Energy & Environment

The Maduro Regime’s Illicit Activities: A Threat to Democracy in Venezuela and Security in Latin America

By Douglas Farah

Introduction By Diego Area and Domingo Sadurní Two months after the internationally recognized interim government marked its first year, Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis, the worst ever in the Western Hemisphere’s modern history, entered a new phase. The coronavirus pandemic, which has rattled even the most developed nations, is further straining a crippled health system already unable […]

Energy security in the era of hybrid warfare

By Arnold C. Dupuy, PhD

On July 2, 2020, the Atlantic Council hosted a kickoff workshop to help scope and define a study authorized by the NATO Science and Technology Board (STB) to analyze hybrid warfare’s impact on the Alliance’s energy security. As an actor in international security, NATO has a vital role to play in the nexus between energy security and hybrid warfare. For this reason, the STB has placed emphasis on the study, designated as Systems Analysis and Studies-163 (SAS-163), “Energy Security in the Era of Hybrid Warfare.”

Averting crisis: leveraging the energy transition to revitalize the coal belt

By Craig Hart

America is undergoing an energy transition away from coal that will leave coal-producing communities in crisis in the absence of policy action to help transition these regions to new and cleaner industries. Until leadership at the federal level arrives, local initiatives and regional coordination will be critical to leading this effort.

Beirut’s port explosion reveals underlying problems in energy supply

By Aki Peritz

The cataclysmic explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4th could not have come at a worse time. The nation was already reeling from multiple catastrophes such as a collapsing currency, an environmental disaster on its shores, 1.5 million refugees from Syria, and a healthcare system pushed to the brink by the COVID-19 pandemic. The explosion has only exacerbated one of Lebanon’s core calamities: the lack of stable electricity.

Extreme heat: What can be done to stop this “silent killer”?

While extreme heat is one of the planet’s clearest signals of global warming—last year was the world’s second hottest since 1880—it remains an invisible threat: a “silent killer” lurking in relatively clear view.