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And Media Partner
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In Association With
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The Top Washington
Science Questions in 2012
"Whenever the people are well-informed," Thomas Jefferson wrote, "they can be trusted with their own government."
Science now affects every aspect of life and is an increasingly important
topic in national and state policymaking.
ScienceDebate.org invited 40,000
scientists and engineers to submit the top science issues facing the nation
that candidates should be addressing on the campaign trail.
ScienceDebate
then worked with the leading US Science Organizations listed at left to refine
the questions and arrive at a universal consensus on what the most important
science policy questions facing the United States are in 2012, and then,
working with the Northwest Science Writers Association, further refined the
questions to identify the key questions facing Washington State.
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Candidates' Answers, a Side by Side Comparison
Jay Inslee's answers
to the
Top Washington Science Questions
October 19, 2012
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Rob McKenna's answers
to the
Top Washington Science Questions
October 19, 2012
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Innovation |
Climate Change | Education |
Ocean Health
Vaccination and Public Health
| Science in Public Policy
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1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been
responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII,
when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization.
But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in
these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that Washington State
remains a world leader in innovation?
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Innovation is a cornerstone of our state. Washington led a
technological revolution in aerospace, another technological revolution in
aerospace and we can lead new technological revolutions in industries such as
life sciences and clean energy. These are industries that can unite both sides
of our state, from welders and truckers to engineers and scientists.
My jobs plan includes specific proposals to help start-ups
find capital, to spur commercialization of R&D from our state research
institutions, and encourage growth in our promising biofuels industry with a
new Biofuels Center of Excellence.
As importantly, we have to prioritize new
STEM degree and training in our universities and technical colleges. We are
importing skilled workers from out of state to fill empty jobs and risk losing
our competitive advantage if we don’t build a pipeline of skilled,
knowledgeable workers in high-demand STEM fields.
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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2. Climate Change. The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern
about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet.
What is your position on cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, and other policies
proposed to address global climate change—and what steps can we take to
improve our ability to tackle challenges like climate change that cross state
and national boundaries?
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I’m proud of the leadership role I took in Congress on
issues of climate change and conservation. I co-authored a book titled Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean
Energy Economy about how we can move away from a fossil-fuel based economy
towards a clean energy future. The League of Conservation Voters endorsed my
race for governor, their first gubernatorial endorsement in three decades.
As governor, I will make Washington a leader in the clean
energy industry, and I will promote policies to electrify our transportation
system and allow people to bike, walk or use transit.
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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3. Education. Increasingly, the global economy is driven by science, technology,
engineering and math, but a recent comparison of 15-year-olds in
65 countries found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked
23rd, while average U.S. math scores ranked 31st. In your view, why have
our students fallen behind over the last three decades, and what role
should the Washington State government play to better prepare students
of all ages for the science and technology-driven global economy?
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STEM education is, without question,
increasingly important to maintaining our competitive advantage in the
industries of the future. There are steps we can take at all levels of our
education system to improve prospects for our children.
First, we haven’t done enough to
provide quality early learning to children. The research is unequivocal – early
childhood education is the most proven way to ensure students are ready to
learn. It’s why I am committed to working towards all-day kindergarten and
universal pre-K for Washington’s children.
In our K-12 system, we need to do a
better job teaching our teachers in the subjects of math and science. Improved
mentoring and professional development is key to not only boosting teacher
proficiency in STEM subjects, but also in providing them with effective
teaching methods. My education plan also includes a proposal for an Innovative
Schools grant program so we can incentivize more public schools to adopt the
kinds of innovative programs that we’re seeing at places like Delta High School
in the Tri-Cities or the TAF Academy in Federal Way.
In our colleges and universities, as we
restore funding, we need to incentivize and prioritize production of STEM
degrees. We know these are more costly, but we also know that we are currently
importing workers to fill jobs that should be going to Washington graduates. In 2011, for example, we needed about 5,100
computer science graduates to fill open positions, but only graduated 2000
students. We can, and must, do
better.
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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4. Ocean Health. Scientists estimate that 75 percent of the world’s fisheries
are in serious decline, habitats like coral reefs are threatened, and
large areas of ocean and coastlines are polluted. What role should the
Washington State government play in protecting the environmental health
and economic vitality of the oceans?
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While in Congress, I worked to secure
funding to clean up Washington’s coasts and the Puget Sound, and as governor I
will continue to do so. As we pursue efforts to clean up our waters, which is
an economic and environmental imperative, we must ensure that polluters carry
an appropriate level of responsibility and that taxpayers are not unfairly
burdened by these costs.
I will also use the governor’s bully pulpit to raise the profile of this important
effort, taking the case to Washingtonians of the importance of a healthy Ocean
and Sound to a healthy economy and healthy children.
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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5. Vaccination and public health. Vaccination campaigns against preventable
diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough depend on
widespread participation to be effective, but in some communities vaccination
rates have fallen off sharply. What actions would you support to
enforce vaccinations in the interest of public health, and in what circumstances
should exemptions be allowed?
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| I believe in
evidence-based public policy and public health decisions. Only 75% of our
state’s toddlers received their recommended vaccinations in 2011. While this is
an improvement from previous years, we must do all we can to effectively
communicate the importance of immunization in order to prevent outbreaks like
the recent pertussis crisis in our state. |
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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6. Science in Public Policy. We live in an era when science and technology
affect every aspect of life and society, and so must be included in wellinformed
public policy decisions. How will you ensure that policy and regulatory
decisions are fully informed by the best available scientific and
technical information, and that the public is able to evaluate the basis of
these policy decisions?
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| Unfortunately, there are too many public leaders today who discount
science for the sake of ideology. Whether it’s research into climate change or
research into what’s most proven to incentivize quality teaching, it’s
essential that we base decisions on the best available information and
research. I believe strongly in transparency in government and will work hard
to ensure that the public has ready access to the reports and research used by
the leaders of Washington’s state agencies. |
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Rob McKenna did not respond to numerous invitations to participate.
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