Russia’s invasion of Ukraine imperils Arctic cooperation

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine imperils Arctic cooperation

The Arctic has long been a region of peace. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is jeopardizing cooperation in the vast zone threatened by climate change. An Inuit family in Quinhagak, Alaska, 2015 (Photo by Brian Adams, courtesy of the Inuit Circumpolar Council)...

War in Ukraine has unleashed a tsunami of ink – about geopolitics, military alliances, weaponry, diplomacy, history. A relatively little noticed but hugely important angle is the future of the Arctic, which has eight nations, including two nuclear powers, the United States and Russia, staking a claim to portions of the vast region. Susanne Courtney introduces us to the relatively little known Arctic Council, which is sure to assume more and more importance as global warming opens up new shipping routes and facilitates the extraction of valuable natural resources. It’s never too early to be ahead of the news curve.

Exercise: Ask your students to debate the resolution: “Seven member states of the Arctic Council acted unwisely in boycotting talks with Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine.”

Decoder: Crypto currencies, good or bad, are here to stay

Decoder: Crypto currencies, good or bad, are here to stay

They can fluctuate wildly in value. They can be hard to spend. They devour energy. But crypto currencies are here to stay and will surely bring changes. Photo by STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2021 1/21/21, courtesy of AP Photos In the past few weeks, an iconic Los Angeles sports...

News Decoder is committed to explaining, in simple terms, complicated stories that appear over and over on front pages and in news broadcasts. For lack of time, money and space, most mainstream news organizations don’t take the trouble to explain the background to complicated issues and assume readers and viewers understand why the story matters. How many of us say to ourselves when running across a story on crypto currencies: “I need to educate myself about these things because they are not going away.” In his decoder, Stuart Grudgings explains how crypto currencies emerged, how they work and why they are with us to stay.

Exercise: Ask students to debate whether crypto currencies will eventually replace traditional money.

Humans halted ozone depletion. Now let’s end global warming.

Humans halted ozone depletion. Now let’s end global warming.

Humans were once on track to destroy Earth’s ozone shield. Collective action averted disaster. Global warming demands the same global cooperation. We’re all frustrated at the inability of governments to take necessary measures to tackle climate change. Drastic...

Tag: energy