A window into what we’re reading at the Stimson Center’s Environmental Security Program 

Energy Fallout from Iran War Signals a Global Wake-Up Call for Renewable Energy (Associated Press) 

Fighting in Iran has effectively halted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint carrying roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG — triggering an energy shock that is exposing the deep vulnerabilities of fossil fuel-dependent economies. Asia has been hit hardest, while Europe and Africa face mounting pressure from rising fuel costs and inflation. The crisis has sharpened debate over the uneven global energy transition. China’s substantial renewable buildout has provided meaningful insulation from the shock, while countries like Japan and India — which prioritized fossil fuel diversification after past crises — find themselves more exposed. Vietnam’s solar capacity is saving hundreds of millions in projected import costs. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has shuttered universities to conserve electricity, and India faces a cooking gas shortage. With more than 90% of new renewable projects now cost-competitive with fossil fuels, experts argue the strategic case for domestic clean energy has never been clearer.  

READ | Energy Security and Global Climate: How India Navigates Middle East Volatility 

U.S. Mineral Ambitions Risk Deepening Instability in Venezuela (Dialogue Earth) 

In early March, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez promised transnational mining executives to move at “Trump speed” to unlock the country’s vast critical mineral reserves — deposits of rare earth elements, coltan, and tin spanning the remote southern states of Bolívar and Amazonas. Beneath U.S. oil ambitions in the country lie parallel goals: restricting China’s access to these resources while securing American supply chains. Such ambitions require scaling up production in a region with no commercial mining infrastructure, no formal geological mapping, and no functioning rule of law. 

Minerals sourced by state company Minerven are extracted using artisanal techniques by miners driven into the sector by poverty and coercion. Most operations are controlled by armed groups, including Colombia’s National Liberation Army, with kickbacks paid to Venezuelan military personnel who facilitate transport of mineral ores. Mining communities report systematic human rights abuses including executions, forced labor, child recruitment, and sexual violence, while journalists document radioactivity-linked health impacts and accelerating environmental degradation. As the U.S. moves to lift sanctions and invite corporate players into this shadow economy, advocates warn that without supply chain transparency, due diligence enforcement, and investment in community-led alternatives, foreign involvement risks financing the very violence it claims to be displacing. 

READ | Lessons from the Niger Delta: What Awaits U.S. Oil Companies in Venezuela? 

The State of Conservation a Year After USAID Shutdown (Mongabay) 

One year after the Trump administration shuttered USAID, the conservation fallout is deepening — and much of it may never be fully measurable. The agency contributed nearly $400 million annually to biodiversity protection before its abrupt closure, making it one of the world’s largest conservation funders. Beyond the estimated 834,000 deaths attributed to the end of health programs, projects in the Congo Basin, the Leuser ecosystem, northern Kenya, and Liberia have lost their primary source of funding. Major conservation NGOs including the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Nature Conservancy, and WWF each lost tens of millions of dollars, forcing layoffs and regional program cuts. 

Environmental journalist Michelle Nijhuis emphasizes that USAID’s value extended beyond dollars: it served as a critical convening institution, connecting local communities, conservation practitioners, and technical experts across regions and languages. That institutional momentum has now been scattered. With European aid budgets increasingly redirected to military spending, and no long-term replacement for USAID on the horizon, experts warn the damage will continue to ripple outward for decades. 

READ | Plotting the Future of U.S. Foreign Aid