Article: Tonga leading in the fight for Energy Security (Tonga Chronicle)

Cleo Paskal's article on energy security in Tonga appeared in the Tonga Chronicle. It starts:

THE earthquake in Japan is a heartbreaking human tragedy. It is also a clear indicator of the interconnectedness of global energy infrastructure, and could affect energy prices here in the Kingdom of Tonga. Luckily, Tonga has a plan in place that could lead the world in finding solutions.

But first the problem. Once the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant was obvious, global oil prices reacted quickly. While price is also affected by events in the Middle East, speculators seem to be assuming that, with its nuclear power generation impaired, Japan will have to import more oil and gas. And so prices looked up.

If the disaster causes a global rethink of nuclear power (already Germany seems to be moving away from nuclear and China is cautious), this could cause a long-term rise in oil and gas prices – something that is not good for a country like Tonga where close to 100% of the electricity is currently diesel generated.

Video: Grantham Award

Global Warring won the $5000 Grantham Award of Special Merit. This is the video produced for the award ceremony: 

Review of Global Warring by Bill Hinchberger

Bill Hinchberg reviewed Global Warring, interestingly pairing it with James G. Workman's book Heart of Dryness: How the Last Bushmen Can Help Us Endure the Coming Age of Permanent Drought.It makes sense as, as Hinchberg puts it, both books look at people (Sumerians in the case of Global Warring, Bushmen in the case of Workman) who "demonstrate how human beings have coped, and failed to cope, with localized water scarcity." To read the thoughtful review, click here. 

Global Warring mention in Forbes.com

Gordon G. Chang mentions Global Warring in his interesting column on global food wars. You can read it here.

Cleo Paskal wins NATJA Award

Cleo Paskal's feature on Haniteli and Lucy Fa'anunu's garden in the Kingdom of Tonga, written for the Toronto Star, won silver at the North American Travel Journalists Association annual awards :) You can see the article here.

Video: Cleo Paskal speaking at the New America Foundation

Global Warring In Grand Forks

Global Warring is the Current Affairs book club book of the month in April at the Grand Forks Public Library. Grand Forks is a city that knows better than most the cost of environmental change -- and so it the sort of place likely to help find solutions to the challenge. Take care, Grand Forks, and thanks for inviting in Global Warring.

Review of Global Warring by Dick Bennett

On his blog, Dick Bennett called Global Warring and a letter by Mike Tidwell: "comprehensive, scholarly and a personal response to climate warming and consequent extreme weather.  They help us here in NWA be wiser and braver in preparing for the warmer future." Aw shucks, thanks! For more, click here. 

Profile Q&A with Cleo by the American Society of Journalists and Authors

The American Society of Journalists and Authors profiled Cleo in the ASJA Monthly, asking her about career highlights, low points, and where to get a good pickle sandwich (or something). You can read it here.

Video: Cleo Paskal speaks at IdeaCity

Review of Global Warring by Smart Energy Cycle

Smart Energy Cycle reviewed Global Warring and seemed to like it. An excerpt (for more click here):


Books about the environment are more often than not filled with exaggerations or filled with self-righteousness, but Cleo Paskal has provided one of the more comprehensive and balanced views on the real significance of environmental change.
Global Warring is a thought-provoking account into the future of international politics. We really need to wake up to the signs of impending change instead of taking our ecosystem for granted. It is important to note that Paskal frequently uses the phrase “environmental change,” presumably to convey an appropriately broader term than the oft-used “climate change” or “global warming.”
The reader gets a crash-course in geopolitics and views problems at both the micro- and macro- levels.

Articles: Series on an 'Inquiry into New Zealand’s relationship with South Pacific countries' (Tonga Chronicle)

Cleo Paskal has been doing a series for the Tonga Chronicle on New Zealand's thinking on the Pacific. In December 2010, the Government of New Zealand released an Inquiry into New Zealand’s relationship with South Pacific countries. The report is the Government of New Zealand’s biggest public rethink on South Pacific issues since the end of the Cold War. So far three articles have run in the series.

Video: Cleo Paskal on Copenhagen and Geopolitics

And the discussion continues here on Keith Kloor's blog.