2nd Green Revolution

by Kim Novick, Guest Author

“We will restore science to its rightful place.” – Barack Obama, January 20th 2009

Modern inaugural addresses haven’t been kind to science.  In the 80 years preceding Obama’s inauguration, only Richard Nixon has spoken kindly of the discipline.  FDR called science a “ruthless master of mankind.”  Eisenhower spoke of its “final gift…the power to erase human life from this planet,” and Kennedy its “dark powers of destruction.”  These are pretty harsh words for the branch of knowledge that brought us the combustion engine, penicillin, and a fair chunk of American economic development since WWII.  Obama’s praise for science and technology in his inaugural address drew much applause on the Mall, making it clear that a renewed focus on and appreciation for American scientific enterprise isn’t just music to scientists’ ears.
In context, the words were most likely meant to signal a departure from Bush Administration policies on global warming and stem cell research, and a reversal of many of the funding cuts agencies like NSF and NIH have seen over the past eight years.  While these are welcome changes for many American scientists, few of them would accept the notion that science’s “rightful place” is some late 1990’s status quo.    Instead, they might point to the mathematical proficiency of American youth, which has been steadily declining for decades.  Or they might cite the increased technological productivity from Asia and other developing parts of the world that bolstered a Japanese auto company above Detroit for the first time this year.  They may rail against the decline in H1B visas, which allow the best and brightest international scholars to work in the United States.  They might even mention that an even larger version of the Large Haldron Collidor was planned for construction in Texas before funding evaporated.
Some say necessity is the mother of invention, and the necessary greening of the world economy will undoubtedly lead to phenomenal advances in science and technology.  But the crucial question is “where will this invention happen?”  It is no longer a given that the best scientists and inventors will work in America.  Projections from the Business Roundtable suggest that up to 90% of all practicing scientists and engineers will live in Asia within 5 years.

Early Obama administration actions show some promise for the future of scientific advancement this side of the Pacific.  The EPA’s decision to reconsider California’s proposed emission standards could pave the way for other states to propose similar measures and provide some clear motive for innovation in Detroit.  And the stimulus package contains some hefty research funds for NASA, NSF and DOE.  A nice start, but there’s no question that a serious effort will be required to restore science to its rightful place in these challenging times.

- Kim Novick is a PhD candidate in Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment