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.

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking and other leading scientists urge MPs to vote against Trident renewal

Media release, 15 July 2016

Trident missile

Scientists’ letter urging MPs to vote against Trident renewal

Open letter published in Daily Telegraph, 15 July 2016
 

Stuart Parkinson presentation

The militarisation of science and technology

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, summarises how science and technology are used to pursue military aims in the UK - within government, industry and universities. He highlights the problems this causes and the need for change.

Presentation at the Peace Pledge Union 2016 AGM, London; online publication: 21 June 2016

Ocean acidification: a threat to life

Wiebina Heesterman examines the other threat from carbon dioxide emissions: that of ocean acidification.

Article from SGR Newsletter no.44; online publication: 8 June 2016

Tom Kibble

In memory of Prof Sir Tom Kibble

Media release, 3 June 2016

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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