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Energy Islanding in Kentucky? Fort Knox’s Push to Resilience and Grid Independence
›Islands are not found in abundance in the middle of the continental United States, but Fort Knox has set out to challenge this notion. Indeed, it has been described as the first and only energy-independent installation in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)—and thus exists on an “energy island.”
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Could Japan and the US Support Latin America’s Critical Minerals Sector?
›Cobalt, lithium, and copper are the critical minerals necessary to produce rechargeable lithium-ion-based batteries, and they are central to the electric vehicle (EV) supply chains in the energy transition. The importance of these minerals—and China’s strategic control of them—now compels the United States and its allies to diversify their supply chains for this essential resource.
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Classic Geopolitics and Today’s Nexus of Conflict and Climate
›In recent weeks, users of the social network Bluesky were able to watch a compelling video featuring Jessica Newberry Le Vey—a Climate Change and Health Policy Fellow at Imperial College’s Climate Cares Centre. The video begins with Le Vey’s direct-to-camera assertion that the climate crisis is a health crisis affecting people around the world. Then Le Vey’s image disappears—yet we hear her (or someone who sounds eerily like her) speak over a compendium of combat footage that includes video of ATACAM missiles being fired and larger strategic missiles on the move. Climate is important, declares the speaker, but there are more serious problems that threaten our security.
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The Traumas of Unplanned Decarbonization in Fragile States
›It is widely recognized that oil states are rarely democratic, and often conflict-prone. As these governments wind down their dependence on this toxic resource as part of broader global efforts to decarbonize, one might imagine that the end of oil will spell a better future for the citizens of oil-producing countries. Sadly, a look at the cases of fragile fossil fuel producing states (FFFPs) suggests that this may not be the case.
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The Arc | Indigenous and Community Power: Localizing Climate Action
›In today’s episode of The Arc, we are featuring a panel discussion on climate action through Indigenous and community power from the Forum on Advancing Inclusive Climate Action in Foreign Policy and Development, hosted by the Wilson Center in collaboration with the White House and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, with support from the USAID Climate Adaptation Support Activity.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | October 28 – November 1
›A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
COP16 Sees Action Against Biomass Subsidies (Mongabay)
In recent years, biofuel has gained tremendous popularity as an alternative to fossil fuels. Yet scientists have now demonstrated how burning forest biomass to produce energy emits more carbon emissions than coal when measured per unit of electricity generated. They also have evidence that forest-based products like wood pellets degrade carbon stores and biodiversity. It is a debate that has gained momentum in the ongoing COP16.
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The Arc | Climate Justice in the Arctic: Part 3
›In today’s episode of The Arc, ECSP’s Claire Doyle and Angus Soderberg interview Eva Maria Fjellheim, a southern Saami researcher at the Arctic University of Norway, for the final episode of our mini-series focused on climate justice in the Arctic. We explore Eva Maria’s research on strengthening Indigenous peoples’ land rights in the face of growing climate and clean energy projects. She shares insights from legal battles in Norway and connects the encroachment on Saami land to similar trends with Indigenous communities in Latin America and elsewhere. Eva Maria also discusses how current climate policies may be missing the mark by failing to truly respect Indigenous rights. Select quotes from the interview are featured below:
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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.
Showing posts from category natural resources.