[SGRupdate] SGR Annual Appeal 2015

[Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR)]

Dear friends and colleagues

SGR has been very active recently - and it's essential we continue to be, as
the government tries to cut support for energy conservation and renewable
energy while it plans to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system and
upgrade other weapons technologies.

A donation from you now - via http://www.sgr.org.uk/pages/donate-sgr - would
really help SGR to continue our important work.

Your past generosity has been vital in advancing the cause of ethical science,
design and technology. For example, in recent months SGR has:

-    Launched our new report on UK nuclear weapons, which uses the latest
academic research to highlight the dangers of continued deployment of
Britain's nuclear-armed submarines. Copies are being provided to leading
politicians across the main parties in advance of a parliamentary vote on
renewal. In addition, over 3,000 copies have been downloaded from our website
so far.

-    Challenged military involvement in science through inputs to the UK
security defence reviews and work with national and local peace campaigners. A
particular success was when SGR helped to persuade organisers to end arms
industry sponsorship of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

-    Continued to distribute our report on shale gas to local councillors and
environmental campaigners in Lancashire and other areas at risk of fracking.
We have also been working with other campaign groups to challenge the major
cuts to renewable energy support.

-    Held a successful conference on the theme 'Message for the Paris
conference: the forgotten dimensions of climate change', where we discussed
how to keep 80% of fossil fuels in the ground and the threat to the climate
from military technologies.

Your donation will help us both to continue with similar activities and to
carry out much more. Our plans include:

-    Running a workshop on climate change and security as part of the People's
Climate Summit in Paris in December.

-    Running educational activities for school children as part of our
Science4Society Week in March. We'll be promoting more ethical science, design
and technology - as an alternative to mainstream science fairs sponsored by
arms and fossil fuel companies. Last year we reached 1,000 young people.

-    Building on our rapidly growing audience on social media and the internet
to reach even more people with out articles, presentations and reports. In the
last year, there have been over 200,000 visits to our website.

-    Continuing our existing campaign work towards a more ethical agenda right
across science, design and technology, on issues such as weapons technologies,
cleaner and more secure energy, corporate influence on science, and emerging
technologies.

It is more important than ever that we speak out for a more ethical future. As
an organisation of professionals in key sectors, SGR has a coherent reform
agenda that unites science, design and technology with peace, social justice
and environmental sustainability. But effective campaigning costs money. To
continue to promote this agenda with like-minded professional organisations,
policy-makers, peace and environment groups, trade unions, etc., we need your
support!

We look forward to hearing from you soon - your help is vital in keeping up
our important work and any donation you make will be very gratefully received
- http://www.sgr.org.uk/pages/donate-sgr

Yours sincerely

Phil Webber (Chair) and Jan Maskell (Vice-chair)