Floods in Libya and Greece, fires in Australia or earthquakes in Morocco. Disasters are on the rise, partly because climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of some of them. The media often use the term 'natural disaster' to describe them, something a team of crisis and disaster specialists is trying to change.
Every time there is a heat wave, a DANA or a flooding episode, the question arises: is it the fault of climate change? Attribution studies try to find out the relationship between a particular phenomenon and global warming as a result of human action.
Every February 28 or 29, World Rare Disease Day is celebrated, an initiative that aims to raise awareness about rare diseases in order to improve access to diagnosis and treatment and achieve a better quality of life among those who suffer from them. Here are some frequently asked questions about the most important concepts, their current situation and the main complaints that affected individuals and families continue to have.
11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, proclaimed by the UN in 2015. It aims to "promote the full and equal participation" of women and girls in education, employment and decision-making. This document, which is open to suggestions from journalists and the research community, compiles resources to cover women and girls in science, on this day and throughout the year.
Studies on risks, especially those related to health, generate headlines because they are of concern to the public. A good understanding of risk is crucial for making decisions such as getting vaccinated, taking care of one's diet, choosing a contraceptive method or changing consumer habits. However, it is difficult: it is a statistical concept that is often identified with danger and provokes feelings, so its perception is subjective. This guide, accompanied by an infographic, brings together seven recommendations for risk information from the expert María del Carmen Climént.
The survey Scientific Disinformation in Spain, carried out by FECYT in the framework of the European project IBERIFIER, shows that most citizens are concerned about the effects of scientific disinformation and that they do not feel very confident when it comes to differentiating between false and true content. The report includes a series of recommendations for dealing with this type of misinformation, which are reproduced below.
All researchers who collaborate with SMC Spain or with the media in assessing scientific news must declare their potential conflicts of interest. Below we explain our policy for declaring these possible conflicts.
Based on the Decalogue of recommendations for climate change communication signed in 2018 by more than 80 media outlets, environmental communication professionals from all over Spain, together with the scientific team of the Climate Change Communication Observatory, have drawn up the new Decalogue 2022, a guide for the social communication of the climate crisis. A summarised version is reproduced below.
When science hits the headlines, there are controversial issues that generate criticism of scientists. If they become attacks, they should be reported to the research centre and to the authorities. We summarise and adapt the UK SMC's recommendations in these situations.
Spain is suffering these days a new heat wave that, according to experts, will last at least until Monday and it is not clear when it will end.