Enviro-Social Research Compromised By Warmongering

Ethical Investor
September, 2007 Page: 11

A group of United Kingdom scientists has released figures showing what it believes is an imbalance of global research funding towards defence technology at the expense of the environment and social development. Flawed government thinking is driving a rapid expansion in the military influence over science and technology, says a new briefing from Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR).

It states that US government spending on military research and development (R&D) is soaring (up 57% since 2001). SGR's briefing argues that government policies, which emphasise the application of military technology in dealing with complex international crises, are driving the continued expansion of military R&D in the USA, UK and elsewhere, despite major shortcomings in current conflicts such as the Iraq war. Government funding for military R&D 'dwarfs' that spent on social and environmental programmes across the industrialised world, it says.

Quoting 2004 figures, it calculates that industrialised countries spent a total of $85 billion on military R&D, but only $50 billion on R&D for health and environmental protection, and less than $1 billion on R&D for renewable energy technologies essential for tackling climate change. SGR is a UK based organisation of approximately 900 scientists across the natural and social sciences, engineering, IT, architecture and design. Its main aim is to promote ethical science, design and technology - based on the principles of openness, accountability, peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability.