THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIESTHE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

FOUNDATION COURSEFOUNDATION COURSE

FD12AFD12A

SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY

MODULE I - UNIT 1MODULE I - UNIT 1INTRODUCTION TO SOME ISSUES INTRODUCTION TO SOME ISSUES

OF CURRENT INTERESTOF CURRENT INTEREST

Presenter: Dr. Pat Stephens Department of Physics, UWImona patrick.stephens@uwimona.edu.jm

patstep1@cwjamaica.comCourse Text: Prescribed Manual pages 5 - 16

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

Help you to understand why science and technology are important to the Caribbean

Stimulate your interest in matters scientificPrompt you to spot in the media, science

related stories/events of immediate interest to you and your wider community

Encourage you to attempt to make connections between scientific developments and their likely social and economic consequences

Exam considerationsExam considerations October 19, 2006; 4:00- 6:00 pm

Unit I’s contribution to overall exam10 Multiple choice questions (compulsory)

1 essay type question

Overall Module I examStudents will have 1 hour to answer 50

MCQ and 1 hour to answer one of five essay questions, based on the course material covered in the manual and lectures.

WHY IS

SCIENCE IMPORTANT ?

Why Science is importantWhy Science is important

–Because the output of scientific activity has the potential to affect the life of every single individual human being on this planet.

Stephens’ Top 10 Science and Stephens’ Top 10 Science and Technology Events since WWII*Technology Events since WWII*

1945 – A-Bomb 1948 – The Transistor 1952 – Polio vaccine 1953 – Structure of

DNA 1957 - Sputnik, 1st

man made satellite

1967 – First heart transplant

1975 – First PC 1984 – AIDS virus

identified 1986 – Chernobyl 2000 - Human

genome mapped

Recent important “science-Recent important “science-based” news storiesbased” news stories

The fight against AIDS

The containment of the SARS epidemic

The sequencing of the human genome

Cloning

Climate change

Mad cow and foot and mouth disease

Stem cell research Genetically modified

foods

ContentsContentsIntroduction – whetting your appetitesThe story of Global WarmingResource securityThe story of unleaded gasThe “Mad Cow” story

A treat - A Jamaican scientific detective

story---Snails, rats, worms and

Dr John Lindo

Global WarmingGlobal Warming

Definition of Global Warming

Evidence of global warming

Some possible consequences of global warming

How does it happen? (Greenhouse gases)

Society’s response

Global warmingGlobal warming

GLOBAL WARMING IS AN EXCESSIVE INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE AND OCEANS

Global Warming: The Evidence*Global Warming: The Evidence*

Record of average global temperatures over the last century

[Mote, Philip, The evidence for climate change; Senate Workshop on Climate change 1999}

approx 15C (59F) -->

Global Warming: The EvidenceGlobal Warming: The Evidence

Record of average global temperatures over the last century

– [This image shows the instrumental record of global average temperatures as compiled by the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia and the Hadley Centre of the UK Meteorological Office. 2001". Journal of Climate, 16, 206-223.]

–

Global Warming: The EvidenceGlobal Warming: The Evidence(from Wikepedia the free Encyclopaedia)(from Wikepedia the free Encyclopaedia)

Global warming: the evidence (contd.)*Global warming: the evidence (contd.)*

More frequent extreme weatherDisappearing glaciersMelting polar sea iceMelting Greenland ice sheetTropical diseases spreadingBleaching of coral

Global warming: The evidence(contd.)Global warming: The evidence(contd.)

More frequent extreme weather

Global warming: The evidence(contd.)Global warming: The evidence(contd.)more frequent extreme weathermore frequent extreme weather

Global warming - consequencesGlobal warming - consequences

Climate change

DesertificationMelting of polar ice capsRise in sea levelDisappearance of low lying islands and

coastal citiesDrastic changes in crop distribution

Global warming – the mechanism* Global warming – the mechanism*

Question: Why is the earth warming up?

Ans: “Because of a change in the normally beneficial greenhouse effect”

Question: What is the greenhouse effect?

Glasshouse/Greenhouse - a heat trapping enclosure

How a greenhouse worksHow a greenhouse works Radiation from the sun (mainly light and

ultraviolet) passes through the glass and warms up the interior and its contents

Warm interior “re-radiates” but this radiation is mainly infrared which cannot easily pass through the glass so the heat carrying rays are trapped inside the enclosure

Result is that the interior maintains a higher temperature than the surroundings

Earth is a greenhouse*Earth is a greenhouse*

Certain gases in the atmosphere form a blanket around the earth which acts like the glass in a greenhouse

These gases are called greenhouse gases

The “greenhouse gas blanket” helps regulate the temperature of the earth within a range in which humans and other animals can live

Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)Earth is a greenhouse (contd.) If the “blanket” were to stop functioning properly

then the average temperature of the earth would change.

Such a change could threaten the very existence of life on our planet.

This is what is currently happening.

The concentration of “natural” greenhouse gases is increasing and other “industry” derived gases are being added to the atmosphere.

Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)*Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)*

There are several “greenhouse gases”

The most important ones are:

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Methane (CH4)

Water vapour (H2O)

These gases occur naturally but are also generated as a result of human activity

Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)

Other greenhouse gases are:

Nitrous oxide

Ozone

Chlorofluorocarbons

Global warming and the greenhouse gasesGlobal warming and the greenhouse gases

Average levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have risen by more than 30% since 1750.

Average levels of nitrous oxide, with 300 times the heat trapping power of CO2, have risen by 17% since 1750.

These factors along with other evidence have led some influential scientists to conclude that:

Global warming and the greenhouse gasesGlobal warming and the greenhouse gases

GLOBAL WARMING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INCREASE IN THE CONCENTRATION OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE

There is still some debate about the validity of this conclusion

Global warming – the international community’s Global warming – the international community’s responseresponse

Series of international conferences involving more than 160 countries – starting in 1992

Conference convened in Kyoto, Japan-1997

Protocol and time schedule developed for reductions in emission of greenhouse gases.

Time schedule required the emission of green house gases to be reduced to 5% below 1990 levels.

Emission levels would be averaged over the five-year period 2008 -2012.

Global warming – the international community’s Global warming – the international community’s responseresponse

The treaty would come into force when countries accounting for more than 55% of worldwide emissions had acceded or ratified the protocol.

Up to January 2006 more than 154 countries had either ratified, accepted, approved or acceded to the protocol.

The US, arguably the main polluter, accounting for 35 % of worldwide emission, does not support the protocol.

With the ratification of the treaty by the Soviet Federation, the 55% threshold was passed and the treaty came into force on February 16, 2005.

Public opinion in the US seems to be changing gradually. Several states have adopted policies of reducing greenhouse gas emission.

Global warming - discussionGlobal warming - discussion

Should we in the Caribbean be concerned? Why?

Would you expect China (a prodigious coal burner) to be concerned? If they are not concerned how can they be persuaded?

Resource securityResource security

Major resources:

• Water

• Energy

• Food

Resource security (region of interestResource security (region of interest))

Resource security (contd.)Resource security (contd.)

Requires that the particular resource be available

When needed

– In sufficient quantities– With satisfactory quality– With guaranteed continuity– At an affordable price

Food security concernsFood security concerns

Large proportion of the food consumed in the Caribbean is imported

Imported food can act as a vehicle for the introduction of harmful organisms and pests

Food security concerns – society’s responseFood security concerns – society’s response

Local scientists and other interests Local scientists and other interests must cooperate in managing must cooperate in managing distribution chain to ensure:distribution chain to ensure:

Integrity of supplyIntegrity of supplyProper inspection to prevent the entry of Proper inspection to prevent the entry of

harmful pests and microorganisms.harmful pests and microorganisms.

Energy security concernsEnergy security concerns

Most of the energy used in Caribbean comes ultimately from imported (except T&T) fossil fuel.

By burning these fuels we may be damaging our own environment.

Our islands lie close to the transport route for spent radioactive fuel rods

Energy security concerns – society’s responseEnergy security concerns – society’s response

Scientists and wider society must plan together to rationalize the national fuel mix (coal, oil, gas, refined fuels etc) to satisfy security and other concerns

Public education must be widened so that as wide a cross section of society, as possible, can take part in the discussion

Water security concernsWater security concerns

Most Caribbean countries have adequate water supply

Many different types of water sources

Water is life

Water security concerns – society’s responseWater security concerns – society’s response

“governments will wish to ensure that they have control of water resources sufficient to meet the present and likely future needs of their peoples”

DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION

Accepting for the moment that:– Science, technology and medicine have

had and will continue to have a profound effect on our every day lives

– Some of the results of scientific activity might threaten our very existence

– We need to be able to understand scientific problems in order to make rational choices about the kind of world we wish to live in

DISCUSSION - QUESTIONSDISCUSSION - QUESTIONS

If scientific issues are so important shouldn’t “scientific literacy” be as important a part of the curriculum as Math and English?

Science is sometimes seen to be “hard”. Should we not just leave science up to the scientists?

Unleaded gas*Unleaded gas*Widespread alarm about air quality in US

cities prompted President Nixon in 1970 to amend the Clean Air Act

The amendments targeted emissions from motor cars.

They enjoined the auto industry to produce a pollution free car by 1975

One of the most noxious of these emissions was lead.

The President ordered that lead-free gasoline be used in all government vehicles

Unleaded gas story (contd.)Unleaded gas story (contd.)

Emission control devices were placed in exhaust systems of all new cars by 1975

These devices could not tolerate lead in the emissions so use of unleaded fuel grew rapidly in the States

Unleaded gas story (contd.)*Unleaded gas story (contd.)*

Research begins to emerge that lead is a very dangerous atmospheric pollutant

Many countries stop the sale of leaded petrol

Countries in the Caribbean follow suit

““Mad Cow disease”*Mad Cow disease”*

The problem

The “science” behind the problem

Decision > Action > Social and economic consequences

““Mad Cow Disease”Mad Cow Disease”

““Mad cow disease” - the problemMad cow disease” - the problem

1985 – unamed British vet encounters disease characterized by odd symptoms: infected cattle lose control of their muscles and stagger about in an uncoordinated way.

Infected animals eventually die.

Behaviour of infected animals reminiscent of sheep infected with “scrapie”

Informs the Central Veterinary Laboratory

““Mad cow disease” and the scientistsMad cow disease” and the scientists

Scientists investigate and find evidence of a new cattle disease.

The brains of the affected cattle were full of holes, similar to Swiss cheese or a sponge

They name it Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Also theorized that BSE had crossed over from sheep via cattle feed containing parts of “scrapie” infected animals

BSE – spread and developmentBSE – spread and development

By 2003 more than 185,000 infected cattle found in Britain.

BSE found in native born cattle in more than 16 European countries.

Also in Canada, Israel, Japan, Oman, and Las Malvinas ( Falklands)

““Mad cow disease” – Decision and actionMad cow disease” – Decision and action

Slaughter all infected cattle

By 1988 - Compulsory destruction of all suspect animals and the burning of their carcasses

Discontinue the feeding of rendered remains as protein supplement

Ban human consumption of high risk offal Brain, spinal cord, spleen

Establish a monitoring unit

Reassure the public. BSE is an animal disease and will not affect humans. Prevent panic.

““Mad cow disease” - consequencesMad cow disease” - consequences 1995 several farmers who owned herds with

BSE infected cattle become sick and die.

Their cause of death is a variant of Creuzfeld-Jakob disease, (vCJD)

vCJD causes very similar brain destruction in humans as BSE does in cattle

British government forced to admit that BSE had crossed over from cattle to humans via consumption of contaminated beef

Discoverer of the cause of BSEDiscoverer of the cause of BSE

Stanley B. Prusiner

Discovered prions –proteinaceous infectious particles (1982)

Nobel Prize for physiology (1997)

The cause of BSE*The cause of BSE*

Cows fed animal feed containing the rendered remains of sheep and goats infected with scrapie.

The abnormal protein (prion) in the animal food is able to trigger normal protein into switching to an abnormal form.

Abnormal protein destroys the brain and other nerve cells in animals

““Mad cow disease” - consequencesMad cow disease” - consequences

2000 - more than 100 people die from the human variant of BSE

Britain culls infected herds.herds. All high risk cattle, All high risk cattle, including animals over 30 months, destroyed including animals over 30 months, destroyed

More than half the cattle population of Britain is More than half the cattle population of Britain is slaughtered.slaughtered.

Rate of infection decreasing rapidlyRate of infection decreasing rapidly