CIAO DATE: 10/2013
Volume: 11, Issue: 2
October 2013
International Space Law Panel (PDF)
Henry Hertfeld
The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations attended a panel discussion atthe International LawWeekend held at FordhamUniversity onOctober 24, 2009. We were introduced to experts on the topic of law in outer space and attended a panel discussion highlighting the growing importance of outerspace, and howit is becoming the “newfrontier” forinternational lawand state interaction. We decided that this would be the most exciting and relevant way to open our very special issue on science and diplomacy because the cooperation and interaction of states over matters not even of this world illustratesthe direct effect of science and technology on diplomacy. By holding our own panel discussion here at the Whitehead Journal, we are pleased to present the discussion of international law in outer space!
Science and the International Politics of Climate Change (PDF)
Cullen S. Hendrix, Idean Selehyan
World leaders met in December of 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss ways to mitigate climate change through meaningful cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Leading up to the conference, there was a high degree of scientific consensus that climate change is a very real phenomenon, that human activity contributes to the process, and unless significant steps are taken to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere the impact on the environment could be catastrophic. In addition, there was a growing recognition that some degree of climate change isinevitable, and so, humanity must devise strategiesto adapt to this reality. Armed with evidence compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists from a wide array of disciplines constituted a strong epistemic community, 1 —a network of experts who share a common view on a particular issue—and urged policymakers to take bold action at Copenhagen. Specifically, scientists and environmental activists called for limiting the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to below approximately 450 parts per million, in order to keep average global temperatures from rising more than 2ºC. 2
Creating Technological Momentum: Lessons from American and Danish Wind Energy Research (PDF)
Benjamin K. Sovakool
Are researchers, public policymakers, and political scientists aware of the factors that lead to the successful diffusion of energy technology?In attempting to address energy and climate challenges, the research process in the United States and other industrialized countries has often been rooted in distinct assumptions concerning science, technology, methodology, scale of implementation, and agents of action. 1 Many researchers, directors, and even scholars have implicitly promoted a linear model of technological developmentthat views government-funded programs asthe ideal means of developing new technologies and systems and prioritizes economies of scale and centralization of the research process to achieve ever-larger units. According to this paradigm, the government’srole isto eliminate obstaclesto energy development andworkwith large corporationsto prepare newtechnologiesfor entry into the market.
Re-Igniting the Atom: The Political Consequences of the Global Nuclear Revival (PDF)
Duane Bratt
Aglobal nuclear revival is taking place. This can be seen in the building and planning of new nuclear reactors, efforts to extend the life of existing reactors, and increased public support for nuclear power. This revival is due to the collision of three vectors: (1) the substantial rise in the global demand for electricity; (2) the increased attention placed on the problem of greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to climate change; and (3) the need to diversify electricity supply away from fossil fuels. Accompanying this revival are some important political consequences, notably in the areas of international trade, nuclear non-proliferation, and nuclearsafety.These issues have always existed, butwhat impactwill the increase in nuclear power have on them?
New Nukes for New Niches? (PDF)
Robert J. Peterson
Manufacturers of nuclear power plants, professional societies, national governments, and power companies are all proclaiming a renaissance of interest, orders, and installations for nuclear fission electricity. This enthusiasm can be attributed to the search for non-carbon powersources and the growth in demand for the electrical energy they produce. These two issues are being addressed in part by large new nuclear reactors in developed nations, but are equally important for developing nations who need more electrical energy but do not yet have nuclear power reactors. These needs of developing nations can be met with nuclear power stations, but perhaps not in the same way that developed nations are meeting their needs. Technical designsforsmaller fission systems are widely proposed, with many advantages from manufacturing all the way to markets, especially smaller markets. Thiswork addressesthe questions of whether developing nations, in their questsfor clean electricity,will have the licensing and regulatory systems, insurance, and trained manpower to deal with the opportunities offered by nuclear fission, from either the large systems now being manufactured or from newer designs better suited to their markets, but with a different set of start-up issues.
The Promise and the Peril: The Social Construction of American Military Technology (PDF)
Michael Mosser
Since at leastWorldWarII, dominance in technology has been central toAmerican conceptions of military power and doctrine. 1 While the Sherman tank’s chief ‘technological’ advantage over its German counterparts was its production volume, the B-29’s technological advances—such as a pressurized cabin and remotecontrolled guns—made it particularly well-suited to the Pacific theater bombing campaign. Its technology meant it could fly higher and farther with more payload than earlierAmerican bombers, enabling the USArmyAir Forcesto hit the Japanese home islands from bases farther out and with fewer losses from anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighter attacks.
Biological Weapons and Security Dilemmas (PDF)
David Malet, Herman Rogers
Technological advancements throughout history have had significant effects on international politics and conflictstrategies. Some inventions,such asthe compound bow and the strategic bomber, were designed specifically for combat purposes. Others,such asthe stirrup and the sextant,were innovationsintended for commerce that inevitably changed the nature of military competition. The advent of “Weapons of Mass Destruction”—most of which originated from scientific developments unrelated to national defense—has also produced dramatic changes in warfare. 1
A "Fortress Fleet" for China (PDF)
James Holmes
China is attempting to merge old and new technology into what US Navy sea captain and noted sea-powertheoristAlfred Thayer Mahan termed a “fortressfleet,” a navy that operates almost solely under cover of shore-based fire support. Reared during the nineteenth century,when naval technology remained rudimentary, Mahan railed against this operational concept for severely limiting the fleet’s radius of action, cramping its freedom of maneuver, and stifling initiative among its commanders. His critique made eminentsense in an era when the effective range of gunfire extended lessthan ten miles offshore.Afleet tethered to the portwould find itself confined to miniscule sea areas, unable to exercise sea power effectively.
Rethinking the Cuban Regime: Implications for Transition Paths and Comparative Cases (PDF)
Aimel Rios Wong
The purpose of this study is to determine the typology of the Cuban regime, examine the implicationsfor possible transition scenarios and conduct a comparative analysiswith similar casesthat may provide insightful hintsfor a transition. To do so, it will examine the existing literature on regime types with an emphasis on that of non-democratic system, in addition to the different phases of the Cuban regime using Linz and Stepan’s perspective of regime components as ideology, leadership, mobilization, and pluralism.Thisstudywilltake a structural-functional approach that will enable to examine how the defining elements performed in the different phases. Analysis of the regime phases will include a discussion on the different interpretations scholars have developed to classify each regime period.