Re: Scientific Point-of-View
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: Scientific Point-of-View
- From: S* Y*
- Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 13:54:45 -0800
Fred,
Thanks for the note about biotechnology.
I do not think there is anything inherently evil (or good, for that matter)
about biotechnology or any other technology. The trouble seems to be in
how technology is used- whether it's overirrigating because one has large
water pumps or overapplying pesticides because one has spray equipment or
kids watching ad-loaded TV instead of learning/creating.
Because our society/economy currently seems based on consumerism, the goals
of those providing products/technology are not necessarily for the common
good in the long term. The marketplace is currently not a good institution
to determine these things because it does not accurately measure costs to
the environment/society. That's why we have to have regulatory agencies
which are supposed to put constraints on the marketplace for some perceived
common good.
Like most important things, I think the question of genetic engineering is
much more complicated. It's easy for me to run into the Luddite camp,
despite science/engineering degrees. It would not be hard to run the
other way either. I suspect the best path runs somewhere in the middle.
That's why I believe this California initiative petition is important as a
way to begin talking about how this technology is used. Rhetoric and
emotions will run high- makes for good press. And that will start
folks/companies thinking about this.
For myself, I'd rather be thinking about what/how to plant under the big
Quercus lobata in the front yard. I'm definitely thinking of trying
no-till. Especially since collecting signatures will take away from garden
time.
Sunia
Menlo Park, California
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sunia Yang Networking Systems
Senior Network Specialist Stanford University
sunia@stanford.edu 241 Panama Street
(650)723-3543 Stanford CA 94305-4122
