Environment policy: World Resources Report 2010-11
The latest World Resources Report 2010-11 just published with an emphasis on adaptation to climate change. Worth seeing in the context of the run up to Rio +20
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Research policy EU: Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 is the post-2013 EU framework for research and innovation, still under development. A recent speech from the EU Commissioner responsible outlines three blocks of activity:..../more
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"The first block, 'Excellence in the science base', will strengthen the EU's excellence in science, particularly through a significant strengthening of the spectacularly successful European Research Council.
The second block, 'Creating industrial leadership and competitive frameworks', will support business research and innovation. Actions will cover increasing investment in enabling and industrial technologies and support for innovation in SMEs with high growth potential.
The third block, 'Tackling societal challenges', will respond directly to challenges identified in Europe 2020. Its focus will be on the challenges of: health, demographic change and well-being; food security and the bio-based economy; energy; transport; supply of raw materials; resource efficiency and climate action; inclusive, innovative and secure societies"
Science policy: uncertainty in science
Interesting working paper published by the LSE Grantham Institute entitled Scientific Uncertainty: a user's guide.
Biodiversity science USA: the National Ecological Observatory Network
Article in Nature on the launch of NEON in the USA - The National Ecological Observatory Network, funded by NSF. Only just starting, but worth looking at the site and their science strategy. /....More
Number of Grand Challenges identified:
- Climate Change: Understanding and predicting climate variability, including directional climate change and its impacts on natural and human systems
- Land Use: Understanding and predicting changes in land use and land cover that are critical to biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem functioning and services, and human welfare.Invasive Species: Understanding and forecasting the distribution of biological invasions and their impacts on ecological processes and ecosystem services.
- Biogeochemistry: Understanding and predicting the impacts of human activities on the Earth’s major biogeochemical cycles.
- Biodiversity: Understanding the regulation of biological diversity and its functional consequences for ecosystems.Ecohydrology: Understanding and predicting changes in freshwater resources and the environment.
- Infectious Diseases: Understanding and predicting the ecological and evolutionary aspects of infectious diseases and of the interactions among pathogens, hosts/receptors, and ecosystems.
Science Policy: review of BBC science coverage
The report and response on the impartiality of BBC coverage of science has been published - commissioned by the BBC Trust. Interesting reading overall, with a conclusion of a high quality of coverage, but areas for improvement. In broad terms there is a need to improve the appropriate weight given in terms of the scientific consensus (where this exists) in areas of controversy - so how pro and con views on human-induced climate change are given. A lot of detail and case studies over a particular time period in evidence. One slight oddity is that it does not appear that wildlife/nature programming is considered as science: perhaps this is because the scientific basis is not explicit to the layperson?
Climate change policy: Foresight report from the UK government
UK government Foresight report (so horizon scanning/assessment) published in July 2011 on the International Dimensions of Climate Change, together with a wide range of supporting evidence reports.
Biodiversity and Climate Change policy: REDD-plus and Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity Technical Series 59 - a report on REDD-plus and Biodiversity. Covers the potential synergies and benefits, need for involvement and empowerment of local communities, and risks and issues.
Biodiversity policy: UNESCO executive board session 186
The UNESCO executive board has agreed to develop an integrated approach to biodiversity across its various programmes: should be agreed in the autumn of 2011, but a short summary of the recent decision on the IISD website. Interestingly, UNESCO also agreed to develop a statement of principles for climate change ethics - there are other initiatives on biodiversity and environmental ethics that will also be worth watching. Previous attempts such as the Earth Charter have made some progress but not widespread acceptance in policy.
Climate change Australia: new Climate Commission report
Don't usually cover climate science on this blog, but Australia has set up a new Climate Commission that has just released an initial overview report of climate change for the next decade- worth a look.
Collections science: use of fossil sirenians for palaeoclimate research
Science paper on Eocene climate using isotope evidence from museum collections. Latitudinal Gradients in Greenhouse Seawater δ18O: Evidence from Eocene Sirenian Tooth Enamel and Science 22 April 2011: 332 (6028), 455-458. [DOI:10.1126/science.1201182]