Technologies and Health

22 Oct Academies call for consequences from the Ebola virus epidemic

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National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
The Ebola virus is spreading rapidly and to an unexpected extent. The outbreak does not follow the patterns experienced in the past and the virus shows a new disease dynamic in regions, where it has never been recorded before. The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, acatech – the German Academy of Science and Engineering, and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities call for the following consequences to be taken: To combat the Ebola epidemic vaccines and antivirals are urgently needed. To meet this need, the further development of experimental vaccines and medicines for clinical application needs to be accelerated. Even if the pathogen should temporarily disappear again, research must continue as a precautionary measure because another outbreak is highly probable. Such precautionary measures must also include ensuring that sufficient quantities of available vaccines and antivirals are stockpiled in case of a new outbreak. Increasing medical and social science research in this area is also vitally important for future preparedness.
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22 Oct On Designing Communication between the Scientific Community, the Public and the Media. Recommendations in light of current developments

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National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
Science and journalism are among the essential pillars of a democratic society. Despite their necessary mutual independence and their often divergent purposes, both freedoms also fulfil similar functions. They supply policy-makers and society with a diverse array of information that is as reliable as possible, reinforcing the education and knowledge of the population and stimulating democratic discourse. They should also provide a basis for reasoned political, economic and technological decisions. The academies responsible for this position paper believe that the appropriate exercise of this function is being impaired by a series of developments in the scientific and media systems. For example, the economic conditions in both the media and the scientific community have noticeably changed in recent years. The academies are concerned about the aforementioned development and consider it necessary that the scientific community and the media itself, as well as political decision-makers and society, take a more active role in ensuring the future quality of generally accessible information, including scientific knowledge and its representation in the media. The recommendations expressed in the present policy paper aim to provide food for thought for decision-making authorities and in this way to counter the undesirable developments that have been observed.
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22 Oct Food for All Forever

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Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV)
2010
The world population is increasing and with this the amount of mouths to feed. How do we ensure that our food systems are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable; and that the world’s poorest people are no longer hungry? The answer to this enormous question contains the right technological solutions and massive investments in research combined with the right policy directions. The report gives seven elaborated recommendations. Some of the most important are: 1. Use appropriate technology and opportunities offered by science. 2. Massive investments in infrastructure in rural areas to be made. 3. Implementation of better policies that prevent distortions in trade and competition.
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21 Oct Population Growth, Climate and World Food Supply

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National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2011
This report studies the possibility to adequately feed 9 billion people in 2050, and shows that it is feasible, on certain conditions: - Give priority to the agricultural question among the political concerns of nations and set up ambitious programmes of agricultural development in the poorest countries. - Subsidize, for short periods, certain local agricultural markets, in southern countries whose populations live in self-sufficiency with a small production surplus. - Attenuate the effects of speculation in agricultural markets by better regulation of raw-material futures markets. - Build up stocks to constitute regional, or even family, reserves to avoid the risks of chronic deficits. - Maintain the strong production capacities of European agriculture but redirect it towards healthy and ecologically acceptable food production; - Encourage everybody to eat less animal food products; strengthen regulations governing agro-food industries and collective food preparation; combat waste, currently up to 30% of the production. - Tightly control or ban first-generation bio-fuels which are in direct competition with food production but continue research on 2nd and 3rd generation products. - Create an Observatory for Predicting World Food Situations and Markets to independently observe developments, interpret evolutions, propose hypotheses and scenarios, and anticipate dangers and suggest lines of solution. These recommendations are both for the public authorities and the entire civil society: individual behaviour must primarily change.
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21 Oct Food Innovation and Consumers

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National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2012
The aim of this report is to throw light on the following question: is innovation in food systems compatible, as they exist today, with what consumers want, viz., natural, healthy food? The authors demonstrate that consumers are indeed in the heart of the innovation process but also that new marketing techniques tend to mask technological innovations. Although professionals in foodstuffs have long since learned how to handle and satisfy consumers, offering healthy, safe and tasty food, simple too cook and serve, the same professionals are at a loss when it comes to meeting the demands of consumer-citizen, often close to saturation level with a series of cultural ingredients, even ideologies, who represent a population on whom technical or economic argument have no or little effect.
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21 Oct Risks related to manufactured nanoparticles – Ways of protection and prevention

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National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2012
In research labs as well as in industry, nanomaterials (at least partially made of nanoparticles) are the object of a growing interest. The have lead to many new industrial applications during the last few years and more are on the way. Knowledge about the hazards related to these new materials and nanoparticles issued of these nanomaterials is nevertheless limited, as well as their impact on the Human Health or on the Environment. The purpose of this communication is to assess this problem and to propose ways forward. It lists the present knowledge on the toxicity hazards for populations and the environment. The risks to workers, whether into the Research field or the industrial one are more particularly discussed.
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21 Oct Mobile phone relay antennas

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National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2009
The NATF, along with the Academies of Sciences and Medicine, approves the conclusions (October 2009) of the independent French Agency of Environmental and Work Sanitary Security (AFSSET) related to radiofrequencies. A very complete and extended analysis of 226 recent publications shows that, in the experimental conditions and measurements employed, there is no convincing proof of any biological effect of radiofrequencies at non-thermal levels. The 3 Academies consider that the AFSSET’s study does not justify any reduction of human exposure to relay radiofrequencies antennas.
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18 Oct More Years, More Life

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National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2010
The recommendations focus on the impact of demographic aging on the world of work and lifelong learning in Germany. As aging in the context of work and lifelong learning, however, is closely associated with other domains of life such as health, the family, civil society, and politics, those are also covered. Furthermore, the topics of technology, and local communities and regions are explored in relation to aging. Other areas, such as the reform of pension schemes and the health system, have intentionally only received marginal attention, although they are relevant to the societal opportunities and challenges of aging. These issues have already been examined extensively in other settings and with high levels of expertise.
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18 Oct Hans Werthén – One of Sweden’s most prominent industrialists

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Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering (IVA)
2015
A pamphlet produced by the Hans Werthén Fund at IVA, 2015, 16 pp.
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