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SGR is deeply concerned about the likely major impacts of human-induced climate change. We are also concerned about the problems associated with nuclear power.
Below are SGR's main outputs on climate change and energy issues, including briefings, articles, position statements and details of the SGR project ‘The Climate Train to Kyoto’. Further material can be found elsewhere on the website, especially in back issues of SGR newsletters.
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
Climate sceptics and the manipulation of scientific data - blog entry by Dr Stuart Parkinson on Times online (25th November)
Arms conversion for a low carbon economy - presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson at the Climate Emergency Copenhagen Forum, London (7th November)
Building a low carbon economy: the pathway from recession - SGR's 2009 conference - including summary of event and presentations by Dr Tim Foxon, Prof David Webb and Dr Gareth Dale. (24th October)
Dr Stuart Parkinson was quoted in the Independent on Sunday alongside leading scientists and campaigners regarding priorities for action on climate change (20th September)
Low-carbon,
non-nuclear electricity scenarios for the UK
Dr
Stuart Parkinson discusses the
implications of some recent UK energy modelling studies. Article from
SGR Newsletter 37 (spring)
Climate Change - How serious is it? - Presentation given to the University of the Third Age (Ilkley group, Yorkshire) by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR (15th November)
Climate Change & Military Conflict - Presentation given at the AGM of the Movement for the Abolition of War at the Imperial War Museum, London, by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR (9th November)
Reducing carbon emissions from housing - Kate Macintosh MBE outlines the environmental standards for new housing in the UK and argues that the bigger problems related to the quality of the existing housing stock are being neglected. Article from SGR Newsletter 36 (autumn)
SGR's Response to the 2008 Consultation on UK's Renewable Energy Strategy (September)
Climate
change – why it could be worse than the IPCC projections
Presentation given by Dr Stuart Parkinson at the Climate Forum, London
(June)
Could
one Trident submarine cause 'nuclear winter'?
Dr Philip Webber analyses the latest research on the potential climatic
impacts of nuclear war and demonstrates that the firepower of just one
of the UK's Trident submarines could be devastating for the whole
planet. Article from SGR Newsletter 35 (winter)
Nuclear power: the security dimension - lecture given by Dr Stuart Parkinson in Kendal, Cumbria (October)
The Future of Nuclear Power - consultation document SGR response to the UK government's consultation document (9th October)
Nuclear power: yes or no? Powerpoint presentation and notes from a lecture given by Dr Stuart Parkinson as part of a debate held at Manchester University (19th September)
Climate science for beginners - web version of Notes to a Presentation given at the Camp for Climate Action by Dr Stuart Parkinson (15th August)SGR has called for stronger CO2 emissions targets in its response to the consultation on the UK government's Draft Climate Change Bill (11th June)
Guns and Global Warming: War, Peace and the Environment Web version of a presentation given by Dr Stuart Parkinson at the Network for Peace AGM, London (10 February)
Keeping nuclear weapons or tackling climate change? - Web version of a Presentation to a parliamentary seminar. The presentation uses government and industry data to carry out a new analysis of the degree to which Trident replacement could undermine action on climate change. It concludes there is significant threat - due to competition for both funding and skills. (December)
Web version of a Submission to a recent Defence Select Committee inquiry which examines the effect that opting for replacement of the UK's nuclear weapons could have on the national skills base. It concludes that such a path could have a significant and detrimental impact on the supply of science and technology staff to the civilian sector. In particular, it expresses concern that this problem could seriously undermine the UK's attempts to play its role in tackling global issues such as climate change and energy insecurity. (November)
Letter to John Sauven, Greenpeace, re Legal Action over the UK Energy Review 2006 (October)
Consultation on the Policy Framework for New Nuclear Build - Response by Scientists for Global Responsibility (October)
Dr Stuart Parkinson, Executive Director of SGR, ran two workshops at the Camp for Climate Action in late August/early September. Click on the links below to see his Notes for the workshops:
Divert military finance to fund Lord Rees' new energy research initiative - SGR press release (August)
Not enough skilled workers to build new UK nuclear power stations? - Comment article by Dr Stuart Parkinson about the lack of new workers entering the nuclear industry (July)
Our Energy Challenge : DTI Consultation 2006 - Response by Scientists for Global Responsibility (April)
Letter To Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP, regarding opposition to a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK - open letter to the Prime Minister coordinated by SGR, signed by Dr. Stuart Parkinson (SGR Executive Director) and 40 energy and climate experts (10th April 2006). See also Leading scientists attack Blair over nuclear power, an article covering this letter in the Sunday Herald (April)
Leading scientists attack Blair over nuclear power - Article in the Sunday Herald covering our letter to the Prime Minister (see above) opposing a new generation of nuclear power stations (April)
How
to save the world (March)
Article
about climate change based on an interview with Dr Stuart Parkinson, in
HERO magazine for London students.
Open Letter
to Rt Hon Tony Blair (November)
organised by the International Institute for Environment and
Development (IIED)
Letter to
Margaret Beckett, Environment Minister,
(October)
arguing for the UK to take a strong position at the upcoming climate
negotiations in Montreal.
Climate change, the
Kyoto Protocol and civil engineering - (May)
Lecture by Dr Stuart Parkinson at the Institution of Civil Engineers,
London
Public Inquiry on
Whinash wind farm - (April)
Web version of Written Evidence in support of the
application by Dr Stuart Parkinson
Letter
to Margaret Beckett, Environment Minister -
(March)
from Martin Quick (AESR)
and Stuart Parkinson (SGR) re Consultation on the Review of the UK
Climate Change
Programme
Consultation
on the Review of the UK Climate Change Programme -
(March)
Response by AESR and SGR
Energy,
CO2 stabilisation and economic growth
- (February)
Peter Smith looks at the scale of changes that are needed in energy
production to tackle climate change (from SGR/AESR Newsletter, PDF
file, 320 KB)
SGR
comments on proposals for new UK sustainable development strategy
- (July)
In these Responses to the Government’s consultation on its Sustainable
Development Strategy we argue, inter alia, that ‘[T]hose respondents
who argue for the continued prioritisation of economic objectives do
not appreciate the severe damage being caused to the global environment
nor the high levels of global inequity’.
Your Career and Sustainable
Development [PDF
file, 173KB] (December)
SGR briefing by Dr Phil Webber as part of the 'Thinking
About an Ethical Career in Science and Technology' series.
Stormy
Times for Climate Research (November)
Clare Goodess explains the circumstances behind the resignation of half
of the editorial board of the journal Climate Research (from SGR Newsletter 28, PDF file,
533 KB)
Tackling Climate
Change - the Role of the Engineer (September)
Edited version of a paper given by Dr Stuart Parkinson at UK Women's
Engineering Society annual conference, 'Proper Practice:
Professionalism and Ethics in Engineering and Science'
Energy Briefing Paper by
Architects and Engineers for Social Responsibility [PDF file, 851KB]
(September)
Our present production and consumption of energy is unsustainable.
Although the Government Energy White Paper sets out quite challenging
aspirations for reducing greenhouse gases, it is woefully complacent on
issues of the energy security and its geo-political implications. This
briefing looks at some of these issues in more depth.
Does
anybody remember the Nuclear Winter? (July)
Stuart Parkinson looks into why the climatic disaster which would
follow a potential nuclear war has been forgotten (from SGR Newsletter 27, PDF file,
324 KB)
Personal Transport Briefing
Paper by Architects and Engineers for Social Responsibility [PDF file, 1.74MB]
(April)
This paper attempts to show how significant traffic reduction is
possible in the short-medium term and how the long-term elimination of
car dependency for much of the urban population is a realistic
proposition.
Career Choice and Climate
Change [PDF
file, 103KB] (March)
SGR briefing by Dr Stuart Parkinson as part of the 'Thinking About an Ethical Career in
Science and Technology' series.
Cleaner Technologies: A
Positive Choice [PDF file, 192KB] (March)
SGR briefing by Dr Tim Foxon as part of the 'Thinking
About an Ethical Career in Science and Technology' series.
SGR Response to Government's Energy Policy Review [PDF file, 73KB] (September)
Myth of Chernobyl
Suffering Exposed? (March)
Article by Dr Phil Webber from SGR
newsletter 24 [PDF file, 322KB]
Could
Terrorists Turn the UK into a Nuclear Wasteland?
(November)
SGR statement on the terrorist threat to nuclear facilities issued in
the wake of the September 11th attacks
So What Did
Happen at the Climate Negotiations? (February)
Article by Dr Stuart Parkinson from SGR Newsletter NL22 [PDF
file, 203KB]
SGR Position
statement on Kyoto Mechanisms (October)
This was accompanied by a press
release
SGR Newsletter NL20: Special Issue on Climate Change [PDF File, 232KB] (Spring)
Clean Development Mechanism -
Opportunity or Loophole? (Spring)
Article by Dr Stuart Parkinson from SGR newsletter 20 (see above)
SGR Newsletter NL19: Special Issue on Nuclear Issues [PDF file, 226KB] (Summer)
SGR Reply to Government consultation on UK Climate Change Strategy (February)
The Kyoto Protocol - What the
world agreed to do about climate change (at least for now!)
(March)
Article by Dr Stuart Parkinson from SGR Newsletter NL17
SGR Position statement on Climate Change (November)
The Climate Train to
Kyoto (1997-1998)
SGR's main activity during this period was to co-ordinate the group of
scientists and activists who travelled over land and sea from Europe to
the UN Climate Convention negotiations in Kyoto during
November/December 1997. Afterwards, a report
was produced on the journey and the issues surrounding it. The project
spawned a web-page 'Flying
off to a Warmer Climate' which analyses the impact of flying
on climate and allows readers to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions
per passenger for any flight.
Climate
Engineering: A critical review of proposals, their scientific and
political context, and possible impacts (November)
This paper by Ben Matthews discusses large-scale "technical fixes"
proposed for offsetting global warming, such as fertilisation of ocean
algae, reflection of sunlight with stratospheric dust, or pumping
liquid CO2
into the deep oceans. The paper considers the possible impact both on
climatic feedback processes, and also on climate science and climate
politics. It concludes by asking whether it is wise to continue such
research.
Climate Change: The
Inter/Intra-National Politics of Contraction and Convergence
(November)
SGR Conference presentation by Aubrey Meyer, Global Commons Institute
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This page last
updated: 4th December 2009
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SGR 1997-2009