SMC Heads-Up: Climate summit, paracetamol-ADHD link and SAVVY coming to Auckland
Issue 298
25 September - 2 October
2014
Climate center stage at UN
summit
The United Nations Climate Summit,
concluding in New York this week, has put climate policy
firmly back on the global political
agenda.
UN Headquarters in New
York
High-profile leaders such as Barack Obama and David
Cameron were among the some 100 Heads of State at the
international summit, which aimed to raise political
momentum towards a new climate agreement to be thrashed out
atnegotiations in Paris next
year.
Although there were no formal negotiations or targets agreed, a number of countries outlined their commitments to lowering emissions and deforestation, and limiting global temperature rises to less than 2°C.
At the core of the summit were a number of plenary sessions, allowing heads of state and other representatives to give four minute speeches, affirming their commitment to climate change policies and making public their ambitions and (non-binding) targets. These sessions were accompanied by number of smaller meetings focusing on issues such as deforestation and financing of low carbon initiatives.
A representative from New Zealand did not speak in an allocated slot at the summit due to issues arising from the recent election, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson. However Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Murray McCully did participate in the summit and New Zealand's Climate Change Ambassador Jo Tyndall gave an address on behalf of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, highlighting the work of the Alliance.
Read United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon'ssummary, providing a concise outline of the summit's key outcomes.
Ahead of the summit, protests and marches drew thousands to the streets around the world - most notably Wall Street in New York, where over 100 protesters were arrested. In New Zealand, a smaller event drew 300 protesters to Queen Street in Auckland.
Budget blowout warned
Carbon dioxide emissions, the main contributor to global warming, are set to rise again in 2014 - reaching a record high of 40 billion tonnes, according to a new global stock-take, published on Monday ahead of the summit.
A 2.5 per cent projected rise in burning fossil fuels is revealed by the Global Carbon Budget 2014, an analysis published in the journal Earth System Science Data Discussions.
According the authors of the report, this means that the future global 'carbon budget' of 1,200 billion tonnes - calculated as the total upper limit international governments can afford to emit without pushing temperatures higher than 2°C above pre-industrial levels - is likely to be used up within 30 years, just one generation from now.
Read expert reaction to the Global Carbon
Budget, collected by the Science Media
Centre.
On the science radar this
week...
Meditation improves computing, termites
'digest'using fungi, robot skin for space explorers, killer
'space bubbles' in Afghanistan, and fossil poo unearths differences in
ancient humans.
Paracetamol in pregnancy
linked to ADHD
Using paracetamol,
one of the mainstays of over-the-counter pain relief, during
pregnancy has been linked to the development of Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, according
to new research.
The University of Auckland study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, found that self-reported paracetamol use by pregnant women was linked to development of ADHD in children by age 11. The findings come from theAuckland Birthweight Collaborative (ABC) Study which followed almost 900 children of European ethnicity born in the Auckland region in 1995-96.
Around half the mothers of children enrolled in the study reported taking paracetamol at some point in their pregnancy, and this was linked to an increase in children scoring highly on questionnaires measuring emotional and behavioural difficulties, even after other factors had been taken into account. The research confirmsearlier Danish research that found similar outcomes.
The authors noted that the nature of the study did not allow them to record the exact dosages of paracetamol taken by mothers, and highlighted the need for further studies to examine the link.
"More research is needed to provide a more precise assessment of the risk and consequences of taking this pain killer during pregnancy," said lead author Dr. John Thompson in a media release.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, independent researcher Prof. Wayne Gillett, from the Dunedin School of Medicine, cautioned against stopping paracetamol use during pregnancy on the basis of limited studies at this stage.
"As a general rule paracetamol is still a very safe treatment ... If it wasn't available then gosh, only more dangerous drugs would be used or none at all which of course would lead to misery in women."
Read a round up of media coverage on the Science Media Centre website.
SAVVY workshop in
Auckland
Applications are now open for
our next Science Media SAVVY workshop in
Auckland.Our two-day Science Media SAVVY course will
be held on the campus at the University of Auckland Centre
for Brain Research, November 20 - 21.
This workshop caters for both established and emerging researchers who want to gain practical skills for explaining their science to a wider audience and feel more confident engaging with the media.
APPLY HERE
What
participants say about Science Media
SAVVY:
"This workshop was simply fantastic - a great intro to the media for scientists with lots of practical experiences. Absolutely would recommend it to colleagues."
"I had done media training before, but the science focus of this one made it miles better."
"There aren't many opportunities that merit two whole days of a researcher's time, but this was worth every moment."
Two scholarships covering full course fees ($595 +GST) are available, one for a qualifying early career researcher and one for a postgraduate student who shows exceptional promise in science communication. Please see the application for full details.
Help us spread the word: download a flyer for your department or office notice board.
If you are potentially interested in sponsoring course fees for successful applicants from your faculty, department, research area or association, please contact the Science Media Centre for more information.
Quoted: Huffington Post
"Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by burning natural gas is like dieting by eating reduced-fat cookies.
"It may be better than eating full-fat cookies, but if you really want to lose weight, you probably need to avoid cookies altogether."
Prof Steven Davis, University of California, Irvine, on his research into natural gas emissions.
The Friday
video...
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Policy news and developments
New Social Return on Investment tool - MPI, in collaboration with Agresearch and Aohanga Incorporation, has launched a Social Return on Investment evaluation tool, to be used for integrating social, environmental and cultural values into the decision making process.
Renewable electricity continues to rise - The latest New Zealand Energy Quarterly includes MBIE's data and analysis of energy supply and demand, and shows renewable electricity generation increased to 78% of New Zealand's electricity.
New From the SMC
Experts respond:
Global carbon budget: Carbon dioxide emissions, the main contributor to global warming, are set to rise again this year - reaching a record high of 40 billion tonnes, according to the Global Carbon Budget 2014 report.
In the News:
Climate change centre stage at UN
summit: The United Nations Climate Summit, concluding in
New York this week, has put climate policy firmly back on
the political agenda.
Paracetamol in pregnancy linked to
ADHD: Using paracetamol, one of the mainstays of
over-the-counter pain relief, during pregnancy has been
linked to the development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) in children, according to new
research.
Superbugs and 3D printing - 3rd
Degree: Antibiotic resistance and 3D printing - and the
scientists who study them - garnered prime-time screen time
on the latest episodes of TV3's current affairs show 3rd
Degree.
Reflections on
Science:
New Zealand's 'blue economy': Dame Anne
Salmond, patron of the Te Awaroa 1000 Rivers Project, writes
about the country's 'blue economy' in the New Zealand
Herald.
From the SMC Network
From the UK SMC:
Expert reaction to CDC estimates of numbers
of future Ebola cases
Expert reaction to new statins
study
Ebola - what next?
Expert encounter: Prof Sir Michael Marmot
and Dr Angela Donkin, Institute of Health Equity
Expert reaction to e-cigarette use among
patients with cancer
Expert reaction to studies on carbon
emissions
From the Australian SMC:
NEWS BRIEFING: Carbon still climbing - release of the Global Carbon Budget for 2014
Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's Sciblogs posts:
The threats of antibiotic resistant
superbugs to New Zealand - Siouxsie Wiles discusses the
NZMJ research paper by Deborah Williamson and Helen
Heffernan on superbugs in New Zealand.
Infectious
Thoughts
Where do we go but nowhere? - Gareth
Renowdon reflects on the state of New Zealand's climate
policies now that the general elections are over.
Hot
Topic
Moa and Māori dogs - lessons for modern
ecological life - Lynley Hargreaves asks zoologist
Priscilla Wehi how she's using whakataukī - ancestral
Māori proverbs - to understand
extinction.
Infrequently Asked Questions
The evolution of superbugs - Eureka! Sir
Paul Callaghan Awards 2014 finalist Siska Falconer tackles
the science behind superbugs.
Guest Post
The sexism of the circus - Emma Timewell
comments on the Cirque du Soleil's portrayal of scientists
and gender.
Guest Post
Research
highlights
Some of the research papers
making headlines this week.
Fish
antifreeze also keeps ice frozen: Wild Antarctic
fish carry antifreeze proteins that prevent small ice
crystals in the blood from growing any further, but US and
New Zealand research has found that this antifreeze also
prevents the ice crystals from melting in warm conditions,
potentially contributing to a lifelong build-up of
tissue-damaging ice crystals.
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences
Drinks and supplements shouldn't
sponsor sports: Rugby, football and other sports
should not be sponsored by nutritional supplements and
rehydration drinks if there is no evidence they work, a
study argues. The researchers say the public are led to
believe these products boost health or performance based on
their links to the sports they sponsor, giving them
"unwarranted credibility".
Journal of Medical
Ethics
Natural gas no saviour:
Abundant supplies of natural gas will do little to reduce
the US's harmful emissions that contribute to climate
change, according to a new study. The authors found that
inexpensive gas boosts electricity consumption and hinders
expansion of cleaner energy sources, such as wind and solar.
Environmental Research
Letters
Our water is older than the
sun: A portion of our solar system's water - such
as that found in Earth's seas - existed before the sun,
according to new research. The study, which traced water's
chemical 'fingerprint' back through history, also suggests
that all other planetary systems also had the same original
water source if they formed in a similar way to our solar
system.
Science
When
uncertain, your brain chooses randomness: Past
experience is usually a reliable guide for making decisions,
but new animal research suggests that individuals are more
likely to risk random choices in unpredictable and
challenging situations because the brain 'switches modes' to
gain a competitive edge.
Cell
Upcoming sci-tech
events
For these and other upcoming
events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar.
• The Dark Side - 26 September,
Christchurch. RASNZ Beatrice Hill Tinsley
Lecture: Tamara Davis talks about dark matter and
dark energy, which have thrown scientists a 'curve ball'
when it comes to understanding the universe.
• IceFest - 27 Sep to 12 Oct, Christchurch. Creative and interactive festival highlighting New Zealand's leadership in, and the global importance of, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
• Canterbury Software Summit - 2 October, Christchurch. Conference focusing on new developments in information & communications technology.