Ethical Issues Facing Science and Technology

1. Asian Bioethics Association/UNESCO Eighth Asian Bioethics Conference (ABC2007) 19-23 March 2007, Century Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. Ethical Issues Facing Science and Technology Yongyuth Yuthavong Minister of Science and Technology, Thailand

2. New Paradigms of Science and Technology • From knowledge for knowledge sake with applications assumed to application-oriented science and technology. • From “Science, the Endless Frontier” to “Society, the Endless Frontier”

3. Science and Technology Change Faster than Light! • Twenty years ago • The computer was expensive and inefficient • Gene engineering was mostly fiction • Ten years ago • Mobile phones and the Web were only starting • The word “nanotechnology” was almost unknown

4. Science and technology are moving faster than understanding of implications to society.

5. Issues on accessability • Both more and less • “The Digital Divide”: Division between those with resources for access to digital technology, which produces greater resources. • BUT “The World is Flat”… • Political liberation • Information technology penetration/open-sourcing • Outsourcing/supply-chaining • Networking • The playing field is levelled.

6. The “Biotech Divide” • The divide between those who can and cannot access biotechnologies • As consumers or producers • Within the Thai society • Between Thailand and developed countries • Between Thailand and less developed countries • Similar to the “Digital Divide” • Forerunner of the “Nanotech Divide”?

7. Safety of New Products:Biosafety and Nanosafety • Concerns about safety • For the consumers • For the environment • Biosafety • GMOs • Cloning and stem cells application • Nanosafety • Health concerns for nanoparticles • New products must take safety issues into account

8. Has science and technology created a GODZILLA? or many of THEM?

9. Issues for Ethical, Social and Legal Considerations in Biotechnology • Cloning: • Therapeutic tissue/organ cloning (cost and equity> technical>moral) • Whole organism cloning (moral>technical) • Deciding factors: embryonic vs adult stem cells, failure rates, risks of complications, eg. cancer, long-term issues • Genomics: • Pharmacogenomics (cost and equity) • GMOs (biosafety vs benefits) • Deciding factors: consumer benefits vs costs, understanding of long-term effects of GMOs on the environment

10. Fukuyama’s Concerns • F. Fukuyama:How far do we let biotech go? • Current regulatory bodies are inadequate to deal with future choices, eg. • Manipulating genes whichmodify behaviour. • Using drugs which alter moral character. • Extending life, impacting on economies, international relations, and new ideas generation. • Creating “designer babies”.

11. Issues for Ethical, Social and Legal Considerations in Energy Technology • Pollution from oil, gas and coal • Production of greenhouse gas from burning: global warming • Technologies for reducing greenhouse gas: risks and benefits • Threats to biodiversity and environment from renewable technologies (wind turbines, solar panels, waves) • Nuclear material storage and waste

12. Beloved SunDuang Athit Thee Rak • Reading for Form 5 of secondary school students: • 2070, the next full eclipse over Ayudhya, Thailand • The sun has becomethe main source of power • Solar panels are set above houses, so that darkness prevails all day long • Rather than enduring permanent eclipse on the ground, the heroine broke the law by climbing upto see the real eclipse

13. Ethical, Social and Legal Implications:Risk management • Types of risks • Technical risks (environment, consumers). • Public perception (political)risks. • Market risk. • Management of risks • Risk and benefit analysis. • Reasonable Precautionary Principle. • Risk prevention and mitigation.

14. Ethical, Social and Legal Implications:Intellectual Property Management • Ownership of, and sovereignty over, genetic resources: natural and developed further by human efforts. • Indigenous people (Farmers’ rights). • Countries (Biodiversity Convention). • “Common property of mankind” (free use of natural resources, but restricted by patents for modifications).

15. Back to Godzilla • The monster came out from its peaceful territory as a consequence of repeated nuclear bomb experiments. • A young scientist found a way to destroy Godzilla • Unfortunately his invention could also be used as a weapon of mass destruction. • To solve the dilemma, he decided to burn all his documents and end his own life by facing Godzilla under water. Can our biotechnologist be as brave?

16. Future Directions:Towards Good Governance in Science and Technology • More concerns and discussions on ethicsof science and technology by laypeople and scientists alike. • Voluntary Codes(Guidelines) of Conduct on issues involving risks or ethics by scientists, industries, professional societies, etc. (cf. 1973 voluntary moratorium on genetic engineering). • New laws may be enacted, but a good sense of balance is needed.

17. Future Directions:Towards Good Governance in Science and Technology (cont) • Role of government: • Oversees development and capability strengthening in both technical and social, ethical issues in science and technology. • Set up regulations and laws as necesssary, making sure of having a healthy balance. • Role of civil societies (NGOs)/scientists • Help to make the public understand issues in various aspects, not just lobby on single issues.

18. Future Directions:Towards Good Governance in Science and Technology(cont) • Role of education/research institutes • Acquire knowledge and understanding on issues interfacing between technology and society. • Help to generate healthy debates among various stakeholders and the public.

19. … economics can be substantially enriched by paying more attention to ethics, and …the study of ethics can also benefit from a closer contact with economics. Amartaya Sen

20. Science and technology can be substantially enriched by paying more attention to ethics, and the study of ethics can also benefit from a closer contact with science and technology. Thank you