Science Policy

Thomas Abraham

Science policy…

Where science, politics, poverty, global power, business and economics clash

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html

Science and global power

A fast growing economy and a big military are essential elements of a country’s rise

So is a rapidly growing base of scientific knowledge

USA Japan China UK Russia Germany India Korea

30.9

10

5.2

8.3

3.5

8.9

2.6 2.3

20.7

7.6

10.6

7.2

2.7

7.7

3.7 3.3

World Share of Scientific Publications

2002 2008

Source: UNESCO

Science in China

Aims to become an “innovation driven nation” by 2020

Plans to recruit over 2,000 foreign experts in next 5-10 years to work in China

Incentives for Chinese researchers abroad to return home

Raising of research and development expenditures from 1.5-2.5% by 2020

Priority areas for R and D

Energy, water resources and environmental protection

IT, advanced materials and manufacturing

Biotechnologies Space and marine technology Basic science, frontier technology http://

www.nature.com/nchina/index.html http://www.sciencemagchina.cn/

The US response

Obama administration’s investments in science and technology in the stimulus packages

Funding for clean energy US university system still remains a

world leader

Science, poverty and development

In the 1950s and 60s, science was seen as way for poor countries to emerge quickly from poverty

http://iaea.org/

What is genetic modification of a crop?

Artificial insertion of genes into an organism to introduce a new characteristic: ie. the insertion of a bacterial gene into cotton to make it insect resistant; or insertion of genes to make crops resistant to drought

Genetic modifications also occur naturally within species, but here are we are talking about modifications that would not normally happen eg between species

GM crops in the developing world

Where science, scepticism, ethical and moral concerns and big business collide

The voice of science

“Food and water shortages that already ravage the continent will only get worse, and GM technology offers a promising way to tackle poverty and poor agricultural productivity. The question is not whether countries there should adopt GM crops, but how quickly.” Editorial in Nature

Cultivation of GM Crops 1996-2009 (ISAAA)

USA 64 S,M,C,R, SB,squash, papaya

Brazil 21.4 S,M,C

Argentina 21.3 S,M,C

India 8.4 C

Canada 8.2 R,M,S,SB

China 3.7 C, poplar, papayas, tomato, sweet pepper,petunia

Paraguay 2.2 S

South Arfica 2.1 M,S,C

GM Crop cultivation (in millions of hectares)

S= Soya, M= Maize, C= cotton SB= sugar beet

  Area* Area GM Proportion GM

Soy 90 69 77%

Maize 158 42 26%

Cotton 33 16 49%

Rapeseed 31 6.4 21%

Sugarbeet 4.4** 0.5 9%

Proportion of GM crops cultivated globally

GM Food : the case of Bt Brinjal in India

Brinjal= aubergine

The story

Brinjals are widely eaten in India, and has been part of the traditional diet for centuries

An Indian company, Mahyco, in which Monsanto has a minority stake, developed a brinjal genetically modified with the addition of a gene from bacillus thurigiensis, a soil bacteria.

Why? The gene protects it from a pest called the fruit and shoot borer. Reduces use of pesticide

Developed and tested over nine years Food safety tests were conducted on

rats Enormous public controversy which

saw NGOs, activists and farmers protesting the new crop

Most agricultural scientists and the industry supporting it

Government has asked for further studies

How do you cover an issue like this?

General news reporters: By quoting people from both sides, but leaving the reader no wiser

A business reporter: what does this means for the bio-tech industry in India, for Monsanto etc

A science reporter?

Show me the evidence…

If you say it is safe, show me the tests you have done

If you say it is unsafe, what evidence do you have to back this up?

What evidence is there from other countries?

What is the science behind gene modification?

Can the modified gene affect human beings?

Can it affect other plants and animals?

Web Sources on bio tech GM watch an NGO against

commercialised bio tech www.gmwatch.org

International Service for the Acquistion of Agri Biotech Applications. http://www.isaaa.org/default.asp

GMO Compass. EU funded site on GMO crops. http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/home/

One page- due on May 21

http://www.gmwatch.org/gm-myths/11130-golden-rice-qcould-save-a-million-kids-a-yearq

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997586,00.html

-What is the current status of golden rice?-What are the arguments for and against?-What is the scientific evidence for and

against?-Who are the experts in this area?

Science and development

An introduction to the Sci-Dev websitewww.scidev.net http://jmsc6089.edublogs.org/ http://

jmsc6089.edublogs.org/wp-login.php Username: jmsc6089 Password: 02052012