Newsletter articles

SGR Newsletters are published roughly twice a year. The main articles are listed below. For details of the current issue and back issues, See our Newsletter page

Solar panels and wind turbine in snow

The best technologies for effective climate action

Prof Mark Z Jacobson, Stanford University, gives a whirlwind, sun and water tour of the key renewable energy technologies needed to rapidly reduce pollution, and their major social and economic benefits.

7 May 2025

Photo of a whale's tail with backdrop of mountains

Whales and international climate change law

Michaela Girvan proposes new ways to protect cetaceans under international environmental law due to their role in helping to tackle climate change.

24 March 2025

Matrix

Responsible AI: are governments and corporations giving up?

Dr Philip Inglesant, SGR, warns that the recent upsurge in enthusiasm for Artificial Intelligence (AI) downplays the increasing dangers which are arising due to the erosion of safeguards.

13 February 2025

 

image representing elements of science and industry

R&D and the polycrisis: from corporate science to responsible science?

Dr Stuart Parkinson, SGR, highlights a range of problems with current science policies, and suggests ways in which they could better contribute to tackling the polycrisis and meeting social and environmental goals.

7 January 2025

Electricity pylons image by Tom via Pixabay

The Energy Dilemma: will even greater consumption lead to more problems?

Prof Gareth Wyn Jones, Bangor University, draws on evidence from physics and biology to economics and political science to explore the effects of greater energy consumption on social and environmental goals. 

5 December 2024
 

Natalie Bennett in parliament

Integrating science into policymaking: a vision for proactive evidence-based policies

With repeated failures to heed warnings from scientists over environmental and health threats, Baroness Natalie Bennett and colleagues argue for major changes to the relationship between science and policy-making.

4 November 2024

Graph showing unfair carbon budget to 2050

The UK’s fair carbon budget will run out in 2026: here’s the evidence

Dr Ian Campbell shows how, on current trends, Britain’s carbon emissions will exceed its fair share of the limit necessary to hit the 1.5°C Paris target within two years. He outlines the key implications for policy-makers and society as a whole.

5 August 2024

Badvertising book cover cropped

Badvertising: how promoting pollution prevents climate action

Andrew Simms and Leo Murray examine how, if left unaddressed, the manipulation of our behaviour by advertising and fossil fuel industry propaganda will make it impossible to achieve the civilisation-level transformation required for life as we know it to survive the 21st century.

19 July 2024

Growth graffiti

Degrowth and green growth: what’s the difference for rapid climate action?

Dr Beth Stratford questions whether there really is a destructive conflict in the urgent next steps for climate action between advocates of ‘degrowth' and 'green growth’. Here she delves into the debate’s background.

13 May 2024

Woman with Virtual Reality goggles

Limits to techno-fix

Long established critic of overconsumption and advocate of simpler living, Australian academic Ted Trainer, speaks to SGR’s Andrew Simms about limits to technological responses to the climate and ecological emergency.

13 May 2024