Ac version 3 Observation 1: sq 4

China Model Bad

No Safety

China does not invest in safety

Qiu 11 [Jane Qiu, Writer and commentator specialising in science, technology and China-related issues, “Nano-safety studies urged in China”, 18 September 2012, Nature international weekly journal of Science, http://www.nature.com/news/nano-safety-studies-urged-in-china-1.11437#auth-1]//PP

Here is a recipe for anxiety: take China’s poorly enforced chemical-safety regulations, add its tainted record on product safety and stir in the uncertain risks of a booming nanotechnology industry. As an antidote to this uneasy mixture, the country should carry out more-extensive safety studies and improve regulatory oversight of synthetic nanomaterials, leading Chinese researchers said at the 6th International Conference on Nanotoxicology in Beijing this month. “This is the only way to maintain the competitiveness of China’s nanotechnology sector,” says Zhao Yuliang, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) in Beijing. “We certainly don’t want safety issues to become a trade barrier for nano-based products.” China’s investment in nanotechnology has grown rapidly during the past decade, and its tally of patent applications in the field has surpassed those of Europe and the United States (see ‘Patent boom’). But only 3% of the investment is used for safety studies, says Zhao, compared with about 6% of federal nanotechnology funding in the United States. “The situation must be changed soon,” he says.

AT: Brazil CP

U.S. Assistance Key Mexico

Mexico needs govt specific plan for R&D – regulations and US assistance key

Foladori and Invernizzi 7 (Guillermo Foladori and Noela Invernizzi, ReLANS coordinators, Doctoral Program in Development Studies, “Nanotechnologies in Latin America,” December 2007, AC)
It is worth mentioning that neither Brazil, nor Argentina, nor México have created¶ programs to examine the possible social, economic, environmental, political¶ and ethical impacts of the use of nanotechnology.3 In contrast, most of the industrialized¶ countries have solid agendas to promote the discussion of these issues.¶ The absence of such schemes in Latin America indicates a lack of public awareness¶ about the use of this technology and shows the profound hope that the governments¶ in the region have in nanotechnology to conquer international markets,¶ even though its use would entail risks and impacts not fully understood.¶ The Mexican case is somewhat different from the Argentinean and Brazilian¶ cases. There is no specific plan or national program linked to nanotechnology in¶ México, even though nanotechnology is considered a strategic sector for development,¶ as identified in 2002 in the Programa Especial de Ciencia y Tecnología¶ 2001-2006 (Special Program on Science and Technology 2001-2006). There have¶ been efforts from a group of scientists to promote such a plan (IPICyT, 2002). The¶ United States-México Foundation for Science (“FUMEC”) has shown support as¶ well. In addition, nanotechnology research and development in México has been¶ conducted by individuals and regulated through the bilateral and multilateral agreements¶ that some research centers have signed. However, this reflects a path¶ where specific interests regulate the development of nanotechnology.

***Other CPs***

AT Precautionary Principle CP

2AC PP CP Answers

Precautionary principle is too passive – prevents the US from defining the regulatory landscape

US Chamber of Commerce 13

[US Chamber of Commerce “Nanotechnology” 2013 http://www.uschamber.com/issues/regulatory/nanotechnology]

Objective Ensure that nanotechnology is not subject to excessive government regulation, that the economic benefits of nanotechnology are maximized, and that the business community has a collective and uniform voice in the development of any regulatory structure. Summary of the Issue Nanotechnology is the creation of materials, devices, and systems through the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. It is a term used to define the application of materials whose size is measured in billionths of a meter (e.g., a human hair is 100,000 nanometers in diameter). At the nanoscale, materials exhibit unique properties, allowing for new manufacturing possibilities and applications in a variety of fields. These unique properties present new challenges in both the regulatory and legal arenas. Despite these challenges, the United States must maintain its lead in nanotechnology development—not just in the scientific arena, but in the commercial one as well. Consider that, by 2014, approximately $2.6 trillion in global manufactured goods will incorporate nanotechnology, or about 15% of total output. Global spending on nanotechnology research and development has increased every year, with industry spending $4.5 billion in 2005 and governments spending another $4.6 billion. Moreover, venture capitalists invested approximately $500 million last year in nanotech ventures. Some luddites are urging the United States to proceed under the precautionary principle, advocating inaction until any possible risks associated with nanotechnology have been identified and quantified. Such a course would not only be unwise, but it would almost certainly cost the United States the opportunity to define the regulatory landscape in this field. Instead, as a nation, we should continue to develop commercial applications for nanotechnology while simultaneously pursuing efforts to standardize risk assessment protocols.