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Science at Stake Mid-Term Election Issues (October 20, 2006, One)

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Program Summary

What pushes your voting buttons? For some, it's taxes. But for Ira's guests and many other Americans, it's stem cell research and "green" energy. In the 2006 elections, science is in the spotlight. This November, hundreds of candidates will be running for office with science planks in their platforms; in many states, too, science will be running on its own, in the form of ballot initiatives that deal with stem cell research, the environment, energy, and much more.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to understand the issues being debated, but you do have to go beyond the TV ads and bumper stickers to form an educated opinion. Stem cell research is a particularly divisive topic, sometimes between members of the same party. One side believes that stem cells research should be encouraged for the vast potential it holds for battling untreatable diseases and injuries; the other side feels it's morally wrong to destroy embryos for the sake of science.

Voting for "green" energy seems like a no-brainer, making gas out of corn. But is it really "green?" Turns out that producing corn-based ethanol can use as much fossil fuel as it is intended to produce. We may not be electing a president this year, but the results of local balloting will reach into the 2008 race and far beyond.

Guests

Susan F. Wood
Former Assistant Commissioner, Office on Women's Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Research Professor, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Alexandra Witze
Chief of Correspondents for America, Nature, Washington, D.C.

Thomas Kalil
Former Deputy Assistant to President Clinton for Technology and Economic Policy
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Science and Technology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California

Related Links and Resources

US Election: Showdown for Capitol Hill (Nature)
Wired News, October 13, 2006: Stem Cells' New Role: Kingmaker

For Discussion:

• What are some of the prominent science issues in this fall's elections? What are the different parties' opinions on them?

• The scientific community feels that science has taken a beating during the Bush administration. Why?

• If you knew that a certain energy referendum is good for the environment, but would cost you a lot more money, how do you think you would vote? Are there times when the greater good is more important than personal benefit?

Activities

I've got issues. Study a few of the election issues discussed on today's show with these lesson plans from the New York Times Learning Network:

• What's Plan B? takes a look at the controversy over the "morning-after" pill and the FDA's approval of limited access to it. It's a very touchy subject, but a good example of the political rage over a scientific issue.

• Superhero Science. Students reenact a 2004 pre-election debate between President Bush and Senator John Kerry that focused on stem cell research.

• Science on the Skids examines the decline of our scientific superiority, the role of politics, and the effect the slippage could have on America's future world standing.

Read oil about it. PBS Online NewsHour offers a background report on energy election issues at Vote 2006: Concerns over Energy Policy Fuel Midterm Election Campaigns

All fluff, no dry. Spin Cycle, another lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network, discusses how politicians' "spin doctors" manipulate information to influence public opinion about candidates and issues. Have students pick a candidate or issue concerning science and research various "spins" that have been created.

Start a movement. Advocating for a particular point of view, even in science, is nothing new. Research some of the advocacy groups working on issues such as green energy, alternative cancer therapy, nutrition and health. A new grassroots organization discussed on this show has formed to help voters understand the scientific issues in this year's election, called Scientists and Engineers for America, www.sefora.org.

Peruse the other Science Friday Kids' Connection pages related to the topics discussed on today's show:
Science Friday Kids' Connection Special Edition - Science in America (February 18, 2005)
The Most Bang for the Bucks: NASA's New Budget (February 25, 2005)
April 30, 2004, Hour Two: Stem Cell Heart Therapy
Out of Gas (February 3, 2006, Hour One)

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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