UCS Science Network

UCS

Through our Science Network, UCS collaborates with nearly 20,000 scientists and technical experts across the country, including physicists, ecologists, engineers, public health professionals, economists, and energy analysts. Science Network Voices gives Equation readers access to the depth of expertise and broad perspective on current issues that our Science Network members bring to UCS. The views expressed in Science Network posts are those of the author alone.

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Photo: mopictures/Flickr

Understanding Local Impacts to Inform Wildlife Conservation

Dr. Christie Sampson, and Charles C.Y. Xu

December 4, 2018 2:42 PM EDT

It’s 16:30 in rural Myanmar and my field crew, who had spent the day surveying for elephant dung, are racing our caravan of motorbikes back to the field camp before dusk descends. As the day fades tempering the oppressive heat, elephants emerge from the shade of the forest to begin foraging, sometimes in the sugarcane and rice paddies that are increasingly spreading across the country. Running into one of these giants as they too use the network of dirt roads to travel through the landscape can be fatal, necessitating a strict policy of returning to camp before dark for the safety of the team. While my field season lasts a short three months, this is one of many concessions residents are forced to make or risk their lives encountering an elephant as night falls. Read more >

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Hope and a 250-mile Bike Ride Through Colorado with a Mother-Daughter Duo

Melissa McShea Valentin

November 26, 2018 4:25 PM EDT

Melissa and Natalie Valentin are a mother-daughter duo devoted to sports and biking for the planet. But, with wildfires raging across the West and a president actively reversing our country’s progress on climate change, they have been finding it very hard to be hopeful about the future of the planet lately. Rather than give in to climate despair, they joined Climate Ride Colorado in order to meet other inspiring riders and to become a part of the Climate Ride community. They were looking to reinvigorate their optimism and activism by raising money for charities working on climate (one antidote to a lack of spending on our government’s part) and surrounding themselves by similarly committed activists. They hope that their story inspires you to fundraise for the Union of Concerned Scientists or other climate charities by registering at climateride.org. 

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Photo: Lonpicman/Wikimedia Commons

Forensics, Justice, and the Case for Science-Based Decision Making

Simon A. Cole

November 14, 2018 10:01 AM EDT

Forensic science—and the language forensic scientists use to talk about their findings–has real-world impacts, sometimes life-or-death impacts, for real people. If the criminal justice system is going to really serve the cause of justice, it needs to be informed by the best available science. Unfortunately, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is ignoring scientific best practices, reversing progress toward improving forensic science in the U.S.

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Photo by Yomex Owo/Unsplash.

How to Make Professional Conferences More Accessible for Disabled People: Guidance from Actual Disabled Scientists

Gabi Serrato Marks, Ph.D. candidate

November 8, 2018 10:00 AM EDT

Attending professional conferences is a key part of life as a scientist. It’s where we present our research, network, and reconnect with colleagues. But for disabled scientists like me, conferences can be inaccessible and frustrating. I talked to several other scientists with a wide range of disabilities about how conferences could be better, and put their advice together in this short summary (also available in a video, if you prefer that). Read more >

Photo by Yomex Owo/Unsplash.
Photo by Matthias Wagner/Unsplash
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Photo: FEMA

Climate Changes Health: The Backstory is the Front Story

Natalie Sampson

November 7, 2018 1:59 PM EDT

12 years. That’s how long scientists say we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially to heed off the global catastrophic effects of climate change.  As such, climate change is arguably the greatest public health threat of our times as it already contributes to increased trauma, morbidity, and mortality from extreme weather events and displacement. Read more >

Photo: FEMO
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