Policy
How will environmental policy change post-Brexit?
“To protect nature, we need targets, investment and accountability, not grand promises with zero detail,” said activist lawyer and ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton to BBC News last week. He expressed his disappointment with yet another delay of the publication of a 25 year plan for England’s nature, a draft of which has been seen … Continue reading
Insect invaders and problematic plants: the threats posed by invasive species
By Barney Slater AMRSB, BBSRC PhD student at University of Cambridge and policy intern at the Royal Society of Biology. March 27th – April 2nd was this year’s UK Non-Native Species Secretariat (UNNS) Invasive Species Week. During the week NNSS teamed up with Defra to spread awareness of what invasive species are, which pose a … Continue reading
Talking science policy and Trump politics at this year’s Voice of the Future
By Greg Satchell, BSc (Hons) MRSC MRSB ACSFS, junior forensic scientist for Thames Valley Police and representative for the RSB at this year’s Voice of the Future Having only ever walked past Parliament on a number of occasions, never had I thought that I would be sitting in the Boothroyd Room, conversing with senior members of … Continue reading
Lead: What do people know?
By Natalie Lamb, PhD Student at The University of Sheffield and Anglian Water, and chair of the Royal Society of Biology East Anglia branch Most people in the UK are aware that lead is a problem. The presence of lead can have an adverse impact on mental development and may be a factor in behavioural problems. When … Continue reading
How can we adapt to climate change?
By Barney Slater AMRSB, BBSRC PhD student at University of Cambridge and policy intern at the Royal Society of Biology. Global climate change is an increasing threat for the UK. Research shows an average temperature increase of almost 1⁰C over the last 50 years in the UK, and climate projections predict that this could climb … Continue reading
Helping urban agriculture take root
Sam Lane AMRSB looks at some of the technologies and policies that will help cities grow their own food. What if I told you there was a way to meet growing demands for food security, reduce causes of climate change, shrink supply chains and improve public health? Well, some think that urban agriculture might just … Continue reading
Something in the air
By Dr Jonathan Carruthers, science policy officer at the Royal Society of Biology We are all exposed to air pollution to some degree. Oxides of nitrogen and particles emitted by road vehicles, trains and ships affect not just the frail, but all of us throughout our lives. These pollutants seriously harm health: they are linked … Continue reading
TEF vs. REF: are teaching and research now adversaries?
By Henry Lovett, policy & public affairs officer, The Physiological Society At the recent Labour, Conservative and SNP party conferences, The Physiological Society asked policy makers to consider an important question: ‘TEF vs. REF: Are Teaching and Research Now Adversaries?’ The successful fringe events discussed how the Government’s development of a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) … Continue reading
Targeting Antimicrobial Resistance
By Josephine Hellberg MRSB, DPhil Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics student at the University of Oxford and science policy intern at the Royal Society of Biology. Take part in a tweetchat on AMR from 15:00 – 16:00 GMT on Friday 18th November by following and tweeting with #AntibioticFuture This week is World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016; which … Continue reading
Diversity in Science: creating an inclusive environment
By Gabriele Butkute AMRSB, science policy officer at the Royal Society of Biology and the Biochemical Society The Royal Society’s Annual Diversity Conference, ‘Diversity Matters – the road to inclusivity’ provided an uplifting environment to learn about initiatives in a range of workplaces. Meeting representatives from across the science sector, including from education and government, … Continue reading