By Andrew Thomas, Deakin University (The Conversation) – Some national borders are determined by natural phenomena like seas, mountains and rivers. Most, however, are created by people. This means the creation of borders is often a political exercise – usually informed by the interests of those who create them, not the local populations to whom […]
Palestinians have long resisted Resettlement – Trump’s Plan to ‘Clean Out’ Gaza won’t Change that
By Maha Nassar, University of Arizona (The Conversation) – President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. should “take over” Gaza, displace its current population and turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” is unsettling – in both a literal and, to Palestinians, a very personal sense. The remarks, which followed earlier comments […]
Efficiency − or Empire? How Elon Musk’s hostile Takeover could end Government as we know it
By Allison Stanger, Middlebury (The Conversation) – Elon Musk’s role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is on the surface a dramatic effort to overhaul the inefficiencies of federal bureaucracy. But beneath the rhetoric of cost-cutting and regulatory streamlining lies a troubling scenario. Musk has been appointed what […]
Gaza: We Analyzed a Year of Satellite Images to Map the Scale of Agricultural Destruction
By Lina Eklund, Lund University; He Yin, Kent State University , and Jamon Van Den Hoek, Oregon State University (The Conversation) – The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas makes provisions for the passage of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza. This support is much needed given that Gaza’s agricultural system has been severely damaged […]
Trump’s offshore Wind Energy Freeze: What States lose if the Executive Order remains in Place
By Barbara Kates-Garnick, Tufts University (The Conversation) – A single wind turbine spinning off the U.S. Northeast coast today can power thousands of homes – without the pollution that comes from fossil fuel power plants. A dozen of those turbines together can produce enough electricity for an entire community. The opportunity to tap into such […]
Trump’s reversal of Climate Policies risks undermining U.S. Manufacturing — and could cost people Jobs
By Thomas Stuart, University of Victoria (The Conversation) – United States President Donald Trump’s early executive actions have set American manufacturing on a collision course with his administration’s fossil-fuel-driven agenda. It’s clear that climate change policies run counter to his vision of American primacy. Trump wasted no time reversing the green initiatives of his predecessor, […]
The Greenland Ice Sheet is falling Apart – New Study
By Tom Chudley, Durham University Observing Greenland from a helicopter, the main problem is one of comprehending scale. I have thought we were skimming low over the waves of a fjord, before noticing the tiny shadow of a seabird far below and realising what I suspected were floating shards of ice were in fact icebergs […]
Syrian Regime Change: How rebel Victories often lead to unstable, non-inclusive Governments
By Sally Sharif, University of British Columbia (The Conversation) – Syria’s rebel leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has defended his decision to fill his cabinet with wartime loyalists and delay constitutional and electoral processes, describing these moves as pragmatic necessities for the country’s fragile transition. At the same time, he has called for the disarmament of all […]
The growing Influence of Israel’s Ultranationalist Settler Movement
By Leonie Fleischmann, City St George’s, University of London (The Conversation) – Days after taking office, as he issued executive order after executive order to change the political face of America, Donald Trump also turned his attention to the war in Gaza. His proposal that Gaza should be cleared out and Palestinians should be relocated […]