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POPSInternational law should govern release of GM mosquitoes This brings up an interesting point - what is the role of the nation state as the world "internationalizes"? What good are EPA regulations when we breath polluted air from China? What good are European regulations on CO2 when the U.S. wont regulate? How does the U.S. compete in stem cell research when it has restrictions on funding? The nation state is no longer the venue for prevention of things like cloning, bacterial engineering, genetic selection, GM foods, etc. We may restrict cloning in the States, but then cloning moves to Mexico or China.
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POPSDanger: Demographic Change Approaching But its focus on the developed world sometimes causes it to downplay the serious economic, socio-political, environmental, and security challenges posed by high population growth in developing countries—and by a global population that is expected to top 9 billion by 2050.
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POPSThe Environment and Well-Being in Urban China Well sort of a "no duh" moment. My problem (having read the abstract only) is that the authors did not deconvolve sulfur dioxide emissions from environmental disasters from traffic congestion. Perhaps a full reading is in order before that criticism is fully lodged.
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POPS Desakota A new term to describe the new urbanization as seen in Asia (largely China).
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POPSYouTube: The Great FireWall Strikes Again A modern nation and modern economy cannot function without some minimum of open information. A modern economy and innovation is reliant upon the consistency of services. On both counts China fails. Will China's political institutions modernize in step with their economy? Or will the CPC be so fearful of change that they would rather squelch future growth and modernization. I guess with present growth at about 11% they've chosen the second option. My bets are that they will not be able to maintain growth and a closed society at the same time for much longer.
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POPSChina: Environmental Cost of Rapid Growth Grim. Pollution has made cancer China’s leading cause of death, the Ministry of Health says. Ambient air pollution alone is blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. Environmental woes that might be considered catastrophic in some countries can seem commonplace in China: industrial cities where people rarely see the sun; children killed or sickened by lead poisoning or other types of local pollution
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POPSChina: High Tech Big Brother China's emerging present, the Big Brother police state meets technology so as to track everyone's every move. Soon to come to a nation near you. I mean, what do you have to fear if you are not committing a crime, right? What better way to track terrorists right?
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POPSCO2 Emissions: China Takes Lead It came a little earlier than expected but only by a year or two. Though if you look at it on a per-capita basis, well... China is way down the list.
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POPSDon't like your adopted child? Trade her in for another one. Something about this strikes me as very wrong, but also very understandable and perhaps even rational. Via Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution . See also this New York Times piece written by a mother in a similar situation--she and her husband made a different decision than the New Jersey couple.
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POPSChina's Environmental Blame Game The rapidly approaching Olympic Games have brought an unwelcome spotlight on China’s environmental situation.Beijingwon its Olympics bid with the promise of the world’s first “green” games. Five years later, there is no talk of a green Olympics, only of how extensive a shutdown of industry and transportation will be needed in Beijing and surrounding provinces just to ensure that the athletes can breathe.
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POPSDollar Crisis? How will the enormous indebtedness of not only the U.S. government (Thanks Bush) but the American people start to be addressed? People do not change their habits/addictions with ease. Sadly, it is usually through some crisis that people come to terms with reality, then they get down to business. May we have a real president when/if the crisis hits.