ScienceDebate.org: on Technology

Donald Trump: All humankind benefits from reaching into the stars

TRUMP: Space exploration has given so much to America, including tremendous pride in our scientific and engineering prowess. A strong space program will encourage our children to seek STEM educational outcomes and will bring millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in investment to this country. The cascading effects of a vibrant space program are legion and can have a positive, constructive impact on the pride and direction of this country. Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighborhood should be priorities. We should also seek global partners, because space is not the sole property of America. All humankind benefits from reaching into the stars.

JILL STEIN: We recognize the inspiration provided by space exploration and so we support the peaceful exploration of space; space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions; and measures to ensure that space technology benefits all the people of Earth.

Donald Trump: Make desalinization affordable; rebuild water infrastructure

TRUMP: This may be the most important issue we face as a nation for the next generation. Therefore, we must make the investment in our fresh water infrastructure to ensure access to affordable fresh water solutions for everyone. We must explore all options to include making desalinization more affordable and working to build the distribution infrastructure to bring this scarce resource to where it is needed for our citizens and those who produce the food of the world. This must be a top priority for my administration.

CLINTON: Chronic underinvestment in our nation's drinking and wastewater systems poses health risks to humans and wildlife, disrupts ecosystems, and disproportionately impacts communities of color.

JILL STEIN: Clean water is a human right.

Donald Trump: Proportional response to eliminate cyberattacks

TRUMP: The United States government should not spy on its own citizens. That will not happen in a Trump administration. As for protecting the Internet, any attack on the Internet should be considered a provocative act that requires the utmost in protection and, at a minimum, a proportional response that identifies and then eliminates threats to our Internet infrastructure.

CLINTON: I will make it clear that the United States will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack. We will be ready with serious political, economic and military responses and we will invest in protecting our governmental networks and national infrastructure.

JILL STEIN: Negotiate international treaty banning cyberwarfare; create a new UN agency tasked with identifying the sources of cyber attacks.

Donald Trump: Encourage innovation in the areas of space exploration

TRUMP: Innovation has always been one of the great by-products of free market systems. The federal government should encourage innovation in the areas of space exploration and investment in research and development across the broad landscape of academia.

Q: Many scientific advances require long-term investment to fund research over a period of longer than the two year terms that govern political cycles. How will you balance long-term funding?

TRUMP: The premise of this question is exactly correct--scientific advances do require long term investment. This is why we must have programs such as a viable space program and institutional research that serve as incubators to innovation and the advancement of science and engineering in a number of fields. We should also bring together stakeholders and examine what the priorities ought to be for the nation.

Hillary Clinton: Inspirational, achievable, and affordable space initiatives

CLINTON: President Kennedy's challenge in 1962 to go to the Moon electrified the nation, prompted a long period of American leadership in science & technology, and spurred a generation of innovators. In the decades since, we have explored the sun and every planet in our solar system. As president, my administration will build on this progress, promote innovation, and advance inspirational, achievable, and affordable space initiatives. We must maintain our nation's leadership in space with a program that balances science, technology and exploration; protect our security and the future of the planet through international collaboration and Earth systems monitoring; and expand our robotic presence in the solar system. As a young girl, I was so inspired by America's leadership and accomplishments in space that I wrote to NASA about becoming an astronaut. As president, I will help inspire the next generation of young Americans.

Hillary Clinton: Underinvestment in water infrastructure impacts minorities

CLINTON: Chronic underinvestment in our nation's drinking and wastewater systems has sickened and endangered Americans from Flint, Michigan, to Ohio and West Virginia. Outdated and inadequate wastewater systems discharge more than 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage a year, posing health risks to humans and wildlife, disrupting ecosystems, and disproportionately impacting communities of color. In addition, many struggling communities around the United States have limited or no access to clean, safe water. We will invest in infrastructure and work with states, municipalities, and the private sector to bring our water systems into the 21st century and provide access to clean, safe drinking water. We will also work to bring cutting edge efficiency, treatment and reuse solutions to our nation's water challenges by establishing a new Water Innovation Lab.

Hillary Clinton: Respond to cyberattacks economically & militarily

CLINTON: As President, I will fight to ensure that the Internet remains a space for free exchange, providing all people equal access to knowledge and ideas. While we must protect this exchange and the privacy of individuals, we must also invest in cybersecurity, which is not only essential to our national and economic security, but will become increasingly important as devices across sectors are networked. As president I will make it clear that the United States will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack. We will be ready with serious political, economic and military responses and we will invest in protecting our governmental networks and national infrastructure. I believe the United States should lead the world in setting the rules of cyberspace. If America doesn't, others will.

Hillary Clinton: Collaborative consortia for technology transfer of R&D

The innovation payoff comes from the commercialization of research results. The first step is what universities call "technology transfer" and the medical community calls "translation"--demonstrating the use of research results in practice and sharing the knowledge with the business community. The government has a critical role to play at this stage by opening access to and sharing government-funded research results. I will support the development of collaborative consortia that accelerate the creation of new industries while providing valuable feedback to researchers.

Hillary Clinton: 1% of federal budget is underinvesting in basic research

CLINTON: Historically, federally funded basic research-- often done without a particular application in mind and intrinsically long term--has yielded breakthrough discoveries of new knowledge and technologies. I share the concerns of the science and technology community that the United States is underinvesting in research. Federal funding of basic research amounts to less than one percent of annual federal spending, yet it is an investment that pays big dividends. I believe it is essential that we strengthen our research capacity, by funding talented young investigators, looking for ways to prioritize "high-risk, high-reward" projects that have the potential to transform entire fields, and enhancing partnerships between government, universities, and the private sector.

Jill Stein: Demilitarize outer space; don't privatize outer space

STEIN: We recognize the inspiration provided by space exploration and so we support:

1. the peaceful exploration of space
2. space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions on Earth
3. measures to ensure that space technology benefits all the people of Earth