Monday, April 7, 2008

Science Debate

Is science an important issue in the presidential election? Many scientists certainly think so.

Minnesotan Shawn Lawrence Otto has spearheaded a broad campaign to force the presidential candidates to participate in a science debate. The effort, dubbed Sciencedebate 2008, has been signed on by luminaries in the science, academic, legal, business, arts, and political arenas.

In a world where science is a central part of our ability to understand and solve problems, it is a shame that we know little where political candidates stand on scientific issues. Appropriate support of scientific research is what will enable us to tackle global climate change problems and develop new medical technologies. Science leads to technological advances that drive our economy and improve our standards of living.

What's more, science itself has been unfortunately politicized during the current administration in disastrous ways. Will the future White House occupant use or ignore scientific facts?

The group has already set a date, location, and moderator for a science debate ahead of the Pennsylvania primary. The date is April 18. They invited the candidates. Unfortunately, Obama's campaign said no, Clinton's campaign was non-committal, and the McCain campaign hasn't even responded. A plan B debate has been slated in Oregon in May. Hopefully, the candidates can be pressured to participate.

Here's one of the Sciencedebate 2008 supporters on YouTube. Dr. Susan Wood resigned from the FDA in 2005 in protest of the Bush administration's political interference in order to stonewals approval of over-the-counter status of Plan B emergency contraception.
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