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5 Common Sense Questions Answered About The U.S. Exit From The Paris Agreement

November 6, 2019

Georgia Drawdown, a cross-university climate change initiative between faculty at UGA, Emory, and Georgia Tech including Marilyn Brown, was featured in "5 Common Sense Questions Answered About The U.S. Exit From The Paris Agreement." Forbes, November 5. Brown is a Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy.

Here's an excerpt:

We knew that it was probably coming. The United States formally submitted its plans to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. U.S. officials are trotting out the “unfair burden to U.S. argument.” Supporters of the agreement, which went into force on November 4th, 2016, say that it is a necessary step to combat one of the most significant crises facing humanity. The Trump Administration made their plans known on the first day that a country could formally announce plans to leave.

Read the full story here.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: Forbes
Qatar’s Outdoor Air Conditioning Is Not the Real Climate Villain

November 6, 2019

Valerie Thomas, the Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems with a joint appointment in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the School of Public Policy, was recently quoted in an article entitled “Qatar’s Outdoor Air Conditioning Is Not the Real Climate Villain” for Slate, November 4.

Here's an excerpt:

Climate change is coming for everyone, but it’s coming much faster for some of us. People living in low-income communities are more likely to be affected by storms and floods exacerbated by climate change. Low-lying portions of island nations like the Maldives are projected to be uninhabitable by 2100, and researchers worry that the combination of high temperatures and humidity levels in South Asia and the Persian Gulf could make those regions virtually unlivable.

Qatar, in particular, has recently been the subject of interest in Western media. A recent Washington Post piece reported that Qataris have taken to air conditioning outside spaces, like restaurant patios and sports stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup. Air conditioning, the author wrote, is a “vicious cycle”—the energy required to run AC outdoors requires emissions, which in turn feeds climate change. GQ picked up the news, calling it “environmental lunacy.” One popular tweet linking to the piece says that by running air conditioning, Qataris are “making the heat worse as they try to cool off.”

Read the full story here.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: Slate
The death of Baghdadi isn’t the end of ISIS

November 5, 2019

Jenna Jordan, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, wrote, "The death of Baghdadi isn't the end of ISIS" in the Washington Post.

Given the recent successes in the fight against ISIS, many analysts and government officials are optimistic that Baghdadi’s death will result in substantial weakening and perhaps the demise of ISIS. Advocates of this view argue that Baghdadi is irreplaceable, given his claim of lineage to the prophet Muhammad, religious credentials and education in Koranic studies, and operational success in creating an Islamic State. Despite this belief in Baghdadi’s authority and legitimacy as a leader of the self-proclaimed caliphate, however, ISIS is not a cult of personality. Baghdadi was successful in institutionalizing essential organizational structures.

Read the article in the Washington Post.

Published in: Washington Post
Where Does the Concept of Time Travel Come From?

November 4, 2019

Georgia Tech School of Literature, Media, and Communication Professor Lisa Yaszek was interviewed in an article entitled "Where Does the Concept of Time Travel Come From?" November 2.

Excerpt:

The dream of traveling through time is both ancient and universal. But where did humanity's fascination with time travel begin, and why is the idea so appealing?

The concept of time travel — moving through time the way we move through three-dimensional space — may in fact be hardwired into our perception of time. Linguists have recognized that we are essentially incapable of talking about temporal matters without referencing spatial ones. "In language — any language — no two domains are more intimately linked than space and time," wrote Israeli linguist Guy Deutscher in his 2005 book "The Unfolding of Language." "Even if we are not always aware of it, we invariably speak of time in terms of space, and this reflects the fact that we think of time in terms of space."

Deutscher reminds us that when we plan to meet a friend "around" lunchtime, we are using a metaphor, since lunchtime doesn't have any physical sides. He similarly points out that time can not literally be "long" or "short" like a stick, nor "pass" like a train, or even go "forward" or "backward" any more than it goes sideways, diagonal or down.

The full article can be read here.

The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is a unit of Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: Live Science
Who Was ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?

October 30, 2019

Jenna Jordan, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed by NPR in an article published on October 28 entitled "Who Was ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?"

Read an excerpt:

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was not the first commander of ISIS, but he was the one in charge when the group steamrolled into Iraq and Syria in 2014. That land grab allowed it to declare a state, an outlaw territory that drew thousands of recruits from around the globe. Now that President Trump has declared Baghdadi dead, NPR's Hannah Allam looks at his bloody legacy and what his death means for a movement that is trying to make a comeback.

Read the full interview here.

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: NPR
What Happens To Terror Groups When You Kill Their Leader?

October 30, 2019

Jenna Jordan, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed by NPR in an article published on October 29 entitled "What Happens To Terror Groups When You Kill Their Leader?"

Read an excerpt:

President Donald Trump and U.S. officials have described the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a devastating blow to the group and part of its total defeat. But the history of terrorism shows that the demise of extremist groups is rarely that simple.

Counterterrorism is not a chess game that ends when you topple the king. When the leaders of terror groups are captured or killed, it can have a range of effects depending on what extremists believe, how much support they have and how they’re organized. Sometimes terror groups collapse after their leader is gone. But others are resilient and may even increase their attacks.

Read the full interview here.

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: Huffington Post
UK steps up security measures following Baghdadi death

October 28, 2019

Jenna Jordan, an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed in the Channel 4 article, "UK steps up security measures following Baghdadi death."

Read the article on the Channel 4 article.

Published in: Channel 4
Who Was ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?

October 28, 2019

Jenna Jordan, an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affair, was interviewed by NPR's All Things Considered.

Read an excerpt:

The organization still exists. It still has a lot of operatives in Iraq and Syria and supporters globally, and that he was able to create that is incredible. That said, he created something that is able to withstand his death.

Find the interview on the NPR website.

Published in: NPR
Michael Morell and James Winnefeld on 'Face the Nation'

October 27, 2019

Admiral Sandy Winnefeld was interviewed in "Michael Morell and James Winnefeld on 'Face the Nation'" by CBS News.

Read an excerpt:

Actually one of the complexities of these operations is that they do involve other countries. For example, if you're going to rescue a hostage and that hostage has somebody with them who's from another country, you want to consult with that country. There are overflight rights. There are basing rights and a number of other considerations. So I think it was actually appropriate in the wake of the operation for him to- to thank some of those people. Some of those are characters we don't necessarily like very much, so that was a little concerning but it was well done I thought.

Find the article on the CBS News website.

Published in: CBS News
Open Skies Help Keep the Peace With Russia

October 20, 2019

Senator Sam Nunn, a Sam Nunn School distinguished professor, has co-authored "Open Skies Help Keep the Peace With Russia" with George P. Shultz and William J. Perry in The Wall Street Journal.

Read an excerpt:

International security isn’t a given. Historically, peace among the great powers is a rarity. It’s also a great accomplishment. Like trust, peace and security take a long time to build and only a moment to dismantle.

The article can be found on The Wall Street Journal.

Published in: The Wall Street Journal
Chinese nuclear plans cloud prospects for new U.S.-Russia missile deal

October 19, 2019

Senator Sam Nunn, a distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was cited in "Chinese nuclear plans cloud prospects for new U.S.-Russia missile deal" by The Japan Times.

Find an excerpt:

'China doesn’t have anything like the number of warheads the U.S. and Russia possess,' Sam Nunn, a former Democratic senator from Georgia who co-chairs the Nuclear Threat Initiative, said in an interview. 'We will at some point have to have China in the equation, but that won’t happen now. Common sense would be to at least extend a treaty that already exists and work from there.'

Read the article on The Japan Times.

Published in: The Japan Times
Retired admiral says fallout from Trump's Syria policy change is "essentially irreversible"

October 17, 2019

Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, a distinguished professor in the Nunn School was interviewed in "Retired admiral says fallout from Trump's Syria policy change is 'essentially irreversible' by CBS News.

Read an excerpt:

'We began our closest relationship with them in 1991 when we sent them humanitarian aid after the first Gulf War, and they never forgot that,' Winnefeld said. 'They've been very loyal allies and friends since, have supported us in numerous operations in Iraq. And now they've been fighting and dying to the tune of 11,000 Kurds who have essentially been working on the ground against ISIS, who is a sworn enemy of the United States.'

Find the article on the CBS News website.

Published in: CBS News
Foreign policy experts break down testimony from ex-Trump aide

October 14, 2019

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, a distinguished professor of the practice in the Sam Nunn School, was interviewed in “Foreign policy experts break down testimony from ex-Trump aide” on MSNBC.

Read an excerpt:

We are now exporting corruption– rather than standing for the values of freedom and democracy that the United States stands for

Watch the interview on the MSNBC website.

Published in: MSNBC
As Turkey attacks Kurds in Syria, Trump says any ISIS escapees are Europe's problem

October 10, 2019

Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, USN (ret.), a distinguished professor of the practice in the Sam Nunn School, was cited in "As Turkey attacks Kurds in Syria, Trump says any ISIS escapees are Europe's problem" based on his interview with CBS News.

Read an excerpt:

"If the Turkish incursion results in backing off pressure on ISIS in Syria and the release of hundreds of ISIS prisoners, that is potentially very destabilizing," Winnefeld said. "It poses a threat not only to the United States, but to a lot of our partners in Europe and elsewhere in the region."

Find the article on the CBS website.

Published in: CBS News
As Satellite Tech Gets Easier, Who Makes Sure It's Safe?

October 4, 2019

Mariel Borowitz, an assistant professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was quoted in "As Satellite Tech Gets Easier, Who Makes Sure It's Safe?" by PC Magazine.

Read an excerpt:

'There is some language in the national space policy that makes it clear that our space assets are critical to our national security, so essentially an attack on a space asset would be seen as a very serious action, if not an act of war,' says Borowitz, an assistant professor for the School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. 'That said, there isn't a very clear statement in terms of exactly what the United States would do, and that's probably because there isn't really agreement among major decision makers.'

Find the article on the PC Magazine website.

Published in: PC Magazine
Grant Will Allow Local Librarians to Lead Book Clubs with Teens

October 2, 2019

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Literature, Media, and Communication Associate Professor Susana Morris' work with the American Library Association's Great Stories Club was referenced in "Grant Will Allow Local Librarians to Lead Book Clubs with Teens." St. Peter Herald, October 1.

Here's an excerpt:

The St. Peter Public Library has been selected as one of 35 libraries nationwide to take part in the Great Stories Club, a reading and discussion program for teens. This competitive grant is offered by the American Library Association (ALA) with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

As part of the Great Stories Club series on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, staff from the St. Peter Public Library, along with help from the St. Peter School District will work with teens to read and discuss stories that explore questions of race, equity, identity, history, institutional change and social justice.

Read the full story here.

The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: St. Peter Herald
Proposed Georgia Power Rate Hike Hearings Begin This Week

September 30, 2019

Marilyn Brown, a Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy, was recently quoted in an article entitled “Proposed Georgia Power Rate Hike Hearings Begin This Week” for WABE, September 30.

Here's an excerpt:

Georgia Power is requesting to raise customer rates by about $10 per month for the average residential user.

The request is more than $2.2 billion over the next three years, and hearings before the Public Service Commission are scheduled to happen Monday through Wednesday. Protests are also planned by those who disagree with the hike request.

Many don’t want their bills to go up in general, but some experts are also worried the increase as proposed could stifle energy efficiency.

Read the full story here.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: WABE
Lockhart: Fed Cut Was a Second Payment on an Insurance Policy

September 18, 2019

Dennis Lockhart, a distinguished professor of the practice in the Nunn School, was interviewed by Bloomberg on the Fed policy decision, Fed's balance sheet, and U.S. labor market.

Find the interview on the Bloomberg website.

Published in: Bloomberg
Lockhart: General Slowdown Is Biggest Risk to Global Economy

September 18, 2019

Former Atlanta Federal Reserve President and now Distinguished Professor of the Practice, Dennis Lockhart was interviewed by Bloomberg on the risks of the U.S. faces as the global economy slows down and the Saudi oil facility attack.

Find the interview on the Bloomberg website.

Published in: Bloomberg
CAR T-cell Therapy Has Some Patients Crowdfunding to Cover Costs

September 17, 2019

Aaron Levine, an associate professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy, was recently quoted in an article entitled “CAR T-cell Therapy has Some Patients Crowdfunding to Cover Costs” for Healio, September 13.

Here's an excerpt:

Levine said the purpose of the perspective was to raise awareness among researchers and clinicians of the financial challenges facing patients who pursue CAR T-cell therapy.

“Clinicians need to be aware that this therapy, while promising, is forcing at least a subset of patients to turn to an alternate source of funding, and that they really ought to think about the economics and how they talk to their patients about this,” he said.

Read the full story here.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Published in: Healio