The Middle East is an increasingly diverse region where very old problems coexist with genuine opportunities for renewal and socio-economic progress. A powerful driver of change has become the Gulf, thanks to very large financial resources and a willingness to invest in the neighboring countries – as well as beyond, with a special emphasis on East Asia.
The panelists at the presentation of the latest issue of Aspenia emphasized that the search for a better energy mix should start with the premise that there is no magic formula. The most prudent choices – whether political or business – must be forward-looking, that is, not merely focused on short-term needs. It was conceded, however, that no energy mix can fully meet all the criteria for an ideal blend, including: security of supply, market competitiveness, and low environmental impact.
The comeback being staged by atomic energy is currently a hot topic of debate in many countries around the world, just as it is in Italy. During this roundtable discussion devoted to the issue, official figures were cited confirming the ferment of activity in this sector, with 65 new nuclear power plants under construction in 16 different countries. According to some of the participants in attendance, there are many technical, economic and geopolitical factors which justify the nuclear option for Italy, whilst others went further, describing it as an almost “inevitable” choice.
The global economic crisis is reshaping the energy system in a fundamental way, as extraordinary events have occurred in a very short time span. Six issues appear the most crucial in the current context: i) the discovery of shale gas, a transformational event which was also a consequence of high natural gas prices. According to a recent account, this discovery could potentially turn the US into a permanent net exporter, with dramatic implications on the market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) which now seeks markets when global demand is contracting.
The Secretary General laid out the most urgent priorities for the Alliance, in the run up to the new Strategic Concept which will be adopted at the November Summit in Lisbon. Besides the ongoing commitments – first and foremost the Afghanistan mission, which is almost certainly going through a decisive phase – there are great medium and long-term challenges in the effort to adapt NATO to a rapidly shifting global context.
The 11th annual spring meeting of the Friends of Aspen, held in Milan at the Palazzo Trussardi alla Scala, was attended by members of the group as well as leaders and members of the Institute. The meeting centered around a debate on the issue of nuclear power in Italy, whilst at the same time offering an opportunity to introduce new members of the group, elicit suggestions for topics for future events and announce the group’s upcoming annual conference (the 14th in the series) to take place in the fall.
The starting point for the discussions at this event was scientific method, with an emphasis on the complex and often problematic interaction of the “exact” sciences with politics and, more particularly, with the media – an indispensable vehicle for getting through to the general public and hence, indirectly, to leaders. It was stressed that complete adherence by physicists and biologists to professional ethics is essential if knowledge is to be used properly in addressing many social and economic problems.
The approval of a renewable energy and climate change legislative package by the European Union in December 2008 is part of a wider push to formulate a global policy to combat climate change. Indeed, the Copenhagen Conference to be held in December this year will play a key role in deciding what should follow the Kyoto Protocol once it expires in 2012.
