Martine Rothblatt

1
Geoethical Rules for Nanotechnological Advances

• Martine Rothblatt
• Terasem Movement, Inc.
• 2012 July 20

2
Nanotechnological Advances

• Manufacturing at Sub-Micron Sizes
• Self-Replicating Sub-Micron Machines
• Biotechnological Medicines
• Synthetic Genomics
• Molecular Computing

3
Geoethical Rules

• Principle of Consent
• Obtain prior terms of consent from such others,
  or their representatives, who may foreseeably be
  materially and adversely affected by ones life
  science actions.

• Principle of Compliance
• Act pursuant to the Principle of Consent strictly
  in accordance with independent assurance of ones
  compliance with.

4
Cultural Universality of Geoethics

• Fundamental Fairness, or Equal Protection
• Evolutionary Tendency Toward Categorization
• Nature of Consciousness
• Darwinian Group Selection
• Sir Francis Bacon If we do not maintain
  Justice, then Justice will not maintain us

5
Beyond the Borders of Bioethics

• Autonomy
• Who do we ask?
• Beneficence
• Good for whom?
• Non-Malfeasance
• Avoid harm to whom?
• Justice
• Fair to whom?

6
Practicality of Geoethics Consent

• Scientific Determination of who may be
  materially and adversely affected
• Legal Determination of Adequacy of Representative
  Consent
• Very Proactionary, Without Forsaking Precaution

7
Practicality of Geoethics Compliance

• Legal Determination of Independent Assurance
  with Terms of Consent
• Transparency
• Lack of Conflicts
• Demonstrated Expertise

8
Bioethics is a Subset of Geoethics
Beneficience
Autonomy
Non-Malfeasance
Justice
Geoethics
9
Why Wasnt Informed Consent Enough for Bioethics
if Enough for Geoethics?

• Bioethics Obtains Consent from Individuals, Who
  Are Weak Unable to Negotiate Terms
• Requirements for Beneficence and Non-Malfeasance
  Helped Make Up for Weak Individual Autonomy

• Geoethics Obtains Consent from Populations, Not
  Individuals, Providing Negotiating Strength
• Aspects of Beneficence and Non-Malfeasance Will
  Be Taken Into Account in Granting Geoethical
  Consent

10
Society for Accelerating Geoethical Advances in
Nanotechnology (SAGAN)

• Formed by Treaty And Scientific Peer Pressure
• Actions Involving Nanotech Must First Be Cleared
  by SAGAN
• SAGAN Must Decide Within 100 Days if Proposed
  Nanotech May Forseeably Materially Adversely
  Affect Others

11
SAGAN Governing Procedures

• If No Scientific Evidence of Forseeable Material
  Adverse Harm, Then SAGAN Must Authorize
  Proposed Nanotech Per Proactionary Principle of
  Max More
• If Such Harm Is Foreseeable, SAGAN Must Seek
  Prior Consent of Affected Populations Via Their
  Representatives

12
SAGAN Consent Procedures

• National Processes, If Consistent with Respect
  for Autonomy
• Public Opinion Surveys if Consistent with
  Informed Consent
• Majority Is Good Enough Because Democracy Accepts
  That for Other Risks
• If Consent Cannot Be Obtained, Then the Nanotech
  Cannot Cause Risk in that Geography

13
SAGAN Compliance Procedures

• Effector of Nanotech Must Provide Independent
  Funding of Means of Compliance with Terms of
  Consent
• Endowment or User Fees
• Compliance Organization Must Have Authority to
  Terminate Nanotech Operations if Consent Violated

14
Alternatives for Nanotech Unable to Meet
Geoethical Rules

• Change the Geography of the Nanotech
• Outer Space
• Seasteading
• Change the Risk Profile of the Nanotech
• Agree to Stricter Terms of Consent for the
  Nanotech