Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law
Center for International Security and Cooperation
Center on Food Security and the Environment
Stanford Health Policy
The Europe Center
Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center
Program on Energy and Sustainable Development
Rural Education Action Program
Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education
Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies
Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies
Center for Innovation in Global Health
Stanford Center at Peking UniversitySeptember 23rd, 2008
Why the peak oil debate misses the point in an NOC-dominated world
Op-ed: Encina Columns Summer '08As oil prices surge through $140/barrel at the time of writing, surely one can at least count on the invisible hand of the market to drive further exploration and production and ultimately bring more supplies on line, right? Or perhaps, more ominously, high oil prices presage a darker future of shortage and conflict as global oil fields pass their geological "peak"? In fact, both positions miss a crucial point about the dynamics of the world oil market -- that it is increasingly animated by the counterintuitive behavior of the state-owned oil and gas giants that now control the vast majority of the world's hydrocarbon resources. Read more »
September 10th, 2008
David Victor reviews Thomas Friedman's 'Hot, Flat, and Crowded'
in the news: New York Times on September 9, 2008Thomas Friedman's new book "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" decries the perils of dependence on fossil fuels and calls for a Green Revolution to sweep American politics and stimulate the economy. Read more »
March 3rd, 2008
The Energy Trap: Why the United States is doomed to be an energy outlaw
Op-ed: Newsweek on March 3, 2008Democrats voting in Ohio and Texas may well decide the shape of the U.S. presidential election. Regardless of who they choose to run against Sen. John McCain, the all but certain Republican candidate, it is likely that energy issues will figure more prominently in the election than at any time in the last generation. Read more »
February 28th, 2008
Asia's Achilles Heel
Op-ed: Newsweek on February 29, 2008As China and India lose control of their economies, they are failing to provide reliable power to their citizens. How will they manage to curb carbon emissions? Read more »
January 11th, 2008
Gazprom case study released
Russia's Gazprom is among the largest companies in the world, and by far the world's largest producer of natural gas, with close to a 20% share. Driven by its political masters, it continues to consolidate control over Russia's vast oil and (especially) gas resources, and many Western observers are worried by its international expansion into downstream assets. In a new study of the energy giant, Nadejda Victor details the ways in which Gazprom's actions are distorted by political demands and by the inefficiency of the Russian economy, suggesting that it is headed for a production crisis if business and investment considerations don't start to take a higher priority. 
Read more »
September 17th, 2007
China gas model shows regional air quality concerns one means to mitigate GHGs
PESD researcher BinBin Jiang, working with collaborators in three coastal provinces, releases a new paper that estimates demand for natural gas in China. The study shows that gas competes mainly in niche markets but can't unseat coal for power generation unless very tight regulations on local air pollution are applied. If local pollution is regulated, however, the study suggests that China would also make a substantial dent in its CO2 emissions. 
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June 18th, 2007
Newsweek article on climate change by PESD director David Victor
Op-ed: Newsweek International on June 25, 2007In Newsweek International, David Victor writes on geoengineering as a possible means to slow global warming if efforts to mitigate carbon emissions fall short. Read more »
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