[SGRupdate] SGR Appeal 2020

[Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR)]

Dear Friend

Will you support SGR’s urgent campaigns for more responsible science?

In the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, we need responsible science and
technology more than ever. SGR has been working for a just transition to a
sustainable society long before it became fashionable – with our recent
efforts focused on tackling the global climate and environmental crises, and
international arms races in nuclear weapons and military robotics. But we need
your help to continue to play a key role in these agendas.

**** Please make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/SGR-Appeal-2020 ****

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

§    Published a new report – The Environmental Impacts of the UK Military
Sector – which gained a great deal of publicity on social media when launched,
is being widely quoted by peace and environmental campaigners, and has even
led to parliamentary pressure on the Ministry of Defence to take action.

§    Publicised the good news that the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons will enter into international law in January. With international
partners, we’ve been campaigning for this for over 10 years. Our recent
activity included publishing an update of Nuclear weapons: a beginner’s guide
to the threats.

§    Run two successful webinars under the theme Transition Now – focusing on
how, in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, responsible science and technology
can help society tackle the climate emergency and other pressing social and
environmental problems. In addition, we’ve published a series of blogs with a
Covid-19 theme.

§    Launched our new Science Oath for the Climate – where scientists and
engineers agree to speak out more publicly about the scale of action needed to
tackle the climate crisis, and take steps in their own personal lives to
reduce carbon emissions – to show leadership for the necessary transition
across society.

**** Please make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/SGR-Appeal-2020 ****

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

§    Running science education activities for school children and university
students. In particular, we’re adapting some of our One Planet – One Life
workshops for use online during the Covid-19 restrictions, and also creating
new resources as part of our project on Globally Responsible Careers.

§    Campaign work to encourage professional science and engineering
organisations to take more action on climate change and peace issues,
including ending financial links with fossil fuel and arms corporations.

§    Continuing our other campaign work – including challenging military R&D,
especially in artificial intelligence and robotics, and helping campaigners
against a huge new coal mine in Cumbria, as well as promoting a more ethical
agenda right across science, design and technology.

The US election result brings hope that entrenched nationalist and militarist
agendas are now more vulnerable – and we plan to capitalise on this. As an
organisation of professionals in key sectors, SGR has a coherent reform agenda
that unites science 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 and many others, we need your
support!

**** Please make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/SGR-Appeal-2020 ****

Make your donation go further …

For our charitable work, we can accept support from the Martin Ryle Trust
(MRT). If you pay UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax, the MRT can claim from
HM Revenue and Customs 25p for every pound that you donate, out of the tax
that you have already paid. This means that a £50 donation to MRT, for
example, is worth £62.50 at no extra cost to you and will be used entirely to
support SGR’s work. The route we are recommending for this appeal is via the
Virgin Money Giving website – see: https://tinyurl.com/SGR-Appeal-2020

Consider a legacy …

If you have not already included SGR or the Martin Ryle Trust as a beneficiary
in your will, may we suggest that you consider it? For more details, please
look at this webpage - http://www.sgr.org.uk/pages/martin-ryle-trust - or if
you do not have internet access, please contact the SGR office for a copy of
the MRT legacy leaflet.

Will you help us make the world a safer, fairer place? Your contribution is
vital in keeping up our important work, and any donation you make will be put
to effective use and is very gratefully received. We look forward to hearing
from you soon.

**** Please make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/SGR-Appeal-2020 ****

Kind regards
Dr Philip Webber (Chair) and Dr Jan Maskell (Vice-chair)