Science for Survival

The 12th Annual Schools Science Conference was held on 22nd April 2015 at University of Westminster

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Welcome to
Science for Survival

The theme of the 12th Schools Science Conference is Science for Survival

The content will cover the challenges that face us today.

This will include sustainability as well as healthcare topics and will range from antibiotic resistance to engineering solutions for water and food for all.

Superbugs
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Clostridium difficile
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Escherichia coli (E coli)
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB)
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today. Without effective antibiotics, many routine treatments will become increasingly dangerous. Setting broken bones, basic operations and chemotherapy all rely on access to antibiotics that work.
Energy supply
How to meet our needs without increasing CO2 – growing demand means we need greater supply, cleanly-generated
Managing resources
Oil, gas and coal (our traditional energy sources) are finite; it’s only a matter of when fossil fuels run out
Rare earth metals
In 2011, costs rose 750%, hindering development of green technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines
Deforestation
Causes extinction, climatic change & desertification – more than half of all plant and land animal species live in tropical forests
Food supply
Although we can relieve hunger through technical measures, the political causes require solutions as well
Water management
780 million people still lack access to clean water; thousands perish daily for lack of it
Global temperature rise
10 warmest years since 1880 in last 12 years – small changes in temperature correspond to enormous changes in the environment
Declining ice sheets
Rapid decline in decades Antarctica and Greenland have been losing an estimated 405 billion tonnes per year
Sea level rise
Global sea rose 17cm in the last century 39% of the world’s population live within 100km of the shoreline
Warming oceans
Rising 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969 – ecosystems are very sensitive even to modest change
Ocean acidification
Increased 30% since Industrial Revolution – corals, plankton, shellfish and some fish could be gravely affected
Marine plastic
Toxic plastic pieces are eaten by fish; fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in ingestion of toxins