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(SEARCA), the symposium culminated the NSTW celebration of
the Los Baños Science Community Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI)
on 20 July 2007.
Outlining
the new sciences encountered in biotechnology, Padolina, former
secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
emphasized that although these new sciences offer new knowledge
and eventually, new wealth, the question of sustainability
always arises.
Nobel
laureate Robert M. Solow (2004) says sustainability is the
ability to preserve productive capacity for the indefinite
future. He then clarified that this does not mean saving resources,
only ensuring that there is sufficient capital (human, physical,
natural) for future generations to create living standards
at least as good as ours (but in ways that match their preferences).
Solow
further said “Yes-or-no lends itself to stalemate and
confrontation; more-or-less lends itself to trade-offs”.
Basing on this approach to sustainability, Padolina identified
trade-offs to consider in determining biotechnology’s
ultimate value to society. Eventually, he said, we must be
able to decide on whether clean air is more valuable than
the need for cars for transport and whether the need of poor
families for firewood is more significant than the need for
erosion control and conservation of topsoil.
He
further pointed out the need to weigh whether agricultural
growth is more important to us than the preservation of biodiversity
and furthermore to determine whether the welfare of people
yet to be born is more important than those currently suffering
from hunger and want.
Beyond
the emotions aroused by these trade-offs however, the scientist
stressed the need to build a scientific basis for sustainability.
He said we have to consider the earth’s ability to regenerate
itself (environmental resilience) and to absorb waste (a potentially
irreversible process). Furthermore, we need indicators to
forecast these abilities now so that we can make informed
decisions regarding biotechnology and our future.
Issues
brought about by recycling and biodegradation products still
need to be settled the soonest. As the pundit said, there
is no 100% recycling and in a corollary to this, biodegradation
products may also be toxic while effects of high concentration
of biodegraded products have still to be determined.
Lastly
he pushed for the revitalization of Basic and Applied Microbiology,
which he described as the neglected science. In closing, Padolina
pointed out that while there are new tools in modern biotechnology,
deciding on what is sustainable remains problematic. (Lily
Ann D. Lando, S&T Media Service)
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