It’s no coincidence that in my last year of college I still have three science classes remaining to complete my general education. I’ve been purposely putting them off all these years.

Science just isn’t my thing; apparently it’s not America’s thing either. When it comes to science, America isn’t up to par with international peers.

According to US News, the National Academies reported in 2010 among 29 wealthy countries, the United States ranked 27th in the proportion of college students with degrees in science.

For the past three years, America ranked below 20 in the Program for International Assessment test created by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This competency test was given to thousands of teenage students in 65 different countries each year and the US is constantly trailing far behind other economic global powers.

With the 2012 Presidential Election just three months away, Americans have expressed they want more conversations about science to happen amongst candidates. During the 2008 elections, Sciencedebate, a non-profit science advocacy organization, boomed onto the political scene calling on Barack Obama and John McCain to debate on science, technology and the environment.

Sciencedebate wanted the presidential candidates to have a televised debate discussing science-related questions created by American voters but the candidates opted not to do this. Instead, they both wrote out their answers to the questions and sent them back to the organization, to the liking of many Americans.

This year 84 percent of Americans polled on Sciencedebate support a face-off political debate covering scientific issues that our environment and economy are facing. The founders of the group have a mission to hear more of a science-driven conversation happening amongst candidates, allowing voters to explore innovative strategies that can potentially help our country’s future.

According to Aerospace Industries Association, for every new Ph. D in the physical sciences the U.S. graduates 50 new MBAs and 18 lawyers. The amount of science, technology, engineering and math students continues to decrease overtime, slowly leading to an economic downfall for American innovation and scientific exploration.

President Obama has addressed this problem and urges America to prevent a crisis by investing more in our country’s scientific endeavors at all levels. Earlier in his term he announced $250 million in federal spending and private investment to hire thousands of math and science schoolteachers.

Initiatives like STEM, (Science Technology Engineering and Math), an academic initiative with intentions to increase proficiency levels of students, is quickly sweeping the nation and exploding onto college campuses and school districts across the nation.

STEM caused a fury of debate on this campus since it’s first mention almost three years ago, as many students in humanity-based colleges felt it would place an emphasis on science and math courses while simultaneously decreasing humanity courses. Yet, CSUEB’s director for STEM, Stephanie Couch, told The Pioneer last year that STEM is meant to enhance each area with more technology and science so each college is enriched with 21st century techniques that will make them more competitive in the work force.

Maybe this is the next step in making our individual students competitive in every field and profession, updating our standards by using the best technology available to us, and in turn making them globally competitive as well.

America falls behind in scientific explorations as they’ve closed NASA Space Shuttle Flights forcing Americans to hitch rides to Space with other countries. With no government investment, America is less competitive than other economies making advancements in space exploration.

If America wants to remain a world player, action needs to be taken for this impending science crisis. Society needs to adequately value and recognize the economic benefits of basic science. With the recent passing of pioneer female astronaut Sally Ride, we should honor her passing by paralleling her passion to improve science education in America.

Americans should want to know what type of science policies and ideas their president supports. With issues like climate change, space exploration and technology to discuss, it’s absolutely vital science becomes much more embraced in our political conversations and educational systems.

Science research affects our country’s health, nutrition, water, energy resources and so many other basic every day essentials. Our nation seems to be more concerned with economic and foreign affairs when it comes to choosing political candidates, not realizing how impacting their scientific views can be once in office.

With international competition at an all time high, America needs to rise and press forward past this “Sputnik moment,” as it has been referred to.  America needs to do everything it can to get our nation back in the global game of technological and scientific innovation.