Determining the "most urgent" global environmental issue is somewhat subjective; many would argue that carbon emissions and climate change is the most pressing issue. Others are just as passionate about deforestation, water scarcity, groundwater contamination, loss of biodiversity, landfills, ocean acidification, air quality… the list goes on.

Read full answer

Israel has discovered substantial natural gas deposits off its shores in the last four years. While these gas finds are not significant in terms of global gas supply (they constitute less than two percent of the world's proven gas reserves), they do appear large enough not only to meet Israel's needs, but to enable Israel to export significant quantities.

Read full answer

President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in California June 7-8, 2013. Based on the Montreal Protocol findings regarding ozone layer-depleting emissions, they issued this agreement to reduce the production and consumption of HFCs, to address one aspect of climate change.

"The United States is more entangled in the global energy system than it has ever been," argues Michael Levi, "and ever-rising world demand for energy will remain at the root of transformations in American energy for years to come."

In this op-ed in the Dallas Morning News, Michael Levi argues that those who believe bullish reports on North American energy should also accept the possibility of a price crash.

According to Michael Levi, the boom in American energy production could be short-lived, "if we don't get serious about the accompanying risks and make sure that oil and gas development is done right."

"Even as the United States ramps up its oil production," writes Michael Levi, "it's critical that we continue to cut the amount of oil we use."

In his testimony before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Yanzhong Huang discusses China's recent public health crises. He focused on two areas: encouraging further government transparency and emboldening civil society to help enact policy changes.

According to Michael Levi , "selling Teslas (TSLA) to wealthy people today may be the best way to get electric cars to everyone tomorrow, and for the United States to eventually reduce its dependence on oil, with all the national security and economic benefits that entails."

Peter Orszag writes that making cities more resilient to the challenges of stormwater runoff is a wise investment to minimize climate change-related damage.

CFR Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment and author of The Power Surge Michael A. Levi and former Office of Management and Budget director discuss America's energy future.

In this response to Charles C. Mann's Atlantic Monthly cover story on abundant fossil fuels, Michael Levi looks at a current resource, coal, and what it means for dangerous climate change.

Many observers have noted that the loss of Arctic ice is already leading to stepped-up human activity in the high north, particularly in the form of increasing commercial traffic and development. This trend has brought forth a range of issues on the geopolitical front, from environmental protection to search-and-rescue capabilities to the delineation of national boundaries—which will determine access to natural resources. These concerns are being addressed cooperatively in both bilateral and multilateral fashion, especially under the aegis of the Arctic Council and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Atlantic's Charles Mann discusses the possibility that fossil fuels might last longer than we think, presenting unexplored opportunities and risks.

National Security Advisor Tom Donilon spoke at the launch of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy on April 24, 2013. He discussed the effects of U.S energy policy on the economy, environment, international relations, and national security.

The U.S. energy revolution is not confined to a single fuel or technology: oil and gas production, renewable energy, and fuel-efficient automobile technologies all show great promise. To best position the country for the future, U.S. leaders should capitalize on all these opportunities rather than pick a favorite; the answer lies in 'most of the above.'

In conjunction with the release of CFR's first Global Governance Report Card and Earth Day, Stewart Patrick asks, "When it comes to addressing the world's gravest ills, how are we doing?"

In the final Bloomberg View excerpt of his forthcoming book The Power Surge, Michael Levi explores the future of hybrid and electric vehicles.

According to Michael Levi in this serial of The Power Surge, decreasing demand "is the only real path to confronting the climate consequences of abundant oil."

In the first Bloomberg View excerpt of his forthcoming book The Power Surge, Michael Levi writes, "Oil markets are often as much about politics as economics, and predicting future political twists and turns should be done with care."