Emerging biotechnologies: full report - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Emerging biotechnologies: full report - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Emerging biotechnologies: full report - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
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E m e r g i n g b i o t e c h n o l o g i e s<br />
Chapter 1 - The biotechnology wager<br />
Chapter overview<br />
Biotechnologies are significant in almost every aspect of human welfare and well-being, from medicine, to food and<br />
agriculture, fuel, climate change, and the ‘knowledge ec<strong>on</strong>omy’. The frequent presentati<strong>on</strong> of biotechnology in general as<br />
fundamental to future well-being and prosperity suggests that a high stake has been placed in its capacity to fulfil these<br />
demanding expectati<strong>on</strong>s. However, markedly different views can be taken both about the potential of particular<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> to fulfil these expectati<strong>on</strong>s and about how their impacts are to be valued. To illustrate this we c<strong>on</strong>sider a<br />
range of examples of the achievements, shortcomings and potential of <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> in a range of fields.<br />
We characterise the emergence of <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> as the bringing together of knowledge, practices, products and<br />
applicati<strong>on</strong>s. We note that this process does not c<strong>on</strong>form to a c<strong>on</strong>sistent model, that it is poorly understood historically<br />
and difficult to c<strong>on</strong>trol in the present. The c<strong>on</strong>tingency of this process suggests that it is appropriate to pose questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
about the value of <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> in terms of opportunity costs in order to reveal the assumpti<strong>on</strong>s and mechanisms of<br />
emergence and identify possible sites of c<strong>on</strong>trol.<br />
We shift perspective from the emergence of <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> to the c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s in which <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> emerge and<br />
distinguish a material c<strong>on</strong>text of c<strong>on</strong>straints and c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s, and a discursive c<strong>on</strong>text of debate and deliberati<strong>on</strong> in which<br />
the material c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are set.<br />
We describe processes by which technologies adapt to their material c<strong>on</strong>text, processes that can ‘lock in’ technological<br />
forms and ‘crowd out’ others. We describe a dilemma of technology c<strong>on</strong>trol (the ‘Collingridge dilemma’) in which decisi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
taken in the absence of evidence can lead to ‘locked in’ technological forms that may turn out to have undesirable or<br />
suboptimal social c<strong>on</strong>sequences.<br />
The biotechnology wager<br />
1.1 The future of human well-being has never seemed more entwined with the choices we make<br />
about technologies. Throughout modern history, technology has been at the heart of advances<br />
in agriculture, medicine and industry that have seen unprecedented growth in global populati<strong>on</strong><br />
and rises in life expectancy and standards of living. In the present century, <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> have<br />
emerged as a source of potentially transformative innovati<strong>on</strong>s. Experience shows that the same<br />
technologies that deliver substantial benefits may also bring unintended c<strong>on</strong>sequences, both<br />
direct (like antibiotic resistance) and indirect (like loss of biodiversity or accentuated inequalities,<br />
both within and between nati<strong>on</strong>s). 1 Nevertheless, belief in the potential of <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> for<br />
endless progress remains powerful, governing substantial financial and political investment. In<br />
order for more people to enjoy l<strong>on</strong>ger, healthier, richer and more comfortable lives, it is as if we<br />
have – collectively – made a wager <strong>on</strong> the technologies of the future supplying the means<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinuously to outrun the costs of c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> and growth.<br />
1.2 This ‘biotechnology wager’ has both a str<strong>on</strong>g and a weak form. In its weak form it amounts to<br />
betting <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> to deliver future benefits of a kind or to a degree that could not be<br />
achieved by alternative approaches. Should this bet miscarry, it would represent a setback in<br />
terms of wasted resources and foreg<strong>on</strong>e opportunities. In its str<strong>on</strong>g form, it embodies the belief<br />
that global challenges such as climate change, food and fuel security and pandemic disease,<br />
that exist in part because of the global diffusi<strong>on</strong> and success of past technological advances,<br />
have ‘locked in’ a dependency not <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>tinuing performance of existing<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> but <strong>on</strong> endless progress in <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> for the preservati<strong>on</strong> even of existing<br />
standards of living. This amounts to a wager <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>biotechnologies</str<strong>on</strong>g> providing remedies for the<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sequences of past and present use of technology while, at the same time, meeting the<br />
challenges of ever increasing c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> and novel threats. Such a wager offers a reas<strong>on</strong> to<br />
defer acti<strong>on</strong> to address current challenges, inequalities and threats in the anticipati<strong>on</strong> of a future<br />
technological soluti<strong>on</strong>. 2 Whether we accept the necessity of the wager in its str<strong>on</strong>g or weak<br />
1<br />
2<br />
European Envir<strong>on</strong>ment Agency (2001) Late less<strong>on</strong>s from early warnings: the precauti<strong>on</strong>ary principle 1896-2000, available at:<br />
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publicati<strong>on</strong>s/envir<strong>on</strong>mental_issue_<str<strong>on</strong>g>report</str<strong>on</strong>g>_2001_22. Unintended c<strong>on</strong>sequences may be both good<br />
and bad and, indeed, ambiguous. Increasing global food producti<strong>on</strong> has supported increasing populati<strong>on</strong>, which has led to<br />
further pressure <strong>on</strong> resources.<br />
This point is made str<strong>on</strong>gly by the ec<strong>on</strong>omist Paul David: “…it may be a functi<strong>on</strong>al resp<strong>on</strong>se <strong>on</strong> the part of modern industrial<br />
democracies to direct the energies of society away from redistributive struggles and towards the cooperative c<strong>on</strong>quest of the<br />
‘endless fr<strong>on</strong>tier’ of science and its commercial exploitati<strong>on</strong> through technological research and development.” David PA<br />
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