This presentation proposes the formation of an organization to help balance

1. Geoethical Rules for
Nanotechnological Advances
Martine Rothblatt
Terasem Movement, Inc.
2012 July 20

2. Nanotechnological Advances
• Manufacturing at Sub-
Micron Sizes
• Self-Replicating Sub-
Micron Machines
• Biotechnological
Medicines
• Synthetic Genomics
• Molecular Computing

3. Geoethical Rules
• Principle of Consent • Principle of Compliance
– Obtain prior terms – Act pursuant to the
of consent from such Principle of Consent
others, or their strictly in
representatives, accordance with
who may independent
foreseeably be assurance of one’s
materially and compliance with.
adversely affected
by one’s life science
actions.

4. Cultural Universality of Geoethics
• Fundamental Fairness, or
Equal Protection
• Evolutionary Tendency
Toward Categorization
• Nature of Consciousness
• Darwinian Group
Selection
– Sir Francis Bacon: “If we
do not maintain Justice,
then Justice will not
maintain us”

5. Beyond the Borders of Bioethics
• Autonomy
– Who do we ask?
• Beneficence
– Good for whom?
• Non-Malfeasance
– Avoid harm to whom?
• Justice
– Fair to whom?

6. Practicality of Geoethics: Consent
• Scientific
Determination of who
may be “materially and
adversely affected”
• Legal Determination of
Adequacy of
Representative
Consent
• Very Proactionary,
Without Forsaking
Precaution

7. Practicality of Geoethics: Compliance
• Legal Determination of
“Independent
Assurance” with Terms
of Consent
• Transparency
• Lack of Conflicts
• Demonstrated
Expertise

8. Bioethics is a Subset of Geoethics
Geoethics

9. Why Wasn’t Informed Consent Enough for
Bioethics if Enough for Geoethics?
• Bioethics Obtains • Geoethics Obtains
Consent from Consent from
Individuals, Who Are Populations, Not
Weak & Unable to Individuals, Providing
Negotiate Terms Negotiating Strength
• Requirements for • Aspects of Beneficence
Beneficence and Non- and Non-Malfeasance
Malfeasance Helped Will Be Taken Into
Make Up for Weak Account in Granting
Individual Autonomy Geoethical Consent

10. Society for Accelerating Geoethical
Advances in Nanotechnology
(SAGAN)
• Formed by Treaty And
Scientific Peer Pressure
• Actions Involving
Nanotech Must First Be
Cleared by SAGAN
• SAGAN Must Decide
Within 100 Days if
Proposed Nanotech
“May Forseeably
Materially & Adversely
Affect Others”

11. SAGAN Governing Procedures
• If No Scientific Evidence
of Forseeable Material &
Adverse Harm, Then
SAGAN Must Authorize
Proposed Nanotech Per
Proactionary Principle of
Max More
• If Such Harm Is
Foreseeable, SAGAN
Must Seek Prior Consent
of Affected Populations
Via Their Representatives

12. SAGAN Consent Procedures
• National Processes, If
Consistent with Respect for
Autonomy
• Public Opinion Surveys if
Consistent with Informed
Consent
• Majority Is Good Enough
Because Democracy
Accepts That for Other
Risks
• If Consent Cannot Be
Obtained, Then the
Nanotech Cannot Cause
Risk in that Geography

13. SAGAN Compliance Procedures
• Effector of Nanotech
Must Provide
Independent Funding of
Means of Compliance
with Terms of Consent
• Endowment or User Fees
• Compliance Organization
Must Have Authority to
Terminate Nanotech
Operations if Consent
Violated

14. Alternatives for Nanotech Unable to
Meet Geoethical Rules
• Change the Geography
of the Nanotech
– Outer Space
– Seasteading
• Change the Risk Profile
of the Nanotech
• Agree to Stricter Terms
of Consent for the
Nanotech