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.

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Time to reinvigorate global nuclear disarmament

After President Obama's landmark visit to Hiroshima, we need concrete action on disarmament, argues Dr Philip Webber, SGR.

ResponsibleSci blog, 27 May 2016

Graph of UK carbon footprint

How big is the average Briton’s carbon footprint, really?

After a year in which climate policy has gone backwards in the UK, Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, analyses the latest data on our contribution to climate change, and finds some disturbing results.

ResponsibleSci blog, 10 May 2016

SGR response to Labour Defence Review

Scientists for Global Responsibility has submitted a response to the Labour Party's Defence Review. As in our response to recent government reviews, we argued that the UK needs to place much more emphasis on the use of scientific and technical resources for tackling the root causes of conflict, including climate change and economic inequality, rather than prioritising the development, deployment, use and export of yet more weapons technologies. We especially criticise the UK's continued deployment of nuclear weapons, and plans for a new system.

28 April 2016
 

Reassessing the Chernobyl death toll

Dr Ian Fairlie argues that the health impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are continuing and are not taken into account by governments and health agencies.

ResponsibleSci blog, 25 April 2016

World War I Howitzer

The industrialisation of war: lessons from World War I

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, examines how technological innovation contributed to one of
the most devastating wars in human history – and asks what lessons we should take from this.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.44; online publication: 5 April 2016

S4S logo

Science4Society Week 2016 – a brief review

Dr Jan Maskell, SGR, gives an overview of another successful week of inspirational science education activities.

ResponsibleSci blog, 24 March 2016

Statistically assessing of the risks of commercial nuclear energy

As we approach the 5th anniversary of the Fukushima emergency and 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Spencer Wheatley, Prof Benjamin Sovacool and Prof Didier Sornette argue that the risks of another major nuclear accident are much greater than the industry believes.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.44; online publication: 7 March 2016

RAF Tornado

A new phase for ‘offensive insecurity’?

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, gives an overview of the UK’s new military and security strategies, and highlights the increasing focus on militarism.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.44; online publication: 7 March 2016

S4S logo

Announcing Science4Society Week 2016

Science4Society Week runs for its second year, providing an expanded range of inspiring education activities for young people, including our new 'Design an Eco-Community' competition. It was set up to provide an alternative to science education activities funded by the arms and fossil fuel industries, such as 'The Big Bang Fair'. Science4Society Week 2016 runs from 14th to 20th March.

Media release, 29 February 2016

UK climate policy unravelling

The government claims that the UK is taking a leading role in tackling climate change - but support mechanisms for renewable energy and energy conservation are rapidly being cut. Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, examines what is going on.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.44; online publication: 23 February 2016