Ford’s CEO was so impressed by the Xiaomi SU7 that he now uses it as his daily driver. The Chinese-made electric vehicle (EV) has a 345 mile driving range on a single charge and costs just $30,000. There is nothing like it in the U.S.

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

Race for Copper Damages Protected Region in Colombia (Mongabay)

As Colombia looks to meet the growing demand for strategic minerals, activists working in the department of Choco allege that the country’s only industrial copper mine is harming both the environment and a local community.

A majority of Americans now say they are more concerned than excited about encountering AI in their daily lives. The implications of this sentiment are beginning to dawn on Wall Street investors, who are starting to worry about a potential mismatch between investor enthusiasm and consumer reality.

The latest poll in a series of Afrobarometer surveys reveals just where Africans unite on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)—and where they diverge. There is strong support for women’s autonomy in marriage and reproductive decisions, but clear divisions on contraceptive access. 

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

Deforestation and Flooding Turns Fallen Timber into Projectiles in Indonesia (The New York Times) 

When Cyclone Senyar struck in late November, its death toll numbered 800 people across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Indonesian island of Sumatra saw a particular sort of damage as the storm unleashed sixteen inches of rain in parts of the island, wiped out four villages, and triggered flash floods and landslides. Decades of razing and converting natural forests into palm oil plantations, pulpwood farms, and gold mines drastically increased the region’s vulnerability to floods and landslides to the point that timber was transformed into projectiles that destroyed residences and infrastructure.  

Events over this past year have made water’s role in global conflicts increasingly salient. India threatened to restrict water flows to Pakistan in response to cross-border terrorism. Cyberattacks targeted water facilities across the United States and United Kingdom. And water infrastructure became a deliberate casualty in conflict zones from Ukraine to Gaza.

In late 2023, Indonesia’s then President Joko Widodo presided over the launch of the country’s first floating solar power plant on the Cirata reservoir in West Java. Widodo touted how at 192MW it was “the largest floating solar plant in Southeast Asia.” He added the solar plant could eventually reach 500MW, generating enough electricity to power over 100,000 households in Indonesia. This floating powerhouse, made up of 300,000+ Chinese-built PV panels stretching 250 hectares on the water, has become the poster child for Indonesia’s commitment to going solar. 

Within a month of escalated Russian airstrikes on its energy systems in October, Ukraine secured U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) imports via Greece for the coming winter. While this deal demonstrated both the nation’s rapid wartime agility and capacity for energy diversification, it is only one part of a broader transformation of Ukraine’s energy future.