Op-Ed31 August

President Obama’s Afghan Trap

Sergio Abranches
President Obama is on a hazardous trail in Afghanistan. Since the campaign he showed conviction that the US public supported the Bush doctrine of homeland security. He also made all efforts, and continues to go too cautiously not to alienate his conservative following, at least as far as military policy is concerned.

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Op-Ed28 August

Energy and transportation policy mistakes raise carbon emissions in Brazil

Sergio Abranches

The Brazilian environmental ministry has just released updated estimates for carbon emissions from the industrial, energy and transportation sectors. The reference year for the estimates was 2007. The tables contain only bad news and are a snapshot of the government’s blunders in transportation and energy choices.

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Analysis26 August

Major Brazilian corporations signed a call for action on climate change

Sergio Abranches

A group of major Brazilian corporations met in the city of São Paulo this Tuesday to sign a “Letter to Brazilians on Climate Change,” during a workshop called “Brazil and Climate Change: opportunities for a low carbon economy.”

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Op-Ed23 August

Twitter: Neither Babble, nor Bubble, the Social Uses of Tweeting

Sergio Abranches

Twitter is no futile toy, nor a fad. You may find many uses for Twitter. It can be extraordinarily fun, and it can certainly be addictive. It may even have begun as a means for exchanging simple, routine messages.  But it has grown up as much more.

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Analysis20 August

Climate Agenda as an Agenda for Development in Brazil: A Policy Oriented Approach

A paper to be presented to the Panel: “It’s Not Easy Going Green”of the Divisions on Science, Technology and Environmental Politics, and Comparative Politics of Developing Countries at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Political Association, Toronto, September 3-6, 2009.

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Op-Ed20 August

Gothic democracies: when nihilism takes over

Sergio Abranches

When major parties are dominated by nihilists, party and leaders loose contact with real life. They’re like zombies haunting parliamentary culture. Through their actions, democracies may be corrupted, and public policy go astray.