NAPSNet 18 August 2011

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NAPSNet 18 August 2011

 

DETERRENCE: A presidential policy directive for a new nuclear path, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (10 August 2011)

Implementation of Obama’s Nuclear Posture Review by the military will distort the Review’s strategic goals and may lead the United States to  revert to counter-force planning that is inconsistent with nuclear abolition, unless its translation into military warplans is constantly monitored and directed by the President. 

AUSTRAL SECURITY: US keeps an eagle eye on Asia, Australian (15 August 2011)

Increasing Chinese military might and ongoing US economic woes have contributed to escalating tensions in the Asia pacific. During a recent visit to Australia, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell called the Australian-US alliance a central part of the Asia-Pacific architecture. The following articles and interview examines China’s growing impatience with the US and its long term impact on Australia.

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Protest over chemical plant shows growing pressure on China from citizens, NYT (15 August 2011)

Over 12,000 demonstrators peacefully protested a chemical factory in Dalian, China, amid concerns that the site posed a serious health risk after a typhoon breached factory walls last week. Municipal leaders responded by vowing to close the factory, surprising China observers with its quick response to protestors’ demands. In Quanxi, however, violent protests broke out in response to authorities’ mistreatment of citizens.

ENERGY SECURITY: The future of natural gas: Coming soon to a terminal near you, shale gas should make the world a cleaner, safer place, Economist (06 August 2011)

One of several articles on the topic of the natural gas in The Economist notes that recent years’ proliferation of shale gas projects in the U.S. have fundamentally changed the market, offering plentiful supplies at low prices.  Shale gas has  also changed international LNG markets, as producers targeting U.S. markets now must sell elsewhere, and may have an ongoing impact on gas geopolitics.  But environmental uncertainties with shale gas remain.

DPRK: SKorean president calls for cooperation with North as diplomats tentatively pursue nuke talks, Washington Post (15 August 2011)

ROK President Lee Myung-Bak called for “peace and cooperation” with North Korea and agreed to allow limited humanitarian assistance to the DPRK in response to recent tropical storms. The North has also used less harsh language with regards to the ROK. KCNA news has refrained from attacking Lee Myung-Bak and the DPRK pledged to “improve inter-Korean relations” in a restrained response to criticism over the shelling of the inter-Korean maritime border.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Assessing resilient urban systems: policy brief, Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (April 2011) [932 KB, PDF]      

Che Biggs et al. consider the ways in which stakeholders interact with community-scale energy and water infrastructure systems, and the implications for improving infrastructure resilience to climate change. They examine some key findings arising from research on the resilience and adaptive capacity of energy and water infrastructure systems in two Melbourne housing developments – one in the city’s outer north and the other in a rapidly gentrifying inner suburb.

 

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