Friday, 31 January, 7.30 PM at the Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle In a world stressed by climate change and population growth, the issue of GM crops is again rising to the top of the socio-political agenda. Agri-business, as supported by […]
risk
standard Risk Society in the Middle Ages
About the hour of prime there was a single clap of thunder with lightning, which fell on the tower of the church, and which penetrated into the upper part of it with a horrible crash, twisted the oaken material like […]
standard Rubbish patches in ocean
Plastic rubbish and other debris in the ocean is an increasing environmental problem and ecological hazard. Unfortunately many of the things we waste often persist in the environment in surprising yet extremely damaging ways. In fact, there is so much […]
standard Twitter and wildfires: Microblogging emergency information
Catrin Edgeley, a student on the MSc in Risk programme at Durham University, explains the pros and cons of using microblogging sites such as Twitter and Facebook to relay emergency information about wildfire hazards. Microblogging as a technique for the […]
standard Landslide losses – raising the profile in the USA
Landslide losses in the USA The two dramatic landslides of the last few weeks in the USA has undoubtedly raised the profile of this natural hazard. The Oso landslide in Washington State remains high on the news agenda, and was […]
standard Reducing air pollution is key to public health
Air pollution caused by industry and other human-made sources is a determinant of health that continues to be largely overlooked despite its disastrous consequences. In 2012 the World Health Organization estimates that seven million people died as a result of […]
standard The Oso (Steelhead) landslide: mechanisms of movement and the challenges of recovering the victims
The Oso (Steelhead) landslide – mechanisms of movement The desperate search for the up to 90 missing people at Oso has continued (see my earlier post on the landslide). Survival rates for landslide victims are very short, so this is […]
standard Fracking in the US: Local responses to complex risks
The Durham Energy Institute hosted a visit from Professor Susan Christopherson, Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, whose research focuses on political-economic policy. Sam Almond from DEI reviews Susan’s talk entitled: ‘A Distinctive US Approach to Shale […]
standard GM crops debate will never be resolved unless the public is consulted properly
By Tom McLeish, Durham University; Phil Macnaghten, Durham University, and Susana Carro-Ripalda, Durham University The UK Council for Science and Technology recently called on prime minister David Cameron to reassess EU rules on GM crops. Two days later the Observer […]
standard Public Debate – Rescuing Our Brownfield Spaces
Brownfield or previously developed land is everywhere. Nearly everyone has visited or lived near an area that was once used for industrial purposes, making it unsuitable for redevelopment. Besides being an eye sore, brownfield is also known to be detrimental […]