological dimensions of the death of the Aral Sea are fairly well known. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, the Aral has all but disappeared since 1960. The complex and fragile ecosystems that once characterized the Aral Sea basin have been supplanted by the parched landscape of the Aralkum Desert, leading to a dramatic collapse of biodiversity. Desertification, in turn, has profoundly altered the regional climate, for the absence of the sea’s moderating influence has resulted in drier, hotter summers and more frigid winters.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Energy Policy, Environment, Water, Geopolitics, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- Kazakhstan, Asia, and Aral Sea
9. Ecosystem Restoration as an Immunization for Humanitarian Crisis: The Case of Lake Chad
- Author:
- René Castro-Salazar, Moctar Sacande, Danae Maniatis, and Danilo Mollicone
- Publication Date:
- 08-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- It may come as a surprise to many readers, but since 2005, Lake Chad has stopped shrinking; in fact, it has actually stabilized in the last two decades, reaching more than 13,000 square kilometers today. The conflict surrounding Lake Chad continues to be one of the world’s most challenging conflict-traps (a cycle of economic deterioration and repeat conflict), with seasonal migration of people in search of natural resources such as fuelwood, fish, water, and arable land to sustain their livelihoods.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Civil Society, Environment, Science and Technology, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Chad and Lake Chad Basin
10. Adapting to Climate Change in Southwestern Bangladesh: Need for Transformational Measures?
- Author:
- Shababa Haque, M. Feisal Rahman, and Saleemul Huq
- Publication Date:
- 07-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- While climate change continues to threaten all nations, the full severity of its impacts is yet to be understood. A range of root factors including geographic location, socioeconomic conditions, and political landscape will determine the particular risks and hazards faced by different countries and communities. The southwestern coast of Bangladesh, for example, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Salinity increases in the region continue to threaten local livelihoods and may render traditional adaptation strategies unsustainable in the long run. This article first discusses how increasing salinity affects existing adaptation strategies in coastal Bangladesh. It then argues that adaptation approaches without consideration for long-term impacts or system-wide change will ultimately be insufficient.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh, South Asia, and Asia
11. China Leverages Tibetan Plateau’s Water Wealth
- Author:
- Brahma Chellaney
- Publication Date:
- 06-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- While the international attention remains on China’s recidivist activities in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where it continues to incrementally expand its strategic footprint, Beijing is also quietly focusing its attention on the waters of rivers that originate in the resource-rich, Chinese-controlled territory of Tibet.
- Topic:
- Development, Environment, Science and Technology, Territorial Disputes, Water, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- China, Asia, and Tibet
12. Melting and Mining in Greenland: Understanding Arctic Climate Change Through Dialogue with Locals
- Author:
- Anne Merrild Hansen and Melody Brown Burkins
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The Arctic is warming at a rate that is almost twice the global average. While one can generalize about the global impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, food insecurity, and more droughts and floods, the impacts on Arctic communities—or any specific global community—are best understood through conversations at the local level.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Climate Change, Environment, Governance, Culture, Mining, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Greenland and Arctic
13. Preparing for the Inevitable: Climate Change and the Military
- Author:
- Esther Sperling
- Publication Date:
- 03-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The US military maintains almost $1.2 trillion worth of installations worldwide, allowing the United States to sustain critical capabilities and respond to crises around the globe. Outdated and degraded infrastructure limits the military’s ability to respond. The growing impacts of climate change exacerbate the challenge of modernizing and maintaining infrastructure. Climate change’s impact on military installations can be broken down into four main categories: sea level rise, extreme storms, extreme drought and heat, and Arctic ice melt. While Congress has passed bipartisan legislation to address the threat, the Department of Defense (DoD) must take additional steps to adapt to the challenges of climate change.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Military Affairs, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- North America, Global Focus, and United States of America
14. Indigenous Elder Societies as Leaders for Global Protected Areas Governance
- Author:
- Melanie Zurba and Eli Enns
- Publication Date:
- 10-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Many models for parks and protected areas have been created globally to preserve biodiversity and natural heritage and to provide visitors with “wild places” to experience. This establishment of conventional parks and protected areas has typically been done through governance processes that do not acknowledge Indigenous peoples, including their connections to and their governance systems for such areas. Area-based conservation through parks and protected areas has, therefore, displaced and systematically oppressed Indigenous Peoples, disenfranchising them from their custodial roles and responsibilities within their traditional territories. In addition to oppression, conventional governance systems have also produced intrusive infrastructure and circulated tourists, creating human-wildlife conflict that often results in wildlife mortality. Through disenfranchising Indigenous peoples of their traditional territories, parks and protected areas in colonized regions of the world have separated nature from the societies that have the most deeply embedded place-based knowledge systems and governance structures.
- Topic:
- Environment, Governance, Land Rights, Indigenous, and Land
- Political Geography:
- Canada and Global Focus
15. Let the Pacific Islands Co-Design Solutions to Climate Change
- Author:
- Fale Andrew Lesa
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Beyond the palm trees and crystal-blue waters of a South Pacific paradise lies an ecosystem on the brink of collapse. But for native Samoans like myself, this is hardly a surprise. Subtle changes to the local environment have been appearing for decades now. First, the Samoan community noticed differences in the soil quality (making it harder to grow crops), the fresh water supply, local fisheries, and eventually even personal safety, with natural disasters becoming ever more frequent and far more fatal. Agriculture and tourism are the two largest industries, and fears of an impending climate crisis could threaten the backbone of our economy, denying future generations much needed growth and development. Climate justice—like its sister, social justice—is underpinned by the idea that the poorest of the poor, and the most remote, are the first to lose. In the Pacific, these communities are predominantly indigenous.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources, Water, and Justice
- Political Geography:
- Asia-Pacific, Samoa, and Oceans
16. Catherine Novelli on Responsible Energy Policy
- Author:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- On October 29, 2018, the SFS Centennial Fellowship hosted a Townhall with SFS Centennial Fellow Catherine Novelli in which she answered questions regarding the current relationship between the economy and environmental policy.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Oil, Natural Resources, and Interview
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America
17. Why We Urgently Need Water Policy Reforms
- Author:
- Mark Rosegrant and Claudia Ringler
- Publication Date:
- 10-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Growing water scarcity and degradation pose rapidly growing challenges to global food security and human well-being. Policymakers contending with these problems face many obstacles, including the increasing cost of developing new water through constructing storage, conveyance and treatment infrastructure, including for desalination of sea water. Other obstacles include the growing degradation of soils in irrigated areas, expanding groundwater depletion, rapidly growing water pollution, and the overall deterioration of freshwater ecosystems. Unless important policy reforms are undertaken today, water scarcity and pollution will adversely affect most, if not all, livelihoods in the coming decades.
- Topic:
- Environment, Natural Resources, Water, Infrastructure, Reform, and Pollution
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus