NEWS
Aug 26, 2008 - SCI FI BLOG
Neal Lane, senior fellow in science and technology at the Baker
Institute and Malcolm Gillis University Professor at Rice University,
is featured as a contributor to SCI FI's new online blog, "How You Can
Save the World." This new forum of thinkers gathers individuals from
the arts, sciences, entertainment, government, technology and other
fields to discuss the challenges we face to day, as well as proposing
potential solutions. Blog posts and updates from Lane will be featured
on this page. To learn more about "How You Can Save the World," click here. Contributions by Neal Lane: July 7, 2008: The Danger (and Value) of A Politicized Scientific Community
Aug 22, 2008 - BEIJING 2008
Steven W. Lewis, Baker Institute fellow in Asian studies, compares
the 2008 Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing to the 1904 Games of the
III Olympiad in St. Louis, Mo. Opponents of China’s domestic and
foreign policies argue its government will use the Summer Olympics to
score a public relations coup, a grand spectacle to fool the Chinese
people and the world into believing that China is a modern, prosperous
and free society. The Chinese government, as seen in President Hu
Jintao’s recent statement calling on all Chinese to make the successful
hosting of the games the nation’s top priority, is also betting a lot
on the Olympic Games. Chinese leaders seem to believe it will be a
historic coming-of-age ceremony, a showcase for China’s rapid
development in recent years and a display of its legitimacy as the
government of more than one-fifth of the world’s population. But
history tells us the games will likely have little lasting effect on
the lives of ordinary Chinese.
Aug 18, 2008 - U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
Why should you care about José Ernesto Medellín’s execution in
Texas? Because the consequences of this action may affect your security
and rights as a U.S. citizen when abroad. The handling of Medellín v.
Texas made a significant difference for the United States’
international credibility and reputation. In addition, this action
hindered the United States’ ability to protect its citizens through its
diplomatic missions abroad. The United States breached an international
legal obligation in a case that had captured international attention.
Being the global leader it is, the country undermined the World Court’s
rulings by setting an example of noncompliance.
Aug 07, 2008 - ENERGY FORUM EXPLORES WAYS TO LOWER FUEL PRICES
You might find the following items of
interest:
The Price of Gasoline: How High for How Long? (Revisited) (opinion
piece)
Aug 07, 2008 - NEW INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL PROGRAM EXAMINES MIDDLE EASTERN POLICIES
You might find the following items of
interest:
U.S. Stem Cell Policy - Unintended Consequences (opinion
piece)
Avenues for Advancement: Conference Summary (publication)
Aug 07, 2008 - CAMPAIGN 2008: THE ISSUES CONSIDERED
You might find the following items of
interest:
CHINA Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections
(event webcast)
Campaign 2008: What Can the Next President Do to Reform U.S. Health
Care?
(event webcast)
Aug 07, 2008 - CYBER COMMAND
On Nov. 2, 2006, then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne laid
the foundation for his service’s move to develop its status as the
leader in network warfare operations at the U.S. Department of Defense
by announcing the formation of Cyber Command, a new element of the
United States Air Force (USAF) intended to conduct military operations
in cyberspace. With the Air Force providing the significant
contributions to the War on Terror in aerial surveillance, the
traditional areas of endeavor for the 61-year-old service have
diminished in importance. Finding new missions for the service is
important in the struggle for part of a Pentagon budgetary pie that is
likely to shrink with the arrival of a new administration in January.
As a maneuver of inside-the-Beltway bureaucratic process, the move into
cyberspace is pragmatic and shrewd, but politics threaten to impede the
construction of a military organization capable of meeting its
mandate.
Jul 11, 2008 - ENERGY FORUM
Kenneth B. Medlock III, fellow in energy studies at the Baker
Institute, expands a previous FAQ about rising gasoline prices and
writes an op-ed about why the moratorium on drilling in the U.S. Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) should be lifted An updated look at the cause of and
possible solutions for high prices at the pump Gasoline prices are the most widely covered petroleum product price
in the media. We often see stories in the media that ask the question,
“Who is to blame for high prices at the pump?” The anger expressed on
the local news by the gasoline station patron who is upset about the
price of gasoline as he fills up his large, low-efficiency sport
utility vehicle is almost comical, but his anger is not entirely
misguided. The fact is that no single party is to blame for high
prices, and understanding why prices are so high is not simple. Thus,
it is important to ask, “What can be done to reduce gasoline prices?”
It is imperative that policy be designed to produce sustainable
long-term solutions, regardless of what is politically popular. Why we should lift restrictions on the OCS As the price of gasoline reaches unprecedented highs, Americans have
begun to actively think about ways to lower fuel prices. Recent
government statistics indicate 2007 saw the largest year-on-year
decline in miles driven since the late 1970s. Record-high crude oil
prices are the primary reason for record-high gasoline prices, and a
confluence of factors is responsible for the recent run-up in crude oil
prices. One important factor behind the strength of oil prices is the
expectation of inadequate future oil supply. This has led to a debate
regarding the removal of drilling access restrictions in the OCS.
Jul 08, 2008 - National War Powers Commission Recommends War Powers Consultation Act of 2009
Click here to view findings and recommendations. Click
here to view appendices to the final report. Click
here to read The New York Times op-ed. Click
here to view more press coverage of the commission. WASHINGTON, July 8, 2008 — The National War Powers Commission,
co-chaired by former Secretaries of State James A. Baker, III, and
Warren Christopher, today recommended that Congress repeal the War
Powers Resolution of 1973 and substitute a new statute that would
provide for more meaningful consultation between the president and
Congress on matters of war. In a report released today after 13 months of study, the commission
concluded that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 has failed to promote
cooperation between the two branches of government and recommended that
Congress pass a new statute — the War Powers Consultation Act of 2009 —
that would establish a clear process on decisions to go to
war. “This statute does not attempt to resolve the constitutional
questions that have dominated the debate over the war powers, and does
not prejudice the president or Congress their right or ability to
assert their respective constitutional war powers,” said Baker. “What
we aim to do with this statute is to create a process that will
encourage the two branches to cooperate and consult in a way that is
both practical and true to the spirit of the Constitution.” “We have tried to be as specific as possible in this report and in
this legislation,” said Christopher. “We have defined the kinds of
armed conflict that would be covered by the statute, and have laid out
a clear course of action for both the president and Congress that is
practical, constructive and deliberative.” The War Powers Consultation Act of 2009: The Miller Center of
Public Affairs at the University of Virginia impaneled the National
War Powers Commission in February 2007. This bipartisan commission met
seven times over 13 months, interviewing more than 40 witnesses about
the respective war powers of the president and
Congress. Commission members: Slade Gorton, former U.S. Senator from
Washington; Lee H. Hamilton, former Member of Congress from Indiana;
Carla A. Hills, former U.S. Trade Representative; John O. Marsh, Jr.,
former Secretary of the Army; Edwin Meese, III, former U.S. Attorney
General; Abner J. Mikva, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; J. Paul Reason, former
Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Brent Scowcroft, former
National Security Advisor; Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow
Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton
University; and Strobe Talbott, President of the Brookings
Institution. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin served as the
commission’s historical advisor. John T. Casteen, III, president
of the University of Virginia, and David W. Leebron, president of Rice
University, served as ex officio members. John C. Jeffries, Jr., Emerson Spies and Arnold H. Leon Professor of
Law of the University of Virginia School of Law, and W. Taylor Reveley,
III, interim president and John Stewart Bryan Professor of
Jurisprudence at The College of William & Mary, served as
co-directors of the commission. The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice
University, the Freeman Spogli
Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, Stanford Law School, the University of Virginia School of
Law, and the William & Mary School
of Law served as partnering institutions.
Jun 17, 2008 - Amy Myers Jaffe on National Television
Amy Myers Jaffe, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at
Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, recently was in Washington,
D.C., where she testified before the Select Committee on Energy
Independence and Global Warming at a hearing on "The Future of Oil."
Jaffe appeared on C-SPAN3's coverage of the hearing. While in D.C.,
Jaffe was also interviewed by several media sources. She was a panelist
in a segment of the Charlie Rose Show, discussing the reasons for and
economic effects of high energy prices. CNBC also interviewed her on
the effects of high oil prices on the economy. Because of length, the C-SPAN3 clip is divided into two links and
the Charlie Rose clip divided into five links. C-SPAN3
Public Broadcasting Service's "Charlie Rose Show"
CNBC's "The Closing Bell"
Jun 10, 2008 - Dialogue with Iran
Edward Djerejian, founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute
for Public Policy, is interviewed on Public Radio International's The
World radio program (WGBH in Boston) about how the U.S. should approach
a dialogue with Iran. Djerejian encourages a well-structured discussion
in which the United States places everything on the table to dispel any
illusions that might cloud negotiations.
The interview plays right after the story on Sens. Barack Obama and
Hillary Clinton. (Listen to
interview)
Jun 10, 2008 - Videoconference with Dr. Christian Otto on Mount Everest
The International Space Medicine Summit II (ISMS II) featured panels
on space medicine, human performance and solar radiation risks for
lunar operations. One especially significant highlight of ISMS II was a
live videoconference from 17,550 feet on the Nepal side of Mount
Everest with Dr. Christian Otto, expedition medical lead for the
Canadian Mount Everest Medical Exploration Operations. Webcast videos for the entirety of the ISMS II are now
available.
Recently, the operational medical team, made up of several partner
institutions, conducted a successful telemedicine link from Mount
Everest to the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN), Canadian Space
Agency (CSA) and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The
expedition's mission is to prepare for emergency medical management on
long-duration space missions.
Jun 06, 2008 - GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET
The international community is facing the most difficult energy
market it has seen in the past two decades. Oil prices have experienced
record swings, oil capacity surpluses have disappeared across the
operational chain, and significant gains in demand are being driven by
the expanding economies of the developing world. In the short term,
security of existing supplies remains a key challenge to global energy
markets. The Baker Institute conference "The Global Energy Market:
Comprehensive Strategies to Meet Geopolitical and Financial Risks"
brought together senior policymakers, economists, academic specialists
and industry professionals to discuss the geopolitical risks currently
facing international energy markets and the global financial system. At
the conference, the Baker Institute also released a new energy study by
the same title (as Baker Institute Policy Report 37). The study
investigates the consequences that current geopolitical risks could
pose to energy security, pricing and supply, as well as to the
transparent and smooth operation of the global market for oil and
natural gas trade and investment. By analyzing these key geopolitical
threats in depth, the study identifies a series of policy frameworks
that can be used to fortify the current market system and ensure that
it can respond flexibly to the array of threats that might be
encountered in the coming years. The study also examines the impact of
emerging climate policy on future U.S. foreign and national energy
policy.
View working papers
View webcast
May 28, 2008 - NEXT CENTURY FORECASTED SEA LEVEL RISE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR HOUSTON?
You might find the following items of
interest: Considering Sea Level Rise (opinion
piece)
Beyond Science: The Economics and Politics of Responding to Climate
Change (event
webcast)
Hot Topic: Navigating the Fact and Fiction of Climate Change (opinion
piece)
May 28, 2008 - NEW ENERGY FORUM STUDY ADDRESSES THE GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET
You might find the following items of
interest: The Global Energy Market: Comprehensive Strategies to Meet
Geopolitical and Financial Risks (event
webcast)
U.S. Energy Policy FAQ: The U.S. Energy Mix, National Security and the
Myths of Energy Independence (opinion
piece)
May 28, 2008 - CAMPAIGN 2008: THE ISSUES CONSIDERED — HBO PREMIERES “RECOUNT” AT THE BAKER INSTITUTE
You might find the following items of
interest:
A Town Hall Forum with Sen. John McCain
(event webcast)
Campaign 2008: What Can the Next President Do to Reform U.S. Health
Care?
(event webcast)
May 22, 2008 - BORDER SECURITY
Joan Neuhaus Schaan, fellow in homeland security and terrorism at
the Baker Institute, testified April 28, 2008, before the U.S. House
Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands, and the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and
Oceans. The event was a Joint Oversight Field Hearing on “Walls and
Waivers: Expedited Construction of the Southern Border Wall and the
Collateral Impacts on Communities and the Environment.” Schaan,
who is also the executive director of the Houston–Harris County
Regional Advisory Council, testified regarding Texas border
security. View
testimony
View related
testimony — U.S. House Subcommittee on Investigations
View final report —
U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on
Investigations
May 09, 2008 - TAX REFORM
This report examines the macroeconomic and transitional effects of
implementing a specific type of consumption tax reform — the national
retail sales tax known as the FairTax, as specified in H.R. 25 — with a
focus on the effects of such a reform on the housing sector, including
reform-induced reductions in the prices of existing housing. The
analysis is conducted within the context of a dynamic overlapping
generations computable general equilibrium model that includes a
corporate sector that produces a nonresidential composite good as well
as noncorporate rental housing and owner-occupied housing production
sectors and allows for the costs of adjusting all capital stocks in
response to the enactment of the reform.
May 01, 2008 - MIDDLE EAST
Baker Institute Founding Director Edward P. Djerejian gave an
address Nov. 8, 2007, at the Dubai School of Government for the
conference, "The Middle East: Between Economic Progress and Conflict."
It was the Dubai School of Government’s first academic conference on
the Middle East’s economic and political transformation in cooperation
with Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. The
conference offered participants an opportunity to discuss the dramatic
economic transformations in the Middle East. Other topics of discussion
included the prospects of economic development and reform, current
regional conflicts and the changing balance of power in the Middle
East. The event took place within the context of the Dubai Initiative,
an unprecedented collaboration between the two schools to share
scholars and foster academic discussions about the Middle East. Courtesy of the Dubai
School of Government.
Apr 25, 2008 - SEA LEVEL RISE
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded
that the global mean sea level has risen at an average rate of 1
millimeter to 2 millimeters per year during the 20th century through
thermal expansion of seawater and widespread loss of land ice. "Next
Century Forecasted Sea Level Rise: What Does It Mean for Houston?"
brings together climate science and environmental experts to discuss
these issues and the implications for Houston.
This event is sponsored by the Energy Forum of the James A. Baker III
Institute for Public Policy in conjunction with Rice University's
Center for the Study of Environment and Society and the Shell Center
for Sustainability.
