Issues

We currently focus on four main issues: disarmament and security, climate change and energy, questions of who controls science and technology and issues surrounding new and emerging technologies. You will also see that we work on some other issues too. You can explore these with the menu on the left of this page and with the search function. Material in this section includes all SGR's main outputs since 2005, with a selection of the more important material from before then.

Too Close for Comfort: Cases of Near Nuclear Use and Options for Policy

Sasan Aghlani, 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.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.43; online publication: 3 April 2015
 

S4S logo

Students get inspired by ethical science and technology

Dr Jan Maskell, SGR, summarises the activities of our first Science4Society Week, including school visits to community renewable energy projects and classroom debates.

ResponsibleSci blog, 27 March 2015

SGR supports open letter on US museums and the fossil fuel industry

Media release, 24 March 2015

 

UK household energy policy: another fine mess

Dr Philip Webber, SGR, describes the recent string of failures in the government’s home energy efficiency programmes and what needs to be done about them.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.43; online publication: 19 March 2015
 

Announcing Science4society week 2015

Science4society week is a new collection of science education activities, designed to inspire young people. The project was set up to provide an alternative to activities funded by the arms and fossil fuel industries, such as 'The Big Bang Fair'. Science4society week 2015 runs from 16th to 23rd March.

Media release, 6 March 2015

 

Shale gas and fracking: examining the evidence (Feb/Mar 2015)

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.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.43; online publication 3 March 2015.

 

Image © M Torres - destroyed tank in Iraq

Challenging the mindset of war

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, critically assesses new UK and Western military initiatives, and how engineers and scientists can be involved in challenging the cycle of violence.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.43; online publication: 27 February 2015
 

Announcing Scientists for Global Responsibility Newsletter 43

Media release, 27 February 2015
 

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.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.43 (advance publication), 24 October 2014

Updates added: 26 February 2015; 9 July 2018

 

Nuclear power – still not a good bet

Prof David Elliott, Open University, points out some of the flaws in a recent pro-nuclear letter by conservation biologists.

ResponsibleSci blog, 9 January 2015