Michael A. Levi says sensible regulation could benefit the shale gas industry.

Contrary to popular belief, Mark Bittman argues that sustainable agriculture may be what's best for the world.

Oil price shocks spurred by Mideast events are unlikely to derail the U.S. economic recovery, says CFR Distinguished Visiting Fellow Michael Spence. But bigger shifts in the global economy will hit U.S. unemployment, income inequality, and capital costs, he says.

Michael A. Levi says potential disruption of oil production in Saudi Arabia highlights the need to develop short term crisis management in the event of a geopolitical oil price shock.

As background to the ongoing negotiations, this document provides a U.S.-centric chronology of the international policy deliberations to address climate change from 1979-2011.

With food prices at historic levels, unrest is mounting around the world, particularly in import-dependent regions such as the Middle East. CFR's Laurie Garrett says to meet demand going forward, countries will need to enhance food production and efficiencies.

In this issue of Food Outlook, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports on global supply and demand balances, and warns against further supply shocks as prices continue to rise.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted on October 29, 2010.

Three new books about water agree that the world is facing serious water crises but have very different ideas about how to address them, especially when it comes to deciding what roles the public and private sectors have to play.

John Campbell outlines the difficulties involved in addressing the current ecological disaster in the Niger Delta.

This in-depth study of twelve producer, processing and consumer countries demonstrates that actions taken by governments, civil society and the private sector over the last ten years in response to illegal logging and related trade have been extensive and had a considerable impact.

David S. Abraham says the U.S. Congress contributed to the Gulf oil spill by undermining offshore safety and encouraging risky drilling.

New York Time's Donald McNeil Jr. discusses the implications of the discovery of potentially $1 trillion worth of minerals in Afghanistan on its future and susceptibility to falling under the "resource curse," based on the background and history of similar countries.

The White House released these Nine National Priority Objectives Regarding Ocean, Coasts, and the Great Lakes in 2010.

Correspondent Kira Kay reports on a Canadian hunt for "rare earth" minerals, elements mined almost exclusively in China, that are key to emerging green technologies, cell phones, engines and other high-tech devices despite their short supply.

Michael A. Levi discusses oil supply projections by the Energy Information Association.

John Campbell argues, "Despite China's escalating energy requirements, its attempts to expand its energy relationship with Nigeria have largely failed."

Will the massive oil spill in the gulf have any impact on the U.S. relationship to oil? Will it spur more investment in so-called clean energy? Will it improve the prospects of climate and energy legislation?