PRESERVING CUBA: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND POLITICS
Editor's Note: Hannah M. ('18) explores the consequences of Cuba's economic embargo.
The economic embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba in 1962 has since then essentially left the small country in the dust. Minimal economic advances have marked Cuba as the country “frozen in time” (The Editorial Board) with old cars and crumbling cold-war era buildings a hallmark of the island. But technological advancement isn’t the only thing left largely untouched by the industrial era—Cuba has managed to preserve much of their 3,500 miles of coastline. This coastline is now home to plants, animals and natural biomes that in other parts of the world have been overtaken by hotels and tourist destinations. Unfortunately, the trade impasse that resulted in this mass conservation also restricted relations between American and Cuban environmental scientists, making collaborations all but impossible. However, the recent reduction of the restrictions the embargo implemented on Cuban scientists has enabled researchers to work together easily to preserve the ocean they share. Government officials from Cuba and America have already announced that they will be collaborating to track marine life in protected areas.
Yet, this newfound partnership comes at a price. The increase in American tourism that will inevitably follow the lifting of the embargo will strain the existing conservation laws, as developers and tourism investors begin to set their sights on Cuba’s pristine coastline. Cuba’s economically struggling government will have to make the difficult decision between upholding and loosening the conservation laws.
With drastic climate change imminent, preservation has become increasingly urgent. The temperature changes that have troubled scientists around the world have the potential of a disastrous affect on the natural world. The newfound ability for American and Cuban scientists to work together to observe and protect marine life opens new opportunities to collect data and information vital to understanding the impact of climate change.
This story is a perfect example of how politics and foreign relations can affect science and scientific advances. In this case, the laws that so restricted the scientists were put in place for reasons entirely unrelated to environmental science. It is interesting to consider that science and politics, two arguably disparate realms, can indirectly interfere with one another. Over the next couple years, we will see who will win—conservationists in the name of science, or the developers in the name of economics.
Bibliography
Burnett, Victoria. "Cuba and U.S. Agree to Work Together to Protect Marine Life." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Dean, Cornelia. "Conserving Cuba, After the Embargo." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Dec. 2007. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
The Editorial Board. "Growing Momentum to Repeal Cuban Embargo." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Aug. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Goode, Erica. "Cuba's Environmental Concerns Grow With Prospect of U.S. Presence." The New York Times. The New York Times, 1 July 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Goode, Erica. "Science News That Stuck With Us in 2015." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016
Yet, this newfound partnership comes at a price. The increase in American tourism that will inevitably follow the lifting of the embargo will strain the existing conservation laws, as developers and tourism investors begin to set their sights on Cuba’s pristine coastline. Cuba’s economically struggling government will have to make the difficult decision between upholding and loosening the conservation laws.
With drastic climate change imminent, preservation has become increasingly urgent. The temperature changes that have troubled scientists around the world have the potential of a disastrous affect on the natural world. The newfound ability for American and Cuban scientists to work together to observe and protect marine life opens new opportunities to collect data and information vital to understanding the impact of climate change.
This story is a perfect example of how politics and foreign relations can affect science and scientific advances. In this case, the laws that so restricted the scientists were put in place for reasons entirely unrelated to environmental science. It is interesting to consider that science and politics, two arguably disparate realms, can indirectly interfere with one another. Over the next couple years, we will see who will win—conservationists in the name of science, or the developers in the name of economics.
Bibliography
Burnett, Victoria. "Cuba and U.S. Agree to Work Together to Protect Marine Life." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Dean, Cornelia. "Conserving Cuba, After the Embargo." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Dec. 2007. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
The Editorial Board. "Growing Momentum to Repeal Cuban Embargo." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Aug. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Goode, Erica. "Cuba's Environmental Concerns Grow With Prospect of U.S. Presence." The New York Times. The New York Times, 1 July 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Goode, Erica. "Science News That Stuck With Us in 2015." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2016
