Science, Technology, and Public Policy

Prepared Testimony and Statement for the Record of Ben Buchanan for the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

The cyber revolution presents formidable challenges to security policy. The risks of inadvertent or accelerating cyber crises are significant but poorly grasped. The penalty for falling behind in terms of strategic adaptation may be disastrous.

This policy brief is based on Belfer Center paper #2010-02 and an article published in Energy Policy, Vol. 38, No. 3.

Oil security and the threat of climate disruption have focused attention on the transportation sector, which consumes 70% of the oil used in the United States.
This study explores several policy scenarios for reducing oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

"...[E]xtremist elements in Pakistan have a clear incentive to precipitate a crisis between India and Pakistan, so that Pakistan's nuclear assets become more exposed and vulnerable to theft. Terrorist organizations in the region with nuclear ambitions, such as al-Qaida, may find no easier route to obtaining fissile material or a fully functional nuclear weapon than to attack India, thereby triggering a crisis between India and Pakistan and forcing Pakistan to ready and disperse nuclear assets—with few, if any, negative controls—and then attempting to steal the nuclear material when it is being moved or in the field, where it is less secure than in peacetime locations."

Testimony given by James Walsh for the Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services, Committee on Government Affairs, U.S. Senate. Hearing on WMD, Februrary 12, 2002.

Invited testimony before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, US Senate.

Testimony before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Testimony before U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science

Explores the potential for an expanded role for nuclear power in mitigating climate change.