Transcript “And never the twain shall meet?”

“And never the twain shall
meet?”
Some observations on the discourse
between GM scientists and members
of the community in New Zealand
Karen Cronin and Laurie Jackson
Dialogue Research
• MORST Dialogue Programme
• Improving capacity for communication
between the science sector and the
community
• Biotechnology Strategy
• Bioethics Council research
“Hands Across the Water”
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February 2003- June 2004
GM debate as a case study
Public participation
Environmental conflict resolution
Trialling 3 approaches:
“Appreciative Inquiry”
“The Civil Conversation”
“Issues Mapping”
The GM debate in NZ
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The public arena
Personal conversations
Polarisation / reconciliation
Degrees of acceptance
Landscape of the issues
Self awareness
Potential for a new social discourse
Research strategy
• Recruitment (June 2003) 46 science/47
community
• Baseline interviews (July –August) 37/29
• Issues Mapping Interviews (Aug-Sep) 12/12
• Issues Mapping Workshop (Dec) 5/5
• Appreciative Inquiry Workshops (Nov) 5/5
• Civil Conversation Workshop (Nov) 3/3
• Evaluation (Dec.)
• Final Report to MORST June 2004
Baseline interviews
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37 GM scientists
29 members community interest groups
Phone interviews 10-15 minutes
Views on GM/GE
Talking with other people
‘Fruitful’ discussion
Hopes for future dialogue in NZ
Outcomes
A quote:
“I would like the majority of the NZ
population to be well informed. It will
never be 100%. You will always have
strong spiritual/religious or cult beliefs
and always have organics: ‘never the
twain shall meet’” Scientist #18
Some other quotes
1. I support research in GM. That’s what
science is all about and progress.
2. It’s often only presented as if you are for
GM or against it. Many GM crops I would
be against because they benefit only the
company.
3. I am positive towards GM technology.
GM is necessary for the development of
biotech. We need it to understand causes
of disease and to produce products.
4. I am reticent or concerned about the
unknowns though, e.g. putting toad genes
into cauliflower.
5. I believe that it is a positive science, will
advance society and will increasingly be
accepted as a more normal and supportive
improvement in biological matter.
6. … you have to be careful taking it out into
the environment. A lot of people are
concerned if we let it out too soon. There
could be economic consequences to NZ if it
is used in agriculture – long term
consequences to the economy…
7. There needs to be benefits to GE, and I am yet
to see any…..Identification of vested interest:
the public researchers are pro, but are also
funded by large companies to do their work, and
their work depends on this funding. The risks
are not clear when stated from those people.
8. … there is no need for GM going into crops and
into the food chain. I don’t believe all the
propaganda about health issues and solving world
hunger problems….Most people say keep it in the
lab. It shouldn’t be released into the environment or
in the human food chain. I agree with that. There’s
no recall button. It’s not like a faulty car or a tin of
beans, you can’t take it back.
Some more quotes
9. Humans are an inquisitive bunch, so it’s
wrong to suppress that.
10. I see the GE/GM technology as all other
technology, part of mankind’s evolution. I
believe that there is a natural instinct within
us that wants to explore and develop hence
we’re always looking at ways of improving
our lifestyle, crossing the seas and reaching
for the stars.
11. [I am] passionately against the release and use of
GE in environment, humans and animals.
12. I am against the development of GMOs for any
reason. Especially with medicine – I have an
ethical belief about experimenting with animals
which a lot of lab GM work involves. It’s not
acceptable.
13. It has become very emotive. There’s been more
emotion than scientific rationale.The technical use
of scientific data is part of my background. I am in
favour of cautious use [of GM].
14. There are good aspects and dangerous
aspects to it. A lot of the public are
misinformed and there is scaremongering –
and people don’t appreciate the benefits.
They are not getting a balanced decision.
There are gut reactions, based on a lack of
information.
15. I am against it, apart from in the lab under
strictly controlled conditions. I am
completely against any GM field trials
what-so-ever. I’m adamant!
16. It is the most dangerous technology ever
developed. It has been developed without ethical
input to the consequences. It has been done for
profit, ego and power. It will be possible to
contaminate the food we eat and it will have
deleterious environmental consequences.
17. I am not really sure that the wider community are
informed enough about this matter to make any
intelligent response to this question
18. Our knowledge is grossly inadequate, and
we need to understand much more about GE
before we release it into the environment.
19. … it's dangerous, the science doesn't
work, it destroys agricultural economies, it
always harms the environment, and it's only
there to make money for unscrupulous
chemical companies.
20. The technology is really cool, there is huge
potential if it could be harnessed for the good of
the planet, great - but …
… this is not likely to happen.
Words of War
“I believe this issue is
more important than any
other issue we face
besides war”
#561 Community
polarised
positions
sides
camps
antagonists
entrenched
set in their ways
middle ground
common ground
violent
conflict
guns and sharp swords
attack
shut it down
angry
abuse
arguments
sloganeering
hectoring
carping
fear
heated
scare factor
aggressive
defensive
slagging off the other side
shouting
arrogance
get out there
move
plunging ahead
run over
yelling
argie bargie
wrong
right
gut reactions
lose my cool
scream at a brick wall
an over-reaction on both ends
for and against
controversies
campaign
conspiracies
strategy
tactics
propaganda
unscrupulous
beating a drum of fear
forcing things on us
ammunition
threat
barriers
blown up
dangerous
urgency
drastic action
harm
there is no hope
damage
winner
public revolt
‘Peace breaks out’!
Key themes: scientists
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I’m not a ‘Greenie” but….
Optimism and doubt
‘We don’t need no education’
Self reflection
Key themes – community interest
group members
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Optimism and despair
Risk and rationality
It’s not just about the science
Who decides?
Observations
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Public debate and real world discourse
People talking past eachother
Consent and discontent
There has to be another way