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.

Military-university collaborations – an update on the UK situation

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, reviews the latest developments in military involvement at UK universities.

19 September 2012
 

Local sustainable energy projects: learning the practical lessons

Dr Philip Webber, SGR, assesses the lessons for UK energy policy from a series of award-winning programmes using micro-renewable energy technologies and domestic energy conservation measures in West Yorkshire, and from new academic research on city-level sustainable energy programmes.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.41, autumn 2012 (advanced online publication: 3 September 2012)
 

Open letter to Ed Davey on Draft Energy Bill

Open letter from SGR to Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on the Draft Energy Bill and wider UK energy policy. The letter makes four main criticisms: insufficient curbs on greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel plants; favouritism towards the nuclear industry; inadequate support for the renewable energy industry; and failure to prioritise energy conservation.

19 July 2012
 

Rio+20: issues that need more attention

Four issues that are not likely to get the attention they deserve at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro...

15 June 2012
 

UK military R&D: changing times

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, at INES/IPB side event at the Preparation Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Vienna

30 April 2012

 

High military spending: making a case for the alternatives

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, in Hereford, UK, 17 April 2012

An event to mark the Global Day of Action on Military Spending

 

The dangers of a military attack on Iran’s nuclear programme (Feb 2012)

There are increasingly vocal demands for military action to halt Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, takes a critical look at the evidence for such a programme and argues that any military attack is likely to make matters considerably worse.

Article for INES website, 13 February 2012 (updated on 23 February and 27 March)
 

Fallout from Fukushima: One Year After

It is almost a year since the massive earthquake and tsunami off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This article gives an overview of why the nuclear disaster happened, why it is still occurring, the main preliminary lessons, its implications to date and its effects in Europe. (It should be noted that information and new insights about Fukushima are appearing almost on a daily basis.)

Article by Dr Ian Fairlie for SGR website, 7 March 2012
 

Science and technology: when does use become misuse?

Science and technology have contributed to huge changes in human society, bringing many benefits, but also helping to cause global scale problems. Using a series of examples from the past century or so, this presentation examines the balance of costs and benefits, and argues that the role of science and technology in society needs to change, if we are not to be overhwhelmed by the problems we now face.

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, at the What is science for? teachers' conference, Widnes, Cheshire, UK

25 February 2012
 

Automating warfare is ethically dangerous

Prof Noel Sharkey, Sheffield University, outlines the disturbing trends in military robotics, including armed drones.

Article from SGR Newsletter no. 40, autumn 2011 (published online: 5 January 2012)