Dialogue at the Wilson Center tackled demography and the environment last week, interviewing Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former Wilson Center public policy scholar Caryle Murphy about her new book, A Kingdom’s Future: Saudi Arabia Through the Eyes of Its Twentysomethings, followed by John Sullivan, director of the Environment and Health and Safety News Division for Bloomberg BNA, on the most important energy and environmental issues of 2013.

The Arab Awakening

While Saudi Arabia has so far been untouched by the social uprisings and regime changes experienced by its neighbors, “the Arab Awakening has had an impact on the minds of people in Saudi,” Murphy told Dialogue. It “shifted [the country’s] political center of gravity from an older generation steeped in an authoritarian mindset to a younger one eager for greater personal liberty and individual autonomy,” writes Murphy in A Kingdom’s Future.

Today, 64 percent of Saudi Arabia’s indigenous population is under the age of 30, said Murphy, and 12 percent of the population is between the ages of 12 and 16. The year 2014 will be a “tipping point” for the country, she said, as this generation begins to turn 18 and compete for limited spots at universities or seek employment in a job market that already has a 10.9 percent unemployment rate.

“There is a very significant section of young people that would like to move faster in political changes,” Murphy said. “They do want a constitutional monarchy, they do want elections…and [they] are angry about their lack of political rights.”

“What people are saying on Twitter is remarkable, especially the young people,” Murphy said. “They are making fun of the government and government decisions.”

The Saudi Minister of Labor has been implementing new initiatives to create new jobs, which “indicates they are aware of the big problem they are facing,” Murphy said.

Natural Disasters and Energy Headlines

While surveys show a decline in the public’s concern for environmental issues, John Sullivan told Dialogue that “everyone cares about environmental issues when they affect them,” and that’s happening more often. Hurricane Sandy created $65 billion in damages – the second-highest, after Katrina, in U.S. history – and has “generated interest and concern” about climate change. Sullivan said that the severity of the economic crisis has likely overshadowed environmental issues for many Americans, but that may change as recovery continues and extreme and unusual climatic conditions continue.

In terms of stories to watch in the United States, hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) for natural gas will be a controversial topic this year, Sullivan said. Shale gas has been deemed a savior of U.S. energy independence, but the long-term side effects associated with the technique are still uncertain. President Obama’s upcoming decision on the Keystone Pipeline project will also be a big energy headline and, depending on which way it goes, may bring more protests like the February event in Washington, DC, that drew more than 35,000 people.

One of the most under-reported environmental stories is air pollution, Sullivan said. “It has a real on-the-ground effect on people,” and since it is transboundary, states must develop cooperative interstate policies to adhere to regulatory emissions standards. Coping with air pollution and adhering to regulations is costly to both states and businesses as they must incorporate neighboring states’ policies and emissions as well as their own to achieve air quality standards. This year, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to make some crucial decisions about whether or not to begin regulating carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants.

Looking forward, Sullivan is optimistic that global governance institutions will play a role in developing air pollution and greenhouse gas emission standards. He applauded the flexibility of the European Union’s emissions trading scheme and said he is optimistic that the United Nations will enact a new protocol on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by 2015.

Sources: Politico, RT News, USA Today.

Video Credit: Dialogue at the Wilson Center.