“It’s important for Australia to take advantage of new technologies as they arise,” said an Australia government industry department spokesman. “… it’s very important that this isn’t done to the exclusion of health, safety and the environment.”
This is the philosopy behind the National Enabling Technologies Strategy released by Australia government on February, 22 this year. A Stakeholder Advisory Council with representatives from trade unions, and consumer and environment groups will be established under the strategy.
Technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology have given rise to numerous controversies and the government wants to listen to all the diverse views. There are differing views on the ethical, environmental, health and other implications of new developments in these technologies.
A danger of nanotechnology is the possibility of unregulated exposure of workers to nanomaterials that act like asbestos fibers and cause serious health problems. At nanosizes, materials often exhibit properties very different from normal state. Completely safe materials can become toxic when reduced to nanosizes.
Nanotechnology is not the only new technology that poses such dangers. For example, in biotechnology there is resistance against genetically modified food crops on the grounds of unproven safety and destruction of bio-diversity. Bio-diversity is critical for the long-term health of our planet and ourselves.
A union spokesman felt that “It’s a case where the technology is running way ahead of the regulation.”
The strategy has not fully satisfied all the groups.
Read the report at: ABC Reports
