Quick Reads

Peligroso sesgo a favor de tecnologías de extinción en informe de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza

Submitted by Veronica Villa on

Conflictos de interés evidenciados por el Grupo ETC

El Grupo ETC publicó un análisis del reciente informe sobre biología sintética elaborado por la UICN, en el cual existen graves sesgos y conflictos de interés entre los autores de la publicación.

Was world conservation agency's report on genetic engineering and gene drive organisms rigged?

Submitted by Dru Oja Jay on

Clear evidence of bias and conflicts of interest found by monitoring group

JULY 8, 2019, MONTREAL–In a report released today, ETC Group exposes serious bias and conflicts of interest among members of an “expert” panel convened by the highly influential International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest international body that convenes conservation movements.

La société civile dénonce le lâcher de moustiques génétiquement modifiés au Burkina Faso

Submitted by Zahra Moloo on

Nous, soussignés, organismes de la société civile d'Afrique et du monde, dénonçons le lâcher de moustiques « mâles-stériles » génétiquement modifiés (GM) au Burkina Faso. Les moustiques GM ont été relâchés dans le village de Bana, le 1er juillet 2019 par le consortium de recherche Target Malaria. [i]
 

Civil Society Denounces the Release of GM mosquitoes in Burkina Faso

Submitted by Dru Oja Jay on

We, the undersigned civil society organisations from Africa and around the world, denounce the release of genetically modified (GM) “male-sterile” mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. The GM mosquitoes were released in the village of Bana on 1 July 2019 by the Target Malaria research consortium.i
 

Video: From the Lab to the Field to the Forest

Submitted by Dru Oja Jay on

Synthetic biology on the loose

The expert group that will be filing a report with recommendations to the UN Convention on Biodiversity met in early June, and examined a variety of emerging uses of synthetic biology. Jim Thomas was there representing ETC.

Increasingly, syn bio is moving out of the lab, and companies are conducting experiments and even genetic engineering in the wild – for example, by using viruses or gene drives to change genetic structures in nature.

Tech assessments building global momentum

Submitted by Dru Oja Jay on

Amidst crises and buzzwords, the idea that we should examine technologies' impacts is gaining ground

The following is an excerpt from ETC Group's May 2019 newsletter. To receive regular updates, sign up (see right sidebar)!

As converging global crises – biodiversity, climate, plastic – intensify, governments and corporations are scrambling to create new institutions and investors are lining up to finance a new round of buzzword-driven techno-fixes. Talk of “rapid technological change”, “exponential technologies”, “frontier technologies” and “the fourth industrial revolution” can be heard in hallways of a variety of governments, institutions and UN bodies.

Rise of the Petri-Proteins?

Submitted by Dru Oja Jay on

Some likely effects of lab-grown meat-like substances on farmers, food systems and the climate

The global meat industry is estimated to be worth over $1 trillion USD in 2019, and is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2022. The dairy industry is estimated at $442 billion. Industrially processed meat and dairy are notorious for the inhumane conditions of their livestock, and are a climate menace.

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