Center for a New American Security

This is a new feature to highlight the top tweets of the week to hit my Twitter feed (@wmrogers).

From The Hill’s Energy and Environment Blog @E2Wire: “News bites: White House to promote ‘bioeconomy’ bit.ly/JXftuf.”

The Hill’s Energy and Environment Blog discusses the White House’s announced release of a new National Bioeconomy Blueprint on Thursday that is expected to make a broad push for investments in biotechnology, including renewable biofuels.

From Circle of Blue @circleofblue: “Soon, water may be more important that oil to #China @Forbessu.pr/1mAIOg #water

Circle of Blue links to a report in Forbes that discusses the growing strategic importance of water in China, driven in part by increasing demand as well as mismanagement of existing resources. According to the report, “The country’s water supply is smaller than that of the U.S., yet it must meet the needs of a population nearly five times as large. Industrialization has taken its toll on this already limited resource. Industrial and biological pollution has contaminated almost 90 percent of the underground water in Chinese cities.”

From Project 2049 Institute @Project2049: “Philippines finds more-than-expected #natural #gas in #SChinaSeabit.ly/Imby87.”

Project 2049 Institute links to a report from Japan’s The Asahi Shimbun that says the Philippines has found more natural gas that estimates had projected in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The report comes on the heels of a recent standoff between China and the Philippines off the Scarborough Shoal where the Philippines accused Chinese fishermen of illegally fishing.

Also from Project 2049 Institute @Project2049: “#Japan’s #utilities will fall short of peak summer demand by up to 16% http://bit.ly/I7TMII.”

Project 2049 Institute links to a report from The Japanese Times that says that the country may be unable to meet peak power demand in August due largely to the country’s closure of nuclear power plants, which had provided about 30 percent of its electricity supply until the March 2011 Fukushima accident.

From The Huffington Post @Huffington Post: “Iran unplugs oil facilities from the Internet http://huff.to/I5NKIv.”

The Huffington Post reports that Iranian officials disconnected the country’s main oil export terminal from the Internet on Monday due to an attack from hackers and a computer virus that targeted the Iranian oil sector’s computer systems. The event adds to already increased pressure on the Iranian oil sector brought on by Western sanctions. However, there were no reported disruptions to oil production or exports.