The Science challenge

Science is vital to the future of our planet and our species and is making exciting discoveries every day. Advances in medical science are making the lives of those suffering from diseases more bearable each day and gene therapy perhaps holds the key to eradicating certain debilitating conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Yet we have always been deeply uneasy where science is linked to a profit motive with shareholders because science is a powerful beast that needs to be kept within ethical guidelines.

Advances in genetic engineering, particularly in agriculture, are taking away consumer choice, particularly in the realms of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) and nano technology.

GMO’s are often fed to cattle in feed which means that their meat and milk also contains them. This feed is spread on international markets and tracing it proves nigh on impossible. Huge financial incentives are offered to use GMO’s which are meant to be good because they make plants resistant to herbicide and pesticide sprays that kill disease and competing weeds. The problem is that a similar ‘Green revolution’ in the 1970’s sending disease resistant strains to Africa was a failure as they relied on external technology support and the strains were not suited to local climates.

There are two main types of GMO’s and GMO production using transfer by cross pollination, takin to what happens in nature may have possibilities. Gene manipulation eg to create a goldfish that glows in the dark for our amusement and pleasure has no place in our society.

Organic agriculture combined with forest gardening has shown that using traditional strains and ‘companion’ plants, as well as green manures, and taking care of the soil through having different layers of plants, shrubs and trees, some fixing nitrogen, some whose roots foster mychorrihzal fungi that help break down nutrients is they key to success.

Medicine too seems to be following the path of ever more sophisticated ways of treating the symptoms rather than the cause, partly due to pressure from us as patients who mistreat our bodies yet want instant fixes.

Very solid scientific evidence has now built up that regular exercise as well as eating sensible tasty low fat meals full of vegetables, fruit and fish, drinking in moderation, not smoking and sleeping enough is the key to health. This doesn’t have to be boring but can be wonderfully tasting quick to cook food.

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