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Is Editing the Genome for Climate Change Adaptation Ethically Justifiable?
1An associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and an associate professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and primary care physician and the executive director of the National Center for Ethics in Health Care at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
AMA Journal of Ethics
|December 27, 2017
Summary
Human genome editing could help us adapt to climate change. A new ethical framework, the 4-S framework, evaluates the safety, significance, succeeding generations, and social consequences of such adaptations.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Human Genetics
- Climate Change Adaptation
Background:
- Climate change is creating environments to which humans are increasingly maladapted.
- Identifying genes for climate adaptation raises ethical questions about human genome editing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the ethical justifiability of using human genome editing to enhance adaptation to climate change.
- To propose a framework for evaluating the ethics of gene editing for adaptation and enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of ethical considerations.
- Introduction of the "4-S framework" for ethical evaluation.
Main Results:
- The "4-S framework" provides a structured approach to analyze gene editing.
- Key considerations include safety, significance of harm, succeeding generations, and social consequences.
Conclusions:
- Ethical justification for human genome editing requires careful consideration of multiple factors.
- The 4-S framework offers a guide for navigating complex ethical debates surrounding gene editing for adaptation and enhancement.
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