Laser-powered microscopes

AS VIRUSES and bacteria become more complex and more sophisticated, there is now a need for more advanced laser- powered microscopes and supercomputers, and there are no other ways around that.

Old equipment that we have been using over the years could probably still work, but are no longer accurate and are rather slow.

The choice is very clear. Either we buy the new equipment or not. If we don’t, our analysis of viruses and bacteria will always be slow and inaccurate.

Never mind the slowness, but we cannot do away with accuracy, because the readings will be useless if these are not on the spot.

In technology, it is always a balance between speed and accuracy. While some might argue that this equipment is too expensive and is perhaps not affordable, I will argue on the other hand that there is no price to the human life that could be saved or lost, depending on which way it will go.

Add to that the disruption in social life that epidemic sand pandemics can cause. Perhaps before, the need for this equipment was occasional, but that is no longer the case nowadays.

For example, many viruses are constantly mutating, and therefore we need to know what t heir characteristics are, as soon as possible. Not knowing the new mutations of these viruses would mean our not knowing what to do, as fast as possible. This is a matter of life and death.

GOV’T SHOULD LEAD IN USING BIOFUELS

As the collective owner of one of the biggest transportation fleets in the country, the government should take the lead in using biofuels in all of their vehicles.

And I do not just mean the vehicles of the executive branch, I also mean the vehicles of the judicial and the legislative branches.

As far as I know, there is really nothing wrong with our l ocal biofuels, including our biodiesels.

The problem I think is economic rather than scientific, because as of now, the regular diesel product that is derived from fossil fuels is cheaper than the biodiesels.

I do not know which agency of the government could do it, but I think that if a macroeconomic study is done, it would come out that in the overall, it would be cheaper to use biodiesels compared to the regular diesel fuels.

What macroeconomic costs and benefits should we consider?

First in my list is the livelihood opportunities it would create if more coconut farmers could sell more of their produce.

Second is the potential savings in foreign exchange if we could reduce the imports of foreign fuels.

Third is the job opportunities it would create in the local manufacturing of biodiesels.

Fourth would be the reduction

of our carbon footprints as we reduce the importation of the foreign fuels.

The list could go on and on but what is important is the real awareness that we should not limit ourselves to myopic microeconomic analysis to arrive at the real costs of these fuels./