Developing countries left behind on nano regulations

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Developing countries are unlikely to be left behind industrialised nations in nanotechnology research but will probably lag in creating relevant regulations, which could pose safety risks. These are among the conclusions of a report that UNESCO released last week (28 July) on future ethical, legal and political issues surrounding nanotechnology. Science and technology consultant John Daly says there is an urgent need for scientists to explore the potential hazards of nanotechnology, because materials at the nanoscale behave differently to how they do in bulk.
I certainly hope that it doesnt mean that:

1. Throwing nano wastes in Developing countries would be legal
2. It is OK to attract as many nanotech investors without adequate environmental asessment
3. Developing countries becomes soft target of bad nano products

We really need an international solution to handle this, and what we need might be a draft model legislation on nanotechnology.