Scientists Welcome. Cash Upfront.

Scientists are finding it harder and harder to gain access to ecosystems and biological specimens for study, blocked by bold, young, and volatile governments looking for quick cash. The shield being used to prevent scientists from doing important field work in developing nations around the world is called the United Nations Treaty on Biodiversity, and it's creating an unfortunate rift between the global scientific community, where universities and research institutes have increasingly limited funds for field study, and developing countries that would do well to include themselves in the high-speed international scientific discourse.

The treaty was created with good intentions. What it does is give developing countries internationally recognized 'copyright' over their biological resources. For instance, if Zimbabwe has a rare orchid that an American pharmaceutical company uses to develop a cure for epilepsy, then Zimbabwe would be entitled to financial compensation for the use of its unique natural resource. The goal, of course, is to prevent the big bullies of the West from exploiting less prosperous nations and making off with loot that isn't immediately recognized as valuable. A country can't go into another and take gold without paying the appropriate price, so in theory it shouldn't be able to profit from an animal or plant without paying accordingly.

But as a natural reaction, many developing countries have locked down access for truly altruistic scientists interested in study for sake of enlightenment, both out of fear of sneaky exploitation techniques and out of a desire to get as much cash as they can as quickly as they can in the belief that any Western group has money to be milked (which most of these academic scientists do not). Foreign officials often make no distinction between academics and pirates sent by pharmaceutical companies. Researchers from Stanford University were barred permanently from Nigeria for making off with insect specimens without getting a government clearance (pricey to be sure) they didn't even know they needed. As the world economy changes and science's ability to benefit from the genetic qualities of alternative resources increases, a bag of bugs could be worth a hundred times its weight in gold. It makes sense to get compensated for future profits, but sealing the lid so tight so that nothing can be gained in the first place is a key issue.

United Nations officials say they are considering a reexamination of the treaty for ways to give academics easier access as nations around the world clamp down on their twigs and beetles. But this is just one of numerous potential issues the treaty presents to a world situation already driven by resource competition and where that competition, magnified by rapid overpopulation and increasing demand, is sure to get exponentially more fierce. If a piece of paper prevents university scientists from exploring for the sake of bettering humanity, then the United Nations is truly failing at its job even as it strives to expand its job description. What else is new.

Getting This Blog Back On Track!

Well, I consider myself pretty well adjusted to the ebb and flow of graduate school by now, so I feel I'm ready to get this blog rolling again. I apologize for letting it sleep for so long, but better now than never! Buckle up and enjoy.