IMPATTI AMBIENTALI E SOCIALI DELLE CRIPTOVALUTE

Il focus di oggi riguarda gli impatti degli investimenti in criptovalute. 

FOCUS – ESG and Crypto: Weighing The Pros and Cons, March 25. By Morgan Stanley. The growing popularity of cryptocurrency has created a new wrinkle for investors—how to balance its potential upside against its inherent environmental and social impacts. A look at both sides of the issue. (read more)

ON LIFE (technology, the future of the internet, cybersecurity, data)

The Science of Where

• Race is On to Remove Lead Pipes from Under the US, March 29. By Christa Campbell, Esri. New federal rules aimed at ridding US drinking water of lead contamination has cities and states hurrying to find and replace millions of lead service lines across the country. Key Takeaways: – New lead and copper replacement guidelines require water utilities across the US to inventory all service lines; – Working from outdated or missing information, operators are using GIS to collect and share accurate data;  – Real-time GIS maps and dashboards keep contractors on track and the public informed. (read more)

Artificial intelligence

• Six Steps to Responsible AI in the Federal Government, March 30. By Darrell M. West, Brookings. There is widespread agreement that responsible artificial intelligence requires principles such as fairness, transparency, privacy, human safety, and explainability. Nearly all ethicists and tech policy advocates stress these factors and push for algorithms that are fair, transparent, safe, and understandable. But it is not always clear how to operationalize these broad principles or how to handle situations where there are conflicts between competing goals. It is not easy to move from the abstract to the concrete in developing algorithms and sometimes a focus on one goal comes at the detriment of alternative objectives. (read more)

Data

• Better understanding of data lifecycles can reduce digital harms March 30. By Jordan Famularo, Brookings. If we are ever to address effectively the harms and risks of digital technology, we first need the right language to describe the systems that collect, analyze, share, and store huge amounts of data about us as consumers, patients, and citizens—often with deleterious effects. Misinformation, attention extraction, discriminatory algorithmic profiling, and cybercrime: These digital harms all emerge from the data ecosystem in which we live, but not in ways we can fully see or explain. (read more)

Technology

• Technology and Power, March 30, 2022. By James Andrew Lewis, CSIS. Power is the ability of individuals or groups to shape events. Technology is the practical application of scientific knowledge and the invention and use of devices to improve human performance. New technologies change economies, markets, and cultures by creating new opportunities. While some have a growing fear of technological change, technology remains the best source of continued economic growth and military strength. (read more) 

AROUND THE WORLD (evolving worlds, ongoing relations, crisis, conflicts)

Afghanistan

• UN seeks stronger Afghanistan aid funding despite concerns on Taliban, March 31. By Reuters. The United Nations is seeking $4.4 billion for Afghanistan at an international virtual event on Thursday in the largest humanitarian appeal launched for a single country even as concerns mount over Taliban rule. (read more)

BRICS – R5 Initiative

• Revisiting the R5 Paradigm, March 31. By Yaroslav Lissovolik, Valdai Discussion Club. The rise in geopolitical risks has notably accentuated the topicality of de-dollarization and the use of national currencies in financial transactions. One of the cases in point was the discussion between China and Saudi Arabia on the possibility of using Chinese Yuan for settlements in lieu of Saudi’s oil deliveries to China. Back in 2017 the Valdai Club advanced the R5 initiative that was meant to bolster financial settlements and transactions in the national currencies of BRICS members. (read more)

Burkina Faso

• Burkina Faso minister: 36 months “realistic” for transition to democracy, March 31, Reuters. (read more)

Central Asia

• Russia concerned at Islamic State’s plans to destabilise Central Asia -report, March 31. By Reuters (read more)

Greater Eurasia

• The CSTO and EAEU in a New Era: From Abstraction to Practice, March 30. By Valdai Discussion Club. It is difficult now to operate with abstract schemes like the respected concept of “Greater Eurasia”, but it is quite clear that real interaction, which makes it possible to reduce the threats from a world economic war and even gain benefits from it, will do more for implementation in a common space than any ideas of a general nature, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev. (read more)

Hungary

• Orban’s dream of two decades in power hangs in the balance in Hungarian ballot, March 31. By Krisztina Than, Reuters. After his third consecutive landslide victory in 2018, Hungary’s Viktor Orban said his strong new mandate allowed him to plan for 12 years ahead, aiming for an unbroken two-decade spell in power in the former communist Central European country. (read more)

Iraq

• Eden Denied: Environmental Decay, Illicit Activities, and Instability in Iraq’s Southern Border Area, March 29. By Harith Hasan, Carnegie Middle East Center. In Iraq’s Eastern Basra region, regional conflicts and illicit activity have contributed to environmental decay, which in turn furthers instability. Unless these problems are addressed, there will be long-term consequences for Iraq and the Middle East. (read more)

Israel – Palestine

• Israeli forces on West Bank raid kill two Palestinians during clashes – health ministry, March 31. By Reuters. Israeli forces killed at least two Palestinians on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in clashes that erupted during a raid in the occupied West Bank that followed deadly Arab attacks in Israel. (read more)

South Africa

• Lessons from the Cape Town water crisis and the need for a renewed technical agenda, March 30. Cape Town, South Africa faced a crippling drought between 2016 and 2018. The widely reported “Day Zero” crisis, wherein the city faced the real possibility of the taps being turned off, presented an acute shock and highlighted major vulnerabilities in the city’s water supply system, which relies largely on six large dams. Due to a combination of demand incentives, intensive supply management, and behavioral change campaigns, Cape Town was able to avert “Day Zero.” However, the crisis provided a number of useful lessons and exposed the critical need for a water system rooted in principles of resilience and a renewed technical approach to water management aimed at equity, sustainability, and water sensitivity. (read more)

Taiwan

• U.S. says China’s pressure on Taiwan a threat to all democracies, March 31. By Reuters. China’s diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan represents a threat to all democracies and the United States is committed to helping the island defend itself, the top U.S. diplomat in Taipei said. Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan event late on Wednesday, Sandra Oudkirk, director of the American Institute in Taiwan which handles relations in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, said managing U.S. differences with China faces “distinct challenges”. (read more)

• Taiwan studying Ukraine war tactics, discussing with U.S., March 31. By Reuters. Taiwan’s defence ministry has set up a working group to study the tactics of the war in Ukraine, including how the country has been able to hold out against Russia, and has been discussing this with the United States, its minister said on Thursday. (read more)

USA

• Anti-CRT bills are aimed to incite the GOP base—not parents, March 30. By William H. Frey, Brookings: Beginning last year and continuing in 2022, dozens of states—mostly those with Republican-dominated legislatures and governors—have proposed laws and executive orders banning the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) or, more broadly, books and courses on America’s diversity. Perhaps most noteworthy was newly elected Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s “day one” executive order banning the teaching of critical race theory and other “divisive concepts.” Other Republican governors who have been vocal about these bans include Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas.(read more)

• Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie D. Jenkins Announces Kenneth D. Ward as U.S. Special Representative to the Biological Weapons Convention, March 30. By US Department of State. (read more)
• It’s About Time to Build Regional Supply Chains, March 30. By Christopher S. Tang, IndustryWeek. How will the U.S.-China trade war end? When will the COVID pandemic end? What will happen when the Russia-Ukraine war ends? I do not know the answers, but I do believe most global supply chains are going to end. They had a good run over the last few decades, enabling Western companies to grow profitably and helping developing countries alleviate poverty. But concurrent and unprecedented events have blown apart their cost efficiency. To offset increased tariffs on imports from China, U.S. companies have raised their prices, hurting American consumers. (read more)
• US Senate Advances China Competition Legislation, March 30. By Agence France-Press, IndustryWeek. The U.S. Senate voted Monday to greenlight a multibillion-dollar bill aimed at jumpstarting high-tech research and manufacturing, countering China’s growing influence and easing a global shortage of computer chips. The legislation is the upper chamber’s version of the House’s America Competes bill that passed in February. Lawmakers are expected to start negotiations between both parties in the House and Senate to marry the different texts.  (read more)

USA – Algeria

• Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability, March 30. By US Department of State. (read more)

USA – China – Asia

• The Potential Impact of the US-Chinese Conflict in Asia, March 31. By Valdai Discussion Club. The countries of the Asia-Pacific region are motivated to join forces with Washington on the issue of containing China, not because they share democratic values, but because they are concerned about the strengthening of China’s military and economic power amid unresolved territorial disputes and Beijing’s assertiveness in promoting China’s interests and narrative in the region, writes Valdai Club expert Yana Leksyutina. (read more)

USA – India

• Secretary of State Blinken’s Call with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, March 30. By US Department of State. (read more) 

USA – Iran

• Iran criticises new U.S. sanctions as proof of Washington’s ‘maximum pressure’, March 31. (read more)

• United States Imposes Sanctions on Iran’s Ballistic Missile-Related Activities, March 30. By US Department of State. (read more)

Yemen

• Houthis still welcome to join Yemen talks in Riyadh, says GCC official, March 31. By Reuters. An invitation for Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis to join Yemeni talks in Saudi Arabia remains on the table, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) assistant secretary-general Abdulaziz Al-Aweisheq said on Thursday. (read more)

• Work ‘in concert’ to help bring Yemen closer to a peaceful future, March 30. By UN News. The peace process in Yemen has been “stalled for too long,” the top UN envoy for the country told a summit meeting on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aiming to build on the Saudi-led coalition’s unilateral declaration of a ceasefire, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. (UN News)

DEFENSE – MILITARY

• NATO after the Invasion, March 30. By CSIS. NATO’s Road to Madrid is back, at a critical time for the alliance. In this episode, hosts Pierre Morcos and Luis Simón are joined by two highly respected experts: Lauren Speranza, Director of the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), and Dan Hamilton, a Senior Fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute, a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. Together, the group breaks down NATO’s response to Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine, the alliance’s potential vulnerabilities, and the effects of the invasion on NATO’s development of its new Strategic Concept. (read more)

• U.S., S.Korea seen resuming major military drills as N.Korea tensions rise. March 31. By Josh Smith and Hyonhee Shin, Reuters. Joint South Korean and U.S. military drills set to kick off next month could for the first time in years include more weaponry and troops, and more aggressive messaging as tensions with North Korea rise. Neither the South Korean or U.S. militaries have confirmed what this year’s annual drills may entail, but a recent series of unusual displays of military might in and around the Korean peninsula suggest a more muscular show could be in the works, analysts said. (read more)

RUSSIA – UKRAINE (impact, reactions, consequences)

• Reaching Regular Russians, March 30. By Aliide Naylor, CEPA. Grassroots efforts to inform propaganda-saturated Russians about the unprovoked war in Ukraine are proving difficult, though not impossible. (read more)

• Russia Won’t Play the Cyber Card, Yet, March 30. By Jan Kallberg, CEPA. Russia has three means to bolster its international image and project strength —conventional forces, cyber, and nuclear weapons. Only one has been used so far, and for good reason. (read more)

• Putin’s Truth-Twisters and Non-War in Ukraine, March 30. By Kseniya Kirillova, CEPA. Russia’s use of violence against Ukrainian civilians is worsening, something distorted by ever-more cynical propaganda. (read more)

• The Kremlin’s Next Targets? Georgia and Moldova, March 30. By Sergi Kapanadze, CEPA. Whatever the outcome of Russia’s unwarranted war against Ukraine, its implications for Georgia and Moldova are serious and immediate. (read more)

• Considering the No-Fly Zone Prospects in Ukraine, March 30. By Matthew Strohmeyer, Christopher K. Reid, Grace Hwang, CSIS. In light of Russia’s ongoing aggression across much of Ukraine and the growing number of civilian casualties and refugees, there is increasing pressure for the United States and NATO to create a no-fly zone over portions of Ukraine. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on the international community to implement a no-fly zone to protect civilians and deny the Russian air force the ability to gain air superiority. Recently, as of last week, several former U.S. officials—including previous supreme allied commanders of Europe—have supported humanitarian-based no-fly zones. The United States and NATO, however, are refusing to impose a no-fly zone over the risk of escalating to a direct conflict with the possible implications of a nuclear threat. Policymakers need to be clear-eyed in their understanding of the tactical challenges, the desired end state, and escalation risks of any form of a no-fly zone. (read more)

• Ukraine expects Russian assault in east after invaders pushed back near Kyiv, March 31. By Vitalii Hnidyi and Pavel Polityuk, Reuters. Ukrainian forces are preparing for new Russian attacks in the southeast, where Moscow’s guns are now trained after its assault on the capital Kyiv was repelled, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. (read more)

• Update 37 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine, March 30. By IAEA. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, was at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) today to meet senior Ukrainian government officials as well as staff, and to start the IAEA’s technical assistance for the safety and security of the country’s nuclear facilities. (read more)

• Russian Migration to Georgia Grows Amidst Putin’s Aggressive War Against Ukraine, March 30. By Giorgi Menabde, The Jamestown Foundation. In a press briefing on March 11, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri revealed that approximately 25,000–30,000 Russian citizens had arrived and stayed in Georgia following Russia’s launch of full-scale military aggression against Ukraine (Kommersant, March 11). Most of these individuals were escaping asphyxiating Western sanctions and fear a further escalation of repressions by the Russian authorities. Many Georgians are worried about this process (Civil.ge, March 4). (read more)

• Russian Cossacks and the Continuation of the War in Ukraine, March 30. By Richard Arnold, The Jamestown Foundation. As the Kremlin’s unprovoked large-scale war against Ukraine continues, the Russian Armed Forces are reportedly experiencing chronic supply and troop shortages. And now, evidence is growing that the military has been turning to Russia’s registered Cossack movement to provide more men for the fight as a well as a morale boost for the population. (read more)

• Ukraine in Quest for Internationally Guaranteed Neutrality (Part One), March 30. By Vladimir Socor, The Jamestown Foundation. Ukraine has abandoned its aspiration to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is seeking, instead, some form of neutrality under international guarantees. Kyiv aims to achieve this goal after the end of the ongoing war with Russia, but it is already at work on it, looking toward the post-war period. The results of this effort will, however, depend on the post-war political settlement, the shape and timeframe of which are currently unpredictable. (read more)

• Early Warning Brief: China’s Contorted Response to Russia Sanctions, March 30. By Alicia Garcia Herrero, The Jamestown Foundation. The unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine will devastate its economy, but the extent of the severity partially depends on China and how much economic aid it is prepared to extend. (read more)

• Is there too little oversight of private tech companies in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?, March 30. By Nicol Turner Lee and Samantha Lai, Brookings: Since February 2022, Ukrainians have produced streams of live videos of warfare, including missile launches, explosions of critical assets, and the horrendous effects of Russian military aggression on civilians. (read more)

• UK military intelligence says Russian shelling, missile strikes continue in Chernihiv, March 31. By Reuters. (read more)

• Eastern Ukraine braces for fresh Russian offensive, March 31. By  Oleksandr Kozkukhar, Reuters. Ukrainian forces are preparing for new Russian attacks in the east of the country as Moscow deploys more troops there after suffering setbacks near the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. (read more)

• U.S.-EU Joint Press Release by the EEAS and Department of State on the First U.S.-EU High-Level Dialogue on Russia, March 30. By US Department of State. (read more)

• Ukraine war: Russia used cluster weapons at least 24 times, says UN’s Bachelet, March 30, 2022. By UN News. Credible reports indicate that Russian armed forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas of Ukraine, at least two dozen times since they invaded on 24 February, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday. (read more)