The midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 6th. Where do your candidates stand on important scientific issues? Science Debate is a non-profit organization that “asks candidates, elected officials, the public and the media to focus more on science policy issues of vital importance to modern life.” Each year, Science Debate develops 10 relevant questions and challenge all candidates and officials to respond. Science impacts us all in our daily lives and should be a consideration when developing policy. Below are the responses to the Science Debate questions from 5th District Congressional candidate Leslie Cockburn. Her opponent, Denver Riggleman, was also asked these same questions, but declined to respond. The first nine questions were also posed to the three Virginia Senate candidates; all did not respond.
1) INNOVATION. Science and technology have been responsible for half the growth of the U.S. economy since World War II. What role, if any, should government play in stimulating innovative science and technology so we continue to benefit from them?
LC: It is so important that the US government continue to aid innovation, especially in the Science and Technological fields. Continued leadership in these areas will spur greater economic growth and productivity and will create high-wage jobs. In order for scientific innovation to thrive, there must be a proper allocation of funds to allow students to learn STEM at a young age. STEM classes must be included in standard curriculum. Additionally, the government needs to fund more scholarships and grants for students and scientists researching innovative concepts including new medical treatments, clean energy, and assistive technologies.
2) CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY. What are your views on climate change and how would they affect your energy policies if at all?
LC: The evidence is very clear that climate change is rapidly affecting Earth. The United States is now the only nation on earth not committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Yet the US government's own assessment of climate change, the recent Climate Science Special Report, is a forceful indictment of the perils of inaction.
According to the report, all US government agencies involved in the assessment have "very high confidence" that the world's oceans are absorbing more than a quarter of the CO2 emissions every year from human activity which is making the oceans more acidic. Scientists are reasonably confident that "the rate of acidification is unparalleled in at least the past 66 million years."
The US government report says the current rate of sea level rise "is greater than any preceding century in at least 2800 years." The culprit is "human caused climate change" which has been a major contributor to sea level rise since 1900. Scientists expect sea levels this century to rise as much as eight feet.
The consensus is that the world's ice is melting. "The mean thickness of the arctic sea ice during winter between 1980-2008 has decreased between 4.3 and 7.5 feet."
We must resume our place at the table as a leader of the Paris Agreement. Otherwise, we are endangering the earth. I support the US Climate Alliance, made up of 14 states including Virginia. This Alliance pledges to advance the objectives of the Paris Agreement with or without the White House. I strongly support subsidizing the creation of renewable energy jobs. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, there are now 4 million new energy jobs in the United States. Solar jobs are growing at a rate 12 times faster than the rest of the US economy. Virginia deserves some of those jobs.
3) CYBER SECURITY. What will you do to protect America from cyber attacks while also protecting personal privacy?
LC: Like many others, I know how critical it is for us to take seriously the threat posed by Russian interference in our elections. We must research and fund cybersecurity measures as well as election protection. I also believe that it is critical that the US restore and guarantee full net neutrality. Additionally, companies that have access to our private data must be held accountable for any leaks of this information. This is why I support measures such as the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights which regulates the types of personal information companies can harbor and for how long. It also includes provisions that aid individuals who have had their information compromised.
4) MENTAL HEALTH. PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety, drug addiction, and suicide affect millions of Americans with cost of care and lost productivity greater than $400 billion a year. What mental health policies will you support if you are elected?
LC: I support an expansive Medicare for All that would provide mental health care to all Americans. I believe that it is due time that mental health is taken as seriously as physical health. We must guarantee healthcare that allows all Americans access to mental health services whenever needed.
If elected, I will work to end the opioid epidemic that plagues our nation and much of my district. Big Pharma must be held accountable. Several states are suing opioid producers that have profited from the destruction of families and communities. Every day over 90 Americans die from opioid overdoses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the cost to the country of opioid addiction is 78.5 billion dollars a year. Not only must the drug companies be challenged in the courts and in Congress, insurance companies must be forced to stop the practice of making opioid prescription costs lower than non-addictive painkillers. Treatment in rural counties must be generously funded.
5) EDUCATION. In an age dominated by complex science and technology, how can we ensure that students receive adequate STEM education?
LC: It is now more important than ever for students to be equipped with the types of skills that are attained through studying science, technology, engineering, and math. These skills involve being able to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and process information. In order to ensure that students are able to study these fields, we must improve the inadequate pipeline of teachers who are skilled in these subjects. The government also has a responsibility to better serve groups historically underrepresented in STEM through programs akin to the Obama Administration’s “Hispanic-Serving Institutions-STEM Program.” It is also critical that a STEM education at all levels -- from PK through graduate school -- is not just accessible but standard. This can be achieved through increased funding for STEM programs, scholarships and grants for students pursuing STEM educations at a high level, and through improving the teacher pipelines in these subjects.
6) WATER. The long-term security of water supplies is threatened by aging infrastructure, pollution, climate variability and a growing population. What should government do to ensure access to clean water?
LC: The crisis in Flint, Michigan is just an example of the widespread lack of clean drinking water and the prevalence of lead-contaminated water. I believe that Congress must be much more cognizant of environmental justice issues and how poor and minority communities are significantly more likely to lack access to clean water. Congress needs to pass legislation that would create funding for improved water infrastructure. I support increased testing for lead in school water systems. I also support funding cleanup efforts at Superfund and toxin and chemically contaminated sites in order to preserve groundwater and soil quality.
7) FOOD. How would you manage American agriculture so it provides healthy and affordable food grown in a just and sustainable way?
LC: Agriculture is the largest industry in my district. From poultry to soybean to timber farms, agriculture is the cornerstone of my district’s economy. We must continue to support small farmers who are vital to this economy and ensure that the funding is available for sustainable farming.
8) SPACE. What should America’s goals be for space exploration and earth observation and what steps would you take to achieve them?
LC: We must continue to fund NASA and support the space missions they are running in order to learn more about this vast universe that we are a part of. NASA’s budget is less than one half percent of all federal spending. We must continue to recognize the agency’s importance and fund it accordingly.
9) OCEANS. Large areas of our oceans are polluted, acidification is damaging coral reefs and other habitats, and overfishing could wipe out certain species and diminish this vital source of food. What will you do to improve ocean health?
LC: I support furthering the development of recycling programs across the country and especially in rural counties, which so much of my district is. I also support innovation of alternatives to single-use, plastic items. Another issue that I firmly believe in is stopping the devastating pipelines set to run through my district that, if implemented, would gravely threaten the health of thousands of bodies of water.
10) SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY. Politicians are disputing settled science and firing government scientists for political reasons. How will you foster a culture that respects scientific evidence and protects scientists?
LC: It is my belief that it is not the role of politicians to dispute the validity of or evidence behind scientific findings. It is their role to take seriously scientific conclusions and to use those conclusions to draft policy and legislation. If elected, I would work to find solutions to the problems presented to me. In order to continue to respect scientific evidence, we must continue to fund it. This will allow the scientific innovations that have historically boosted Virginia’s economy to continue.
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