There’s a fair bit to be said about embryonic stem-cell research, which I’m surprised to realize I haven’t written about here hardly at all; there’s the fact that research involving adult stem cells is far more promising and far more productive right now (due to the teratoma problem with embryonic stem cells), the fact that we can now produce embryonic stem cells without creating embryos, and the ways in which the pro-abortion movement is clearly using ESCR as a stalking-horse against the pro-life movement. I haven’t written about any of that, but I think I’ll probably do so at some point in the fairly near future, because it’s an important issue—perhaps the most important moral issue of our time.For the moment, however, I’ll just point you to Tyler Dawn’s recent post on the subject, which approaches it from a different angle, and a far more personal one—and in so doing, puts her finger right on the most important point. Thanks, Tyler Dawn.
I had an interesting argument in an upper-level ethics class I took at the Jesuit seminary in Berkeley on this topic. I pointed out that the ban on embryonic stem cell research could be said to be the impetus behind the development of techniques using things like pluripotent umbilical stem cells and a variety of other things that you mentioned. By putting ethical limits on science, science did what it did best and found another, better, way.
I’d use the same argument about domestic and offshore oil drilling of course 🙂
I think you’re right; though of course I would apply your point to drilling somewhat differently. 🙂 (Such as, the fact that extraction-technology companies have been forced to, and have, made drilling far safer and far, far less of an ecological issue.) Still, I’ve been pulling for Ballard Power Systems and their fuel-cell technology for a decade now, and have hopes that another decade will see fuel cells becoming the present reality for power generation, with the hydrogen produced by algae or termites or some similar means. I just think we need to get over the hump.
I would love to derive energy from termites. Algae is too pedestrian – everyone knows about algae. But termites? Score.
See my latest post. 🙂