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Our associate member of SGR, which is also affiliated to the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES), reports for new readers (see last week’s stats below) that its members include natural scientists, social scientists, engineers, IT professionals and architects.
Its work is focused on four main issues: security and disarmament; climate change and energy, including nuclear power; who controls science and technology? and emerging technologies. A recent newsletter covers science and engineering for war; shale gas and fracking; risks of nuclear weapons use; chemical weaponry and World War I; controlling global carbon emissions; UK domestic energy efficiency programmes and corporate influence on research on genetically-modified crops.
Some links:
Shale gas and fracking: examining the evidence
Gwen Harrison MSc and Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, summarise SGR’s recent briefing which finds numerous causes for concern regarding the planned extraction of shale gas in the UK.
Too close for comfort: cases of near nuclear use and options for policy
Sasan Aghlani MSc, Chatham House, outlines just how close the world has come to the inadvertent use of nuclear weapons in the last 60 years – and suggests some immediate measures to reduce the risks.
CapGlobalCarbon: a global response to a global problem
John Jopling, Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, argues that a radical addition is needed to the international system for curbing carbon emissions.
UK household energy policy: another fine mess
Dr Philip Webber, SGR/ Yorkshire Energy Services, describes the recent string of failures in the government’s home energy efficiency programmes and what needs to be done about them.
Scientific publication in peril: the Séralini affair
Dr Eva Novotny discusses the controversy surrounding an academic paper showing health problems in a feeding trial of a GM crop – and what it says about corporate influence in this field.
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To see other news go to http://www.sgr.org.uk/
