• Defeating the merchants of doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, Nature, vol. 465, pp. 686-687 (2010) [PDF, 239 KB]
• The growing climate divide, Andrew J. Hoffman, Nature Climate Change, vol. 1, pp. 195-196 (July 2011) [PDF, 71.8 KB]

ENERGY SECURITY: Fukushima and the inevitability of accidents, Charles Perrow, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1 December 2011)

The combination of unforseen events, regulatory failure, and inept response that brought about March 2011 Fukushima accident is common to most recent industrial disasters. “Normal” accidents are inevitable in many complex modern systems, and can result in “unpredictable, cascading” disasters. The possibility of such accidents cannot be eliminated; perhaps some industrial systems with catastrophic potential “should not be allowed to exist.”

• Trends in various actors after nuclear accident, Japan for Sustainability (31 December 2011)
• Hawaii, California removing barrier limiting rooftop solar projects, Maria Gallucci, InsideClimate News (23 December 2011)
• Pipeline inspector-turned whistleblower calls Keystone XL a potential “disaster”, Stephen Lacey, Climate Progress (3 January 2012)

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Opposition parties abundant in general election candidates, Lee Tae-hee, The Hankyoreh (26 December 2011)

ROK opposition parties are gaining traction after the merger of 3 opposition parties to form the Unified Democratic Party and the increasing unpopularity of the ruling GNP, with a poll showing 61% of voters planning to vote against incumbents. In Japan, nine Lower House members left the ruling DPJ to create the new Kizuna party, protesting Prime Minister Noda’s consumption tax plan and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

• Opposition gaining ground, Ahn still ahead of Park: Polls, Korea Herald (2 January 2012)
• DUP electoral college may swell over 500,000, Bae Hyun-jung, Korea Herald (4 January 2012)
• DPJ defectors to form ‘Kizuna’ party on January 4, Asahi Shimbun (2 January 2012)