By John Brandon

John Brandon is Director of The Asia Foundation’s International Relations program and head of America’s Role in Asia.

With our election cycle, every four years American foreign policy has a fresh opportunity to be re-examined and re-strategized. Come 2009, U.S. policy towards Asia will continue to directly affect 60% of the world’s population. Many Asians tell me they’re concerned that decisions affecting them, and their countries’ security, are being made unilaterally in Washington. Many say they believe the Global War on Terror tops the U.S. foreign policy agenda, trumping all else. Asian policymakers I’ve spoken to say repeatedly they have little input in decisions made in the U.S. and that their domestic interests are rarely if ever taken into account. Given the political, economic, and security interests of the U.S. in the region, it is essential that both Americans and Asians contribute to solving problems of mutual concern.
Read more »

By Christopher Plante

Christopher Plante is The Asia Foundation’s Director for Environment Programs. He can be reached at cplante@asiafound.org.

Got Stoneflies? How about mayflies? Caddisflies? And midge and black flies? Do you have bugs in your water? I hope so - because after all – they are indicators of clean running waters and economic sustainability. We need them.

The presence of benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs), such as these critters, indicates how clean our creeks, streams, and rivers are around the planet. Stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies have a hard time surviving in polluted waters and are known for their sensitivity to degraded water quality. Damselflies and crane flies are generally less sensitive. Midge flies can indicate polluted conditions. And black flies, where they dominate the sample collection, are indicators of moderate organic or nutrient pollution. Got good indicators?
Read more »