News 2008
Statement form the Climate Justice Now! alliance on the Poznan climate talks
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| Protester Source: itsgettinghotinhere.org |
Poznan statement from the Climate Justice Now! alliance
December 12, 2008
Members of Climate Justice Now! ? a worldwide alliance of more than 160 organisations -- have been in Poznan for the past two weeks closely following developments in the UN climate negotiations.
This statement is our assessment of the Conference of Parties (COP) 14, and articulates our principles for achieving climate justice.
THE URGENCY OF CLIMATE JUSTICE
We will not be able to stop climate change if we don't change theneo-liberal and corporate-based economy which stops us from achieving sustainable societies. Corporate globalisation must be stopped. ...read on
Take Action!
Send President-elect Obama a 100-Day Agenda for Nuclear Disarmament
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| President-elect Obama Source: barrackobama.com |
The incoming Obama administration has an historic opportunity to lead the world to complete nuclear disarmament, and all of us have the responsibility to make sure they stay on track.
President-elect Obama has stated, A world without nuclear weapons is profoundly in America's interest and the world's interest. It is our responsibility to make the commitment, and to do the hard work to make this vision a reality.
He's right: the work will be hard, but together we can accomplish this goal. Today we are asking you to take one easy step to make sure the Obama administration keeps nuclear weapons at the top of itspriority list.
We have created a 100-day agenda for nuclear disarmament. If President-elect Obama adopts this agenda for his first 100 days in office, he will set the tone for substantial progress on this essential issue.
Take a moment to read the 100-day agenda and, if you support it, send it to Mr. Obama along with your own comments. With strong leadership from the President-elect and support from you, a nuclear weapons-free world is not only possible, but within reach.
Click here to take action now.
Call for signatures and for large distribution of the appeal
No to War - No to NATO
Anti war and peace organisations across Europe and beyond are calling for mass protests at the 60th Conference of NATO in Strasbourg Baden-Baden/ Kehl from 3 - 5 April 2009. ...read on
UN Diplomatic Roundtable on the Nuclear Weapons Convention
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| United Nations Flag Source: Wikipedia |
On November 13, 2008 Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) joined the Costa Rican Mission to the United Nations, the Simons Foundation, the International Network of Engineers and Scientists against Proliferation (INESAP) and the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) in co-sponsoring a day-long diplomatic roundtable at the United Nations in Geneva (Palais des Nations) on Steps toward a Nuclear Weapons Convention: Exploring and developing legal and political aspects. ... read on
President-elect Obama and A World Free of Nuclear Weapons
By David Krieger
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| Barack Obama 44th President of the United States Photo: © flickr |
The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States is a great moment for America and the world - a time of celebration and tears. The American people have chosen hope over fear, unity over division. In doing so, we have repudiated policies of violence, lawlessness and closed-door rule. We have restored hope and made possible the restoration of America's credibility in the world. ... read on
In October 2008 the Chair of the INES Executive Committee, David Krieger, was elected to the Executive Committee of the World Future Council.
... read on
Joseph Rotblat Centennial
Remembering Joseph Rotblat, Remembering our Humanity
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| Joseph Rotblat awarded for the Nobel Peace Prize 1995 Photo: © The Nobel Foundation |
Joseph Rotblat was one of the great men of our time. As a young physicist from Poland, Rotblat realized that it might be possible to create an atomic weapon and worried that the Germans might succeed in developing such a weapon before the Allied powers. Due to this realization and his belief that the Allied powers needed a deterrent to a possible Nazi bomb, Rotblat agreed to work during World War II on the British bomb project and then on the US Manhattan Project.
When it became clear to him in late 1944 that the Germans would not succeed in creating an atomic weapon, Rotblat resigned from the Manhattan Project and returned to London. He was the only Allied scientist to resign from the bomb project as a matter of conscience. ... read on
See also Nobel Foundation's website
National Peace Jirga of Afghanistan and the Cooperation for Peace (Germany)
Joint Declaration
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| Logos National Peace Jirga of Afghanistan and the Cooperation for Peace (Germany) |
Peace is possible in Afghanistan, yet not by the continuation of the war and the repeated escalation of combat activities. Not only the USA plan reinforce their troops massively.
Since July 1st 2008 the first German combat group is on duty ... read on
6th INESPE Lecture on the Social Responsibility of Engineers and Scientists
Why don't I take military funding?
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| Prof. Benjamin Kuipers Photo: The University of Texas Austin |
Next lecture:
Prof. Benjamin Kuipers, University of Texas at Austin:
Why don't I take military funding?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 13.15 hours
Venue:
Auditorium D, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen,
Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen.
Abstract: I don't take funding from military agencies. Why not?
Mostly it's a testimony that it's possible to have a successful career in computer science without taking military funding. My position has its roots in the Vietnam War, when I was a conscientious objector, did alternative service instead of submitting to the draft, and joined the Society of Friends (Quakers). During the 1980s and 90s, the position seemed to lose some of its urgency, so it became more of a testimony about career paths.
Since September 11, 2001, all the urgency is back. The defense of our country is at stake, so this testimony becomes critical. In short, I believe that non-violent methods of conflict resolution provide the only methods for protecting our country against the deadly threats we face in the long run. Military action, with its inevitable consequences to civilian populations, creates and fuels deadly threats, and therefore increases the danger that our country faces.
I will discuss the origin and evolution of my beliefs and my attitudes toward the role of the military in our society, and towards military-funded research.
Benjamin Kuipers holds an endowed Professorship in Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He investigates the representation of commonsense and expert knowledge, with particular emphasis on the effective use of incomplete knowledge. He received his B.A. from Swarthmore College, and his Ph.D. from MIT. He has held research or faculty appointments at MIT, Tufts University, and the University of Texas. His research accomplishments include developing the TOUR model of
spatial knowledge in the cognitive map, the QSIM algorithm for qualitative simulation, the Algernon system for knowledge representation, and the Spatial Semantic Hierarchy model of knowledge for robot exploration and mapping. He has served as Department Chairman, and is a Fellow of AAAI and IEEE.
Appeal
No to War - No to NATO
On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the NATO military organisation, we appeal to all people to come to Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009, to protest against NATO's aggressive military and nuclear policies, and assert our vision of a just world free of war ...read on
Appeal in English:
NotoNATO-Appeal_en.pdf (47K)
Appeal in Spanish:
NotoNATO-Appeal_es.pdf (44K)
Appeal in French:
NotoNATO-Appeal_de.pdf (53K)
Appeal in German:
NotoNATO-Appeal_fr.pdf (65K)
Appeal in Danish:
NotoNATO-Appeal_dk.pdf (51K)
Appeal in Italian:
NotoNATO-Appeal_it.pdf (6K)
Appeal in Greek:
NotoNATO-Appeal_gr.pdf (37K)
Appeal in Turkish:
NotoNATO-Appeal_tr.pdf (43K)
Appeal in Italian:
NotoNATO-Appeal_nl.pdf (20K)
A resolute pioneer of sustainable management
INES Advisory Council member Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker has won the German Environmental Award from the German environmental foundation Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU).
See report and Interview with Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
New INES Energy Sustainability Weblog
For further information check here
The IAASTD report and some of its fallout - a personal note
By Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Zurich, Switzerland
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| Harvesting machines in soy bean field Photo: Fernando Weberich/www.sxc.hu |
The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) is a unique international effort that will evaluate the relevance, quality and effectiveness of agricultural knowledge, science, and technology (AKST); and effectiveness of public and private sector policies as well as institutional arrangements in relation to AKST. The purpose of IAASTD is to assess agricultural knowledge, science and technology (AKST) in order to use AKST more effectively to reduce hunger and poverty, improve rural livelihoods, and facilitate equitable, environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development.
The IAASTD report and some of its fallout - a personal note By Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Zurich, Switzerland
Advisory Council member of the INES member organisation VDW (Federation of German Scientists, www.vdw-ev.de)
You will find the Executive Summary of the Synthethis Report of the IAASTD here
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INES at
European Social Forum (ESF)
Malmö/Sweden
September 17-21, 2008
INES seminar at ESF:
Towards a nuclear-weapons free Europe and a nuclear-weapons free world
in cooperation with:
World Court Project UK
Swedish Scientists and Engineers Against Nuclear Arms (SEANA)
Pugwash Denmark
IPPNW Sweden
Friday, September 19, 2008
9:30 - 12:30
Speech by Dominique Lalanne, Abolition 2000-Europe; Stop Essais
Dominique Lalanne is Director of Research in nuclear and particle physics at the French Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Speech by John Scales Avery, Against Nuclear Weapons
Special Edition
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INES Special Edition
for the European
Social Forum, Malmö Sweden 17.-21.09.2008
Download
of Engineers and Scientists
Solving the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Problems Together: The Role of Scientists and Engineers
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| Prof. Mohan Mungasinghe Photo: www.ase.tufts.edu |
Mohan Munasinghe
Vice Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Chairman, Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 13.15 hours
Venue:
Auditorium 3, H.C. Ørsted Institute, University of Copenhagen,
Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 Copenhagen.
Abstract:
The lecture will begin with a review of the main findings from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) relating to climate change science, impacts and adaptation, and mitigation. Their importance and relevance for policy and implementation will be explored. Climate change response policies (adaptation and mitigation) need to be fully integrated into sustainable development strategy. A practical framework called Sustainomics, based on making development more sustainable (MDMS), permits us to address traditional development issues like poverty, food security, health, employment, etc, while simultaneously taking steps to deal with longer term problems such as climate change. CC will undermine SD prospects, and future development paths will affect climate change, in a circular fashion. Synergies between CC and SD may be exploited, while trade-offs need to be resolved. The importance of trans-disciplinary analysis will explained, including the role of scientists and engineers in developing practical solutions. Case studies will be briefly summarized, which illustrate the approach at global/transnational, national/macroeconomic, sectoral/ecosystem, and local/project.
The lecture is based on a recent book Making Development More Sustainable: Sustainomics Framework and Practical Applications? by Mohan Munasinghe. Copies (personally autographed) will be available for sale after the lecture.
More info on the INESPE Lecture Series on the Social Responsibility of Engineers and Scientists at http://inespe.org/lectures. The Lecture Series is organized in collaboration with Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies at the University of Copenhagen.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Rememberance Events in India
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| The A-bomb dome in Hiroshima Photo: Alexander Warnolf/www.sxc.hu |
The Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection (IIPDEP)
in collaboration with INES and International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is organizing events on the occasion of remembering
Hiroshima - Nagasaki Bombing Days, from 6th August to 9th August 2008 at Nagpur, India. ...read on
View photos of the event
International Preparatory Conference for the
Anti-NATO activities related to the 60th anniversary of NATO 4th and 5th October 2008 Stuttgart, Germany
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| NATO flag Photo: de.wikipedia.org |
We will discuss NATO's 60th anniversary in May 2009, which will be celebrated with an official summit in Strasbourg and Kehl.
We believe:
Sixty years of NATO are enough. NATO is the main driving force behind global war. NATO stands for the missile defence system, military bases around the world, nuclear weapons and military interventions and expenditure. NATO is a rival to the UN and the system of international law. NATO is intertwined with the European security and defence system. But NATO is not all-powerful, indeed it is under extreme pressure right now in Afghanistan. ...read on
INES and NAPF Appeal to the University of California
Stop your involvement in the development and
improvement of nuclear weapons!
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| Nuclear fireball Photo: wikipedia.org |
To the President and Regents of the University of California:
Universities play an important role in society. They are institutions that bring together experts to transmit knowledge to successive waves of young adults coming of age. In the process, they train citizens and future societal leaders. Universities should set an example to the youth they train and to the general society, reflecting the highest standards of civilization and ethical behavior. ...read on
An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Sustainable Energy: Shifting the Paradigm - by Alice Slater
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| Solar cells Photo: Rainer Sturm, pixelio.de |
See also at the Energy Sustainability Weblog
For information on the Preparatory Conference for the Foundation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) check here
and
The World Council for Renewable Energy http://www.wcre.org/
David Krieger
The Non Proliferation Treaty Turns Forty
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| United Nations General Assembly Hall Photo: UN Website |
July 1, 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) being opened for signatures.The true purpose of this treaty has always been two-fold: to prevent nuclear proliferation and to achieve nuclear disarmament; in other words, to create a level playing field in which there are no nuclear weapons.In the preamble to the treaty, the parties declare their intention to achieve at the earliest possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to undertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament. ... read on
13.06.08
Behind Closed Doors
A Report on the Military Influence in UK Universities
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| Lab work Photo: Jean Scheijen/sxc.hu |
New report by INES member Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) published June 12, 2008.
A report by UK scientists reveals the secrecy surrounding the growing influence of the military on the research agenda in British universities. Behind Closed Doors, published today by Scientists for Global Responsibility, is the result of an in-depth investigation into 16 of Britain's universities, including some of the most prestigious. Using new data gained under the Freedom of Information Act, the report's authors estimate that the average level of ... read on
11.06.08
Last Exit Disarmament. World at the Crossroads -
New INEASP Information Bulletin #28 released
Contents: Nuclear Winter; US Nuclear Weapons; Iran's Missiles; Missile Defense in Europe; Nuclear Weapons Convention; Fissile Cutoff; Uranium Detection; Scientific Advisory; Biological Weapons; Nanotechnology
Editorial by Jürgen Scheffran
In January 2009, George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States will come to an end. Where is the world after eight years of his presidency?
- The Iraq War, justified by false accusations, has cost more than $500 billion
in direct costs and may end with total costs of more than $3 trillion. It has taken
the lives of more than 4,000 US soldiers, and a much larger number of Iraqis, estimated from between 150,000 and one million people. - Preemptive strike doctrines threaten states with nuclear capabilities and ambitions, making nuclear war more likely. US missile defense programs in Eastern Europe provoke harsh reactions from the Russian government, reminiscent of the Cold War. The relationship with China is undermined by US missile defense programs and plans for dominance in space. Both China and the US have tested ...read on
- 28.04.2008
Sign the OAXTEPEC DECLARATION:
Science for Peace and Sustainability
on the occasion of the INES-UNAM Conference
Oaxtepec, Mexico, March 2008
read on
If you want to sign the declaration please send a positive statement to: officeinesglobalcom
Online signature will be possible soon!
If you want to publish a comment please also send it to the INES office: officeinesglobalcom
Read the comments and see the subscribers list
5th INESPE Lecture on the Social Responsibility of Engineers and Scientists
Berkeley, Biology and British Petroleum: Public Academics and the Academician in a Corporatized World
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| Dr. Ignacio Chapela Photo: www.mindfully.org |
Next lecture:
Ignacio Chapela:
Berkeley, Biology and British Petroleum: Public Academics and the Academician in a Corporatized World
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 14.15 at Auditorium A
Venue:
Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen.
Abstract:
In 1997, and then again in 2007, the University of California at Berkeley was the epicenter of key developments in the history of public research institutions, universities and academe in general.The proposal to have intimate and very substantial financial relationships with two major transnational corporations (Novartis and British Petroleum, a.k.a. BP) was met, in both occasions, with opposition on the part of some faculty and many members of the public. The dynamics of these local developments can be seen as emblematic of much larger processes taking place within the Modern enterprise of a social programme based on innovation and RD&D (Research, Development and Delivery). This presentation will discuss the incorporation of Biology, through biotechnology, into the paradigm of RD&D progress, specifically from the viewpoint of Berkeley and the University of California. Here, the forces driving much of science and academe in our days are clearly discernible: on the side of industrial development those forces include corporatization, entrepreneurship, reliance on intellectual property protection and venture-capital, while on the other hand academia is impacted by the rise of big science, politization and militarization. How these forces work in tension with each other will be analyzed using the case-study of the presenter, who has been engaged in opposition to privatizing forces in Berkeley and to the final incorporation of Biology into the world of corporations and large, concentrated venture capital. In discussion with the audience, we will scrutinize the options available to individual scientists, engineers and academicians in general, in the face of forces that would appear overwhelming. What are the alternatives? How to balance public principles with personal interests? How is the public represented in the work of academe? Whence has academic freedom wandered?
Ignacio Chapela is an Associate Professor at Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. University of California, Berkeley.
See: www.inespe.org
10.04.2008
New Video Contest Seeks Film-Makers Who Want oo be Peace-Makers
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the
2008 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest.
The contest is hosted on YouTube at www.youtube.com/group/2008Swackhamer.
The contest seeks short (2-3 minute) videos from people of all ages and all countries.
The topic is: There are about 26,000 nuclear weapons in the
world today. Use your creativity to make a short video about why US
leadership is necessary to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
For more info go to:
http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/programs/awards-&-contests/video-contest/2008/index.html.
The contest is being run in conjunction with a major new educational campaign by the Foundation. Called US
Leadership for a Nuclear-Weapons Free World ? An Appeal to the Next President of the United States, the campaign is gathering the support of one million people and will deliver those names to the White House on Inauguration Day in 2009. Sign up at www.wagingpeace.org/appeal
08.02.2008
Exhibition launch: 'The Nuclear Dilemma'
26th February 2008 at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva.
A unique visual-communication project about the history of nuclear technology; providing valuable tools for people to form clear perspectives on its past and present uses and enabling dialogue and research for a safer future.
Produced by REAL Exhibition Development. Co-produced by The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva
Supported by INES
www.nucleardilemma.org
infonucleardilemmaorg
Press Info:
download here
Introduction:
download here
Upcoming presentations:
26th February - 29th July 2008
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva.
visit website
9th September - 9th January 2009
Gernika Peace Museum, Spain
visit website
March - May 2009
World House of Culture, Berlin, Germany
visit website