Ethical Issues Raised by Emerging Technologies
Saturday, December 4th, 2010
Emerging technologies like nanotechnology and biotechnology raises health and ethical issues. Government regulations cannot hope to keep pace as the new technologies raise issues that nobody has a clear idea about. This situation creates a dilemma as countries want technological progress but are apprehensive about the unknown safety and ethical issues.
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary technology that has applications in many areas, including healthcare, consumer products, industrial products and energy. The technology involves working at nanoscale; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter; and nanotechnology deals with materials of 100 nanometers or less. At nanoscale, normally harmless materials can become toxic, and nanomaterials can permeate the skin barrier and enter internal organs with unknown consequences.
An ethical issue arises when multinational corporations, unable to work in their home countries owing to rigorous regulations, shift operations to developing countries where regulations are non-existent or lax. In addition to MNCs, even local companies might engage in dangerous research and manufacturing activities in such an environment.
Modern biology raises issues that cause even greater concerns. For example, issues such as patenting life, DNA banks and genetically engineered animals and crops are issues that have raised serious controversies. Considerable discussions are taking place about these issues all over the world.
An article on Green Nanotechnology and a booklet on Ethics and Biotechnology go into these issues.
Tags: emerging technologies, ethical issues, health issues, safety issues
Posted in biotechnology, business, corporate responsibility, emerging technologies, health risks, impact on humanity, nanoethics, nanotechnology, social risks | No Comments »
A Gathering of IT Companies Off-the-beaten-path
Friday, August 27th, 2010
You expect companies to care mainly for profit making. Even if they do some work for their communities, it is more than likely that the exercise is more for image-building to further their business. In such a context, it was refreshing to read about a philanthropy-oriented meeting of IT companies during CompTIA’s annual Breakaway conference in San Antonio, Texas recently.
CompTIA Educational Foundation provides career opportunities for individuals who historically have been under-represented in the IT workforce. It does this with support from individuals, industry leaders, companies and the government.
At the meeting, representatives from AMD, Applied Materials, CDW, Dell, IBM, Intel, iSys, Microsoft, SalesForce.com Foundation, Symantec, VMware and Xerox looked at the possible future of IT philanthropy and the potential impact it can make.
The IT companies have been seeing volunteerism within their companies to aid the communities in which they work. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational programs for the communities, disaster relief work, environmental efforts, civic development, mentoring, health and hunger challenges, workforce skills development and job creation, and diversity issues are examples of work the volunteers do.
The attendees felt that they need to work in a collaborative manner to accomplish better results, and also to measure the impact of their efforts.
Read the news release at BusinessWire.
Tags: business, IT companies, philanthropy
Posted in business, corporate responsibility | No Comments »
Re-Awakening Innovation in the United States of America
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
USA had prospered through innovation and it has now reached a level of prosperity and influence that every nation in the world wants to have a special relationship with it. However, the US has also suffered from too much “financial innovation” that led to an economic near-death experience.
Normally, people and organizations might not consider the present depressed economic scenario the ideal one for ambitious investments, particularly long-term investments such as in science and technology. On the other hand, many companies and organizations think that the present is the best time for such investments. The company Intel and the university Caltech belong to this group.
In a news release, Intel speaks of encouraging new approaches to the vital issues in our society where science and technology can make a contribution. They also note that there is a similar focus in many research institutions and innovative companies across the US, and that together with parallel developments in public policy, there is reason for excitement and hope for the country.
Intel, for example, renewed its commitment to investing in the future at the intersection of technology and education. The company invests in longer-term and exploratory research with U.S. universities seeking breakthroughs not only in semiconductor technology but also in new applications and uses for information technology. In this process, they encourage university students to become the engineers and scientists that create tomorrow’s technology.
At Calech, educational and research initiatives are inspiring some of the world’s best minds to focus on game-changing technologies in critical areas such as energy and health.
At government level, the Obama Administration is rethinking federal innovation policy. The President’s “Strategy for American Innovation” released in the fall of 2009 recognizes that “a short-term view of the economy masks under-investments in essential drivers of sustainable, broadly shared growth”.
Read a news release at Huffington Post.
Tags: caltech, future technology, innovation in usa, intel, long-term research, obama administration
Posted in business, corporate responsibility, emerging technologies, innovation, patenting, technology commercialization | 1 Comment »
Greenpeace Recognizes Climate Change Action by Companies
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Greenpeace has formulated a 100 point scale to measure climate change contributions by companies. It awards 50 points for “climate solutions”, 35 for lobbying and making public statements about climate change, and the remaining points for renewable energy use and setting emission targets.
Cisco received top award with 62 points for its telecommuting, green building design and energy management initiatives, among others. The company had also set a target for reducing emissions by 25 percent during the five year period from 2007 to 2012. The company’s executives were also present at United Nations’ Copenhagen climate negotiations last year.
Ericsson, who came second, had carried out a life-cycle analysis of IT solutions like phones and Internet communication comparing it to the traditional solution of driving to a physical workplace.
The third placed IBM provided a range of emission-cutting services, including smart grid software and supply chain carbon management. IBM also publicized the results of its congestion pricing project in Stockholm that had reduced traffic by 18 percent over a one year period.
Google scored for it public advocacy, particularly its CEO Eric Schmidt’s November 2008 speech calling for federal support for research and development, energy efficiency and broadband infrastructure. However, the company came in for criticism for not disclosing its emissions.
Read the news report at New York Times
Tags: climate change, corporate responsibility, greenpeace
Posted in corporate responsibility, environment, renewable energy, sustainable development | No Comments »
