8/14/2019 Mehta-nano Delhi http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mehta-nano-delhi 1/17 Nanotechnology: Building A New Economy Atom-By- AtomMichael D. Mehta, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Sociology Chair, Sociology of Biotechnology Program Email: [email protected]Website: www.policynut.com
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In A Regulatory Vacuum?• NT has introduced whole new classes of materials
that present an array of novel challenges toregulators (J. Miller, 2003).
• There are no NT dedicated regulators/regulationsin the world. Again, innovation is running ahead of
regulation (Mehta, 2002; Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming).• Government and industry should work to identify
and manage possible health and environmentalrisks before new products enter the marketplace
(Balbus et al., 2005).• What are the main risks associated withnanotechnology? (see Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming)• HUMAN HEALTH: lung transport, blood brain
barrier, translocation of nano-materials in cells- Toxicology research is focused on the short-
• A public debate on the societal implicationsof NT is needed.
• It would be a mistake to underestimatepublic acceptance (Mazzola, 2003; Mehta,
2005).• Example: ETC Group’s call for amoratorium on products of NT and theiranalysis of the policy landscape (2005).
• There is a need to engage stakeholdersupstream since once products reach thestages of regulation andcommercialization, it is usually too late(Daniel Sarewitz in Brainard, 2005).
• Role of converging technologies & theestablishment (2001) of NINT.
• From a National Research Council of Canadaworkshop held in Banff (2001: p.13): progress inNT requires a clear vision and a strategic policyapproach. This should build on*:
strengths of a nation
complementary understanding of economic andsocial priorities
long-term funding [of S&T]
investment in the next generation of scientists
commercialization of new products.
* But nothing on the value of harnessing a good regulatory system for NT
to enhance innovative capacity or to create commercial advantages.
SynopsisNanotechnology - technology at the molecularlevel - is held out by many as the Holy Grail forcreating a trillion dollar economy and solvingproblems from curing cancer to reprocessingwaste into products and building super-fastcomputers. Yet, as with GMOs, many view
nanotech as a high risk genie in a bottle thatonce uncorked has the potential to causeunpredictable, perhaps irreversible,
environmental and public health disasters.With the race to bring products to market,there is pressing need to take stock of thesituation and to have a full public debate
about this new technological frontier. Including
contributions by renowned figures such asRoland Clift, K. Eric Drexler and Arpad Pusztai,this is the first global overview of the state of
nanotech and society in Europe, the USA, Japan and Canada, examining the ethics, theenvironmental and public health risks, and the
governance and regulation of this most
promising, and potentially most dangerous, of all technologies.
Balbus, J., Denison, R., Florini, K. and S. Walsh (2005) “Getting nanotechnology
right the first time.” Issues in Science and Technology , Summer, 65-71.Brainard, J. (2005) “A more social science. Daniel Sarewitz wants researchers to
serve society better by looking for beneficial results.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 November, online athttp://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13a02201.htm orhttp://www.cspo.org/home/newatcspo/sareqitz_chronicle.htm
ETC Group (2005) NanoGeoPolitics: ETC Group Surveys the Political Landscape.Ottawa, Canada, online at http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=520
Guston, D.H. and D. Sarewitz (2002) “Real-time technology assessment.”Technology and Culture, 24:93-109.
Hunt, G. and M.D. Mehta (eds.) (forthcoming). Nanotechnology: Risk, Ethics and Law. London, UK: Earthscan.
Mazolla, L. (2003) “Commercializing nanotechnology.” Nature Biotechnology ,21(1): 1137-1143.
Mehta, M.D. (2005) "Regulating biotechnology and nanotechnology in Canada: Apost-normal science approach for inclusion of the fourth helix " International
Journal of Contemporary Sociology . 42(1): 107-120.
Mehta, M.D. (2004) "From biotechnology to nanotechnology: What can we learnfrom earlier technologies?" Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society .24(1): 34-39.