home > the cfr think tank > experts > scott g. borgerson
Visiting Fellow for Ocean Governance
Contact Info:
Phone: +1-212-434-9618
E-mail: sborgerson@cfr.org
Location:
New York, NY
Media downloads:
High-resolution photo (JPG, 722K)
One-page bio (PDF, 55K)
Video clip (MP4, 6.1 MB)
Video clip (MP4, 4.6 MB)
Former director of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Institute for Leadership. Adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University working on issues related to the foreign policy implications of the melting Arctic, homeland security, and the future of shipping. Currently directing a roundtable series on strategic ocean governance.
Expertise:The Arctic; ocean policy; homeland security; U.S. foreign policy; shipping.
Experience:Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, Center for Energy, Marine Transportation and Public Policy, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University (2007- present); director, Institute for Leadership, U.S. Coast Guard Academy (2006-2007); Assistant Professor, U.S. Coast Guard Academy (2003-2007); Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Point Sal (1999-2001); Deck Watch Officer and Navigator, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (1997-1999); former Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Coast Guard.
Honors:International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations(2007-2008); Coast Guard Meritorious Service, Commendation and Achievement Medals (1997-2007).
Selected Publications:
America's Deep Blue Highway: How Coastal Shipping Could Reduce Traffic Congestion, Lower Pollution, and Bolster National Security (Institute for Global Maritime Studies; September 2008)
Related Links:
Scott Borgerson on FocusEarth with Bob Woodruff: The Opening of the Arctic (television interview; November 8, 2008)
The American Arctic: A Journey through a Thawing Region with Scott G. Borgerson and Michael A. Levi (podcast; The Atlantic Online; October 2008)
Press Release for Deep Blue Highway (Institute for Global Maritime Studies; September 24, 2008)
CFR's International Institutions and Global Governance Program
Current Research Projects
May 5, 2009
Testimony
See more in Arctic, Natural Resources Management, Global Governance
May 2009
Council Special Report No. 46
Council Special Report
Seaborne commerce remains the linchpin of the global economy. And beyond trade, a host of other issues, ranging from climate change and energy to defense and piracy, ensure that the oceans will hold considerable strategic interest well into the future. In this report, Scott G. Borgerson explores an important element of the maritime policy regime: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He examines the international negotiations that led to the convention, the history of debates in the United States over whether to join it, and the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. foreign policy today.
See more in United States, Natural Resources Management, Global Governance
April 7, 2009
Expert Brief
Overfishing and environmental strain have put U.S. oceans in serious trouble. CFR's Scott Borgerson says a new report by the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative lays out a blueprint for better marine management.
See more in United States, Energy/Environment
March 28, 2009
Op-Ed
New York Times
Scott Borgerson and Caitlyn Antrim argue that the United States should show leadership on the formation of an Arctic “polar park” for international scientific research.
See more in Arctic, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management
March 25, 2009
Testimony
See more in Arctic, Climate Change, U.S. Strategy and Politics
October 15, 2008
Article
The Atlantic
Scott Borgerson visually explores the changing Arctic using an interactive map.
See more in Arctic, Climate Change
September 24, 2008
Op-Ed
USA Today
Michael A. Levi and Scott G. Borgerson discuss the views of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin on climate change.
September 15, 2008
Transcript
A discussion on how prepared the U.S. is to deal with the problems of climate change associated with the melting arctic.
See more in United States, Energy/Environment, Climate Change
August 19, 2008
Op-Ed
Huffington Post
President Bush is right to demand an immediate end to the looting and shooting in Georgia by Russia, but he should also turn his attention to recent aggressive Russian activity in the opening Arctic, writes Scott Borgerson
See more in Russian Fed., Arctic
April 8, 2008
Op-Ed
Baltimore Sun
Rockford Weitz, Scott G. Borgerson and John Curtis Perry argue that we can relieve our overused roadways by shifting to underused waterways.
See more in United States, Border and Ports
April 8, 2008
Testimony
Scott G. Borgerson testifies before the U.S. Senate on a current and evolving policy framework for managing Canada's fisheries and oceans.
See more in Natural Resources Management, U.S. Strategy and Politics
March 20, 2008
Transcript
With the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea awaiting consideration by the full Senate, speakers address the issues surrounding the treaty and examine the coalitions that have moved it forward after more than 25 years.
See more in Global Governance, International Law, U.S. Strategy and Politics
March 10, 2008
Op-Ed
Providence Journal
Over the coming months, Congress will continue to debate President Bush’s record $3.1 trillion budget request. Although the Democrats and Republicans do not see eye to eye on many issues, they are in total agreement that national security should receive the highest budgetary priority. Regardless of the rhetoric that this spending makes America safer, the proposed budget continues the trend of placing inordinate emphasis on offensive military strength at the expense of homeland security, argues Scott Borgerson.
See more in United States, Defense/Homeland Security, Defense Policy & Budget
March/April 2008
Foreign Affairs Article — Summary
Wake up, Henry Hudson: Thanks to global warming, the Northwest Passage will soon be open for business.
See more in Arctic, Climate Change
December 13, 2007
Op-Ed
Christian Science Monitor
Scott Borgerson writes that “coastal shipping has the potential to strengthen the resilience of America's transportation system – an important national security objective.”
See more in Border and Ports
September 9, 2007
Op-Ed
International Herald Tribune
See more in Canada, United States, Arctic, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management
August 8, 2007
Op-Ed
New York Times
See more in Russian Fed., Arctic, Antarctic, Treaties
Explore international efforts to curb nuclear proliferation with a new interactive from CFR's program on International Institutions and Global Governance.
The Canadian oil sands present an important challenge to policymakers: they promise energy security benefits but present climate change problems. Michael A. Levi assesses the energy security and climate change effects of the oil sands and makes recommendations for U.S. policymakers within the context of broader bilateral relations with Canada.
This report explores an important element of the maritime policy regime: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Author Scott G. Borgerson examines the international negotiations that led to the convention, the history of debates in the United States over whether to join it, and the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. foreign policy today.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
In War of Necessity, War of Choice, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba’s unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
As Ray Takeyh shows in Guardians of the Revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans of Iran is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.
Complete list of CFR Books
For more information on the David Rockefeller Studies Program, contact:
Sebastian Mallaby
Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for
Geoeconomic Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, and Paul A. Volcker Senior
Fellow for International Economics
smallaby@cfr.org
Janine Hill
Deputy Director of Studies Administration
+1.212.434.9753
jhill@cfr.org
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