Americas Quarterly on Energy in the Americas Released

Energy: A New Era in the Americas

What is the hemisphere’s energy future? The Summer 2013 issue of Americas Quarterly, to be released on July 31, will explore energy security, energy production and consumption, and how new technologies and petroleum discoveries in the Americas could affect global and regional geopolitics. The new AQ will look at the United States’ chances of achieving energy independence, the obstacles Brazil must overcome to become a green energy powerhouse, Central America’s inefficient, decentralized energy grid, and the disconnect between global energy demand and the production of renewable energy.  

Learn more about AQ's Social Inclusion Index, published in this issue.

Also in the issue, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discusses why the private sector should invest in clean energy to combat climate change. Plus, read in-depth articles on affirmative action in the hemisphere, Cuba’s difficult quest to modernize its economy, the Colombian peace-building process, and Venezuela’s political future.

Finally, in a special section, AQ presents its second annual Social Inclusion Index, featuring all-new data, four new countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama) and three new variables: LGBT rights, women’s rights and financial inclusion by gender. Drawing from household survey data, public opinion surveys, statistics on economic growth and poverty, and surveys of political, civil, and human rights, the Index evaluates and ranks 16 countries—including the United States—on access to public and private goods by race/ethnicity and gender, attitudes toward empowerment and government responsiveness, and the protection of basic civil, political, and human rights.

Read the table of contents and check out the AQ app. Subscribe now to take advantage of our special limited-time discount. 

In This Issue:

FEATURE SECTION

The Irrelevance of Global Climate Talks
STEVE COHEN
After 20 years, it’s time to consider a new strategy.

Power Shift
JASON BORDOFF AND MICHAEL LEVI
Will the Western Hemispehre overtake the Middle East?

Clean, Cheap Energy
MARI HAYMAN
Do-it-yourself alternatives that poor people can afford.

The Next Energy Superpower?
ERIC FARNSWORTH
New technology is transforming the U.S. energy sector.

The Rising Global Thermostat: What Businesses Can do to Lower the Temperature
BAN KI-MOON
What business can (and should) do to lower the temperature.

Is Brazil the Energy Power of the Future (And Always Will Be)?
CLAIRE CASEY
Waiting for the government to send the right signals.

Cleaner Air, Better Health
KATHERINE BLUMBERG
What’s holding up progress on low sulfur fuels?

Central America Unplugged
JEREMY M. MARTIN
The politics of power.

Eight Popular (And Misleading) Myths About Energy and Green Technology
RAMÓN ESPINASA
Some of the biggest myths and fallacies to look out for.

Will the Darién Gap Stop the Region’s Electrical Integration?
DIANA VILLIERS NEGROPONTE
The last barrier to an integrated electricity grid in the region.

CHARTICLE: The Global Energy Landscape
ANDREINA SEIJAS
Trends in production, consumption and pollution, 2009-2020.

ASK THE EXPERTS
What prevents Latin America from pursuing alternative energy? Pedro Joaquín Coldwell, Ramiro Fernández, Andrea Luecke, and Bruce McKenzie Everett respond.

AQ UPFRONT

Affirmative Action in the Americas
TANYA K. HERNÁNDEZ
The hemisphere-wide drive to make equality a human right.

Some Contradictions in Contemporary Cuban Economic Development
RICARDO TORRES PÉREZ
Inefficiencies and ideology get in the way.

30,000 and Counting: The Long and Winding Road of Peace Building in Colombia
ALEJANDRO EDER GARCÉS
The long and winding road back to normal life for ex-combatants.

The Limits of Legacy: The Post-Chávez Challenge and Electoral Legitimacy
MICHAEL MCCARTHY AND JENNIFER MCCOY
Venezuela’s electoral and governance quandary.

DEPARTMENTS

Dispatches from the Field: Colombia’s pimpineros struggle to survive in the shadowy, violent world of border gas smuggling.

Panorama: Waiting for “Los Bitles” in Mexico, World Games in Cali, 10 Things To Do in Ponce, Milkshakeburgers in the U.S., and more.

Hard Talk: Does FIFA’s corruption hurt the beautiful game? Noah Davis and Juan C. Cappello debate.

Innovators: Felipe Arango promotes eco-friendly mining in Colombia. Ruben Kihuen provides a voice for Latinos in Nevada. Antonio Sosa-Pascual builds a network for Puerto Rico’s diaspora. The Laundromat Project engages artists in New York City.

Policy Updates: Kent Allen on cross-border e-commerce. Alexander Madrazo on telecommunications reform in Mexico. Gordian Kemen on Latin America’s emerging debt markets.

Fresh Look Reviews: José de Córdoba on blogging Venezuela’s revolution. Britta Crandall reviews a study of Brazilian economic reforms. Gabriel Sánchez Zinny looks at the rise of ICT learning across the Americas.

Just the Numbers: Beer consumption in the U.S. and Latin America.