Australia
December 15, 2015
The launch of the Turnbull government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda along with the Paris climate change negotiations have placed science front and centre in important discussions about our economy and environment.
Improving people’s livelihoods without imposing a greater burden on the environment is perhaps the greatest challenge that Australia and the global community faces. The only way this challenge can be converted to an opportunity is through different sectors working together to unlock the very best of human ingenuity.
Given the crucial role science will play in helping us address the challenges we face, we must avoid the temptation to distort science in the pursuit of ideological objectives.
Consider research undertaken by the highly respected Pew Research Centre in the US which revealed that almost 90% of scientists surveyed believe that human activity is mostly responsible for climate change. The same overwhelming majority of scientists think that genetically modified food is safe to eat.
So how then does one accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that humans are responsible for climate change but reject the same level of agreement on the safety of the most scientifically tested food in human history?
GM crops have been grown safely worldwide for nearly 20 years and have helped to conserve our soil, water, wildlife and air. The technology has helped Australian farmers earn an extra $885 million, drastically reduce pesticide use in cotton crops by 95% and lower carbon emissions through decreased diesel use.
Denying innovations such as agricultural biotechnology would impose an unacceptable economic, social and environmental costs when we can least afford it. And we should also never forget that scientific and technological advancements have helped establish Australia as a globally respected producer of clean and green food over many decades.
Cherry picking the science that underpins much of the innovation that we take for granted will only constrain our capacity to develop creative solutions to tackle future challenges.
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