For those who were already following Europe’s policy on GM crops last century, something strange is happening. Long teased by our cousins across the Atlantic for living in the world’s agricultural museum, we now finally appear to be travelling back in time to 1999. The similarities are startling. Let’s review: In early 2015: the European… » read more
Archives for Science & Policymaking
Yale University brings EU to US
February 17, 2015
Yale University placed itself on the map as the first United States University to take the lead in EU affairs this past weekend when European students from the European Student Conference launched an EU think-tank here in the US named European Horizons. The aim of the think-tank is to contribute to the policy’s being… » read more
The Logic of Risks
February 15, 2015
Are Naturalist Nutters showing signs of inconsistency or of a sudden logical outburst when they criticise those who do not vaccinate? Hardly – they are exhibiting a perfectly justifiable illogic that easily harmonises contradictory thinking. We need to accept that there is no logic to risk decisions and learn how to manage risks in an… » read more
EurActory, the directory that gathers information about experts on EU affairs, was recently launched in beta at the European Parliament. Of course, you already knew that. Above is the video we recorded at the event, including statements of the supporters behind the project. “Anything that we can do to make policy-making more transparent and more… » read more
A herbicide spray to keep the bio-tech industry at bay? RIP traditional European agriculture
January 15, 2015
By Kathleen Garnett Ever since the first boff in a lab profited from fiddling around with the genetic make-up of plants European agriculture has been at the mercy of the big corporations. Not unlike the pests GMO products are said to repel the bio-tech industry has been swarming all over the treasure chest that is… » read more
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Agriculture & Food, English, future EU, Health & Consumers, Science & Policymaking |
Horizon 2020 two-stage submission system: Experiences and tips
January 12, 2015
Horizon 2020 brought a number of significant changes compared to its predecessor Framework Programmes or similar schemes in terms of rules for application for funding, financial management and reporting. One of the major differences from previous practices was the introduction of the bi-annual work programmes, which provide the opportunity for all those who intend to… » read more
Message to the IUCN Activist Scientists: Rules Matter
January 8, 2015
The IUCN Taskforce on Systemic Pesticides has been set up essentially as a political front group – they do not do any original research, are not transparent on their membership or amount of funding and was formed to do PR and political activism. Their activism is damaging the reputation of science. They need to understand… » read more
My Christmas Wish-list
December 19, 2014
As Christmas approaches, the Risk-Monger finds himself on Santa’s Naughty List. See how he tries to wiggle out of this one and presents three simple ideas for 2015!
What if scientists got caught acting without scientific integrity? What if they formed a group with political ambitions to juice up the science so they could campaign against another group? Would they be credible? Would their science serve as the basis for policy? Only an idiot would accept that. Why then did we?
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Agriculture & Food, English, Science & Policymaking, Sustainable Dev. |
Europe without a Chief Scientific Adviser? Oh Dear!
November 13, 2014
Today is a sad day for the European Union. After a clever and persistent lobbying campaign, Corporate Europe Observatory and the Green 10 have succeeded in removing the post of a Chief Scientific Adviser. There is no longer a safety mechanism within the European Commission to ensure, better, more evidence-based policymaking.
Rosetta: rendez-vous with a come
November 12, 2014
ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August after a ten-year journey through the Solar System. The landing site, currently known as Site J and located on the smaller of the comet’s two ‘lobes’, was selected just six weeks after Rosetta arrived at the comet. The mission’s lander, Philae, will be deployed on… » read more
ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August after a ten-year journey through the Solar System. The landing site, currently known as Site J and located on the smaller of the comet’s two ‘lobes’, was selected just six weeks after Rosetta arrived at the comet. The mission’s lander, Philae, will be deployed on… » read more
The European Union exists to regulate, and therefore it regulates, as Descartes would have said; and in no area is that more true than in that of food law argue food law experts Kasia Wilk & Chris Whitehouse. The European Union is not particularly popular at the moment, and many would like to repatriate a… » read more
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Agriculture & Food, English, Health & Consumers, Science & Policymaking |
Lost (or winning) in space?!
May 16, 2014
Going into space was a competition between Russia and USA for many years. It entered into peaceful exploration and use, preservation of security and integrity. Now, it seems as if it is not even a goal anymore. Russia decided to leave ISS (International Space Station) in 2020 – earlier than expected. Yes, it’s true –… » read more
Get ready for disasters
May 6, 2014
Smarter planning for natural and man-made disasters would improve resilience and reduce future economic losses, a new OECD report says. It estimates that earthquakes, social unrest, industrial accidents, terror attacks, pandemics and other disruptive events cost advanced and emerging nations around USD 1.5 trillion in damages and economic losses over the last decade, more than… » read more
L’importance de la place du numérique dans l’économie n’est plus à prouver depuis bien des années. Mais parce qu’elle représente le vecteur nécessaire d’une mondialisation aujourd’hui bien plus qu’entamée, cette technologie tournée exclusivement vers le futur doit être maîtrisée par quiconque souhaite jouer un rôle majeur à l’échelle mondiale. Reste à savoir si la France… » read more
It seems common sense that, if an error is found in legislation, then this law should be immediately amended; at the very least, the erroneous provision should not be allowed to influence the course of a related court proceeding. This is not, however, how some EU Member States seem to view such a scenario. Three… » read more
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Agriculture & Food, English, Health & Consumers, Science & Policymaking, Sport |
iWatch: Not so fast Apple
March 12, 2014
By Dr Sameer Bansilal The lure of wearable technology and its application to health is tremendous- so tremendous that even the richest company on the planet-Apple, can’t resist it apparently. And so goes the recent insider news that has captured the attention of people worldwide “Apple is developing software and sensors that can predict heart… » read more
New technologies only succeed in context
February 13, 2014
I overheard a debate at a breakfast meeting at the World Economic Forum Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China that went like this: “The market won’t accept a malaria vaccine that costs more than $.40 a dose.” “But that’s not possible, why can’t we just start solving the technical problem and then figure… » read more
Hertie School of Governance accepts now applications for the Executive Master in Public Management
February 3, 2014
Curriculum: Tailored for Professionals The quality of the programme is rooted in two principles: interdisciplinarity and practical application. The EMPM combines economics and social sciences to further students’ understanding of complex governance challenges and management solutions. The participants work on international case studies and discuss phenomena against the background of their own work experience. Experts… » read more