Geoff Dabelko’s Posts

• More than a pretty slogan

  Climate plus security minus hyperbole still scary 0

  Posted 2 months, 1 week ago

  The impact of climate change on national security has finally moved above the fold. And as the December Copenhagen climate change negotiations approach, politicians and experts alike are being forced to examine the complex effects of natural and social change on security. They must also walk a linguistic tightrope between hyperbole and uncertainty, working to present the facts without exaggerating their meaning. So how do they maintain balance while climate security arguments are touted as a way to compel a tough climate agreement in Copenhagen? The short answer: It won't be easy.

• EP in the FT

  Glaciers, cheetahs, and nukes, oh my! 0

  Posted 3 months ago

  Financial Times South Asia Bureau Chief James Lamont has written a flood of environment-as-political-dialogue stories this week!

• Lithium: Are "blood batteries" next? 3

  Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago

  The lithium story and the complex social, economic, and political disputes it could engender in Bolivia should flag for us an important consideration in the fight against climate change: trying to do right by climate change and energy security might trigger unforeseen conflicts.

• THIS TALK AIN'T CHEAP

  Science diplomacy: An expectations game 0

  Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago

  In "The Limits of Science Diplomacy," SciDev.net Director David Dickson argues that scientific collaboration can achieve only very limited diplomatic victories. A conference hosted by the Royal Society in London earlier this month, entitled "New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy", seems to have arrived at a similar conclusion.

  But this view of science diplomacy is overly pessimistc.

   

   

• Changing the climate with China's military 0

  Posted 6 months, 1 week ago

  When I heard President Obama call for more regular dialogue between the Chinese and American militaries, my first thought was, Why not the environment?

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Geoff Dabelko’s Recent Comments

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  Radical replication of results?

  Thanks for your comments Ted.

  Fallout in the subtitle of course refers to political fallout and was used in the Grist tradition of using a play on words in post titles.

  Second, if you read my first post on this on New Security Beat, you saw that I cited a New Jersey study of cancer impacts from the same radium problem (although lower levels), suggesting that I was aware of the fact that this is not a problem only for the Middle East.  You are absolutely right it is a widespread issue.

  Third, I tried to point out the failure of the Jordan Times coverage to highlight the three ways that this problem can be addressed to make the water safe. These means are all detailed in Vengosh et al. but not mentioned in the coverage I have seen. Citing them in coverage of the article would have been a reasonable way to lower the levels of concern about the threat.  I perhaps could have spelled out those technical fixes to make that point as well but I did suggest they exist.

  Fourth, because these practices are well established as you say, it is all the more distressing that the response of government is immediate assurance of safety, questioning the political motivations of the author because of his origin of birth, questioning why Jordanians would be collaborating with an Israeli born researcher, and questioning motives because of the timing of the publication.

  I ended my post calling for an independent assessment to be done to avoid this politics and establish verification. That is hardly a call to the barricades of a political activist or alarmist.  Unfortunately we are all too familiar with the experience, in the United States and elsewhere, of instances where data and analysis that is inconvenient for the government is not shared, disparaged, or ignored.  The article in question, and hopefully my post as well, merely call for taking such peer-reviewed work seriously and not ignoring it because of uncomfortable political implications.

  Best,

  Geoff Dabelko

  On Fallout from Jordan's radioactive water posted 8 months, 1 week ago 2 Responses

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  Haleh released!

  Great news on Haleh Esfandiari's case. My colleague here at the Wilson Center just flew out of Iran to Austria and will soon be returning to the United States. Her legal status in Iran remains unclear, but we are thrilled she has rejoined her family. For more, see this Wilson Center press release and Robin Wright's first interview with Haleh.

  Geoff Dabelko

  On Environmental peacekeeping runs into authoritarianism posted 2 years, 2 months ago 5 Responses

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  small correction

  This CNA Corp report on climate and security was done with support of the bipartisan Policy Center and the Rockefeller Family Fund, not the US government as your summary and Andy Revkin's article suggests.On Calling All Hawks posted 2 years, 6 months ago 4 Responses

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  More on the pictures

  Caniscandida, Thanks for the good reviews on the pictures. It was an unforgettable trip. Lake Shalla, pictured in post and in many of the ones in the gallery, is actually undrinkable water because of underground volcanic activity that has fouled the water. What you don't see in these pictures is the unbelievable poverty that accompanies these vistas.  I am hesitant to offend the desperately poor people as if they are a tourist attraction so they are under-represented in these images. Just behind me when I was taking the picture in the blog were children trying to sell us rough wooden carvings and trinkets. They were some of the many people living in the national parks (this one is Arbietta-Shalla National Park) where they have their cattle and grow crops.  

  Geoff Dabelko

  On Right before my very eyes: Ethiopia posted 2 years, 7 months ago 2 Responses

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  Brilliant, not genius

  You had it right in the first line. "Tired of celebrities."  Wish Brilliant had used some of that genius and stopped there.  

  Geoff Dabelko

  On A self-endorsed celeb fights for the planet posted 3 years, 2 months ago 4 Responses