Genetic Engineering

Vatican declares polluting and genetic engineering deadly sins

The Roman Catholic Church has updated and modernized their list of deadly sins (aka "mortal sins"). These are the really really bad ones. If you die with deadly sins unabsolved you're running a high risk of eternal damnation. And believe you me, that is not so good.

The Telegraph's headline, "Recycle or go to Hell, warns Vatican":

Failing to recycle plastic bags could find you spending eternity in Hell, the Vatican said after drawing up a list of seven deadly sins for our times.

The seven, which include polluting the environment, were announced by Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, a close ally of the Pope and the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, one of the Roman Curia's main court.

The "sins of yesteryear" - sloth, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride - have a "rather individualistic dimension", he told the Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper.

The new seven deadly, or mortal, sins are designed to make worshippers realise that their vices have an effect on others as well.

What about swearing? But as sins go I guess that's only venial.

Posted by Andrew at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Potatoes, politics and antibiotics

Good article today in the International Herald Tribune about a genetically engineered potato designed to, "yield large quantities of starch suitable for making glossy paper products and for feeding animals". That is important stuff, of course. We don't want animals going hungry, and I'm sure we all know the importance of glossy paper products.

But some scientists are worried that the gene-altered potatoes pose a risk to humans...

It also has aroused concerns that sick people and the elderly could become more vulnerable to disease because there are fears that the potato could trigger resistance to certain antibiotics in humans.

"The biotechnology industry threatens to set an extremely worrying example if it wins approval for this potato," said Patrice Courvalin, the head of the Antibacterial Agents Unit at the medical research center Institut Pasteur in Paris. "We should keep trying to prevent dissemination of antibiotic resistance rather than to allow products into the food chain that could potentially make a bad situation even worse."

Why should we be concerned about antibiotic resistant genes in potatoes? Troublemakers at the Union of Concerned Scientists explain.

Posted by Andrew at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

All go for European GM campaigns

It's all go for our European anti Genetically Modified (GM) crops campaigns. Activists in France hung a very clear message from the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris today, urging the French government to make the right move and ban GM. A decision expected to take place in the next few days. Meanwhile our team in Romania had a great victory over French supermarket giant Carrefour.

A Greenpeace team removed Snack Attack bread from Carrefour’s flagship store in Bucharest yesterday, because our tests showed it contains GM Soya. Today, the supermarket removed ALL Snack Attack products from their shelves in Romania.

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Posted by Jo at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Budweiser "wassup" parody

Put this video on your own site using YouTube:

Sadly, as has already been pointed out, acting is not my strong suit. Making this spoof was both fun and grueling. I actually gained some new respect for professional actors. And as usual, the underlying issue is a serious one. So, join our 'Save the Beer!' campaign by sending an open letter to the head of Budweiser asking, "Wassup with genetically engineered rice in your beer?"

Posted by Andrew at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Three times a loser

For the third time, European Environment Ministers have blocked a European Commission (EC) proposal to force member countries to accept the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops on their soil. This time it was Hungary who was in the firing line of the EC and its love affair with GE crops.

The EU Environment Ministers today voted to extent the EC loosing streak on this issue to three straight when they supported Hungary´s right to protect its nature and population from GE crops, in this case a Monsanto maize known as MON810, engineered to contain a toxin and kill pests.

The big question is why after going into the latest round 2-0 down, the EC didn't decide to change their game? If they actually listened to the citzens of Europe, they might have changed their strategy to one of protecting the EU and its member states from GE and actually be on the winning side for a change.

European conventional and organic farmers are already increasingly exposed to contamination by genetically engineered crops, revealed a report published yesterday by Greenpeace and GeneWatch UK, which catalogues a list of contamination incidences around the world.

Lets just hope that after loosing for the third time that they don't embarass themselves by trying to a fourth straight loss.

Posted by Richard at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Crop Circles in Mexico, Spain and Philippines

© Greenpeace / Gustavo Graf

As you may know, we've been recently been busy creating seasonal crop circles all over the world, to highlight the appearance of GE crops in fields in several countries. Three more appeared in the last few days - in Mexico, Spain and the Philippines.

02 October 2006: Above is a gigantic 60 metre "NO" sign crop circle in a maize field in the state of Estado de Mexico, Central Mexico. We're demanding that the Mexican Government rejects proposals to break a long standing moratorium against the cultivation of genetically Modified Maize in the region.

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Posted by Dave at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Interview with the GE Crop Circle Makers

© Greenpeace / Gustavo Graf

Mexico — Some pals of mine from the fortean world have been making crop circles for our GE campaign. In this interview, John Lundberg - who is a professional cropcircle maker - (who knew there was such a thing?) talks about making giant question mark in a maize field in Mexico and working with us.

"For years I'd thought that crop circles would be an ideal medium for promoting Greenpeace's genetic engineering (GE) campaign. The crop circles generate an alien mystique, encouraging people to consider the unknown."

Mexican crop circle asks the question »
Earlier work, in France: GE Maps: Censored by French Court, Republished by Greenpeace International, Featured by BoingBoing »
Circlemakers.org »

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Posted by Dave at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

GE Maps: Censored by French Court, Republished by Greenpeace International, Featured by BoingBoing

It was always going to be the *perfect* BoingBoing story: Greenpeace France publishes a Google Map showing locations of GE Crop fields. Farmers take Greenpeace to court. French Government orders map and webpage removed, despite the fact that the French Government is in fact obliged under EU law to make the locations of commercial GE sites public.

So the court order tells Greenpeace France to remove the map "from all websites it publishes." Well now, Greenpeace France doesn't publish the Greenpeace International website, does it?

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Posted by brianfit at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GE cotton killed sheep in India?

This report just in via Indymedia:

There is yet another controversy linked to the genetically modified Bt cotton plant and this time it is the alarming reports of sheep and goat taking ill, even dying after grazing on leftover Bt cotton fields. This is what farmers and shepherds in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh are saying. The central government has reportedly ordered independent toxicology tests on Bt cotton leaves to ascertain the facts.

GE Cotton Kills Sheep and Goats in India

Posted by Dave at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)