In the great scheme of things, a matter cannot be isolated.

S&T, climate change, poverty are all interconnected and sends out ripples to other areas as well. The function of science and technology was by far executed to broaden what we know about the world and has thus expanded to include coming up with practical solutions to the problems we face. In the instance of poverty, the issue is not plainly scientific in that it also encompasses the economy. Looking at the area of agriculture in which the problem seems to be the declining productivity mirroring that of low income and is aggravated by the growing population (Balisacan, 2007). Feeding the predicted 8.9 billion world population reported projection in 2050 poses a problem (UN, 2004). Using economics principles, the price of a commodity is high when the demand is high and the supply is low. To address this issue, science and technology seeks to solve the problem through development in crop varieties in the hope of generating greater yield. It takes an active part in solving a problem. Hybridization of corn, wheat, and barley, and the local rice which promises increased agricultural output (Department of Agriculture, n.d.; The Philippine Star, 2012). Another method that could be used to progress forward is the use of hydroponics for urban farming - this will maximize available space in urban areas and reduces the travel time from farm to market in an effort to reduce price (Nature Publishing Group, 2012). From these given example, science and technology comes to our aid when we have problems such as in the acquisition of our basic needs such as food. When science and technology is maximized and has permeated industries, a floodgate of opportunities will be opened and hopefully alleviate the poverty situation. In this regard, the Institute of Physics in 2010 also reports that science, technology, and innovation can play a crucial role in alleviating poverty. Such technologies were the use of simple magnetic iron oxide to chelate arsenic to produce safe drinking water; a smokeless cooking stove that could generate electricity; and bed nets and filters to control mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches. Through S&T developments can we reverse the upside down pyramid of economic strata by maximizing resources. Moving on to another major issue is that of climate change, Al Gores Inconvenient Truth (2006) gave the masses a view of what the world will be like when global warming is not averted. Science and technology has drawn a double edged blade in this regard by being the cause and the solution. The movement of industrialization instilled the use of factories that spew harmful substances into the atmosphere and is being aggravated by the use of the increasing number of vehicles that is powered by fossil fuels. Looking back the efforts to provide more food - animal husbandry has turned to genetic engineering to produce meet at an industrial scale. Foer (2010) describes that chicken, pork, and beef can now be produced using less space, less feed, in less time. The chicken breast, for example, has gotten bigger exponentially with breeders using drugs, vitamins, and special feeds. It may result to cheaper food but at a cost to health. Furthermore, Levitt and Dubner (2009) and Foer (2010) also point that it is not the automobile industry that has caused the greatest damage to the environment but it is rather the methane coming from the feces and flatulence of cows and pigs with the latter subliminally promoting vegetarianism. Another controversial finding is that when there is more atmospheric carbon dioxide, it actually increases the photosynthetic processes of plant with less water and sunlight - and that more carbon dioxide is better because an increase in plant growth will recycle the circulation CO2 (Taub, 2010; Levitt and Dubber, 2009). In this backwards and forwards game, S&T still targets to reduce the carbon footprint through the use of hybrid cars and encouragement of using vehicles not dependent on fossil fuel. Another proposed innovation would be the use of sulfur dioxide (the emission from most industrial plants) to be injected in the stratosphere, a geo-engineering technology. Nathan Myrhvold, the CEO of Intellectual Ventures (2009) describes this stratoshield to be able to reflect the suns rays and therefore will cools the earth. The battle for a greener environment is still on-

going with some aspects of S&T fueling the industries that cause environmental havoc but at the same trying to alleviate the damage done. This is when technology evaluation comes in. S&Ts efforts to avert the problems may result to unwanted and unpredicted repercussions. The role of S&T should remain the enthusiastic leader that seeks to progress every aspect of our lives with the foresight to prevent or mitigate the resulting adverse effects. S&T and the society is placed in the ethical dilemma of double effect.

! References: ! !

Basilican, A. (2007) If were so smart, why are we so poor and hungry?. Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. Retrieved from http:// www.searca.org/web/articles/2007/june_a.html June 17, 2012) Department of Agriculture (n.d.) Q&A on hybrid rice. Retrieved from http:// www.bicol.da.gov.ph/tips/hybrid-rice.html June 18, 2012

! Foer, J. S. (2010). Eating animals. New York: Little Brown and Co. ! !

Institute of Physics (2010). Science, technology and innovation for poverty reduction: report of the seminar held 9 December 2009 highlighting how scientific applications are improving the lives of people in the worlds poorest countries. Retrieved from http:// www.iop.org/publications/iop/2009/file_44076.pdf June 19, 2012 Intellectual Ventures (2009). The stratospheric shield: a practical, low-cost way to reverse catastrophic warming of the Arctic - or the entire planet. Retrieved from http:// intellectualventureslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Stratoshield-whitepaper-300dpi.pdf June 20, 2012

! Levitt, S. D., and Dubber, S. J. (2009). Superfreakonomics. New York: William Morrow. ! ! ! ! ! ! !
The Philippine Star (2012). More hybrid choices for farmers. Retrieved from http:// www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=785813 June 19, 2012. Taub, D. (2010) Effects of rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide on plants. Nature Education Knowledge 1(8):21 Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/ scitable/knowledge/library/effects-of-rising-atmospheric-concentrations-ofcarbon-13254108 June 19, 2012

Nature Publishing Group (2012) Swaziland team wins the first Scientific American Science in Action Award, powered by the Google Science Fair. Retrieved from http:// www.nature.com/press_releases/swaziland-saaward.html June 20, 2012

United Nations (2004). World population to 2300. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/ population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf June 18, 2012