Tag Archives: Obama

Obama, Hu and climate change: a question of who leads

Posted on September 25, 2009 | Leave a comment

What just happened? – it might be a good question to ask about the UN climate summit convened by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last Tuesday. “Not a lot” is the most likely answer. Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change, Power

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Climate change and the complex complications of the Copenhagen COP

Posted on September 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Copenhagen climate conference in December is crucial for the future well being of the vast majority of humanity alive today and the billions yet to be born.  Its prospects are not good, however, and it is beset by multi-layered complexities. There needs to be much more political energy going into it now in order to achieve anything that can be politely called success in three months time.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change

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Enormous costs of adaptation to climate change

Posted on August 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

However good the agreement that may be reached at Copenhagen in December is on reducing carbon emissions, the world is going to have to adapt to the consequences of climate change that are already feeding through the natural system. A new study will discomfort a lot of people by showing strong grounds to think the costs of adaptation will be several times higher than previously estimated. Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change, International development

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IMF’s July economic projections: so many uncertainties remain

Posted on July 10, 2009 | 1 Comment

The International Monetary Fund’s July World Economic Outlook report portrays the world economy shrinking in 2009 by 1.4% and growing though not strongly at 2.5% in 2010. This both reflects and buttresses a widely held view that at global level and in some countries and regions, the end of the worst of the recession is occurring or is in sight but that recovery will not be strong or quick enough to take this year’s overall economic results into the realm of growth. Moreover, some of the sharp variations in IMF projections from one quarter to the next, on which I commented in my 24 April post, have flattened out and there seems greater to be greater consistency, confidence and certainty than before. But underneath, a plethora of uncertainties remain. Continue reading →

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Posted in The economic crunch

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As Obama opens doors to the Muslim world, will Europe close them?

Posted on June 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

President Obama’s 4th June speech in Cairo about relations with the Islamic world rightly got huge plaudits, including here. It doesn’t solve all problems but doors are open for new dialogue, policies and approaches. But as Washington wins credit and credibility through expressions of openness and respect and heads towards better links with the Muslim world, is Europe moving the opposite way? Continue reading →

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Posted in Power

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Climate, conflict, peacebuilding and adaptation: a need for leaps and links

Posted on June 16, 2009 | 4 Comments

To assist poor countries facing the double and connected problems of climate change and violent conflict, adaptation to climate change has to be combined with peacebuilding. For this to be possible, organisations – governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental alike – that work on development, the environment and peace issues have to move out of their boxes and make more than one leap of imagination and policy so the links are visible between both problems and solutions. It is not inevitable that the Obama administration will succeed in this. Help is needed! Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change, Conflict & peace, International development

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Obama in power (10): Cairo – brilliant speech but that awkward question persists

Posted on June 6, 2009 | 2 Comments

President Obama’s speech in Cairo on 4 June offers further evidence of his unrivalled communication skills and of his will and capacity to address thorny issues by reframing and reshaping them in a way that offers new openings for change and improvement. As an opening to the Muslim world, is it possible to imagine an American president doing better given the realities in which he works? For many of the issues he raised, the question is if interlocutors and counterparts will step forward able to use the opportunities he is creating. And over Israel and Palestine, that is a familiar and awkward question. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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Obama in power (9): To strengthen peace in the Middle East, the first big step is in the US

Posted on June 1, 2009 | Leave a comment

It’s a big week for US policy and the Middle East, a defining moment for the Obama administration’s impact. What happens this week will not alone be enough to achieve regional cooperation with the US on peace and security but, if it goes wrong, that will be enough to make that cooperation next to impossible for several years again.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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Obama in power (8): the real challenge is Israel-Palestine, not North Korea

Posted on May 27, 2009 | 2 Comments

Just as Obama was getting his presidential teeth into the Israel-Palestine issue – with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week and Obama’s Middle East tour next – North Korea goes and finds a window in his crowded timetable, forcing itself on his attention with a nuclear test and missile firings. But, although things can go horribly wrong, North Korea presents a much more straightforward problem than Israel-Palestine and the wider Middle East. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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So far, new US security strategy seems odd mix of continuity and change

Posted on May 7, 2009 | 1 Comment

As we keep on trying to weigh up Obama’s now over-100-day-old presidency and its meaning for the world, maybe it’s useful to shift focus off the man and onto some other parts of his administration. The New Security Beat blog-site has usefully picked up an interesting speech by Under Secretary for Defense Michele Flournoy, which shows how old and new elements are might be blended in the US security strategy. The mix thus far combines encouraging and thoroughly disappointing elements. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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