Media Briefing Invitation: Astronomers and the Climate Emergency, 21 July 2021
National Astronomy Meeting press release
RAS PR 21/26 (NAM 13)
20 July 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Astronomers and space scientists are some of the strongest advocates for action on climate change. As a community, their carbon footprint can also be very high, at least in normal years, primarily the result of a large amount of international travel to conferences and facilities like observatories. A secondary factor in some cases is the use of energy hungry supercomputing facilities running large scale simulations.
Now many astronomers are arguing for systemic changes to their working practice, to lead by example, and to deliver big cuts in their CO2 emissions. The ‘Astronomers for Planet Earth’ open letter now has more than 2800 signatories, and in the UK, the Royal Astronomical Society recently signed the UN Climate Neutral Now declaration.
Journalists are warmly invited to attend a media briefing on “Astronomers and the Climate Emergency” at 16:00 BST on Wednesday 21 July, at the online National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2021). The briefing will be chaired by Dr Hannah Dalgleish from the University of Oxford will be run on Zoom. *** Please contact a member of the conference press team for login details ***
Speakers at the briefing include:
- Dr Robert Massey, RAS – Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Dr Tim Hewlett, Scientist Rebellion – astrophysicist and founder of Scientist Rebellion, invited speaker at NAM 2021
- Ms Jo Ramasawmy, UK Astronomy Technology Centre – astrophysicist and outreach expert, invited panellist at NAM 2021
- Dr Abigail Frost, KU Leuven – astrophysicist and co-chair of the event at NAM 2021
- Dr Manisha Shrestha, Liverpool John Moores University – astrophysicist and co-chair of the event at NAM 2021
- Dr Hannah Dalgleish, University of Oxford – astrophysicist and chair of the event at NAM 2021
Media contacts
Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
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Dr Morgan Hollis
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700
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Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699
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Vittoria D’Alessio
Tel: +44 (0)1225 383135
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Notes for editors
About Astronomers for Planet Earth
Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E) is a global collective, whose main goal is to communicate the fragility of our planet from an astronomical perspective. Founded in 2019, A4E is made up of more than 1100 members across 67 countries. Through worldwide engagement with astronomers and educators worldwide, A4E encourages the community to reduce emissions and influence decision makers, while providing a space to collaborate and share resources.
Follow A4E on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo
About the National Astronomy Meeting
The Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2021) will take place online from 19 - 23 July 2021. Bringing together around 850 astronomers and space scientists, the conference is the largest annual professional astronomy and space science event in the UK, and sees leading researchers from around the world presenting their latest work.
NAM 2021 incorporates the annual meetings of the Magnetosphere Ionosphere Solar-Terrestrial (MIST) and UK Solar Physics (UKSP) groups. The conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the University of Bath.
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About the Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Download the RAS Supermassive podcast
About the Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is part of UK Research and Innovation – the UK body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. STFC funds and supports research in particle and nuclear physics, astronomy, gravitational research and astrophysics, and space science and also operates a network of five national laboratories as well as supporting UK research at a number of international research facilities including CERN, FERMILAB and the ESO telescopes in Chile. STFC is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar.
STFC's Astronomy and Space Science programme provides support for a wide range of facilities, research groups and individuals in order to investigate some of the highest priority questions in astrophysics, cosmology and solar system science. STFC's astronomy and space science programme is delivered through grant funding for research activities, and also through support of technical activities at STFC's UK Astronomy Technology Centre and RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. STFC also supports UK astronomy through the international European Southern Observatory.
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About the University of Bath
The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities both in terms of research and our reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and graduate prospects.
The University is rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the Government’s assessment of teaching quality in universities, meaning its teaching is of the highest quality in the UK.
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 research assessment 87 per cent of our research was defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. From developing fuel efficient cars of the future, to identifying infectious diseases more quickly, or working to improve the lives of female farmers in West Africa, research from Bath is making a difference around the world. Find out more
Well established as a nurturing environment for enterprising minds, Bath is ranked highly in all national league tables. We are ranked 6th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2021, and 9th in The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 and 10th in the Complete University Guide 2021. Our sports offering was rated as being in the world’s top 10 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2021.
