Research
Events
Online
New Publications
And Finally…
Jobs and Training
Calls
Social Research Review to Inform Natural Environment Policy – Call for Information
Defra has commissioned the Policy Studies Institute, Land Use Consultants and the Centre for Rural Economy to undertake a review of the social science research of relevance to Defra’s Environment and Rural Group (ERG). The aim of the review is to ensure that key social research findings from a broad evidence base are accessible to policy and decision makers responsible for natural environment policy issues. To supplement the web-based and database searches being undertaken in the first stage of this project, the project team is issuing a call to SDRN members for any key social research publications, emerging social research findings or current social research being undertaken in relation to ERG policy areas, which include: wildlife issues and biodiversity; the ecosystem approach; land management and soil; flood risk management; water availability and quality; people and landscapes; outdoor recreation; rural affairs; and, marine and fisheries. Any such sources would be much appreciated and gratefully received by Sarah Bell, who will also be very happy to answer any further questions about the review.
Stepping into the water: A new domain for spatial planning – Call for Papers
Papers are invited for a one-day symposium on the topic of marine spatial planning (MSP), to be held in Sheffield on 21st May 2010. The symposium will bring together academics and others involved in this emergent field, in the UK and other European countries, to present and discuss current work and to set directions for future research. MSP is emerging as a new approach to marine governance, as a response to growing pressures on the seas and increasing environmental damage, and reflecting growing territorialisation of the seas following developments in international maritime law. Although potential contributors are free to propose their own topics, the organisers may choose to focus on some of the following questions: What are the conceptual roots of MSP? How does MSP relate to contemporary notions of spatial planning? What type of planning do we need for the seas? How should marine space be conceptualised? What kind of participation is needed for MSP? What is to be learnt from emerging MSP practice? What are the prevailing interests at work in the shaping of marine plans? How should MSP and terrestrial planning relate to one another? Can planning for the land learn from planning for the sea? Please contact Dr Geraint Ellis for more information.
Linking societies and universities: New missions for universities – Call for Papers
Papers are invited for the 32nd EAIR Forum, which will take place from 1st to 4th September 2010 in Valencia, Spain. The aim of this forum is to unite the academic community for a new social challenge; motivating higher education researchers and policy-makers to promote innovative best practice on academic and R&D and innovation activities and services to society around Europe. Key themes of interest include: reaching out to society (the way universities interact with society); the experience of students / learners; the enhancement of quality to service society; policies and funding for university sustainability; innovative ways to link university and society; and, university governance and management. Proposals for posters should be submitted by Monday 25th January 2010. More…
5th International conference on interdisciplinary social sciences – Call for Papers
This year’s international conference on interdisciplinary social sciences will be held from 2nd to 5th August 2010 at the University of Cambridge. The conference will examine the nature of disciplinary practices, and the interdisciplinary practices that arise in the context of 'real world' applications. It will also interrogate what constitutes 'science' in a social context, and the connections between the social and other sciences. Papers are invited with a focus ranging from the finely grained and empirical (research practices and results exemplifying one or more disciplines), to wide-ranging multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary practices, to perspectives on knowledge and methods. The conference organising committee is inviting proposals to present 30-minute papers, or 60-minute workshops or 90-minute colloquium sessions. More…
Climate geoengineering sandpit – Call for Participants
The recent Royal Society report concluded that ‘the safest and most predictable method of moderating climate change is to take early and effective action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases’. The report also acknowledged that geoengineering methods could potentially be useful to support other efforts to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. Geoengineering is in its infancy, and research is required to reduce uncertainties about the various methods and their impacts should they be required in the future. EPSRC and NERC intend to provide support for initial geoengineering research through a joint sandpit event. They aim to fund research which will allow informed and intelligent assessments about the development of geoengineering technologies. This sandpit event will likely focus on: potential side effects of geoengineering; reducing uncertainties about geoengineering schemes; the extent to which geoengineering technologies can be controlled; costs of schemes versus their effectiveness; and, barriers to deployment. The nature of geoengineering demands a multi-disciplinary approach. Consequently, the aim of this sandpit is to bring together researchers from numerous backgrounds and to encourage and drive innovative thinking and radical approaches to addressing research challenges in this area. Applications are invited from individual researchers who can contribute to the sandpit and resulting research projects, and should be received by noon on Wednesday 20th January 2010. More…
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Research
URSULA – Investigating the sustainable development of urban river corridors
Rivers have historically been at the heart of many cities and these potentially attractive and ecologically interesting urban spaces are now prime targets for redevelopment, offering the opportunity to create mixed use, high-density and high-quality communities. The URSULA (Urban River Corridors and Sustainable Urban Living Agendas) research consortium believes that there are significant social, economic and environmental gains to be made by integrated and innovative interventions in urban river corridors. URSULA is unique in that it tackles river corridor issues holistically by treating the river and its urban setting as a system. Over four years the project will produce innovations, tools and knowledge to help guide the regeneration of urban river corridors worldwide. URSULA research involves four themes: people, design, the river and values. Together these research themes address the question of how to manage the sustainable regeneration of urban river corridors, in order to maximise benefits to society, the economy and the environment. More…
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Events
Training – ‘Good practice stakeholder participation… with a focus on the environment’
9th – 11th March 2010: Wye, Kent.
This three-day training course will help participants to: explore the benefits and challenges of involving stakeholders in decisions about the environment; understand the principles and concepts of stakeholder participation; and, learn practical facilitation skills and how to design a participation process. Details are available by email or online.
Launch Event – ‘Greenspace and health outcomes framework’
8th February 2010: The Tolbooth, Stirling.
Greenspace Scotland, NHS Health Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) are launching a suite of tools to support both greenspace and health practitioners in making the links between greenspace and health more explicit. These tools form an outcome framework for greenspace and health which is part of a wider series of frameworks developed by NHS Health Scotland. This event aims to enable attendees to: explore greenspace and health within the context of the Single Outcome Agreement and National Performance Framework - considering how greenspace can best deliver the Healthier strategic objective; gain hands-on experience of using the greenspace and health outcomes framework and those for physical activity and mental health improvement; and, network with both health and greenspace practitioners. An outcomes framework aims to: support the identification of outcomes and how they are being delivered; map the links between activities and outcomes; underpin these linkages with a clear rationale based on available evidence; and, indicate the contributions of all partners to delivering the outcomes. The greenspace and health framework provides a series of tools which can be used to: maximise the successful delivery of health outcomes through better targeting and coordination of greenspace activities; and develop a clearer rationale for the way in which greenspace is delivering Single Outcome Agreement and National Performance Framework health outcomes. More…
Conference – ‘Innovation for sustainable production’
18th – 21st April 2010: Bruges.
This conference will highlight that efforts to ‘green’ the economy require a fundamental rethinking of our consumption and production patterns; we must seek to integrate product and process design, make a proper choice of materials and energy used, to interconnect between industries both downstream and upstream but also with neighbouring industries and residential areas. Only then will we be able to really achieve the promise of a sustainable economy and sustainable development. i-SUP2010, the second international conference on innovation for sustainable production, will cover six separate international congresses at the same time and at the same location, each aimed at a specific target audience of industry leaders, universities, research institutes and decision makers, covering fields such as: sustainable production, sustainable chemistry, sustainable energy, materials for sustainable production, carbon capture and storage, and in-vitro methods replacing animal testing. More…
SNH Event – ‘Sharing good practice: Social marketing Scotland’s outdoors – beyond the usual suspects’
27th January 2010: Battleby Conference Centre, Perth.
Scotland’s natural heritage is an important resource for improving the health and well-being of its population. Yet, how do we get more people to enjoy the outdoors more regularly, and to realise the significant benefits from physical activity and contact with nature? Traditional approaches have focused on improving the accessibility of the resource and information about it. While these approaches remain important, it is increasingly recognised that influencing public behaviour through social marketing also has a role to play in increasing participation in enjoying the outdoors. This event aims to provide an opportunity to explore the tools and tactics of social marketing and how these can be applied in this context to involve, include and target people across the spectrum of abilities, ages, races, religions and genders. More…
Forum – ‘Earth sciences in the 21st century: A forward look’
18th – 19th January 2010: Burlington House, London.
As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, the time seems right for a forward look in Earth science, in particular in relation to the role of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as a major funder of research, the academic community and the needs of industry and business, both in the UK and beyond. Marjorie Wilson (Leeds University), John Ludden (Executive Director of the British Geological Survey) and Lynne Frostick (President of the Geological Society) are coordinating a forward look or horizon scanning exercise, beginning with an online discussion forum through which anyone interested in earth sciences can contribute to the exercise. This forum will focus on a series of themes relevant to Earth Sciences in the 21st century, and will also include the opportunity to define further themes. The exercise will culminate in a two-day workshop hosted by the Geological Society at Burlington House in London, when around 100 members of the Earth Science community will be provided with a synopsis of the online discussions as a starting point and tasked to discuss, and make recommendations for, the long-term future of earth science. The final report, due by May 2010, should provide scientific direction that will not only influence and inform future NERC strategy, but define the direction for the UK earth sciences community as a whole. Contact Dr Vicky Hards for more information or visit the site …
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Online
Climate Scoreboard
Ventana Systems and the Sustainability Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have jointly developed an online widget – the Climate Scoreboard – which enables the public, journalists and other interested parties to track progress in the ongoing negotiations to reach an international climate treaty. The Scoreboard uses climate simulation models to provide daily updates regarding whether proposals in the treaty process commit countries to enough greenhouse gas emissions reductions to achieve widely expressed goals, such as limiting future warming to 1.5 to 2˚C above pre-industrial temperatures. Visit the site …
Sustainable social care programme and launch of the online Community of Practice
The Sustainable Social Care Programme is a commitment in the Department of Health’s Sustainable Development (SD) Action Plan 2009-11, aiming to encourage adult social care commissioners to promote SD across the sector, reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change. Questions being explored include: How can we design personalised services which also meet wider community needs in the longer term? How can we deal practically with the effects on vulnerable groups of extreme weather events such as flooding and heat waves? Can climate change provide a “common cause” for commissioners, providers and users of social care services? Could personalisation stimulate the market for low carbon business? The Sustainable Social Care online Community of Practice (CoP) has been launched on the IDeA Communities platform, which seeks to address the implications of climate change for adult services and bring together the priorities of social care and sustainable development. To join the CoP, register online and search for the Sustainable Social Care community. Details of the projects which make up the programme will appear on the Social Care Institute for Excellence website in 2010. In the meantime, please contact Catherine Max for more information.
Public consultation on food security
The European Commission is considering revising its approach to agriculture and food security in order to propose a policy framework for the European Community (EC) and the EU Member States. A public consultation is now open to gather orientations and views from relevant stakeholders regarding the proposed rationale, scope, strategic objectives, approach and implementation of such a policy framework for the EU. The consultation is open to any interested stakeholder. Individuals, organisations and countries are invited to send their contributions, in the form of answers to some or all of the questions presented in the issues paper. UKCDS is reviewing the issues paper and consulting members about a response. Submissions should be submitted by 9th January 2010. More…
BBSRC Food Security Website
The BBSRC has launched a new website to explore the issues around the looming challenge of feeding a global population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050, and the world-class UK research already underway to help avert a potential crisis. It will act as a multimedia resource with numerous social media features and provides an introduction to the food security issue. It includes background information on the food security agenda and facts and figures together with details about the impact of past research, current research activity and the scientific challenges ahead. At the centre of the website is a new multi-author blog – the first on the web dedicated to food security and related research in the UK. It will feature posts from authors across the food security field, including researchers, farmers, industry leaders and consumers. Featuring an easy-to-use, no registration required comments section, the blog will be an online destination for comment and provocative debate about different views on food security and different approaches to feeding the growing world population. It is increasingly being recognised that meeting the food security challenge – delivering safe, affordable and nutritious food for a growing global population – will require a multidisciplinary research approach. This website has been designed to grow to reflect the number of disciplines beyond BBSRC science that will need to work together. Visit the website…
The SURegen Workbench
Government policies on urban regeneration aim to bring about economic, social, physical and environmental improvements to urban areas but the EPSRC’s SUERegen project has found that they are often hampered by a skills-gap amongst built environment professionals, planning authorities and developers. The SURegen (Sustainable Urban Regeneration) project aims to tackle the complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity of the urban regeneration process by assisting regeneration stakeholders in day-to-day decision making and strategic processes. SURegen are currently using a web-based virtual workbench which will provide support for professionals and other key decision-makers in regeneration. The workbench will include a set of integrated decision support tools to help professionals working in the field to make critical decisions, as well as to enable those who are new to the field to acquire the skills they need to meet its challenges. More…
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New Publications
Green Alliance Report – ‘The right route: improving transport decision-making’
Green Alliance has recently launched a new report, which assesses five real-life case studies to see how they would fare under the government’s revised transport appraisal framework and decision-making process. The report calls for urgent changes for the benefit of the taxpayer and environment alike and finds that: the decision-making process is far from transparent and lacks co-ordination across regions; there is an absence of reliable data and a lack of co-ordination in the decision-making process; insufficient attention is given to alternative schemes that could offer better value for money for the tax payer; and, individual road schemes are being developed without proper consideration being given to schemes that get people out of their cars and reduce congestion which may be significantly more cost effective. More…
Natural England Report – ‘The Nature of Food’
Natural England has teamed up with celebrity chef and writer, Prue Leith, to produce a new report, which looks at the links between our favourite dishes and the health of our countryside and wildlife, and shows that good food doesn’t have to cost the earth. The report provides an illustrated food journey ‘from farm to fork’, showcasing the individual stories of farmers and food producers who, with the help of Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship schemes, are producing high quality, distinctive food and helping to look after the natural environment. Including top facts about the UK’s culinary history and regional food heritage – from the unique Wensleydale cheese to the ‘Bedfordshire clanger’ – this report also addresses tougher issues around the decline of traditional orchards, farmland bird numbers and the effects of over-fishing. More…
New Report – ‘Measuring socially sustainable urban regeneration in Europe’
This new report, produced by the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, examines how sustainable urban regeneration is being approached by local governments, developers and the construction industry, funding bodies and investors from a social perspective. The main aim of the research is to identify and examine socially sustainable urban regeneration models and vehicles, and best practice measurement systems across European cities, including exemplar and innovative social sustainability metrics and tools. More…
Natural England Publication – ‘Scenarios Compendium’
As a tool to aid thinking and stimulate new ideas about our possible futures, Natural England has drafted four scenarios that portray plausible long-term futures for England’s natural environment. There are many other scenarios out there which look at different timescales, different spatial dimensions and different topics. The idea of the compendium is that this not only provides an inventory of other scenarios covering similar issues, but also analyses their relationship to Natural England’s scenarios and clarifies how these add value to foresight for environmental decision making. The compendium documents almost three dozen scenarios and it is an illustrative, rather than an exhaustive survey: it does not include every scenario project completed in the UK, much less every scenario project in Europe or across the world. More…
New Book – ‘Environmental education in context: An international perspective on the development of environmental education’
This book presents an international perspective on environmental education and specifically the influence that perspective has on this aspect of curriculum. The focus is on environmental education - both formal and non formal - and the factors that impact upon its effectiveness, particularly in non-Western and non-English-speaking contexts (i.e. outside the UK, USA, Australia, NZ, etc). An important feature of the book is that it draws upon the experiences and research from local experts from a diverse cohort across the world (25 countries and two regions in total). The book addresses topics such as: the development of environmental education in different countries, its implementation, the influence of political, cultural, societal or religious mores; governmental or ministerial drives; economic or other pressures driving curriculum reform; the influence of external assessment regimes on environmental education, and so on. More…
IPPR Report – ‘Getting on: Well-being in later life’
It has been known for some time that the population of the United Kingdom is getting older and that the number of people aged over 75 (sometimes referred to as the ‘older old’) is growing particularly quickly. Encouragingly, healthy life expectancy – the number of years lived without illness or disability – is improving on average. There is a lively policy debate about later life, dominated by how to improve pensions and social care, and who will foot the bill. Yet there is much less information about people’s experiences of growing older: their quality of life, their expectations and their emotional wellbeing. ippr’s work on ‘the politics of ageing’ seeks to plug this gap and, further, to place a clearer focus on inequalities in older people’s wellbeing. This report sets out a wider agenda for policy-makers and practitioners. It reviews UK policies for older people and international practice, as well as the priorities of older people in urban versus rural locations. It concludes with recommendations for action, which signal a fresh approach to later life and seek to challenge outdated assumptions. More…
New Report – ‘Combating climate change: a role for UK forests’
This report, commissioned by the Forestry Commission, examines the potential of the UK's trees and woodlands to mitigate and adapt to our changing climate. It forms part of the response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report published in 2007. The assessment aims to provide a better understanding of how UK forestry can adapt to and improve its contribution to mitigation of climate change. The study is considered to be the first national assessment of its kind in the world and is already attracting interest from other countries keen to form their own climate change plans and policies. More…
RUDI Report – ‘Placemaking 2009’
This report, published by Resource for Design Information (RUDI) and the Academy of Urbanism, provides an overview of professional practice and case studies concerning the creation of liveable spaces. It explores the skills that contribute to the design of better human living environments by focusing on 'placemaking'. According to RUDI, the art of placemaking brings together the design of buildings, groups of buildings, streets, spaces and landscapes, and the establishment of processes that ensure their functionality and sustainability. The report presents many case studies and examples, with the main lessons including: all local authorities should have access to, and make good use of urban design advice; decision makers should develop an emotional connection with design; collaboration between actors and projects is very important; creative thinking is essential; overcoming barriers to low-carbon living is more about attitudinal and behavioural change than strategic design solutions; design can help people embrace a low-carbon lifestyle; evidence based research is of great importance; effective community engagement enables communities to get organically involved in the design process; and, it is important to have a clear vision for a project/space. More…
SEI / FoE Report – ‘Europe’s share of the climate challenge: Domestic actions and international obligations to protect the planet’
This report - published by Friends of the Earth and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) - shows how Europe can cut domestic emissions by 40% in 2020, and by 90% in 2050, compared to 1990 levels. This is the minimum scale and speed of reductions science says is likely to be needed from rich countries to avert a climate catastrophe and would enable the European Union to live up to its historical responsibility for causing climate change. Using detailed modelling the study describes a comprehensive pathway for Europe to achieve 40% emissions cuts through a combination of radical improvements in energy efficiency, the accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels, a dramatic shift towards renewable energies, and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes envisaged by the study include a shift to public transport with only 43% of trips being made by car in 2050 compared to 75% in 2005. Such changes could make the carbon footprint of the average European eight times smaller in 2050 than today. The report estimates the costs of the scenario, and outlines the EU’s fair share of the finances needed for developing countries to fight climate change. It calculates that between 2010 and 2020 mitigation costs in Europe would likely be about 2% of the EU’s discounted cumulative GDP of €111trillion, or 2€ per person per day, which is a value consistent with other mitigation studies. More…
New Report – ‘Other worlds are possible: Human progress in an age of climate change’
This report calls for new economic approaches that are more in tune with people and the planet, and includes proposals from leading economists based in developing countries for new development models. It features contributions from Dr Rajendra Pachauri (Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Professor Herman Daly (Leading environmental economist and winner of Right Livelihood Award), Professor Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize winner), Professor Manfred Max-Neef (environmental economist and winner of the Right Livelihood Award), Professor Jayati Ghosh (economist) and David Woodward (nef fellow). The report describes how the costs and benefits of global economic growth have been unfairly distributed, with those on lowest incomes getting the fewest benefits and paying the highest costs. A wide range of examples of more positive approaches are given from the wide, practical experience of the agencies in the coalition. Altogether they paint a picture of more qualitative development that is not dependent on further global over-consumption by the already rich, in the hope that crumbs of poverty alleviation are perhaps passed to those at the bottom of the income pile. ‘Other Worlds are Possible’ notes that the difference between success and failure in the international climate negotiations will be whether governments and financial institutions continue to support old, failed economic approaches, with their policy frameworks and our financial resources, or whether they will move to encourage and replicate new approaches that take account of our changed economic and environmental circumstances. More…
New Publications – ‘Health and Climate Change’
Climate change already affects human health, and, if no action is taken, problems such as malnutrition, deaths and injury due to extreme weather conditions, and change in geographical distribution of disease vectors will worsen. The Lancet Series is the result of an international collaboration of scientists supported by a consortium of funding bodies coordinated by the Wellcome Trust, UK. The Comments and Articles make a strong case for linking climate and health goals, and provide a quantitative underpinning for this important health message. Papers explore the health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in various spheres, including household energy, urban land transport, low-carbon electricity generation, food and agriculture, and they also consider the health implications of short-lived greenhouse pollutants, and the implications of the findings for policy-makers. More…
National Trust Publication – ‘Space to grow, why people need gardens’
New research, commissioned by the National Trust, has highlighted that over 70% of the population think that spending time in gardens is important for their quality of life. The National Trust cares for over 200 gardens and landscape parks, more than any other organisation in the UK. The report is the first of its kind to look at the significance of Trust gardens across different sectors, from their role helping children learn about growing food and the natural environment, to the contribution they make to improving the lives of many disadvantaged groups. Findings include: 71% respondents agree that it is important to their quality of life to spend time in gardens; 68% of people think that gardens are important as they provide an opportunity to unwind / relax; 80% think that all children should learn about gardening including growing food at school; 53% agree that we are a nation of gardeners; and, of those who believe spending time in gardens is of some importance to their quality of life, just under half (48%) feel it is on balance the most enjoyable activity of three options – 33% say watching TV, and 14% say shopping. More…
RELU Policy and Practice Note – ‘Social and environmental inequalities in rural areas’
Inequality in social, economic and environmental conditions has important implications for individuals or groups of people experiencing it, but also for society as a whole. In urban areas, poor environments are associated frequently with deprivation and social exclusion, but the relationship between environment and deprivation in rural areas is less well understood. Where the unequal distribution of social and environmental goods is considered unfair, it constitutes injustice. This RELU project quantified inequalities in social and environmental conditions throughout rural England and identified those areas where inequalities are greatest. The work has enhanced understanding of perceptions of inequality and injustice in rural areas. The project shows how rural policy can be refined and targeted to tackle these multi-faceted problems in the most appropriate way for the benefit of society. More…
NERC Economic Impact Reporting Framework
NERC has recently published its fourth annual Economic Impact Reporting Framework (EIRF) report. Implemented across all Research Councils in 2005, these reports demonstrate selected aspects of performance relevant to the government's objectives for the UK science base: overall economic impacts; investment in the research base and innovation; knowledge generation (stock of publicly available knowledge); knowledge generation (human capital); framework conditions (public engagement); framework conditions (financial sustainability); and, knowledge exchange efficiency. NERC's strategy recognises a responsibility not only to fund research that addresses the critical environmental issues of the 21st century, but also to ensure that NERC investments make a real contribution to building a sustainable economy and improving quality of life. To achieve these goals they work with a wide range of partner organisations spanning the academic, commercial, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Some headline findings include: the NERC Citations Study 2008 shows how NERC has been a key player in driving up the standard of environmental research in the UK; and, in 2008 the UK became the leader amongst the G8 nations for the environmental sciences as measured by citations impact. More…
New Book – ‘Fair Miles: Recharting the food miles map’
In this book, IIED and Oxfam warn that western concern over climate change can do more harm than good if it cuts demand for food produced in developing nations. The authors say locally produced food can actually cause greater emissions of greenhouse gases, and that consumers can harm the livelihoods of poor farmers in developing nations if they stop buying their produce. The book has been produced in response to growing calls for consumers to 'eat local' to help tackle climate change — calls that the book's authors say do not tell the full story. The book shows that even when food travels a long distance by plane it can result in lower overall emissions than food that travels shorter distances, because of other sources of emissions. Studies show that transport accounts for just 10% of the total emissions in the food chain in the United Kingdom and United States, with the rest coming from food production, processing, distribution and storage. Produce grown in Africa under the sun and flown to Europe can produce lower emissions than produce grown in Europe in heated glasshouses and transported by train or boat. The researchers are not saying locally grown food is a poor choice, but argue that as farmers in developing nations contribute so little to climate change, they shouldn’t be penalised because we emit more in the West. It says consumers serious about changing their behaviour in order to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions should be cycling or walking to their supermarket. More…
IIED Briefing – ‘Big emitters: How growth in consumption drives climate change’
This briefing explores how growth in consumption drives climate change. It seems obvious that the more people there are on the planet, the more the pressure on planetary resources and the larger the emissions of greenhouse gases. It therefore also seems obvious that population growth must be a major driver of global warming. Yet it is just as obvious that very poor households contribute very little to greenhouse gas emissions. So if most of the world’s population growth is among very poor households, population growth is not the culprit. The greatest human driver of global warming is the number of consumers on the planet and their consumption level. Individuals and households contribute to global warming by consuming goods and services that cause greenhouse gas emissions – for instance, by owning a refrigerator or a car. Through this they are responsible for all the fossil fuels that go into making, distributing, advertising, selling, using and disposing of such products. More…
SDC Report – ‘Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets’
A new report, commissioned by Defra and published by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), has assessed the environmental and health impacts of changing patterns of food consumption. It concludes that there is strong evidence that many changes in consumption which benefit the environment also have the added advantage of improving nutritional health in the UK. Our food chain and dietary choices have huge environmental impacts, as well as affecting our health. Around 18% of UK greenhouse gas emissions are related to food consumption and production. In addition, an estimated 70,000 premature deaths in the UK could be avoided if our diets matched nutritional guidelines. The SDC's research found evidence that consuming only fish from sustainable stocks, eating more seasonal food, cutting out bottled water, shopping on foot or over the internet and consuming more wildlife-friendly, organic foods would also contribute towards a more sustainable diet. However, the most significant health and environmental benefits were from reducing meat and dairy, cutting food and drink of low nutritional value – including fatty and sugary foods – and reducing food waste. The SDC is calling for all food advice generated across Government to incorporate environmental considerations as well as health guidance, and for sustainability criteria to be incorporated into public sector catering standards. It also recommends further research on particular sustainability 'hotspots' – including meat and dairy, fish, soy and palm oil – and how different methods of production can affect sustainability. More…
FEC Publication – ‘Climate change: Food and farming after Copenhagen’
The latest magazine published by the Food Ethics Council has a special focus on climate change and COP-15. The magazine seeks to challenge accepted opinion and spark fruitful debate about key issues and developments in food and farming. This free edition includes features on climate change and food security, livestock consumption and climate change, global food security and soil carbon sequestration, REDD, rural agriculture and climate change in low income countries, and sustainability throughout the supply chain. More…
New Book – ‘Designing long-term-policy: rethinking transition management’
This Special Issue of Policy Sciences reviews various experiences of implementing sustainability transition policies for large systems of provision, with a particular focus on the Netherlands. This experience is characterised as a challenge of developing long-term policies. Articles include: Designing long-term policy (rethinking transition management); transitioning policy (co-production of a new strategic framework for energy innovation policy in the Netherlands); sustainable development, transition management, and long term energy transitions; making democratic sense of transition management; empowerment and the challenge of applying transition management to ongoing projects; implementing transition management as policy reforms - a case study of the Dutch energy sector; and, transition management encounters environmental and innovation policy histories in Finland. More…
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And Finally…
The Living Streets Mince Pie Calculator is back…
Once again, as part of its Walking Works initiative, Living Streets has launched its online mince pie walking calculator, which uses scientific formulae to work out the number of calories burned when walking is incorporated into the everyday commute, and rewards such efforts in mince pie points! The calculator is accompanied with some mince pie related trivia, including the reassurance that it is considered good luck to eat mince pies on each of the 12 days of Christmas and even luckier to eat one on each day in a different home! Test out the calculator…
On that note, the SDRN team would like to thank everyone that has contributed to the Network in 2009 and wish all our members a very Happy Christmas and New Year!
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Jobs and Training
The SDRN Mailing is a moderated information resource and dissemination service for SDRN members. You can make use of this service by sending any information for inclusion in the mailing to Sarah Bell.
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