How Can We Build Science Into Management of Technology?
A discussion on options for managing the “Survival Nexus” between science, technology, and environmental law and policy
An ELI Hybrid Event
Technology has transformed human life, raising standards of living for people around the world. But technological developments also have unintended and negative impacts on people, places, and the environment.
At scales from local to global, human society has developed mechanisms and institutions to prevent or mitigate these harmful effects and promote more equitable diffusion of benefits. Science, as humanity’s best way of understanding and sharing knowledge of the world around us, is an essential driver of both technology’s advances and the management of its impacts. For instance, science-informed management of environmental impacts was a driving factor in the reduction of ozone-depleting substances at the global level and the reduction of air and water pollution in many countries.
Yet some long-standing threats, such as climate change, continue to persist and grow despite well-established evidence of harm. Emerging advances in fields such as genetic engineering offer grave risks along with great benefits. Meanwhile, public trust in and funding of science are down, and disinformation and misinformation are dramatically up – trends that make it harder to reach a shared understanding of the science needed to manage technology’s impacts.
This panel will explore these issues, drawing on lessons from climate change, genetic engineering, and beyond:
- What institutions and norms can best deliver credible science on the evolving impacts of technology and options for management?
- How can science be developed and shared so as to engage constructively and build trust with both policymakers and the public?
- What is stopping society from acting on the evidence of technological impacts? What new actions can we take to better bridge the gap between knowledge and action?
Panelists:
David Downes, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Juha I. Uitto, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Law Institute, Commenter
Angela Bednarek, Director for Scientific Advancement, Pew Charitable Trusts
Charles Weiss, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University