Humans

• [New] Most people in the world are becoming more aware of risks from climate change, and more concerned that human activity may be contributing to it.
• [New] The risk of climate change generates a Umwertung aller Werte (Friedrich Nietzsche), a transvaluation of values, turning the system of value orientation upside-down-from postmodern cultural relativism to a historical new fixed star by which to mobilize solidarities and actions.
• [New] There is an urgent need to define the safe targets for a stable Earth system, where risks of human-triggered irreversible changes and crossing of tipping points are avoided.
• [New] Current human activities, especially of high consuming wealthy societies, are threatening the stability of Earth's life support systems and its capacity to support our future well-being in the Anthropocene.
• [New] China will continue to face pressure from the United States and other Western governments over human rights, democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, and activity in the South China Sea and Taiwan.
• [New] Imposing sanctions over human rights issues could be seen as Japan sabotaging stable, smooth and amicable relations with a country on its own initiative, which would be regarded as a tremendous risk.
• [New] The Biden administration will likely follow the trend of the former Trump administration in increasing its use of country-specific sanctions programs for human rights - and corruption-related designations, as opposed to strictly using the Global Magnitsky Sanctions Program.
• [New] The Treasury Department and other U.S. government agencies possessing legal authority to impose economic sanctions will most likely continue expanding their sanctions programs to address human rights - and corruption-related activity.
• [New] There is a real danger that the British judge's ruling in the Julian Assange extradition case will encourage other governments to charge and seek to extradite journalists in the UK and elsewhere for exposing their military operations and human rights abuses.
• [New] Even for company executives who are convinced there's no slave labor in their supply chain, just staying in China comes with reputational risk and exposure to the caprices of the Chinese government.
• [New] The global significance of drylands is going to increase due to climate change, as forecasted increases in aridity worldwide will expand the global extent of drylands by up to 23% by the end of this century.
• [New] More competition may be expected in defense technologies and technological areas, where China has explicit ambitions to become world leader.
• [New] BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Aerospace and national security contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation is planning to launch a commercial space station with inflatable human habitats, something they say could replace the International Space Station within seven years.
• [New] There will be differences about how to deal with human rights issues vis-a-vis China, perhaps, and Myanmar, for example.
• [New] The greatest threats to endangered species are a result of human settlement, deforestation, water, soil and air pollution, climate changes due to overuse of fossil fuels, and poaching to supply international markets with rare animal parts.
• [New] 75% of emissions from the oil and gas sector - some 16.5% of total human emissions - could be avoided with technologies available today, and that 40% (9% of total human emissions) could be eliminated at no net cost.
• [New] A Type-1 Civilization could harness all the energy that falls on a planet from its parent star, a Type-2 civilization can harness all the energy produced by its parent star (through systems like a Dyson sphere), and a Type-3 civilization can harness the total energy in a galaxy.
• [New] Right now 100 countries do not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine, which is why the vaccine to be produced in Turkey will be offered for the whole of humanity.
• [New] Myanmar and Cambodia are both countries facing significant political risk and pressure from the international community for the respect of workers and human rights.
• [New] Consumers and companies are more engaged than ever in identifying the risks of human rights abuses in global supply chains, including child labor and forced labor.
• The increasing demands placed on the global water supply threaten biodiversity and the supply of water for food production and other vital human needs.
• While the humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations should always be paramount, actions to address forced migration in East Asia will provide tangible benefits to the United States as well.

Last updated: 11 April 2021