U.S. energy boom proposed as Ukraine bargaining tool.

The article can be found here.

   The U.S. energy boom continues to expand with record-setting natural gas production and petroleum product exports, prompting debate about its use as political leverage over countries like Russia (article). Some members of Congress suggest that we can use our natural gas exports to weaken Russia's hold over Ukraine and the rest of Europe. Energy experts say this time frame and other factors make it highly unlikely that the United States will be able to use its natural gas production to defuse the current crisis in Crimea.

   I think that this is a nice idea, but it's not really possible for us right now. We are just still so reliant on other countries for things like gasoline, we still import a substantial amount of energy. But if this all did work for us, I think that it would be a good idea for us to be an important supplier of goods to these close knit countries. It would give us a strong hold in our foreign policies with them. If only we lived in a world where we all help and receive help with all the other countries. Unfortunately it isn't all that simple, but sometime down the line we will (hopefully) find something that can help us better connect with these seemingly fragile (and potentially dangerous) countries.

While Britain floods, politicians debate climate change.

The article can be found here.

   This article is about how scientists studying the weather (and more specifically, the floods) in the UK have evidence that suggests there is a link to climate change. The former Conservative party Chancellor Lord Lawson dismissed these comments as “absurd” for drawing a link between the floods and climate change. Others in government disagree. “This type of climate change denying conservatism is willfully ignorant, head in the sand, nimbyist conservatism,” said Ed Davey, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, in a speech on Feb. 13.

   I think it's a bit silly for those in the government to deny that climate change has anything to do with the floods, but it is also just as silly to blame this one event on climate change. There's not a whole lot that the British government can do about it. They can't fix the floods, but maybe they can implement more preventative measures in areas that are at high risk of flooding? And maybe slowly add more environmentally friendly changes to every day life in Britain (and the rest of the world should do this as well) to help counteract our impact on global warming? Britain can't do too much to stop the extreme weather that is bound to come, but maybe take some preventative measures to ease the impact a bit. We are all responsible for the climate change, so we should all be working to repair some of the damage made.

Russia has already lost the war.

The articles can be found here and here.

   The articles are about Russia's decision to invade Ukraine. Putin obtained permission from his parliament to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine. What Russia is doing violates the principles of the U.N. charter. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States condemned Russia's "clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". Putin seems to have genuinely believed that his forces would be warmly welcomed by half of the country.

   What a mess. Putin may believe that what he is doing is best for both Russia and the Russian citizens in Ukraine, but I believe it is the exact opposite. This choice will very negatively impact Russia's standing in the international community and it could also isolate them economically. Aside from consequences that directly impact Russia, this could be a bad turn for the entire world. Since it's too late to stop Russia from intervening, the next best thing would be for Russia to honor its international commitments, to send it military forces back to Russian bases, and to refrain from any further interference in Ukraine.