Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

State of the Order: Assessing February 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

Revitalize NATO’s grand strategy: NATO 20/2020 podcast

By Ambassador Timo Koster and Ivanka Barzashka

Collective strategic analysis is the pathway to a more inclusive, transparent, and systematic process for creating NATO’s next strategic concept.

The United Nations Security Council needs to authorize military action to prevent the spill of the FSO SAFER

By Dr. Ian Ralby, Rohini Ralby, and Dr. David Soud

The FSO SAFER and the five miles of subsea pipeline to which it is attached threaten to pour 2.14 million barrels of oil into the Red Sea. Between Yemen’s reliance on food shipments to stem a widespread famine, and the wider region’s reliance on desalination plants for drinking water, realistic estimates put the potential death toll from the spill in the millions.

These three baseload technologies are critical to achieving zero-carbon electric vehicles

By Bryant Jones

As electricity demand swells as the electric vehicle market grows, it is unlikely that short-term battery storage, intermittent renewables, and efficiency improvements alone can provide all of the necessary electrons. These technologies need to be paired with distributed, zero-carbon baseload capacity, and the debate about what technologies can meet anticipated demand is just beginning. Cue geothermal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power.

Disruption and innovation—the Atlantic Council in a year of coronavirus

By Andrew R. Marshall

2020 brought significant challenges for the world, as COVID-19 forced everyone to work virtually. While the disruption was significant and damaging, the Atlantic Council used this moment to innovate in the virtual space and expand its global reach.

Global Sanctions Dashboard: February

By Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Aligning with allies against human rights abusers and authoritarian regimes, lack of coordinated response to the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang.

Event recap | The GeoTech Decade ahead

By The GeoTech Center

On Thursday, March 11, panelists gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center and discuss the “GeoTech Decade” ahead: what it means, what it could look like, and how it will affect us all. This date also represents the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that has demonstrated to the world that choices regarding data and tech infrastructure and digital literacy significantly change our communities’ preparedness, resilience, and recovery from such an event.

Can green finance compensate for London’s post-Brexit losses?

By Paddy Ryan

Supporters of Brexit suggest that making London a “world leader” in green finance could compensate for the City’s post-Brexit losses. Green financial leadership could boost Britain’s domestic industry and transform its foreign policy. But competitive advantages for its financial sector may not materialize.