Category: Educational resources

  • European Greens launch new gene-editing resources

    European Greens launch new gene-editing resources

    New GMOs, an undemocratic authorization process for imports of GMO plants, glyphosate, patents on Life… all of these issues feature prominently in today’s news and political agendas, and because of this, the European Greens/EFA group is reviving its GMO website! In it you will be able to find press releases, articles, videos, brochures and resources […]

  • What is Synthetic Biology? The Comic Book

    What is Synthetic Biology? The Comic Book

    ETC Group have produced a fantastic comic book that explains the issues around synthetic biology, and its attempts to engineer life. You can download the comic book here for free. The comic accompanies a short film which you can watch here.

  • Mascoma: The biggest misspending of public funds for cellulosic biofuels ever?

    This is an investigation of Mascoma Corporation, a start-up biofuels company which may have misspent more public funds intended for building advanced biofuels refineries than any other company in North America. Download the investigation Summary: Mascoma took at least $100m and possibly over $155m in public funding intended for building integrated biorefineries. Their biggest donor […]

  • New “GM 2.0” fact sheet explains the basics on gene-editing and Plant Breeding Techniques

    New “GM 2.0” fact sheet explains the basics on gene-editing and Plant Breeding Techniques

    Download the GM 2.0 Fact Sheet Friends of the Earth Australia have produced a great fact sheet that highlights the issues around the current campaign to see new GM techniques treated and regulated in the same way as more conventional GM. It sets out how regulators are currently failing the public on this issue, and […]

  • Solazyme: Synthetic Biology Company Claimed to be Capable of Replacing Palm Oil Struggles to Stay Afloat

    Solazyme: Synthetic Biology Company Claimed to be Capable of Replacing Palm Oil Struggles to Stay Afloat

    A Biofuelwatch investigation of a Californian company that has been at the forefront of genetically engineering algae. It set out to produce vast quantities of biofuels with them – but is only producing small quantities of algal oil, mainly for anti-wrinkle skin care instead. Download the briefing Solazyme is a Californian company founded in 2003 […]

  • Beware False Promises: Algal Oils and Other Products of Synthetic Biology Aren’t About to Save the Orangutan…. But Carry Serious New Risks

    Beware False Promises: Algal Oils and Other Products of Synthetic Biology Aren’t About to Save the Orangutan…. But Carry Serious New Risks

    Joint briefing by Biofuelwatch and Friends of the Earth United States: Beware False Promises: Algal Oils and Other Products of Synthetic Biology Aren’t About to Save the Orangutan…. But Carry Serious New Risk “Algal oil” and “oily yeast” have been aggressively promoted as promising alternatives to palm oil and potential saviours of orangutans. At the […]

  • New Report: Biotech industry lobby intent on ransack of EU GMO rules

    New Report: Biotech industry lobby intent on ransack of EU GMO rules

    Reposted from Corporate Europe Observatory. Food safety, the environment, and consumer choice are at stake, as biotech industry lobbyists pressure decision makers to deregulate a new generation of genetic engineering techniques ahead of a crucial European Commission decision in February. “Biotech lobby’s push for new GMOs to escape regulation”, a new report by Corporate Europe […]

  • Sacred vs. Synthetic: Competing Visions for Life on Earth

    Sacred vs. Synthetic: Competing Visions for Life on Earth

        Update: Watch the video of this event! April 14 @ 7:00 p.m. Impact Hub Oakland 2323 Broadway, Oakland, CA Synthetic biology – genetic engineering to create and control life – could radically impact our food systems, our environment, and our relationship with nature. What is “synbio” and how will it undermine traditional knowledge, […]

  • What is Synthetic Biology?

    What is Synthetic Biology?

    Engineering Life and Livelihoods This short film explains the basics on synbio and its attempts to engineer life. You can also download and read the comic book that accompanies it here. Full script: So here’s a thought experiment. What if living things were actually machines? The sort of machines that you could take apart, reprogram, […]

  • Synthetic Biology Could Open a Whole New Can of Worms

    This article originally appeared at IPS News. by Desmond Brown PYEONGCHANG, Republic of Korea, Oct 7 2014 (IPS) – Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is the world’s leading producer of vetiver. In the southwest of the country, vetiver production is hard to ignore. Driving into Les Cayes, the largest town in the south, […]