RISULTATI RICERCA

Salvatore Carannante, Warburg, Leonardo, il Rinascimento, Edizioni della Normale-­ Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento, Pisa-­Firenze 2023, pp. 104, € 20,00.

Alfredo Ferrarin, I poteri della ragion pura. Kant e l’idea di una filosofia cosmica, Edizioni ETS, Pisa, 2022, pp. 310, € 32,00

Roberto Gilardi (a cura di), La riflessione sul sé nella filosofia del Novecento. Varia-­ zioni humeane, Mimesis, Milano-­Udine 2023, pp. 320, € 26,00

In 1313, the Chapter of Metz designated Thomism as the official and most authoritative doctrine, while rejecting divergent views. Durand of Saint-­Pourçain was accused of being contra doctrinam communem, and his anti-­Thomistic theories were condemned in two lists of errors (1314, 1316). Such theories were deemed dangerous to the doctrinal unity that legitimized the Dominican intellectual autonomy. Joseph Koch, the first scholar to focus on the issues surrounding Durand’s works, posited that Thomism (or Anti-­Thomism) provides a valid criterion for distinguishing between three different versions of Durand’s Sentences Commentary: the first redaction is characterized by strong doctrinal criticism of Thomas Aquinas;; the second reflects a moderation of these polemical arguments;; and the third returns to the critical position of the first. This poses a crucial question: is it correct and sufficient to consider the doctrinal position towards Thomism as the sole criterion for distinguishing between the three redactions of the Commentary? This issue invites further investigation into the nature of Durand’s anti-­Thomism. Should his anti-­Thomism be considered as truly unequivocal and strong or is it more appropriate to adopt a more nuanced perspective? For instance, Mariateresa Fumagalli suggests that Durand dismisses the Thomistic arguments as “unimportant and defective”, even though they lead to conclusions he ultimately accepts, which he arrives at through a different approach. Could his antiThomism be defined solely within the context of the internal disputes of the Dominican Order? This study undertakes a critical examination of Durand’s works, particularly his Sentences Commentary, in relation to Thomas Aquinas’ writings, aiming to demonstrate that Durand does not merely criticize Thomas but builds an original philosophical framework. Using Thomas as a starting point, Durand develops either more robust demonstrations of similar conclusions or innovative theories, such as the theory of the “mediate action”.

Linear thought should give way to the systemic view, from the perspective of Complexity Theory. According to this approach in Medicine disease is considered as part of a larger, interconnected whole. From the “Biomedical” model it is necessary to move to the “Biopsychosocial” model. Today it is time to see the human person within and as an integral part of the ecosystem: this is the concept of “One Health”. Several new paradigms of care and research arise from this kind of vision: the most important to date is the PNEI Paradigm. But other paradigms are especially engaged on the economic and environmental sustainability front. Without detracting from the significant role of technology, increasingly today’s Medicine must reevaluate the fundamental role of the “Medical Humanities”, from bioethics to philosophy, from communication to the integration of knowledge and research.

The purpose of the study is to establish the role of climate change threat in shaping national strategies and foreign policy relations of the actors in international relations. The methods of the study include document analysis of international agreements and national legislation, case studies, and comparative analysis in the context of differences in approaches to climate communication. The results of the study demonstrate that the rhetoric of European Union officials and aspects of European climate strategies position the EU as a leader in adapting to climate threats. Climate communications within the United States are more focused on informing the population about climate change, while foreign policy environmental institutions aim to fully protect the country’s national interests. Moreover, considering that the industrial sector of the People’s Republic of China is a leader in greenhouse gas emissions, a substantial threat lies in the potential deviation from commitments under the Paris Agreement. Conversely, the United States government has demonstrated some of the most progressive actions in mobilising resources within the framework of climate communications. An example of this is the executive order “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” and the Inflation Reduction Act. Within the European Union, a similar practice is represented by the European Green Deal, which frequently appears in mass media and has a transparent reporting system, enhancing climate literacy and awareness among broad segments of the population. Thus, the climate communication and diplomacy of the European Union focus on raising awareness both within and beyond its borders, while the US government prioritises foreign policy interests within its climate strategies. In contrast, the rhetoric of the government of the People’s Republic of China highlights the challenges in achieving the targets set by the Paris Agreement within the timeframe leading up to 2030.

Realizing the importance of reducing the production and supply of fossil fuels in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, among other initiatives, the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT) initiative to phase out fossil fuels was presented by scholars in 2019. This initiative, which is based on an analogy with the principles and structure of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), has gradually attracted the attention of civil society and some small island countries. Is the analogy between these two documents appropriate? And assuming it is appropriate, will this analogy be useful? The analysis shows that the similarity between nuclear weapons and fossil fuels has been exaggerated, and relevant dissimilarities between the two documents in terms of context, object and purpose, and structure have been overlooked in a way that makes the analogy disproportionate. In addition, the non-realization of nuclear disarmament and vertical non-proliferation under the NPT indicates the lack of efficiency necessary to prove the usefulness of the analogy. Although the FFNPT initiative can be effective in creating and intensifying civil movements against fossil fuels due to the oversimplification of the problem of phasing out fossil fuels, it is not compatible with existing international realities within state-oriented international law. Due to the lack of time to achieve the goals of the climate change regime, it is better to focus on more operational initiatives.

This paper examines Gazprom’s financial health (2008-2023) using Altman’s Z-score model, analyzing key financial ratios and their relation to Russian natural gas exports amidst geopolitical upheavals. The findings reveal significant volatility in financial performance, particularly during the financial crisis of 2008 and the Russian-Ukrainian conflicts, highlighting the strain on Gazprom’s financial position. Despite maintaining a strong overall financial standing, recent declines indicate vulnerabilities linked to reduced pipeline exports to Europe. The study emphasizes the potential of LNG exports as a strategic response, enabling Gazprom to reduce dependency on limited suppliers, adapt to market changes, and ensure long-term financial stability.

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of digitalisation on energy consumption for the small island economy of Mauritius. The study is done for the period 1990 to 2019. For this purpose, the vector error correction model has been used followed by a threshold regression analysis. The results confirm the rebound effect of digitalization whereby a positive relationship was found between digitalization and electricity consumption. Similar result was found for economic growth, participation in global value chain, financial development and higher industrial intensity. The threshold regression analysis showed that the increase in electricity consumption as a result of a rise in digitalisation was greater between the period 1990-1995 as compared to 1996 and onwards explained by the adoption of more efficient technologies and increased use of renewable energies.

Energy decentralization has become an increasingly significant issue in recent years, while the world has searched for sustainable, resilient, and fair energy solutions. This study contributes to mapping the development and identifying the key underlying themes of energy decentralization by using a systematic bibliometric analysis of the scholarly literature. Based on 65 English-language publications from 1982 to 2024, this study uses the Scopus database to show how these have systemically evolved from broad concepts of decentralization and governance to focused discussions on energy decentralization, blockchain, and renewable energy integration. A trend in the research focus has been increasing interest in what digital technologies and policy frameworks mean for the future with regard to decentralized energy systems. It also established that there is a high degree of global collaboration in this area of research, although this is centered around the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis identifies established motor themes related to blockchain and energy policy, specialized niche themes, and new areas of study. It contributes to an important overview of the state of the art on energy decentralization but equally puts forward some critical gaps and future directions, thereby offering valuable insight for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners concerned with the advancement of decentralized energy systems.

This study evaluates the heterogeneous impacts of the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas emission reduction across diverse country groups, including OECD, EU, BRICS, Asian, and African nations. Employing fixed-effects panel regression and Difference-in-Differences methodologies, the research analyzes longitudinal data (1990-2020) to assess emission performance using absolute reductions and CO2 intensity metrics. Findings reveal significant disparities: OECD and EU nations demonstrate consistent progress in absolute and intensity-based reductions, while BRICS countries improve CO2 intensity but face rising absolute emissions. Asian and African nations show limited progress, constrained by financial and technological barriers. The study highlights the differentiated trajectories driven by Kyoto’s rigid, binding commitments versus Paris’s flexible, inclusive framework of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Emerging economies benefit from intensity-based targets, balancing economic growth with emissions management. However, the lack of enforceable mechanisms under the Paris Agreement hinders uniform progress. This research underscores the need for tailored, equity-focused policy interventions to enhance climate governance. It emphasizes strengthening international cooperation, financing mechanisms, and monitoring systems to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals while addressing unique regional challenges and fostering sustainable development.

This paper provides a comprehensive study assessing anthropogenic-related environmental risks for the coastal city of Limassol, Cyprus. The case of Limassol is interesting because it is characterized by an increased number of industrial activities, both varied and tightly concentrated in a relatively small geographic area. We initiate the research by looking at citizens’ perceptions for environmental threats through an extended opinion survey. We utilize the results of the survey to direct our research across 6 industries, involving 88 institutional stakeholders. For each sector, we map industrial activities to potential threats and qualify the risk level of each threat as the likelihood of risk realization times the impact to citizens’ wellbeing should the risk event occurs. We thereon identify areas in which threats are interactive and the corresponding risks synergistic. Our findings inform a range of policy recommendations for ameliorating man-made environmental risk for coastal cities. Discrepancies between citizens’ perceptions and actual data underscore the importance of effective risk communication.

In the last few decades, climate change has become a real crisis with important consequences on many socioeconomic contexts, such as the sport sector. In fact, sports training and competitions are more and more threatened by extreme weather events and hot temperatures. Since the social and individual benefits of sport are well known, this could lead to further negative consequences. At the same time, sports industry and the other sport-related sectors such as sponsorship, apparel, media, and travel sectors contribute to the environmental crisis. Therefore, substantial changes are needed in this setting, in order to adapt the sport activities to the changing climate and to achieve sustainability.

Although there is still no unanimous definition of eco-anxiety, this term is used to describe an emerging phenomenon which, in recent years, has attracted the attention of psychologists, sociologists and those involved in Public Health. It refers to a form of anxiety and worry related to climate change and for the future of the planet and its resources. This article explores how eco-anxiety can influence environmental awareness and sustainability practices, highlighting both challenges and opportunities it presents for promoting a sustainable future. While these feelings towards the environment and climate change can generate anxiety, it can also act as a powerful driver of change and awareness in promoting sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies that transform eco-anxiety into positive action, supporting individuals, particularly more vulnerable, in their transition to more sustainable practices.

The rising importance of responsible environmental behaviour requires educational approaches that integrate sustainability into daily practices. Outdoor physical education combines sports activities with contact with nature, offering an effective way to foster ecological awareness and promote sustainability. These practices not only improve individuals' psychophysical wellbeing but also develop sense of responsibility toward the environment. This article aims to examine the state of the art on the benefits of outdoor physical education, emphasising its role in encouraging eco-responsible behaviours and supporting sustainability. It also explores how outdoor learning environments can provide valuable insights for future developments in educational practices aimed at sustainability.