October 29, 2008

by Teresa L. Debuque

World-renowned scientist Pat Mooney called on the Philippine Government, at a Manila forum this October, to investigate the use of nano ingredients in food, cosmetics, clothing, and other appliances, warning that these small, almost invisible, ingredients could enter the body and compromise a person’s immune system.

Mooney is in the Philippines to speak before the government and the scientific community on the potential impacts of nanotechnology and synthetic biology. He was invited by The Third World Network (TWN) and the Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE).

Mooney said that “no one is safe” from the effects of nanotechnology. As many as 800 products being sold in the country, including sunscreens and cosmetics, have undergone nanotechnology processes, added Mooney. Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular level.

“No nanotechnology should touch human skin,” Mooney said, explaining that the small organisms, which are virtually invisible, could seep into the skin and circulate through the body."

The market for nanotechnology is worth $700 billion and is expected to hit $2.6 trillion by 2015. “Scientists predict that within a decade, giving birth to a living, self-replicating organism from a simple bacterial genome inserted into an empty bacterial cell will become no big deal,” said Mooney.

He urged the Philippine government to regulate the use of nanotechnology to assure that it does not harm Filipinos.

Later, at a forum held in Davao City, Mooney focused on other aspects of nanotechnology that should give Filipinos cause for concern.

“This technology is so powerful that it can replace raw materials. For instance, with nanotechnology, copper can be replaced by sand," he said. “Such replacement is expected to happen 10 to 15 years from now. This would also lessen the production cost since sand is a lot cheaper than copper.”

Thus, nanotechnology has potential advantages, particularly in terms of producing sustainable energy, ensuring a clean water supply, and promoting clean production processes.

However, one of the problem areas cited is the absence of government oversight of the societal impacts of this technology. Moreover, few Filipinos are aware of nanotechnology, much less understand its implications on their lives. Mooney said that while the rest of the world is seriously preparing for the effects of these rapid changes arising from nanotechnology, the Philippines remains in the dark about it.

Mooney, who is currently the executive director of Erosion Technology and Concentration (ETC), has worked with civil society organizations on international trade and development issues related to agriculture and biodiversity, for more than 30 years. He is a recipient of The Right Livelihood Award—touted as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” and has written wrote and co-authored several books on the politics of biotechnology and biodiversity.

See related article on the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) blog: www.pcij.org/blog/?p=3071#more-3071