“And never the twain shall meet?”

Some observations on the discourse between GM scientists and members of the community in New Zealand

Karen Cronin and Laurie Jackson

Dialogue Research

• MORST Dialogue Programme

• Improving capacity for communication between the science sector and the community

• Biotechnology Strategy

• Bioethics Council research

“Hands Across the Water”

• February 2003- June 2004• GM debate as a case study• Public participation• Environmental conflict resolution• Trialling 3 approaches:

“Appreciative Inquiry”“The Civil Conversation”“Issues Mapping”

The GM debate in NZ

• The public arena

• Personal conversations

• Polarisation / reconciliation

• Degrees of acceptance

• Landscape of the issues

• Self awareness

• Potential for a new social discourse

Research strategy

• Recruitment (June 2003) 46 science/47 community

• Baseline interviews (July –August) 37/29• Issues Mapping Interviews (Aug-Sep) 12/12• Issues Mapping Workshop (Dec) 5/5• Appreciative Inquiry Workshops (Nov) 5/5• Civil Conversation Workshop (Nov) 3/3• Evaluation (Dec.) • Final Report to MORST June 2004

Baseline interviews

• 37 GM scientists• 29 members community interest groups• Phone interviews 10-15 minutes• Views on GM/GE• Talking with other people • ‘Fruitful’ discussion• Hopes for future dialogue in NZ• Outcomes

A quote:

“I would like the majority of the NZ population to be well informed. It will never be 100%. You will always have strong spiritual/religious or cult beliefs and always have organics: ‘never the twain shall meet’” Scientist #18

Some other quotes

1. I support research in GM. That’s what science is all about and progress.

2. It’s often only presented as if you are for GM or against it. Many GM crops I would be against because they benefit only the company.

3. I am positive towards GM technology. GM is necessary for the development of biotech. We need it to understand causes of disease and to produce products.

4. I am reticent or concerned about the unknowns though, e.g. putting toad genes into cauliflower.

5. I believe that it is a positive science, will advance society and will increasingly be accepted as a more normal and supportive improvement in biological matter.

6. … you have to be careful taking it out into the environment. A lot of people are concerned if we let it out too soon. There could be economic consequences to NZ if it is used in agriculture – long term consequences to the economy…

7. There needs to be benefits to GE, and I am yet to see any…..Identification of vested interest: the public researchers are pro, but are also funded by large companies to do their work, and their work depends on this funding. The risks are not clear when stated from those people.

8. … there is no need for GM going into crops and into the food chain. I don’t believe all the propaganda about health issues and solving world hunger problems….Most people say keep it in the lab. It shouldn’t be released into the environment or in the human food chain. I agree with that. There’s no recall button. It’s not like a faulty car or a tin of beans, you can’t take it back.

Some more quotes

9. Humans are an inquisitive bunch, so it’s wrong to suppress that.

10. I see the GE/GM technology as all other

technology, part of mankind’s evolution. I believe that there is a natural instinct within us that wants to explore and develop hence we’re always looking at ways of improving our lifestyle, crossing the seas and reaching for the stars.

11. [I am] passionately against the release and use of GE in environment, humans and animals.

12. I am against the development of GMOs for any reason. Especially with medicine – I have an ethical belief about experimenting with animals which a lot of lab GM work involves. It’s not acceptable.

13. It has become very emotive. There’s been more emotion than scientific rationale.The technical use of scientific data is part of my background. I am in favour of cautious use [of GM].

14. There are good aspects and dangerous aspects to it. A lot of the public are misinformed and there is scaremongering – and people don’t appreciate the benefits. They are not getting a balanced decision. There are gut reactions, based on a lack of information.

15. I am against it, apart from in the lab under strictly controlled conditions. I am completely against any GM field trials what-so-ever. I’m adamant!

16. It is the most dangerous technology ever developed. It has been developed without ethical input to the consequences. It has been done for profit, ego and power. It will be possible to contaminate the food we eat and it will have deleterious environmental consequences.

17. I am not really sure that the wider community are informed enough about this matter to make any intelligent response to this question

18. Our knowledge is grossly inadequate, and we need to understand much more about GE before we release it into the environment.

19. … it's dangerous, the science doesn't work, it destroys agricultural economies, it always harms the environment, and it's only there to make money for unscrupulous chemical companies.

 

20. The technology is really cool, there is huge potential if it could be harnessed for the good of the planet, great - but …

… this is not likely to happen.

Words of War

“I believe this issue is more important than any other issue we face besides war”

#561 Community

polarisedpositions

sidescamps

antagonistsentrenched

set in their waysmiddle ground

common ground

violentconflictguns and sharp swordsattackshut it downangryabuseargumentssloganeeringhectoring carpingfear

heatedscare factor aggressivedefensiveslagging off the other sideshoutingarroganceget out theremoveplunging aheadrun over

yellingargie bargiewrongrightgut reactionslose my coolscream at a brick wall

an over-reaction on both endsfor and againstcontroversiescampaignconspiraciesstrategytacticspropagandaunscrupulous

beating a drum of fearforcing things on usammunitionthreatbarriersblown updangerousurgencydrastic actionharm

there is no hopedamagewinnerpublic revolt‘Peace breaks out’!

Key themes: scientists

• I’m not a ‘Greenie” but….

• Optimism and doubt

• ‘We don’t need no education’

• Self reflection

Key themes – community interest group members

• Optimism and despair

• Risk and rationality

• It’s not just about the science

• Who decides?

Observations

• Public debate and real world discourse

• People talking past eachother

• Consent and discontent

• There has to be another way