Caspar Henderson was openDemocracy's Globalisation Editor from 2002 to 2005. He is an award-winning writer and journalist on environmental affairs. Caspar has also worked as a consultant on issues in energy, water, regulation, technology, human rights, economics and the environment. He blogs on a variety of topics at Grains of Sand , and investigates whether coral reefs will be the first ecosystem to be eliminated by global warming at Coral Bones. 

Recent articles

Arthur C Helton, director of peace and conflict studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for openDemocracy, was killed in the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003. His colleague and co-columnist, Gil Loescher, was critically injured. Caspar Henderson & David Hayes pay tribute on behalf of openDemocracy.

(This article was first published on 21 August 2003)

The Kyoto Protocol, whose future or obituary is under construction in Bali, set the first framework for a global carbon market with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in 1997 (although it did not actually come into operation until the Protocol came into force in 2005). Critics of the CDM are not hard to find, but the substance of their objections varies enormously. They range from NGOs like the International Rivers Network which says it opens the door to huge scams, to multi-million dollar companies which want to make CDM work but say it has been hobbled and risks losing credibility altogether.

Climate change is big, complex and scary. While Mark Lynas's new book helps readers get to grips with the issue, Caspar Henderson offers six caveats.

Mankind is rapidly destroying ancient coral reefs. Why care? Caspar Henderson reviews Steve Jones’s new book on the wondrous ecosystems and finds it wanting.

George W Bush's seventh state of the union speech offered a series of measures to increase the United States's energy security. Spin or substance, asks Caspar Henderson.