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ECSP Weekly Watch | December 2 – 6
›December 6, 2024 // By Neeraja KulkarniA window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Famine Prevention Systems Prove Insufficient (Reuters)
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (or IPC) is a global partnership that monitors hunger levels. It is widely recognized for its five-phase classification system of food insecurity that ranges from “minimal” (Phase 1) to “famine” (Phase 5). While the IPC’s aim is to inform humanitarian organizations at an early stage of a crisis to allow them streamline the flow of aid, the worsening global hunger levels experienced this year have pointed to shortcomings in existing prevention systems.
A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Famine Prevention Systems Prove Insufficient (Reuters)
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (or IPC) is a global partnership that monitors hunger levels. It is widely recognized for its five-phase classification system of food insecurity that ranges from “minimal” (Phase 1) to “famine” (Phase 5). While the IPC’s aim is to inform humanitarian organizations at an early stage of a crisis to allow them streamline the flow of aid, the worsening global hunger levels experienced this year have pointed to shortcomings in existing prevention systems.
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Lights On or Off? Chinese Solar and Wind Companies in Sub-Saharan Africa
›Africa in Transition // China Environment Forum // Guest Contributor // November 21, 2024 // By Xiaokang XueWhen I stepped into the bustling exhibition hall at Enlit Africa in Cape Town in May 2024, I was surprised by the riot of colorful banners featuring Chinese characters. A whopping 40% of the exhibitors at one of Africa’s largest energy and power conferences in Cape Town from China—more than any other country.
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Deep Seabed Mining: Will It Rise to The Surface—and Where?
›Norway recently announced that electric vehicles (EV) now outnumber gas-powered ones on its highways for the first time—and that these vehicles comprise 80 percent of its current new car sales. While internal combustion engines (ICE) will not disappear for several years, Norway’s sales of ICE-powered vehicles will end abruptly in 2025.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | September 3 – 6
›A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Proliferation of Icebreakers in the Arctic (Foreign Policy)
As climate change-induced melting of ice sheets clears new pathways, the fast-melting Arctic now has a new strategic race: icebreakers. Russia covers over half of what is defined as “Arctic” territory, and it has the largest number of icebreakers in the region. Russia’s attempt to consolidate and expand has led the US and its NATO allies to redefine their own Arctic security strategy.
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Supercharging US Mineral Exploration: A Call for Federal Support
›Critical minerals—and the soaring demand for them—are a key challenge for policymakers and analysts around the world. The factors driving that demand, especially energy transition technologies like electric vehicle batteries, are usually the focus of discussion. But the story of critical minerals is two-sided; it features both demand and supply.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | August 12 – 16
›A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Mpox Outbreak a Global Health Emergency, Again (The Washington Post)
Various rapidly spreading mpox strains in Central and East African countries have led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the viral infection as a global health emergency. More than 15,000 people have been infected this year alone, with over 500 deaths reported. Mpox is transmitted largely through exposure to infected animals, as well as via skin-to-skin or sexual contact, and it disproportionately affects heterosexuals and sex workers.
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Accelerating the Transition: Can the U.S. Support India’s Path to Net Zero?
›Energy is a bridge that has historically fostered the U.S.-India relationship. The reasons are many. Both economies focus on energy security, climate action, economic cooperation, and technological innovation.
Recent innovations in India offer new challenges and opportunities. The country has rapidly deployed renewable energy (RE) technologies to meet its stated Net Zero targets. This effort has exceeded its promises; 40% of India’s electricity now comes from renewable sources. And the nation’s other ambitious target— installing 450 GW—would triple this existing capacity in less than ten years.
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“A Devastating Toll”: Sudan’s Maternal Health Nightmare
›Ongoing fighting in Sudan has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis that United Nations Humanitarian and Emergency Relief Chief Martin Griffiths calls “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history.”
Among the millions of people harmed by the fighting are countless pregnant people and new mothers, who face direct and indirect threats to their health and lives in the country’s renewed conflict. Sudan was already suffering from a maternal mortality crisis prior to the onset of its latest civil war. Before the most recent round of bloodshed, Sudan’s maternal mortality rate stood at 270 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 – higher than the global average of 223 deaths. And as this crisis worsens, it is imperative to call attention to what is occurring there.
Showing posts from category Infrastructure.