From: Student Pugwash USA <uspugwash@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: alt.org.pugwash
Date: 14 Dec 92 11:40 PST
Subject: Re: *Tough Questions: Fall 92 News
Nf-ID: #R:cdp:1758700030:cdp:1758700031:000:6541
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!uspugwash    Dec 14 11:40:00 1992


Tough Questions - Conference Issue 1992

ENVISIONING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD : 
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
By Tim Larson

     On June 2, 1992, over 100 heads of state, along with thousands 
of individuals representing government ministries, NGOs, religious 
groups, indigenous peoples, and the press, converged on Rio de 
Janiero, Brazil.  The occasion was the United Nations Conference on 
Environment and Development (UNCED) and the Global Forum.  The TEarth 
SummitU, touted as the largest gathering ever of world leaders, 
differed markedly from its predecessor in Stockholm in 1972 Q in 
particular, TdevelopmentU was a central issue of concern.  No longer 
could environmental degradation be separated from economic 
development, burgeoning population growth, technological innovation, 
income distribution, or global resource consumption.  The economic and 
environmental fates of the countries in the South were recognized to 
have a causal link with quality of life in the North.

     As past Student Pugwash USA International Conferences have 
highlighted, the challenges and problems facing countries all over 
the world have become inextricably intertwined.  The repercussions of 
social, economic, political, and environmental change in one country 
can be felt by countries in another hemisphere.  Furthermore, 
environment, trade, and social services remain tightly connected, as 
GATT negotiations have illustrated.  Public health is directly 
impacted by seemingly disparate issues such as soil erosion, urban 
migration, deforestation, and religion.  The resulting complexity 
creates substantial difficulties in devising and implementing 
solutions, since a seemingly beneficial solution can have devastating 
impacts on another important sector or in another geographic 
location.  In fact, the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World 
Affairs were initiated to encourage scientists and world leaders to 
look beyond isolated disciplines and isolated problems and consider 
the larger global setting.

     Student Pugwash USAUs Seventh International Conference, Visions 
for a Sustainable World:  A Conference on Science, Technology, and 
Social Responsibility, aimed not only to acknowledge the challenges 
of increasing interdependence, but also to discuss solutions and 
future directions.  The Conference, held at Emory University in 
Atlanta, Georgia, from June 14-20, 1992, united 100 graduate and 
undergraduate students from 27 countries along with over 65 experts 
from government, industry, and academe for a week of intensive 
analysis.  Students and professionals participated in the following 
working groups throughout the week:

     Environmental Challenges for Developing Countries
     Energy Options: Their Social and Environmental Impacts
     Health Care in Developing JCountries
     Changing Dynamics of PeaceJand Global Security
     Educating for the Socially Responsible Use of Technology
     Ethics and the Use of JGenetic Information

Since a plethora of information exists which documents and details 
the problems that confront us in these areas, the Conference sessions 
and working groups concentrated on exploring the relationships 
between issues and developing potential solutions which could take 
into account these interrelations.  The broad range of topics covered, 
along with the diversity of student and expert backgrounds, greatly 
enhanced the ability of participants to discover and discuss the 
broader impact of science and technology on global issues.

     RVisionS was a central theme throughout the Conference week.  
The need to look to the future is essential to the concept of 
sustainability, which implies the ability of a given generation to 
meet its needs without compromising the quality of life for future 
generations.  A failure or inability to envision a viable, livable 
future for our world is itself a threat to our survivability.  This 
threat is especially apparent in light of recent global events and 
accelerating technological advancement, which force individuals to 
act, or react, ever more quickly to meet the challenges of societal, 
economic, and environmental change.  The critical component in 
meeting these challenges is the ability to comprehend the global 
framework in which all of these issues reside and envision the 
positive effect we can have upon that framework.

     During the Conference, participants were called upon to 
visualize the type of world in which they want to live, and to 
determine how our scientific and technological know-how can help to 
create such a world.  The World Game Workshop, which took place early 
in the week, provided an excellent vehicle for viewing broad global 
themes and trends and developing a collective vision of how the world 
should look.  The Workshop highlighted the growing demand for 
individuals who are able to see and work across traditional 
disciplinary boundaries, and individuals who are sensitive to the 
long-term impacts of their work on all aspects of society.

     As the week progressed, the tone of the Conference evolved from 
vision to action.  The energy, ideas, excitement, and frustration 
arising from the discussions had to be channeled to solve problems.  
It is essential to convince students - who will soon enter into 
positions of organizational and global leadership - that they have 
the power to create change, but that this requires commitment and 
individual responsibility.  These students, however, must determine 
what steps and actions are appropriate for their interests, abilities 
and beliefs.  In order to facilitate this process at the International 
Conference, each student met with a SPUSA staff member during the 
week to outline a RPersonal Plan of Action.S  This exercise provided  
an opportunity for students to share information on their past 
involvement with the issues addressed at the Conference and to 
brainstorm actions which they would like to pursue in the future.  
Mapping out the Personal Plans of Action also gave staff members a 
chance to inform students about the variety of resources SPUSA could 
provide to support their efforts, helping to ensure that the 
Conference did not end in Atlanta.

     As the pace of global change continues to intensify, young 
people must know that they have a crucial role to play in shaping 
and creating our common future.  In Atlanta this summer, a talented 
group of students let the world know that they were ready and excited 
to accept that challenge.