49 Items

flags of the Arctic Council

Flickr/Darthmouth Dickey

Analysis & Opinions - Arctic Circle

The Arctic Council as a Model for Regional Collaboration

| Dec. 28, 2022

In every region on Earth, climate change is threatening societies and ecosystems with a variety of extreme conditions, while resources to address these threats remain scarce. These conditions demand a greater reliance on international cooperation, science diplomacy, and a collaborative approach to regional priorities. A region such as the “Third Pole” would do well to examine how the Arctic Council structure for international cooperation has helped the Arctic as a whole address pressing issues, and how something similar might allow other regions to improve their understanding of environmental changes, prepare for likely social impacts, and build resilience for the future.

Flags of the Arctic states at the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland

Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP

Analysis & Opinions - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

The Arctic Won’t Wait: Novel Structures for Advancing Arctic Goals During Geopolitical Crisis

| June 28, 2022

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has slammed the brakes on the collaborative operations of the Arctic Council. An interim Indigenous Arctic Council could ensure that critical research keeps pace with the rapid rate of climate change in the region, among other benefits, argues Joel Clement.

An oil well on public land administered by the Bureau of Public Land Management in Vernal, Utah

WildEarth Guardians via Flickr

Analysis & Opinions - The Hill

A Climate Hawk's Modest Wish List for 2022

| Jan. 13, 2022

Faced with an accelerating climate crisis, mounting political frustrations, and a congressional stalemate, Joel Clement writes that the White House must take the lead on climate action by curtailing fossil fuel extraction on public lands and providing economic protection to the communities that will be most impacted by the coming energy transition.

President Joe Biden stands in front of a backdrop depicting the Earth

Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool

Analysis & Opinions - The Hill

Yes, the Federal Government Is Setting an Example on Climate Action

| Dec. 18, 2021

It's become something of a blood-sport to attack the Biden administration for not aggressively tackling the climate crisis. But a recent executive order calling for the federal government to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 shows that the federal government is still determined to drive the clean energy transition, with or without the Senate's support.

Harvard Kennedy School students chat with Professor Halla Hrund Logadóttir

Daniel Bicknell

News

Arctic Initiative Hosts Arctic Climate Week at Harvard Kennedy School

In November 2021, the Arctic Initiative hosted Arctic Climate Week, a public showcase of the crucial work being done by Belfer Center faculty and fellows on the rapidly warming Arctic and pathways to a resilient future for the region.

A sign that reads "No CMP Powerline Corridor" with mountains and a plow in the background

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Analysis & Opinions - Portland Press Herald

Maine Voices: Learning the Right Lessons from CMP’s Corridor Debacle

| Dec. 09, 2021

After Maine voters rejected the Central Maine Power corridor, Joel Clement and Pete Didisheim make the case that public involvement, fair compensation, and wise site selection are critical to the success of clean energy projects.

300m long slump

Flickr CC/NPS

Analysis & Opinions - Union of Concerned Scientists

IN: Arctic Experts and Scientists — OUT: Unqualified Political Operatives

| Oct. 07, 2021

Joel Clement writes that because the Biden administration  has moved to repair the damage done by the Trump administration, colleagues from around the global Arctic are optimistic once again about partnering with America on solutions to regional crises .

Audio - Background Briefing with Ian Masters

Time Wasted and the Urgent Need to Decarbonize

| Aug. 10, 2021

Ian Masters and Joel Clement assess how much time has been lost by governments in facing the looming crisis of climate change, in particular here in the U.S. where the last four years were not only wasted, but were steps backwards from the urgent challenges made clear by yesterday's alarming IPCC report.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska., speaks during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing

Pool via AP/Leigh Vogel

Analysis & Opinions - The Hill

Why Biden's Interior Department isn't Shutting Down Oil and Gas

| July 23, 2021

Joel Clement describes the influence of U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Joe Manchin over the Department of the Interior and advises that a forward-looking legislator in a fossil-fuel state would be wise to fight aggressively for financial commitments to make the people in their state part of the vanguard of the new clean energy economy, rather than set back the U.S. economy by fighting the inevitable energy transition itself.