Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to ongoing announcements from China and others on carbon emissions
China has announced proposed targets to slow (although not reduce) its carbon emissions over the course of the next century. The announcement followed pledges made the previous day by the Obama administration promising to cut US emissions. read more
expert reaction to Obama announcement on US targets to cut emissions
The Obama administration has announced that President Obama will attend the climate summit in Copenhagen, where he will pledge to reduce US emissions over the coming decades. read more
climate change 101 – the state of the science
With crucial climate talks due to start in Copenhagen on December 7, the SMC, in conjunction with the Met Office, ran this briefing at Westminster to provide a crash course on climate science for political and world affairs journalists planning to report on proceedings in Copenhagen. read more
expert reaction to a new research paper on MS and childbirth, as published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (a BMJ specialist journal)
The paper draws conclusions suggesting that giving birth seems to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. read more
comments on climate change, following the story that emails at UEA’s Climate Research Unit have been hacked into
Emails and documents illegally obtained from servers at the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit have been uploaded on a climate ‘sceptics’ blog. It is claimed they show evidence of scientists’ collusion to manipulate data in making the case for human-made climate change. read more
expert reaction to bridge collapsing in Cumbria’s floods
The bridge collapse occurred during severe flooding in the north-west of England, following several days of heavy rainfall. read more
expert reaction to the news of a possible swine flu mutation in Norway
Scientists in Norway discovered a possible mutation to the H1N1 virus which could affect properties such as ease of transmission and virulence. read more
expert reaction to the news of a possible strain of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu in Wales
The Tamiflu-resistant strain was found to have emerged within a group of hospital patients in Cardiff, all of whom had underlying health problems and reduced immunity. read more
experts react to flooding in Cumbria
Heavy rain in the north-west of England has caused devastating flooding, driving hundreds from their homes and causing extensive damage to roads and bridges. The Environment Agency described the level of rainfall as ‘unprecedented’. read more
expert reaction to roll-out of swine flu vaccine to healthy children aged between 6 months and 5 years
The extension of the vaccination programme to this age group, announced by the Department of Health, was expected and is part of the normal vaccination roll-out programme. read more
expert reaction to paper on potential shortage of intensive care beds caused by swine flu, to be published in Archives of Disease in Childhood (a BMJ journal)
The paper draws attention to a potential shortage in intensive care beds due to a high volume of critical patients with swine flu. read more
experts react to news of a survey in Pulse that half of GPs’ pregnant patients are declining the swine flu vaccine
The survey, published in the GP magazine Pulse, has raised awareness of the public’s concern over the safety of the vaccine, as well as the issue of what proportion of the public will take up the vaccine. read more
expert reaction to Spanish study on coronary heart disease and alcohol intake, as published in BMJ specialist journal Heart
The study found an association between levels of alcohol intake and the incidence of heart disease in men, suggesting that higher levels of alcohol intake can be protective. However, experts were critical, suggesting that this does not mean that people should purposefully drink more. read more
CO2 – sinks and sources
Efforts to control climate change require the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, which in turn depends on the balance between our own emissions and natural carbon sinks. The Global Carbon Project has evaluated all the available evidence on carbon sinks and sources, the results of which have been published in Nature Geoscience. Two of the authors of the paper briefed journalists in their findings at the SMC. read more
expert reaction to news that the EU commission want all IVF patients to be screened for infections prior to each treatment
The following quotes accompany a letter sent by Dr Luca Gianaroli, Chairman of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology), along with reactions from experts in the field to this announcement from the EU commission. read more
climate change: have we lost the battle?
In the third and final report in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Climate Series, Mitigation, Adaptation and Geo-Engineering (MAG) is proposed as the solution to climate change. The report argues that, to decarbonise the nation and achieve the pledged 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the UK will need to undertake a monumental task at a scale it has never seen before. The report’s authors came to the SMC to lay out the scale of the engineering challenge, the shortfalls of the Climate Act, and the MAG approach to climate change less than a month before crucial climate talks at Copenhagen. read more
expert reaction to news of trials involving stem cells to create breast tissue
The trials involve the use of stem cells to grow breast tissue which could potentially allow cancer patients to regrow the breasts following mastectomy. read more
handling swine flu from pig to hospital
This briefing, run in conjunction with the BBSRC, the Wellcome Trust and the MRC, was held to launch three new research projects looking at various aspects of swine flu, including the monitoring of pigs in the UK, the numbers of cases in the community and the pattern of spread, and whether hospital cases should be the main focus of concern or if the handling of cases should be changed. read more
announcement of new study on animals containing human material
The Academy of Medical Sciences has launched a new study examining the use of animals containing human material in scientific research. It will bring together leading experts from a wide range of research fields including developmental genetics, clinical neuroscience, veterinary medicine, bioethics and law. It will examine the scientific, social, ethical, safety and regulatory aspects of the creation and use of non-human animals and embryos incorporating human material. Members of the working group came to the SMC to brief journalists on the study and the background issues. read more
expert reaction to the DECC strategy for overhaul of the UK energy system
The strategy, from the government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, includes such measures as clean coal and new nuclear power to meet UK energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. read more