ASAS-FASS Student Intern, 2003
And
Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale, IL
In southern Illinois we have something locals refer to as a "traffic
jam." This occurs when more than one car approaches a 4-way stop and both
drivers insist the other should go first. In Washington D.C., we also have
something commonly referred to as a "traffic jam." This occurs when
16 lanes of traffic converge beneath a five-tiered stoplight and form a gridlock
that extends from Virginia to the eastern shore of Maryland. Tourists come
from all over to see it. I sat next to some of them on the beltway.
But while I’m speaking on differences, let me get more to the point.
Here’s a difference I discovered this summer: animal scientists
are not politicians. And politicians are not animal scientists. Both,
however, are human (P<0.05). Perhaps what a lot of people don’t
realize is that both are also working, ultimately, for the public good.
While the scientist focuses on issues an inch wide and a mile deep, politicians
broach issues a mile wide and an inch deep. It is up to us as animal
scientists to provide legislative officials with the depth of topic they
need to make informed decisions. As the ASAS-FASS Summer Intern, I was
given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the constant activity on
Capitol Hill. I learned quickly that life on the Hill is like being on
the wrong end of a gear shaft: it takes a whole lot of movement to get
one turn of the larger wheel. And there is a whole lot of movement going
on. Each congressperson has a staff ranging in size from a dozen to a
hundred individuals who gather research on upcoming hearings, respond
to constituent concerns, greet visitors, and brief the congressperson.
Often these staffers are working under tight time constraints, having
received notice of a hearing just 48 hours before it is set to run. It
is their job to gather pertinent data about the topic and brief the congressperson
as he/she is walking into the hearing. It is a goal of the FASS-Office
of Scientific Liaison (OSL) to be one of the key places staff members
turn for scientific information. In the five years of its existence,
FASS-OSL has prepared itself by creating networks and establishing subcommittees
to answer the call for information on Capitol Hill. The system still
needs to be streamlined to disseminate pertinent information more quickly,
but the first large step has been made by establishing this office as
a jumping-off point: a place through which scientists can provide much-needed
information to the leaders on Capitol Hill.
Members of Congress themselves are under excruciating time
constraints. They bounce continuously between hearings and subcommittee meetings
that are scheduled simultaneously. Because of this, congresspersons rely upon
their staff members to keep them abreast of hearing progress, to summarize the
expert testimonies they miss, and to provide background information on various
topics. As scientists it is our habit and our training to dig through a topic
until we’ve uncovered every set of pertinent data dating back to the original
reference. Congress, however, wants the bottom line in bold and three bulleted
items underneath. There are times the only background they have on a topic is
what is handed to them as they walk through the door to vote: one sheet on why
they should vote “yes” and one sheet on why they should vote “no.” Though
it goes against everything we do as scientists, it is the job of scientific liaisons
to condense decades of research into one very short bulleted list. This is the
language on Capitol Hill, and the easier we make it for the staff members on
the Hill, the further our information will be distributed. As scientists, we
follow the standards of our respective journals, and as idiosyncratic as it may
seem, we also have to follow the standards of Capitol Hill if we expect accurate
representation.
At the same time, we as animal scientists cannot allow ourselves
to become so engrossed in our particular niche that we lose sight of our work’s
impact on the larger society. There is a working relationship between animal
scientists, producers, commodity groups, future agriculturalists, the general
public, and the regulatory agencies. The dimensions of this relationship are
constantly changing, and we must maintain a vigilant watch to ensure that these
changes do not negatively disrupt the system as a whole. Today more than ever,
it is imperative that we occasionally take the time to step back from our research
to see how the other facets of our agricultural system are doing. I can tell
you, some of them aren't doing real well. Just as FASS-OSL intends to provide
important scientific information to congressional leaders, it likewise disseminates
political happenings back to the scientists. These are a few of the things I
witnessed this summer.
• The extension specialists that promote our research are undergoing continued
budget restrictions at the national and state levels. This translates into less
promotion for our research and less implementation of our findings.
• The 4-H organization, the only youth organization with direct ties to
university research through extension services, is being restructured due to
budget cuts. Massachusetts is the first state to move towards splitting 4-H programs
from UMASS extension, potentially forming a private, non-profit organization.
• The general public is confused and scared. They don't understand advances
in agriculture, particularly those related to biotechnology. During the FASS
Issues in Animal Science Symposium at the 2003 Joint ADSA-ASAS Meeting, Dr. Terry
Etherton, Pennsylvania State University, showed that 71% of the general public
could not define DNA; only 41% indicated that there are any foods produced through
genetic modification in supermarkets now, and only about half had heard of traditional
crossbreeding methods. Furthermore, the public doesn't like seeing family farms
disappear, and as much as they like cheap food, they don't like the concept of
corporate farms.
• Our producers are following the lead of other American industries, forming
large corporate structures to capitalize on the economy of scale. Small producers
are being driven out. If these large farms follow the path of other large American
corporations, they may eventually move offshore, creating mayhem for regulatory
oversight and food safety.
• Regulatory agencies are constantly revitalizing their oversight capabilities
to keep abreast of rapidly advancing technologies within the agricultural industry.
Occasionally, advances move faster than the regulations. In the example of livestock
cloning, this lag has created an expensive voluntary moratorium for livestock
producers, industry leaders, and researchers. At the same time, regulatory agencies
are contending with political pressure from animal scientists, environmentalists,
animal welfare and animal right's contingencies, and members of Congress who
are trying their best to represent the concerns of their home-state constituents.
All of these issues create turbulent waters for us as animal
scientists. It is easy to shut the door on our laboratory and continue studying
what we think is truly important. After all, we have our own issues to contend
with. Beyond the everyday grind of maintaining our labs, our research farms,
our livestock, and our employees, we have our own budget constraints to deal
with, grants to write, classes to teach, journal articles to write and review,
presentations to give, and committees to sit on.
But, here's what else I witnessed this summer: a lot of people want to open the
doors of communication. Most of the scientists I spoke with this summer agree
that animal scientists should be more proactive. Dr. Bernard Rollin, the keynote
speaker at the opening session of the 2003 Joint ADSA-ASAS Meeting in Phoenix,
suggested that if we don’t start paying attention to some of the concerns
of the general public, legislation is going to step in and pay attention for
us. His words may be taken contentiously, but they drive home a strong point.
We don’t have to bend to the whim of every person out there, and we shouldn’t.
As scientists, we are founded on science and we should remain founded on science.
But, we do have to begin addressing some of these concerns. The fact is, there
are concerns out there, and founded or unfounded, we have to acknowledge their
existence. As Dr. Terry Etherton said as part of the FASS Issues in Animal Science
symposium in Phoenix, “you can strike fear into an audience with a 15 second
sound-bite, but you can’t explain a scientific concept in a two minute
interview.” True.
In this way, many aspects of society are working against us. The media is fast
and loves sensation. Reporters want quick quotes, sound bites, and a good spin.
Congress wants a bulleted list. The general public wants truth, but only if
it’s pleasant, easy to understand, and includes colorful pictures. I
think sometimes we become so frustrated with these methods of communication
that we have given up entirely. This lack of involvement is our demise. We
can’t wait for sensation to hit the media and then respond. We don’t
want to wage a war of emotion versus reason. Instead, we need to provide a
foundation for Americans so that sensation can’t develop in the first
place. Our industry has advanced beyond the average American’s understanding.
American agriculture has become so efficient that most Americans don’t
have to think about where their food comes from. This says a lot about our
abilities as an industry, but it also breeds misunderstanding, and misunderstanding
is the harbinger for mistrust, fear, and ultimately, the sensationalism we
despise. I believe we still can open the doors of communication. I also believe
we have an excellent tool to do this with FASS-OSL. Become involved. Use their
network. Help draft one page reviews so that we, as a scientific community,
are ready when congress has a request. Get involved in FASS’s branch
of media relations. Educate locally, wherever you are.
As Dr. John Goldberg, House Agriculture Committee Senior Staff
Member said, "When it comes to public policy, whoever has the best bumper
sticker wins."
Applicable no matter which traffic jam you're sitting in.
Special thanks to Dr. Gary Apgar, the most understanding advisor a grad student
can have. And to Dr. Barbara Glenn, Amy, Amy, and Marusia, for allowing me
to jump into their office and work alongside them for a summer
