In 2003, during the SARS epidemic, scientists had warned about the increased risks of pandemics due to continued intrusion into nature from urbanization and large technical systems such as energy and fossil fuels. We have teams of scientists, virologists in particular, who are watching new diseases emerge in real-time in an effort to identify, and respond to, new diseases before they become epidemics and pandemics. Aside from the problems of intrusion into nature, political preparedness along with a quick response from the biotechnologists and medical experts is necessary to either prevent or meet the challenges of future pandemics.
Citizens must be generally prepared for the dangers of the spread of disease. Similarly, the fact of climate change has become mainstream and green energy is a major topic today as scientists have warned that we must take action globally. In this interview, we discuss with Professor Thomas Pogge of Yale University and co-founder of the Health Impact Fund about a possible model for technology development and distribution to meet the challenges of today.
Thomas Pogge is Leitner Professor of Philosophy and Political Science at Yale University and is co-founder of the Health Impact Fund (HIF). His team at the Incentives for Global Health has introduced the new Green Impact Fund for Technology (GIFT) at Yale University.
Alexander Krabbe(left) is a pulmonary specialist at Havelhohe Community Hospital, Berlin.
Layne Hartsell, Ph.D. is a reporter and board member at Korea IT Times who conducted this discussion(center). He is also a research professor at the Center for Science, Technology, and Society, Department of Philosophy, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and at the Asia Institute, Berlin, Germany.
