Development Ethical and Societal Issues Satyen Baindur PhD
Ethical and Societal Issues - Satyen.Baindur.Org
Ethical and Societal Issues - Satyen.Baindur.Org
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Stewardship in Nanotechnology <strong>Development</strong>:<br />
<strong>Ethical</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Societal</strong> <strong>Issues</strong><br />
SATYEN BAINDUR, PHD<br />
Ottawa Policy Research Associates, Inc.<br />
OPRA Report 2006-4-1 Issued April 2006<br />
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In the international context, a concern that has been expressed is that<br />
commercialization of nanotechnology might lead to loss of markets for traditional raw<br />
materials, both primary – such as coal or iron ore; <strong>and</strong> agricultural, such as cotton or silk<br />
– that countries of the global South currently rely upon for export revenue. The loss of<br />
such markets may lead to further impoverishment of the global South, <strong>and</strong> thus further<br />
depress health conditions in these countries. Such a situation would further exacerbate<br />
any ‘nanodivide’ that comes to exist, <strong>and</strong> this is an especially grave ethical concern in<br />
sub-Saharan Africa.<br />
Thus in an enlightened stance, one would maintain awareness of such issues. It is<br />
necessary also to keep in mind the time scale over which such issues could arise, if at all.<br />
Significant economic impacts from most technologies are usually seen over a period of<br />
decades. However, there is the view that nanotechnologies might lead to compressed<br />
technological development time (a steeper S-curve), <strong>and</strong> this may well be true, or become<br />
true, for some nanotechnologies.<br />
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