Download or read book Seeds of Science written by Mark Lynas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-04-05 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Fluent, persuasive and surely right.' Evening Standard The inside story of the fight for and against genetic modification in food. Mark Lynas was one of the original GM field wreckers. Back in the 1990s – working undercover with his colleagues in the environmental movement – he would descend on trial sites of genetically modified crops at night and hack them to pieces. Two decades later, most people around the world – from New York to China – still think that 'GMO' foods are bad for their health or likely to damage the environment. But Mark has changed his mind. This book explains why. In 2013, in a world-famous recantation speech, Mark apologised for having destroyed GM crops. He spent the subsequent years touring Africa and Asia, and working with plant scientists who are using this technology to help smallholder farmers in developing countries cope better with pests, diseases and droughts. This book lifts the lid on the anti-GMO craze and shows how science was left by the wayside as a wave of public hysteria swept the world. Mark takes us back to the origins of the technology and introduces the scientific pioneers who invented it. He explains what led him to question his earlier assumptions about GM food, and talks to both sides of this fractious debate to see what still motivates worldwide opposition today. In the process he asks – and answers – the killer question: how did we all get it so wrong on GMOs? 'An important contribution to an issue with enormous potential for benefiting humanity.' Stephen Pinker 'I warmly recommend it.' Philip Pullman

Download or read book Canadian Science Technology and Innovation Policy written by G. Bruce Doern and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 2016-06-01 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canadian Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy presents new critical analysis about related developments in the field such as significantly changed concepts of peer review, merit review, the emergence of big data in the digital age, and the rise of an economy and society dominated by the internet and information. The authors scrutinize the different ways in which federal and provincial policies have impacted both levels of government, including how such policies impact on Canada’s natural resources. They also study key government departments and agencies involved with science, technology, and innovation to show how these organizations function increasingly in networks and partnerships, as Canada seeks to keep up and lead in a highly competitive global system. The book also looks at numerous realms of technology across Canada in universities, business, and government and various efforts to analyze biotechnology, genomics, and the Internet, as well as earlier technologies such as nuclear reactors, and satellite technology. The authors assess whether a science-and-technology-centred innovation economy and society has been established in Canada – one that achieves a balance between commercial and social objectives, including the delivery of public goods and supporting values related to redistribution, fairness, and community and citizen empowerment. Probing the nature of science advice across prime ministerial eras, including recent concerns over the Harper government’s claimed muzzling of scientists in an age of attack politics, Canadian Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy provides essential information for academics and practitioners in business and government in this crucial and complex field.

Download or read book Health and Sustainability in the Canadian Food System written by Elisabeth Anne Abergel and published by Sustainability and the Environ. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Members of civil society organizations are among the most vociferouscritics of the modern food system and its crippling effect on thewell-being of people and the environment. Yet even after decades ofcampaigns, governments have failed to address health and sustainabilityissues in a systematic and effective way. Recognizing that new approaches are in order, Rod MacRae andElisabeth Abergel bring together experts and advocates from diversedisciplinary backgrounds to examine the food system from multipleangles. They conclude that solutions lie not just in lobbying electedofficials but in initiatives at the subparliamentary level. Casestudies on a range of topics -- from breastfeeding to sustainable pestmanagement promotion to the efforts of organizations and programs suchas the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Council and the federalgovernment's Action Plan on Food Security -- tell a story ofmisguided campaigns and missed opportunities. Real change, this inspiring volume shows, is possible. It will comewhen advocacy groups develop innovative strategies of influencingdecision makers more resistant to public pressure: business lobbieswell connected to government agencies, middle managers, and ministriesunused to collaborating across departmental mandates. Rod MacRae is an associate professor of food policy inthe Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University.Elisabeth Abergel is a professor in the SociologyDepartment and a member of the Institut des Sciences del'Environnement at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Download or read book Health and Sustainability in the Canadian Food System written by Rod MacRae and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2012-07-18 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civil society organizations are among the most vociferous critics of the modern food system. Yet even after decades of campaigns, governments have failed to address health and sustainability issues in a systematic way. New approaches are in order, and this volume showcases the research of experts from various disciplines who argue that solutions lie not just in lobbying elected officials but rather in initiatives at the subparliamentary level. Case studies on a range of topics, from breastfeeding and sustainable pest management promotion to programs such as Canada’s Action Plan on Food Security, tell a story of misguided campaigns and missed opportunities. Real change, this inspiring volume suggests, is possible. It will come when advocacy groups develop innovative strategies of influencing decision makers more resistant to public pressure: business lobbies well connected to government agencies, middle managers, and ministries unused to collaborating across departmental mandates.

Download or read book Handbook on Agriculture Biotechnology and Development written by Stuart J. Smyth and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-28 with total page 881 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a compendium of knowledge, experience and insight on agriculture, biotechnology and development. Beginning with an account of GM crop adoptions and attitudes towards them, the book assesses numerous crucial processes, concluding with detai

Download or read book Three Bio Realms written by G.Bruce Doern and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biotechnology has become one of the most important issues in public policy and governance, altering the boundaries between the public and the private, the economic and the social, and further complicating the divide between what is scientifically possible and ethically preferred. Given the importance of biotechnology in shaping relations between the state, science, the economy, and the citizenry, a book that explores the Canadian biotechnology regime and its place in our democracy is timelier than ever. Three Bio-Realms provides the first integrated examination of the thirty-year story of the democratic governance of biotechnology in Canada. G. Bruce Doern and Michael J. Prince, two recognized specialists in governance innovation and social policy, look at particular ‘network-based’ factors that seek to promote and to regulate biotechnology inside the state as well as at broader levels. Unmatched by any other book in its historical scope and range, Three Bio-Realms is sure to be read for years to come.

Download or read book Resistance is Fertile written by Wilhelm Peekhaus and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For decades, government, industry, and the mainstream media have extolled the virtues of biotechnology. Their dominant message -- that biotechnology can improve everything from our health and diet to our environment and economy -- is unmistakably celebratory. We hear about biotechnology's power to reverse environmental degradation, help medical researchers identify disease genes, and increase industrial efficiency, output, and jobs. Government and industry rarely tell us about biotechnology's negative side effects. Not only are genetically engineered crops still failing to deliver consistently higher yields; there is also mounting evidence that genetically engineered organisms come with a host of safety and environmental risks. Focusing on agriculture, Resistance Is Fertile challenges the dominant rhetoric surrounding biotechnology by offering a critical analysis of the role of capital and the state in the development of this technoscience. In particular, Wilhelm Peekhaus analyzes the major issues around which opponents of agricultural biotechnology in Canada are mobilizing -- namely, the enclosure of the biological commons and the knowledge commons, which together form the BioCommons. What emerges is an empirically and theoretically informed analysis of topics such as Canada's regulatory regime, the corporate control of seeds, the intellectual property system, and attempts to construct and control public discussions about agricultural biotechnology." -- Publisher's description.

Download or read book Biotechnology in a global economy written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1990 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Privatization Law and the Challenge to Feminism written by Brenda Cossman and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining eight case studies on the role of law in various arenas, this collection of essays addresses the reconfiguration of the relations between the state, the market, and the family caused by privatization.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication written by Susanna Hornig Priest and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010-07-14 with total page 1145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The explosion of scientific information is exacerbating the information gap between richer/poorer, educated/less-educated publics. The proliferation of media technology and the popularity of the Internet help some keep up with these developments but also make it more likely others fall further behind. This is taking place in a globalizing economy and society that further complicates the division between information haves and have-nots and compounds the challenge of communicating about emerging science and technology to increasingly diverse audiences. Journalism about science and technology must fill this gap, yet journalists and journalism students themselves struggle to keep abreast of contemporary scientific developments. Scientist - aided by public relations and public information professionals - must get their stories out, not only to other scientists but also to broader public audiences. Funding agencies increasingly expect their grantees to engage in outreach and education, and such activity can be seen as both a survival strategy and an ethical imperative for taxpayer-supported, university-based research. Science communication, often in new forms, must expand to meet all these needs. Providing a comprehensive introduction to students, professionals and scholars in this area is a unique challenge because practitioners in these fields must grasp both the principles of science and the principles of science communication while understanding the social contexts of each. For this reason, science journalism and science communication are often addressed only in advanced undergraduate or graduate specialty courses rather than covered exhaustively in lower-division courses. Even so, those entering the field rarely will have a comprehensive background in both science and communication studies. This circumstance underscores the importance of compiling useful reference materials. The Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication presents resources and strategies for science communicators, including theoretical material and background on recent controversies and key institutional actors and sources. Science communicators need to understand more than how to interpret scientific facts and conclusions; they need to understand basic elements of the politics, sociology, and philosophy of science, as well as relevant media and communication theory, principles of risk communication, new trends, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of science communication programmes, to mention just a few of the major challenges. This work will help to develop and enhance such understanding as it addresses these challenges and more. Topics covered include: advocacy, policy, and research organizations environmental and health communication philosophy of science media theory and science communication informal science education science journalism as a profession risk communication theory public understanding of science pseudo-science in the news special problems in reporting science and technology science communication ethics.

Download or read book Innovation Science Environment 07 08 written by G. Bruce Doern and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 2007-03-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second volume in the ISE series examines the reshaping of ISE policy in the context of multi-level governance and policy. Contributors examine climate change policy, innovation in the natural resources sector, the internet pharmacy trade, biotechnology policy and governance, provincial government renewable energy policies, the psychological and human nature connection with sustainable development policies, procurement policy and innovation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the commercialization of Canada’s universities.

Download or read book The National Research Council in the Innovation Policy Era written by G. Bruce Doern and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors show how the NRC's history is interwoven with the evolution of Canada's economic and industrial development and with the fostering of science at Canada's universities, in industry, and within the federal government.

Download or read book Biotechnology in a Global Economy written by DIANE Publishing Company and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1992-06 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Precaution Environmental Science and Preventive Public Policy written by Joel Tickner and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2002-12 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "precautionary principle"—the idea that society should guard against potentially harmful activities even if some cause and effect relationships have not been fully established—has often been attacked for being unscientific. However leading scientists studying the issue have begun to make the case that the precautionary principle is in fact science based, and that it creates a need for more rigorous and transparent science in examining complex and uncertain environmental risks.Precaution, Environmental Science, and Preventive Public Policy is the first book to explore the role of science in developing a more precautionary approach to environmental and public health policy. The book brings together leading scientists, legal experts, philosophers, environmental health professionals, and environmentalists to offer a multi-disciplinary perspective on the controversial debate over science and precaution. The book:discusses the critical need for science in promoting sustainabilityoutlines the ethical imperative of a more precautionary science and the philosophical foundations of that new approachconsiders some of the ways in which the current conduct of environmental science works against precautionary policiesexamines how the role and use of science differs across cultures and political systemsprovides the components of an approach to environmental science that more effectively supports precautionary decisionsThe book also offers case studies that consider various types of uncertainty and sets forth a framework for evaluating and addressing uncertainty in decision-making.Contributors include Juan Almendares, Katherine Barrett, Kamaljit Bawa, Finn Bro-Rasmussen, Donald Brown, Theofanis Christoforou, Terry Collins, Barry Commoner, Carl Cranor, Stephen Dovers, David Gee, Elizabeth Guillette, Cato ten Hallers-Tjabbes, James Huff, Matthias Kaiser, Richard Levins, Mary O'Brien, Carolyn Raffensperger, Jerry Ravetz, Vandana Shiva, Boyce Thorne-Miller, Joe Thornton, Reginald Victor, and Alistair Woodward.Precaution, Environmental Science, and Preventive Public Policy presents a broad overview of the role of science in implementing the precautionary principle and makes a compelling case that science should be used not just to study problems but to develop solutions.

Download or read book Growing Resistance written by Emily Eaton and published by Univ. of Manitoba Press. This book was released on 2013-05-15 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2004 Canadian farmers led an international coalition to a major victory for the anit-GM movement by defeating the introduction of Monsanto's genetically modified wheat. Canadian farmers' strong opposition to GM wheat marked a stark contrast to previous producer acceptance of other genetically modified crops. By 2005, for example, GM canola accounted for 78 percent of all canola grown nationally. So why did farmers stand up for wheat? In Growing Resistance, Emily Eaton reveals the motivating factors behind farmer opposition to GM wheat. She illustrates wheat's cultural, historical, and political significance on the Canadian prairies as well as its role in crop rotation, seed saving practices, and the economic livelihoods of prairie farmers. Through interviews with producers, industry organizations, and biochemical companies, Eaton demonstrates how the inclusion of producer interests was integral to the coalition's success in voicing concerns about environmental implications, international market opposition to GMOs, and the lack of transparency and democracy in Canadian biotech policy and regulation. Growing Resistance is a fascinating study of successful coalition building, of the need to balance local and global concerns in activist movements, and of the powerful forces vying for control of food production.

Download or read book Ill health Canada written by Michael McBane and published by Canadian Centre Policy Alternatives. This book was released on 2005 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Internationalization and Canadian Agriculture written by Grace Skogstad and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2008-09-06 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades, Canada's agricultural industry, one of the world's largest, has had to adjust to global trade developments such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization. Internationalization and Canadian Agriculture examines the patterns of continuity and change in Canadian agricultural policy making in important areas like farm income support programs, prairie grain marketing, supply management, animal and food product safety, and the regulation of genetically modified crops and foods. Arguing that the effects of internationalization have been mediated by Canada's political institutional framework, Grace Skogstad demonstrates how the goals and strategies of authoritative political actors in Canada's federal and parliamentary systems have been decisive to policy developments. Skogstad details the interaction between agriculture and the political economy of Canada, shows how international and domestic trade shape Canadian agricultural policies, and argues that while agricultural programs have changed, the post-war state assistance agricultural paradigm has persisted. A thorough political analysis and history of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century Canadian agricultural policy and policy-making, Internationalization of Canadian Agriculture is an important contribution to political economy and public policy.