Another country have just banned cryptocurrencies

After many Asian countries had introduced tougher regulation with regard to all use of cryptocurrencies, last week the Turkish Central Bank banned payments in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, etc. According to the Central Bank, cryptocurrencies aren't subject to any central regulatory authority, and their market value can be excessively volatile.

In addition to this, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may be used in illegal transactions due to their anonymous structures. I was astonished to hear that the Turkish Central Bank also said that wallets can be stolen or used without the authorization of their holders. The regulation outlaws the use of  cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services. Meanwhile, Bitcoin and Ethereum plunged to their lowest level in nearly two months. 

When we own cryptocurrencies we don't have anything in terms of dividends or profit. Cryptocurrency's value only increases when more people participate, and when fewer people participate the value decreases. This is a structure that creates a great deal of risk. 

Italian food

It seems that many people around the world think Italians are so obsessed with food. Actually, we (Italian people) have a bond with food, as it gives a sense of identity.  

In certain periods of history some foods were created and have become traditional and typical dishes of Italian culture. An article summarizing the relationship between Italians and food, just published in BBC website by Anna Bressanin, explains that in Italy "sharing a meal means daily joys, problems and sometimes our deepest neuroses and issues". It is an act of social conviviality that the author of the article defines as "a collective catharsis through pleasure".

I don't want to get off track, but increasing demand from East Asia, climate change, water shortages and pandemic-hit supply chains are all pushing up food prices.

Growing list of countries to suspend the Anglo-Swedish vaccine

On Tuesday, 30th March, Germany became the latest in a growing list of countries to suspend use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to younger age group. Health Ministry had found 31 cases of a type of rare blood clot among nearly 2.7 million people who received the vaccine in Germany. 

Obviously, the European Medicines Agency said there was not enough evidence to establish a link between the problem and the vaccine.

Meanwhile, trees blooming and flowering announce the beginning of Spring and new life. 

EU digital certificate

In 2020 bosses of the top EU companies had weekly earned the same amount that an average worker in Europe earns in an entire year.  And according to the Economic Policy Institute, despite the spreading of Covid-19 epidemic, chief executives of the 350 largest US companies earned an average of $ 20 million in 2020. In other words, there are evidence that top bosses continue to earn high salaries while coronavirus pandemic is exposing low-income populations to job losses and health risks. 

The executive's price-driven salaries began in the early 1980s, when CEOs pay become connected with share prices (companies' share prices on stock markets). The problem is that sometimes an excellent company has nothing to do with the CEO. Not to mention of companies that operate in an oligopoly, as we can see nowadays in the emerging vaccine industry. 

While people at the top are maintaining their wealth and society is suffering higher levels of inequality, the EU unveils plan for Covid-19 digital pass to allow travel  within member states with the aim of helping entrepreneurs and workers who are involved in travel industry and tourism. 

The digital pass is expected to consist of QR code that can easily be scanned at airports, as it will be in digital or paper format. On the one hand, some EU states say the digital pass discriminates people who didn't receive the injection to prevent Covid-19 illness. On the other hand, EU Commission says the certificate is not discriminatory and would be suspended after pandemic ends. 

The following pictures show some popular tourist destinations in EU ... I hope tourists will come back there in the next months.  

Munich, Marienplatz

Bruges, the inner canals

                                                              Paris, Louvre Museum

Rome, theatre of Marcellus    

Covid-19 cases are still rising

Starting on Monday 15th, in the most populated Italian regions will be required to stay home except for work, health and other essential reasons.

The whole country, which has recordered more than 100,000 coronavirus deaths, will be locked down on Easter weekend for the second year in a row. I am sorry to see that Italy has the second highest coronavirus death toll in Europe after the UK.

Meanwhile, some trees begin to show small leaves on their branches.

UN Climate Change Conference, UK 2021

In 2015, during the Conference on climate change, many countries signed up to limit global warming. These countries will get togheter again in November, at the Scottish Event Campus, in Glasgow, with the aim of discuss the escalating issue of climate change.

On the one hand, people around the world are aware of what is happening in terms of global warming. On the other hand, for the biggest World's CO2 exporters, such as Qatar, Norway, and Iran, oil and gas has been a very important  source of income. That's why it is politically difficult to turn down some activities, which can create terrible impact that can not be reversed. But the time has come to turn down those activities.

Every country can make something, and we need to act now, as climate change  affects us all. This is a global challenge.

https://www.sec.co.uk/cop26

US rejoins the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

I'm glad to see that the US is officially to rejoin the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, reversing the withdrawal by Donald Trump.  Each year we wait to not invest into mitigation today will exacerbate in the future the cost of adapting. Actually, we would need greenhouse gas level to be net to zero by the end of 2050. 🌲🌳🌳🌲

From the early 1800s, coal, oil and gas have been burnt, and have been releasing gases that trap heat from the sun. That's the main raison why there is now more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there has been for million of years.

Unfortunately, despite governments around the world are aware of planet earth's ecological limits, temperature is still going up. 🏭🚢✈

The last picture of the two donkeys has nothing to do with global warming. I took it yesterday while I was walking through the countryside. There was some grass around the fence, on the side, so I decided to feed them. 🐎🐎