Commentary
Find our newspaper columns, blogs, and other commentary pieces in this section. Our research focuses on Advanced Biology, High-Tech Geopolitics, Strategic Studies, Indo-Pacific Studies & Economic Policy
Mint | The carbon emissions of war put humanity’s right to exist at risk
By Nitin Pai
The regional head of a well-regarded global philanthropic foundation recently told me that his board had decided to exclusively focus on funding causes concerned with combating climate change. Knowing that it had previously supported work on nuclear disarmament and international security, I asked why those problems were no longer of interest to the foundation. His reply left me bemused. Climate change, he told me, is a long-term existential threat to humanity. Read the full article here.
Lessons from the Past on the Threat of a Nuclear War
By Adya Madhavan and Aditya Ramanathan
As Russian tanks moved into Ukraine on February 24, President Vladimir Putin warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that any attempt to intervene could lead to “consequences they have never seen”. Days later, Russia changed the alert status of its nuclear forces in a symbolic yet ominous move. The Russia-Ukraine war is one symptom of a changing international system, with a public nonchalance toward nuclear weapons. That disregard is in contrast to 40 years ago.