AIBS Endorses Science Debate 2008
My previous blog on this topic noted that AIBS is pleased to see momentum growing for the Science Debate 2008 initiative, the goal of which is to bring about a public debate in which this year's U.S. presidential candidates share their views on science, technology, and the economy.
AIBS has now officially endorsed Science Debate 2008; I sent the organizers a note today on behalf of AIBS President Rita Colwell and the AIBS Board of Directors.
The scientific, education, and business communities are coming together in truly impressive breadth and numbers to move this call for a debate ahead. As my friend Lee Allison (State Geologist and Director of the Arizona Geological Survey, as well as a fellow organizer of the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science) writes at Arizona Geology, American leadership -- economic and political -- is suffering, due in large part to our falling behind in science and technology. We simply must have more information about where our presidential candidates stand on their understanding and appreciation of the issues and challenges.
Here's a sampling of the organizations and individuals that have endorsed Science Debate 2008 over only the last ten days or so:
02/02/2008 Columbia, Case Western Reserve, and AIBS officially sign on
02/01/2008 PBS Online NewsHour: Scientists, Journalists Push for Science-based Election Debate
02/01/2008 U.C. Berkeley, Chancellor Birgeneau, & Friends of the Earth sign on
01/31/2008 The "Science 57": Fifty-seven universities and other organizations join
01/31/2008 Nobelist Laureates Holland and Watson, Columbia President Bollinger, Congressman Baird, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Mason join
01/30/2008 U of Maryland & ASU presidents sign on; also former NIST director William Jeffrey
01/29/2008 Council on Competitiveness supports a Presidential Debate on Science & Economy; becomes official cosponsor
01/29/2008 Richard Meserve, President, Carnegie Institution of Washington, and George Scalise, President, Semiconductor Industry Association, Member, President Bush's Science & Technology Advisory Committee, sign on
01/28/2008 Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, endorses us, as does the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
01/23/2008 American Association for the Advancement of Science calls for presidential debate on science & economy
01/20/2008 Intel's Craig Barrett: Flagging economy needs science investments