Letter: Technology advance not always for good
Recent articles portray those resistant to some new technology as bullies, and backward. Criticism usually comes from quarters with flimsy arguments.
Few would argue that technological advances have been made, but equally clear is that many have been tried out on us with devastating results.
Examples are asbestos, DDT, thalidomide, atomic power, agent orange and carcinogenic food additives. As each technology is found to be harmful, it is withdrawn but not before it has caused a lot of suffering.
Scientific process can be good but using the population to experiment on is a grim misuse of power.
The recent attempts prove that we have not learned from our earlier mistakes. Here are a few examples of the wish list of some in authority.
Remove badgers to address bovine TB even after it is proved to be ineffective and vaccination is a better method.
Fracking even when it is proved to have harmful effects and its benefits are of short duration.
Atomic energy plants even when the harmful effects of radioactive waste are being increasingly experienced.
Genetically modified food even when there are known potential devastating effects.
Worry people about melting ice caps and rising sea levels even when both polar caps are getting larger than ever measured before.
Grow biofuel even when it is competing with essential food production.
Also of concern is the distortion of scientific data in attempts to prove the opposite of evidence. This is widely known and is rightly causing resistance.
We as the present custodians of earth's people and their environment should rise up to our responsibilities to care for them.
Peter Keen, Oswestry
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