A Review of the Article "the Trouble With Scientists" by Debolar Blum
Scientific Intervention in Global Matters
Introduction
The first part of this essay evaluates Debolar Blum’s Perspective basing her opinion on his article “the trouble with scientists”. The second part points out various societal issues such as Food crisis, Atmospheric pollution and transport crisis and how science technology can be harnessed to solve the same
The thesis in Deborah’s article “trouble with scientists” is to explain on why the conservative scientist assumption of withholding scientific information from the public should be discarded at all costs. In the article, she argues that this tendency by scientists not to disclose their information to the public on assumption that the public may not be able to interpret them is a misguided idea. According to her, withholding crucial information that may be of public interest does not help matters either as the scientists may not involve themselves in solving the problems. Her solution on this issue is that scientists, science writers, the media, bloggers and other authors must be allowed to express themselves and provide any scientific information to the general public for their good. She also observes that those who provide such information to the public should be rewarded so as to motivate them more on the same. This is meant to create scientific awareness and publicity to the public and also policy makers.
Global Matters that Need Scientific Interventions
In these contemporary times, the world is facing dilemmas associated with food decline, environmental pollution, and transport hitches. The problem of food has been a recurrent phenomenon on a global perspective since time immemorial. Even at the present times, there is concern on food scarcity and high prices associated with food items in many parts of the world. Also due to much industrialization on a global perspective, our atmosphere has become highly polluted from gas emissions and other contamination. This has affected the human populace health wise. We should also not forget transport hitches experienced in many parts of the world. The hitches which have been largely associated with population growth have caused the hiking of prices, pollution and low quality of life for the users.The subsequent section of this paper analyses how scientific interventions can be useful in these matters.
Food
The problem of food has been a recurrent phenomenon on a global perspective since time immemorial. Even at the present times, there is concern on food scarcity and high prices associated with food items in many parts of the world.
The exact number of the malnourished population today is not known. This is because there is no exact data on the same. Despite that, it can be generally accepted that the problem of hunger is experienced in many parts of the globe. According to World Bank, and Foster, one out of eight people in the world today experiences hunger. A recent report from the World Bank allude that over one billion persons in the world today are facing hunger, the number of which continues to add up on a daily basis.
Scientific technology can be harnessed to improve crop production in general.For instance, scientific technology can be harnessed to offer better irrigation facilities, improve fertilizers and modify plant seeds to suit the specific climatic and weather conditions of the place.This Modification plants as in ideotype breeding, hybridization, genetic engineering and hetero-sis breeding have been known to improve crop productions in different perspective.
Atmosphere
Due to various developments and mushrooming of industries, the world has experienced air pollution on a large scale; industries and other sources such as cars emit gases that pollute the environment. The constituent elements in our atmosphere also continue changing constantly.Various people and governments have become concerned on how to reduce the pollution in our atmosphere and make the environment a safer place to leave.Many research organizations have also warned on the impeding effects of atmospheric pollution.
Research has pointed out that scientific interventions in air pollution can yield significant results. a good example of such interventions are the intermittent operation of the Utah steel plant the copper smack in 1960 or the US economic regulations whichresulted into reduction in air pollution. Science technology can also be harnessed to reduce the ill effects of gases emitted from the factories, cars etc.
Transport infrastructure
Transport problems are a phenomenon experienced worldwide, the hitches which have been largely associated with population growth have caused the hiking of prices, pollution and low quality of life for the users.
As the world’s population continues to surge, many governments are in dilemma on how to cater for their citizens growing transportation needs.As there are hiccups associated with road statuses, there is also the problem of air pollution from car emissions.
Science technologies can be employed to improve the quality of roads as in making bypasses and expansions. Technology can also be enhanced to include speed limits in our cars to restrain reckless drivers. Scientific technologies could also be used in reduced the effects of emissions derived from motor vehicles. Technology could be useful also as in incorporating sensors in vehicles that gives information on traffic flows. Science technology could also be helping by making driver-less cars. Automated cars can reduce the rate of traffic jams in our roads.
