Internet and communications technology: Global energy consumption trends and challenges
2013 review of research and article in the journal Science on the global energy consumption of Internet and communications technology.
Environment
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to the topic of energy and the environment
Expert Commentary
The relationship between city size and food prices and availability
2014 study in the Review of Economic Studies that explores a dataset of household purchases to estimate the relationship between food prices and population in 49 U.S. cities.
Expert Commentary
Fracking, shale gas and health effects: Research roundup
2014 review of scientific literature on potential health and environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to extract natural gas and shale oil.
Expert Commentary
Compliance with environmental regulations when the rule of law is weak: Evidence from China
2014 study in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory on how companies decide to comply environmental regulations in developing countries.
Expert Commentary
The environmental costs and benefits of fracking: The state of research
A 2014 study in the Annual Reviews of Environment and Resources explores a wide range of issues related to unconventional energy, including well productivity, water use, security and pollution.
Expert Commentary
Chinese state-owned enterprises in Africa: Ambassadors or freebooters?
2014 study in the Journal of Contemporary China analyzing state-owned and private Chinese firms in Africa, their characteristics and activities, and their relationship with the government.
Expert Commentary
Effectiveness of U.S. state policies to reduce CO2 emissions from power plants: Research brief
2014 research brief on the effectiveness of state strategies to reduce emissions, by Don Grant, University of Colorado at Boulder; Kelly Bergstrand, University of Arizona; and Katrina Running, Idaho State University.
Expert Commentary
Plastics, human health and environmental impacts: The road ahead
2014 article in Reviews on Environmental Health summarizing relevant research findings on the benefits, dangers, disposal of, and future innovative potential for plastics.
Expert Commentary
Comparative environmental life cycle assessment of conventional and electric vehicles
2012 study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology on how electric cars stack up against those with traditional gas and diesel engines over their entire lifetimes.
Expert Commentary
Non-communicable diseases: The role of global food, tobacco, soft drink and alcohol industries
2013 research in The Lancet synthesizes the findings of major studies on the role of global processed-food conglomerates in the spread of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
Expert Commentary