After a year that included the Arab Awakening, the euro crisis, Japan’s nuclear catastrophe, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the unanticipated reaction to Russia’s recent parliamentary elections, there are many unanswered questions left for 2012.
The Swiss approach to transportation could provide useful lessons for the United States, particularly for U.S. regions that have comparable populations, transportation needs, and networks of towns and cities such as the San Francisco Bay Area region.
The climate change negotiations in Durban did not succeed in developing a joint system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Developing and developed countries should consolidate their efforts to achieve a new global agreement.
Congress should not fast-track the Keystone XL oil pipeline project, which could escalate environmental campaigns to stop oil sands development entirely.
In 2011, a number of conceptions about the way the world is run took a serious hit, including the idea that inequality must be accepted and that national interests should be above electoral ambition.
The United States has a clear opportunity to decarbonize the transportation sector, which would reduce the nation's oil dependence, rebuild infrastructure, and support a competitive economy.
The United State should focus on the construction of livable communities composed of walkable, mixed-use, transit-served neighborhoods.
The European Union should adopt fuel economy standards for trucks and other heavy vehicles, which would both increase energy independence and reduce carbon emissions.
The World Energy Outlook 2011, the International Energy Agency’s flagship annual report, provides analysis and insight into global energy markets for today and the next 24 years.
If Russia can create the right incentives for cutting energy consumption, it has the opportunity to become a leader in energy efficiency in the coming decade.