Extinction Rebellion uses tactics that toppled dictators – but we live in a liberal democracy
XR protesters getting carried away. Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA.
Oscar Berglund, University of Bristol
After occupying parts of central London over two weeks in April, Extinction Rebellion’s (XR) summer uprising has now spread to Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol. All these protests involve disruption, breaking the law and activists seeking arrest.
Emotions are running high, with many objecting to the disruption. At the same time, the protests have got people and the media talking about climate change. XR clearly represents something new and unusual, which has the power to annoy or enthuse people. But what led it to adopt such disruptive tactics in its efforts to demand action on climate change? Continue reading
Russian Twitter propaganda predicted 2016 US election polls
AP/Mary Altaffer, Chuck Burton
Damian Ruck, University of Bristol
When Robert Mueller completed his long-awaited investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, he left many questions unanswered.
But one conclusion was unequivocal: Russia unleashed an extensive campaign of fake news and disinformation on social media with the aim of distorting U.S. public opinion, sowing discord and swinging the election in favor of the Republican candidate Donald Trump. Continue reading
E-cigarettes: why I’m optimistic they will stub smoking out for good
Jasmine Khouja, University of Bristol
There are over a billion smokers across the world – a habit which causes more than 7m deaths per year. We have known that smoking kills for decades, but this simple fact has not been enough to persuade every smoker to quit. Continue reading
Benefits or barriers? How the social security system fails survivors of violence abuse across the UK’s four nations
Marilyn Howard, University of Bristol
Supported by PolicyBristol, a report on social security and survivors of violence and abuse across the four nations of the UK was launched in June 2019. Continue reading
Male victims of domestic abuse face barriers to accessing support services – new study
Mivolchan19/Shutterstock
Eszter Szilassy, University of Bristol
Men who experience domestic violence and abuse face significant barriers to getting help and access to specialist support services, our latest study shows. Continue reading
Older and poorer communities are left behind by the decline of cash
ShutterStockStudio / Shutterstock.com
Daniel Tischer, University of Bristol; Jamie Evans, University of Bristol, and Sara Davies, University of Bristol
A future without cash seems almost inevitable. Recent statistics paint a damning picture: while cash accounted for 62% of all payments by volume in 2006, this dropped to 40% in just a decade and is predicted to fall yet further to 21% by 2026. Continue reading
Climate change: sea level rise could displace millions of people within two generations
Michael Bamber, Author provided
Jonathan Bamber, University of Bristol and Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University
Antarctica is further from civilisation than any other place on Earth. The Greenland ice sheet is closer to home but around one tenth the size of its southern sibling. Together, these two ice masses hold enough frozen water to raise global mean sea level by 65 metres if they were to suddenly melt. But how likely is this to happen? Continue reading
Care under the Rainbow Launch Event on IDAHOT Day 17th May 2019
Introducing a new learning resource for creating inclusive care home environments for older LGBT+ residents.
By Dr Wenjing Zhang and Dr Paul Willis, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol.
17th May 2019 marks IDAHOT Day – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. This is a significant day for a number of reasons. For LGBT+ groups and organisations it’s about recognising and speaking out against the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and all other people who belong to sexual and gender minority groups around the world. Continue reading
What should British universities do about benefits received from past wrongs?
Steven Greer, University of Bristol
The University of Cambridge has embarked on a project to discover how it may have contributed to, and benefited financially from, slavery. This venture follows hot on the heels of a similar investigation at University College London, and a decision by the University of Glasgow to launch a “reparative justice programme” after having discovered it made the equivalent of £200m from the transatlantic slave trade. Continue reading
Children with eczema: the link to food allergies is not clear cut
Matthew Ridd, University of Bristol and Robert Boyle, Imperial College London
Around one in five children have eczema – and even mild cases can have a big impact on both the child and their family. For many, symptoms will come and go before they start primary school, but for others it can indicate the beginning of a genetic tendency to develop allergic conditions such as hay fever or asthma (or both). Continue reading