Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 20 December 2012

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Saleem Janjua – Climate Change Adaptation Contributor Pakistan, similar to other developing countries, is undergoing an evolution from an…, "Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 20 December 2012", NAPSNet Weekly Report, December 20, 2012, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/nautilus-peace-and-security-weekly-20-december-2012/

CONTENTS

See this week’s blog: Climate adaptation challenges for Pakistan, from our Climate Change Adaptation contributor, Saleem Janjua.


DETERRENCE:  The social impact of bomb destruction, Fred Ikle, University of Oklahoma Press (1968)

Thermonuclear, all-out war could kill everyone.  But what if it didn’t?  Language and writing would likely survive; the fine arts might not. A nuclear war might impede the development of fine arts in a post-war civilization, but it might also allow creation of new art.  The misery and horror of nuclear war is beyond the power of human imagination.


DPRK: Foundations of energy security for the DPRK: 1990-2009 Energy balances, engagement options, and future paths for energy and economic redevelopment David von Hippel and Peter Hayes, Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability (18 December 2012)

Energy sector issues play a key role in any North Korean crisis. Nautilus details those needs and shows North Korea has significant energy shortfalls. North Korea marked the one year anniversary of Kim Jong-il’s death in grand fashion. Kim Jong-un must complete these symbolic actions to demonstrate his filial piety – and qualifications to rule North Korea. North Korea’s satellite appears to be dead. They do not have a credible space program.


ENERGY SECURITY: Coal’s share of global energy mix to continue rising, with coal closing in on oil as world’s top energy source by 2017, IEA press release for medium-term coal outlook, IEA (17 December 2012)

After the rituals of a climate conference here and an energy policy report there, the world finds it comforting to return to the most secure fuel some people love to loathe, demonize and want to tax out of existence. Because China is coal, coal is China, coal-and-China is globalization (around the Pacific at least) and grid electricity is nearly everything for 2/3rd of humanity and growing. Gas stalls, nuclear leaks, and carbon taxation is going nowhere. Let anti-fossil fuels policy factories continue belching smoke in people’s eyes; coal is king, petroleum is queen.


GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Korea elects first woman president, Ser Myo-ja, Joongang Ilbo (20 December 2012)

South Korea and Japan both elected conservative party candidates to power this week. China is concerned that conservative leaders in both Korea and Japan may continue to stoke tensions, particularly over territorial disputes between Japan and both of its neighbors. This may also be a concern for the US in its Asia “pivot” if regional disputes hinder progress in addressing DPRK nuclear issues and US security interests in the region.


CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Building climate resilience: Local governments on the frontline? Pursuing the MDGs through local government, Global Forum on Local Development (2012) [152 KB, PDF]

Several developed economies have convincingly demonstrated that local governments can play an important role to the climate change agenda through adaptation and mitigation activities. An important step in unlocking the potential of local governments in support of climate changes is to give local-level governments a decisive role in the national climate planning process, and to increase their access to national climate change resources.


Image source: Pakistan DefenceBLOG: Climate adaptation challenges for Pakistan

by Saleem Janjua – Climate Change Adaptation Contributor Pakistan, similar to other developing countries, is undergoing an evolution from an…


CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY: Worst fortnight ever for carbon markets? Chris Lang, REDD Monitor (13 December 2012)

“With very few exceptions, investment banks, commercial banks, commodity based hedge funds and specialised carbon funds with exposure to the CDM have either closed shop and laid off their deal teams or appointed caretakers to manage portfolios of assets with residual value. Those business still active in the CDM are the ‘walking dead’ of the carbon market. They are living on deals done at higher prices years back and are living on borrowed time, if not borrowed money.”


The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found—North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region. Each week, one of our authors also provides a short blog that explores these inter-relationships.

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