Scientists & Engineers for America

Candidate Responses for MS-1

Comparing responses to Innovation & the Elections 2008 for:

Innovation

Science and technology have been responsible for half of the growth of the American economy since World War II. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies would you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

If America is to lead the way in scientific innovation, we must fully fund math and science in our public schools to ensure we have young people who appreciate the beauty of research and are not "turned off" by science. We also need generous funding for professional development that challenges educators to improve their knowledge and teaching skills.

Only in research is it possible to leverage so few tax dollars to such advantage. One dollar invested today may generate many thousands of dollars in benefits to our children. Yet, we seem to be penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to funding our research institutions. For example, the NIH budget has been flat or has declined in real terms since 2004. Meanwhile, we face emerging diseases like West Nile and pandemic influenza. Because of global warming, the US will probably see a dramatic increase in cases of malaria and dengue, as well as other "tropical" diseases. Funding for NIH and CDC programs in emerging infectious diseases will help ensure that we are ready for these challenges.

Since HIV was discovered in the 1980s, I have called for an Apollo-scale initiative to develop an AIDS vaccine. Such an initiative could focus our national creativity, consciousness, and resolve to solve this problem, uncovering an enormous amount of new knowledge with as-yet-unsuspected benefits to humanity.

We need more funding for mental health, especially research into schizophrenia, which affects over 1 million Americans. Yet, its etiology is poorly understood, and few treatment options are without adverse side effects.

We must increase funding for applied sustainability sciences: permaculture systems for regenerative and perennial agriculture and human-scale cities, organic agriculture technologies with increased energy efficiency, and bioremediation.

We need a national energy plan and a concerted international response to global climate change, which I will discuss as part of my answers to later questions.

Climate Change

The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on the following measures that have been proposed to address global climate change—a cap-and-trade system, a carbon tax, increased fuel-economy standards, and research? Are there other policies you would support?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

A cap-and-trade system like the one now in place in the EU will not solve global climate change by itself. I would support an emissions trading system only as part of a mandatory, phased reduction in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. I support a carbon tax as one step in achieving "total cost pricing," where environmental and social costs are included in the cost of products. The structure of a carbon tax must be carefully designed to prevent undue burden on the poor and on those who depend on fossil fuels for their livelihood, such as independent truckers. I have called for greatly increased fuel-economy standards. I support Earth Science research, unfettered by politics and generously funded, and I support new initiatives to communicate the results of that research to policymakers and the general public. I do not support nuclear energy as a solution to either our energy crisis or climate change. When the costs of construction and long-term storage of radiochemical wastes are included in the equation, nuclear power is neither cost-effective nor clean. I support a shift in subsidies and incentives from conventional agriculture to new, organic technologies that can reduce the dependence of farmers on fossil fuels. I support international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because no one nation can solve this problem alone.

Energy

Many scientists and policymakers say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

There is no single solution to our energy crisis, rather there is a portfolio of solutions. I have called for an urgent and massive effort to move our economy from dependence on fossil fuels to renewables: solar, wind, and geothermal, as described in the position paper at my website (www.VoteJohnWages.com). Conservation is the number one priority. I include passive solar design and retrofit of existing buildings under the general heading of conservation. It is possible to construct buildings that do not require active heating or cooling. All government buildings should make use of these technologies to achieve cost savings and to serve as models in their communities.

Next, we must find ways to substitute electricity (generated by renewable power sources) for fossil fuels where possible. A cornerstone of my energy plan is a distributed, decentralized power grid, with net metering.

Biofuels have a place in the mix of solutions, so long as efficiencies are practical. Corn ethanol, for example, requires substantial fossil fuel input. Without subsidies, it is not economical to produce ethanol from corn. Cellulosic ethanol may be energy-positive. Corn ethanol is an example of politics-driven, rather than science-driven, policymaking.

The peaking of world oil production means that we must make a transition to renewable power sources like solar and wind and adjust lifestyles accordingly. Just as petroleum production is peaking now, other fuel resources including coal, natural gas, and uranium will also peak, as the most accessible deposits and richest ores are consumed. Only renewable power sources, by definition, can provide long-term security.

Because oil is an international problem, I support an international conference to bring producers and consumers to the table to discuss solutions. Such a conference is in the best interests of all nations.

Education

A comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th. What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

Recent education reforms have resulted in more standardized tests for our students and more paperwork and stress for our teachers. I support changes that will encourage innovation and creativity among teachers, which will translate to helping our young people learn to think critically and creatively. With these skills, our young people will not only graduate, they will also be motivated to become lifelong learners and successful in their chosen fields. Aside from providing adequate and equitable funding, setting national standards, and ensuring equal access to education, the federal government should facilitate solutions at the local level, rather than mandate one-size-fits-all programs like No Child Left Behind.

I also support integrated learning so that students do not learn any particular subject, especially math and science, in a vacuum. I support community service projects as one way for students to learn to apply what they have learned in the classroom.

We need to put more value on our teachers and their contribution to society. I support increased teacher salaries and funding for professional develpment. I also support releasing teachers to be creative in their approach to teaching, rather than teaching to standardized tests. These policies will help attract the best and brightest Americans to the teaching profession.

I do not support punishing teachers for students' failure, but I instead strongly support rewarding teachers for students' success.

I support funding for kindergarten and preschool, mentoring and tutoring, after-school programs, summer education activities, and national nutrition programs that emphasize locally grown organic foods in school lunches.

I support ensuring that parents who choose to homeschool their children have access to generous teaching resources, without competing for funding for public schools.

I support funding for the arts and humanities on an equal footing as science and math.

Water

Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

I support conservation initiatives that will prevent depletion of our aquifers. Among the policies I will support are promoting the use of graywater, drip irrigation, and the increased use of bioremediation for cleanup of wastewater from farms and some industrial processes.

Global climate change is projected to increase the severity and frequency of droughts, especially in the Southwest and Southeast. I support the development of a comprehensive, regionally appropriate water policy to "drought-proof" these areas using primarily conservation, using storm and floodwaters to recharge aquifers rather than allowing this water to flow out of the area, rainwater catchment, and the use of graywater.

Research

For many years, Congress has recognized the importance of science and engineering research to realizing our national goals. Given that the next Congress will likely face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

Scientific research must always be given a very high priority. Unfortunately, federal government policies like the occupation of Iraq and deregulation of the banking industry have resulted in a massive national debt. This debt must be reduced without harming the poor who depend on government social programs or future generations who will benefit from basic research.

I support a massive, federally funded initiative to ease our transition to a clean energy economy. This solution addresses oil depletion and the energy crisis, some aspects of global climate change, and unemployment. At the same time, this initiative will provide jobs for scientists and engineers, as did the Apollo program of the 1960s.

I support two other major, national research initiatives. The first will develop an effective HIV vaccine. The second will address global climate change by developing technologies to sequester carbon dioxide in soils and by other means, to address the danger of methane hydrate decomposition, and to mitigate the worst, unavoidable effects of ongoing warming.

Health

Americans are increasingly concerned with the cost, quality, and availability of health care. How do you see science, research, and technology contributing to improved health and quality of life?

Travis Childers

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Travis Childers to participate by sending him an email today.

Greg Davis

All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Greg Davis to participate by sending him an email today.

John Wages

I support a national healthcare plan that covers all Americans. First of all, this plan must be truly universal---it must cover everyone. Second, it must be single-payer. Currently, we have a hodge-podge of personal, employer, insurance company, state government, and federal government payments. As a result of this administrative overhead, Americans pay more for healthcare than Canadians, the French, or the British. Significant cost savings will be achieved through replacing this confusion with single-payer, and the reduction in administrative paperwork will remove a major disincentive to young people to enter the medical profession. Third, this national healthcare plan must emphasize preventive medicine: prenatal and neonatal care, early diagnosis of heart disease and cancer, and education about diet and exercise. Advances in diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, must be communicated directly to doctors and patients, rather than through pharmaceutical salesmen. Fourth, it must be accountable, with oversight as close to the community level as possible.

As previously stated, I support continued funding of basic research at an increased level, compared with the last decade.

Science and technology have already brought us new diagnostics for early detection of cancer, genetic diseases, and other disorders. These advances have increased the general lifespan and health of the population. With increased funding, as we propose, advances will continue to improve the well-being of Americans. Unfortunately, many millions of Americans do not have access to these benefits. Ensuring equal access to healthcare must become a major focus.