GLP podcast/video: Trust in scientists plummets; EU ditches organic ‘Farm to Fork’ plan; Our troubling ‘superhuman’ future?

Americans are losing trust in scientists following the COVID pandemic. How can experts regain the public’s support? The European Union (EU) has sided with farmers and suddenly halted its plans to mandate a 50 percent reduction in pesticide use and 25 percent boost in organic farmland. Gene editing is a promising biomedical technology, though some ethicists fear this tool might lead us into a superhuman future with consequences we aren’t prepared for.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 245 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• Trust in scientists nosedives post pandemic with deeper slide among Republicans

The US government’s COVID-19 response–inconsistently enforced lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccine mandates, most notably–angered many Americans. Recent poll results show that just 57% of the public says science has had a mostly positive effect on society, an eight percentage point drop since November 2021 and a decline of 16 points since before the coronavirus outbreak. With the frustrations of the pandemic still fresh in the minds of many, what can scientists do to regain America’s confidence?

• Reckoning for European Green Deal ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy: EU lawmakers side with farmers and consumers, bury plan to cut chemical pesticide use by 50%

The EU had a grand plan to boost organic farming and cut agricultural chemical use—then reality hit. The pandemic, war in Ukraine and severe inflation turned food shortages into a looming threat for Europe. Added to these tumultuous conditions was intense opposition from farmers, who saw the EU’s infatuation with organic agriculture as an attempt to rob them of their livelihoods. Politicians in Europe finally took a hint and rescinded their ‘Green Deal’ proposal. Governments around the world should learn from the EU’s example: bad policy can have potentially catastrophic consequences.

• Playing God: Catholic ethical experts caution against ‘superhuman’ genetic future

Gene editing has already yielded incredible results in medicine and agriculture, and the technology will only grow more powerful with time as our understanding of genetics improves. However, some ethicists fear that advances in human gene editing, particularly germline editing, which modifies the DNA parents pass down to their children, could outpace our ability to address moral questions surrounding its use. For instance, is it ethical to permanently alter genes that control multiple traits we don’t fully understand? Appropriate regulation may mitigate such risks, but who gets to do the regulating, and what basis do they justify their decisions?

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish