Policy: Science, Biodiversity and Museums

Interesting post on the Nature News Blog on the first meeting of a Global Science Council - what it may become is unclear, but discussion of merit [peer] review.  A number of principles were identified, as follows:

ICSU have produced a series of policy briefs in preparation for Rio +20, covering Energy
security, Health, Well-being, Green economy, Water security, Food security, Biodiversity
and ecosystems, Transforming governance and institutions, and Interconnected risks
and challenges

Two outputs from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford: the report of the 2011 World Forum, and Water Worlds, a review of water security issues.

New guidelines on internships in museums are available from the UK Museums Association, adding to Arts Council guidance and those from NCVO.

BSI has released a new document on collections standards to take account of energy use and carbon impacts: PAS 198:2012- Specification for managing environmental conditions for cultural collections.  Origins with the Collections Trust and background from the Chief Executive of the Collections Trust, Nick Poole, on his

IISD reports on the CBD SBSTTA 16 meeting are available, together with an overall summary report.

SCORE  is a partnership of organisations with interests in science education policy in the UK - the Association for Science Education, the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics and the Society for Biology.  It has published a report on Mathematics in Science, looking at the maths covered in 16-18 science education in particular.

Biodiversa is an EU FP7-funded ERA network of biodiversity research funders - joint calls for biodiversity research, strategic collaboration and more.  Partners are:  more

The Planet Under Pressure conference was held in London in March 2012 - originating from IGBP, Diversitas, IHDP, WCRP and a range of other partners.  Outputs included the preliminary launch of the Future Earth initiative and a State of the Planet declaration which calls for greater integration of science, assessment and targets, and measures looking forward to Rio +20.

National Academies Press has published Ecosystem Services: Charting a Path to Sustainability.  The report is a summary of a conference in which various working groups looked at a range of services and policy issues, including valuation, from a primarily USA perspective. Part of the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative - multidisciplinary forward perspectives in various areas.