[SGRupdate] News from SGR - August 2015

[Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR)]

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Recently published on the SGR website...


* UK nuclear weapons: a catastrophe in the making?

This SGR report updates and summarises the latest scientific and technical
information about the risks posed by the continued deployment of the UK's
nuclear weapons. It highlights the following.

- The explosive power of the nuclear weapons carried on just one Trident
submarine is equivalent to about 320 Hiroshima bombs and is capable of
inflicting more than 10 million civilian casualties.

- The most up-to-date scientific models predict that this firepower would
cause devastating climatic disruption threatening global food supplies and
leading to mass starvation.

- UK nuclear weapons are on patrol around the clock, and the possibility of
unintended use poses an unacceptable risk. Whilst the chances may be low, the
consequences would be catastrophic.

Full report:
http://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/uk-nuclear-weapons-catastrophe-making


* UK arms industry: ethical concerns and alternatives

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, critically examines the UK arms industry, starting
with ethical issues such as nuclear weapons, the international arms trade and
influence over UK security policy. He then considers the potential for
alternatives - including less aggressive approaches to international security
and expansion of civilian employment, including low carbon technologies.

Presentation:
http://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/uk-arms-industry-ethical-concerns-and-alternatives-july-2015


* Making the case for effective climate policy

There is a gulf between the scientific reality of climate change and the
political response to it. Tom Pashby, Fleming Policy Centre, outlines a
proposal that could bridge that gap.

ResponsibleSci blog:
http://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/making-case-effective-climate-policy

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