NEWS
May 25, 2011 - U.S. POLICY OPTIONS IN TURKEY
Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian has been invited to join an independent task force on Turkey sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley. The task force will seek to provide a comprehensive analysis of Turkey's domestic and foreign policy trajectories and will help to inform U.S. policy options toward Ankara. It will aim to produce a consensus report that will offer guidance to policymakers and others on the U.S.-Turkish bilateral relationship; Turkey's role within NATO; its relations in the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere; and Turkey's place in the global economy, among other important issues.
May 20, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
When gas prices are high, policymakers tend wring their hands, assign
blame and propose policies that provide no immediate help to
consumers. But what about helping Americans drive less? Could getting
out of your car make a difference?
In this video clip, Amy Myers Jaffe, the Baker Institute's Wallace S.
Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies, discusses how a concerted effort to
promote telecommuting and reduced driving could substantially reduce
the price of gasoline. Consumers, she contends, have more power to
affect the price of gasoline than they often realize.
Jaffe also serves as director of the Baker Institute Energy Forum, as
well as associate director of the Rice Energy Program. Jaffe's
research focuses on oil geopolitics, strategic energy policy
including energy science policy, and energy economics. Jaffe was
formerly senior editor and Middle East analyst for Petroleum
Intelligence Weekly.
May 18, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
What does a student learn through an internship at the Baker Institute? Thomas Campbell, a spring 2011 graduate of Rice University, blogs about his four years of experience as an intern. Campbell, who also was a member of the Baker Institute Student Forum, lists meeting statesmen and public figures among the perks of working at the institute. As one of the students who organized and led the Public Diplomacy and Global
Policymaking in the 21st Century Colloquium in conjunction with American
University in Cairo, he was able to develop his leadership skills. Campbell also notes that some of the most important lessons he takes away from his internship are “the importance of hard work, knowledge of the wider issues of our world, and even a few lessons on what being a leader means.”
May 11, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
In a May 10, 2011, blog post, nonresident drug policy fellow and former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Gary Hale discusses how reforms in U.S. immigration policy could help mitigate the violence and kidnapping stemming from Mexican drug and human trafficking organizations. Hale’s recommendations include helping Mexico establish federal control of the Mexico-Guatemala border; developing an official database of Mexican human smuggling organizations; and starting a guest worker program to help ensure that migrant workers entering the United States are less susceptible to human rights abuses by human traffickers.
May 11, 2011 - USAEE AWARD
Kenneth Medlock, the institute’s James A. Baker, III, and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, has received the U.S. Association for Energy Economics (USAEE) Senior Fellow Award. The prize recognizes Medlock, also an adjunct professor in economics at Rice University, for long-term career contributions to energy economics and dedicated service to the professional organization of U.S. energy economists. Medlock leads the Baker Institute Energy Forum’s
natural-gas program and played a principle role in the development of
the Rice World Natural Gas Trade Model, aimed at assessing the future of
international natural-gas trade. In receiving the USAEE prize, he joins Baker Institute Rice scholar Peter Hartley, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development and professor of economics, who won the award in 2010. "The USAEE's Senior Fellow Award is well-deserved recognition of Ken Medlock's outstanding research in energy economics and 'natural gas plays' globally," said Edward Djerejian, the founding director of the Baker Institute. "We at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University are proud of Ken's continuing substantive contributions on key energy issues."
May 10, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
Modern-day pirates are making international headlines with their violent attacks, theft and kidnappings on the high seas. This threat is endangering the trade routes and commercial sea lanes that are crucial to the global economy. But there might be a silver lining in this situation. In a May 5, 2011, blog post, Baker Institute research intern Andy Wang notes that countries with political and ideological differences are banding together to combat piracy and protect maritime trade.
May 04, 2011 - MAPPING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE
On Feb. 2, 2010, the Baker Institute published a report that offers concrete recommendations to U.S. negotiators on the territorial component of an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. “Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement” draws on nearly two years of discussions between a working group of Israelis and Palestinians convened under the aegis of the institute’s Conflict Resolution Forum and chaired by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian.
The Israeli and Palestinian participants in the discussions were former officials, both civilian and military, academics, experts from various organizations and individuals from the private sector. Drawing on their deliberations and the proposed options for a final territorial agreement, the report finds that a United States bridging proposal on the territorial component of peace based on the line of June 4, 1967, with agreed-upon swaps and modifications could be introduced at the right time and, depending on actual political circumstances, serve as a guide to enable gradual progress, step by step. The contours of this territorial bridging proposal are outlined in the report, as well as the need to prepare the necessary planning tools to achieve a successful outcome. Exploring the phasing of the relocation and dismantlement of settlements over a period of time will be an important part of any compromise solution.
“No agreement will please every constituency on either side,” said Djerejian, who is a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and to Israel, as well as former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. “But this report can provide the respective governments with a heads up on significant problems and contentious issues that they most likely will encounter in actual negotiations, and, at the same time, provide insights into where differences could be narrowed and agreements reached.”
Printed copies of the report may be purchased for US$18 each and will be mailed upon receipt of payment. For further details, please contact mchen@rice.edu.
May 03, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
As the price of oil rises, the Obama administration is putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production. However, energy fellow Amy Myers Jaffe notes that Saudi Arabia is limited in how much additional oil it can make available to the global market and that geopolitical trends define the international price of crude oil. In a May 2, 2011, blog post, Jaffe recalls Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's attempted attacks on Saudi oil in the early 2000s. Resulting in the death of foreign oil workers, these attacks became linked to a "terror premium" that contributed to the rise in oil prices. Likewise, the current political unrest in the Middle East makes it essential that the Saudi government fulfill the energy needs of its citizens, which might mean fewer exports and higher global oil prices. “It would not be surprising to imagine that the Saudi government would choose summer indoor cooling for its population over lower gasoline prices for Americans,” Jaffe writes.
Apr 28, 2011 - THE FUTURE OF OIL IN MEXICO
The
energy industry plays an important role in the Mexican economy, and
energy
trade is a major component to the U.S.-Mexico relationship. The Mexican
government relies on the oil industry for 35 percent of total government
revenues, including taxes and direct payments from Petróleos Mexicanos
(Pemex),
the state oil company. Mexico is the third-largest foreign crude oil
supplier
to the United States. However, with declining production and rising
demand,
Mexico could become a net oil importer in the coming decade. President
Calderón
pushed for energy sector reform in Mexico, but more reforms will be
needed for
Mexico to reverse its current path toward importer status. To examine
these
issues, this study identifies the dynamics of the political
trends in Mexico that will impact future energy policy. Through this
project, the Baker Institute seeks to promote a better understanding of
the challenges facing Mexico’s oil
sector and to enhance the debate among policymakers, the media and
industry on
these important issues.
Apr 06, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
Myles Bugbee, president of the Rice Young Democrats, and Sean Sessel, president of the Rice Conservative Forum, recap the March 22 Baker Institute Student Forum panel discussion on President Obama’s policies and their effect on the job market. The Conservative Forum claimed that there has been little improvement in unemployment rates and targeted Obama’s health care reform, the stimulus bill and new regulations in particular. Members of the Young Democrats lauded Obama’s ability to act quickly after inheriting an economy in financial crisis, particularly praising the American Recovery Act.
Apr 06, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
In the article “Young Children in Urban Areas: Links Among Neighborhood Characteristics, Weight Status, Outdoor Play and Television-Watching,” published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, Baker Institute Rice scholar Rachel Kimbro and her co-authors examined correlations between outdoor playtime and body mass index (BMI) of children living in urban areas. The study found that children who live in public housing, despite predictions, play outside more and tend to have a lower BMI than other urban children. “A key to solving obesity problems among poor, urban children is to create safe and open spaces where these kids can play, because now we know that they are outside playing,” Kimbro said. “It’s possible that children living in public housing have access to community playgrounds and courtyards for children to play outdoors, which could be why we see more outside play time for them."
Mar 22, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
Radiation leaking from a nuclear power plant damaged by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan led Kristen Kulinowski, Ph.D., executive director for education and public policy at Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, to blog about potassium iodide -- a drug sold over-the-counter that can protect the thyroid gland from absorbing iodide in its radioactive form. Kulinowski writes about potential policy implications regarding effective distribution of the drug, noting that accurately identifying populations in need of potassium iodide can be difficult. In addition, timeliness of distribution is critical, or else the drug’s effectiveness is seriously hindered.
Mar 22, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
Kenneth Evans, a Rice graduate student working toward a Ph.D. in physics and an intern for the Science and Technology Program, blogs about President Barack Obama’s emphasis on science and technology research and development in his proposed FY2012 budget. “Passing and implementing Obama's FY2012 budget in its entirety would be a resounding success for U.S. science and technology and would put the country back on equal footing with an increasingly competitive global research environment,” Evans writes. It is likely, however, that the proposed budget will face major cuts before Congress approves it. Evans calls on “civic scientists” to urge legislators to support science and technology funding before the president's proposal collapses.
Mar 16, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
In a recent Baker Institute Blog post, Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes discusses the public protest over pensions and government employees. Barnes writes that many workers feel that if one part of the working class receives low benefits, then the other part should too. "For tens of millions of our citizens, the American Dream has become precisely that: a fantasy," he writes.
Mar 14, 2011 - TRAGEDY IN JAPAN
The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy extends its deepest condolences over the loss of life and our sympathies to the people of Japan over the tragedy caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. "We are profoundly saddened by this terrible disaster," said Baker
Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian. "From the very beginning of the establishment of the Baker Institute, we have worked closely with individuals and institutions in Japan on public policy issues of mutual interest. The institute is committed to lending our voice to support the relief and recovery efforts now and in the weeks and months ahead." For the latest information on the disaster and the situation in Japan, as well as ways to help, visit the U.S. State Department website. On April 8, the Science and Technology Policy Program and the Energy Forum held a panel discussion to discuss the impact of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power plant. "Japan: The Aftermath" featured scientists and scholars who discussed the health and policy implications of these events. For those unable to attend the event, the Baker Institute has produced a four-minute video of highlights from the program, which can be viewed here: A webcast of the April 8 event is also available. For more Baker Institute coverage of Japan, please see:
- "Is radiation from Fukushima an imminent health threat?" (March 18, 2011)
- "Radiation in Japan revisited" (March 25, 2011)
- "Clearing up reports of radiation in Japan" (March 31, 2011)
- "Assessing Japan's response to its nuclear disaster" (April 15, 2011)
Mar 09, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
William Martin,
the Baker Institute's Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in
Religion and Public Policy, examines the moral and financial benefits of
needle exchange programs in a commentary for the Texas Tribune. "Access to clean needles reduces
the incidence of blood-borne diseases and neither encourages people to
start injecting drugs nor increases drug use by those who are already
users,” he writes. Texas legislators are considering a bill that
would allow local health authorities or nongovernmental organizations
to, among other things, exchange used syringes for new ones. “It may be
one of few opportunities Texas legislators will have this year to
improve public health, show compassion for the afflicted and save money
in the bargain,” Martin says.
• Read Martin’s March 3, 2011, post “The conservative case for needle exchange” on the Baker Institute blog.
Mar 09, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
Cassie Lopez, an intern for the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program
and a Rice senior, blogs about carbon dioxide regulation and the
possible problems with placing restrictions on a naturally occurring gas
that is essential to life. “Putting this particular molecule in the
same group as the other pollutants is a slippery slope,” Lopez writes.
Will water vapor and other "technical pollutants" in the same category
as carbon dioxide soon be regulated as well?
• Read Lopez’s March 4, 2011, post “What to do with CO2?” on the Baker Institute blog.
Mar 01, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
What are the political and legal implications of the Obama administration's decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act? Baker Institute fellow in law and urban economics Dan Rodriguez blogs on this question, as well as the broader role of the courts. He writes that the Obama administration's decision "may well forecast the future intention of Obama to
support, fully and fulsomely, same-sex marriage. And, perhaps equally
significantly, it may give political cover to federal, state and local
officials -- not excluding judges -- whose ambivalence about same-sex
marriage is borne more of strategic political calculations, rather than
personal commitments or interpretations of the state and federal
constitutions."
Feb 22, 2011 - SCHOLARLY POV
Mark P. Jones, Baker Institute fellow in political science and Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, blogs that Houston will gain an additional seat in Congress because of census gains. But he says it is unlikely that a Hispanic will fill the seat. Party lines and residential housing segregation are some of the contributing issues, Jones writes. “In spite of the fact that Hispanics account for more than one-third of the Houston area’s population…not a single one of these representatives will be Hispanic.” Read Jones’ Feb. 18, 2011, Baker Institute Blog post, “Why Houston won’t send a Hispanic to Congress."
Feb 21, 2011 - STUDENT VOICES
Jingyuan Luo, an
intern for the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program and a
senior at Rice University, blogs about the recent case overturning the notion
that genes can be patented. If the case, ACLU vs. Myraid Genetics, is upheld at
the appellate level, the biotechnical industry could face serious
repercussions, writes Luo, who was recently awarded the prestigious Marshall Scholarship: “It is likely that companies like Myriad would have less
incentive to invest billions of research dollars in developing future
diagnostic tests. … How do you incentivize intellectual creativity while also
disseminating the results of that creativity?”
