SciDev.net reports in an effort to strengthen their influence on the world's political stage, 12 national science academies have issued two joint statements to the G8 leaders ahead of the annual G8 summit meeting, to be held in Russia next month.The statements, announced yesterday (14 June) by the national academies of the G8 countries and Brazil, China, India and South Africa, call for better global disease surveillance and more research to tackle the global energy crisis. http://www.scidev.net/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=readnews&itemid=2914&language=1