Tag: gene drives

  • Four Steps Forward, One Leap Back on Global Governance of Synthetic Biology

    UN Biodiversity Convention grapples with threats posed by extreme biotech industry CANCUN, MEXICO — This week, 196 countries meeting at the 2016 UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties made progress on the global governance and oversight of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology (syn bio) has become one of the most fiercely debated topics […]

  • Greater regulation needed on synthetic biology at the COP 13

    Greater regulation needed on synthetic biology at the COP 13

    by Friends of the Earth International Friends of the Earth International and allies call for greater regulation on synthetic biology at the COP 13 Mariann Bassey Orovwuje (Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria) and member of the Friends of the Earth International delegation at the thirteenth Convention of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological […]

  • Victory! GE mosquitoes will not be let loose on Florida community

    by Friends of the Earth US Citizens/environment will not be impacted by novel experiment releasing millions of GE mosquitoes WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration announced that it will not move forward with the controversial release of millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the community of Key Haven in Monroe County, Florida. The […]

  • 160 Global Groups Call for Moratorium on New Genetic Extinction Technology at UN Convention

    160 Global Groups Call for Moratorium on New Genetic Extinction Technology at UN Convention

    CANCUN, MEXICO – This week, international conservation and environmental leaders are calling on governments at the 2016 UN Convention on Biodiversity to establish a moratorium on the controversial genetic extinction technology called gene drives. More resources on gene drives and campaigns at CBD COP13 Gene drives, developed through new gene-editing techniques- are designed to force […]

  • Syn Bio & Related Events at CBD COP13

    Syn Bio & Related Events at CBD COP13

    There’s an exciting program of events covering synthetic biology, GMO 2.0, biosafety, gene drives and lots more at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP13 in Cancun over the next 2 weeks. If you’re going to be in Cancun it’s well worth checking these out! Download the flyer MON, DEC 5 @18:15/BUSINESS GROUP MEETING ROOM, SUNRISE […]

  • Podcast: Synthetic Biology & Gene Drives – Should We Be Concerned?

    Podcast: Synthetic Biology & Gene Drives – Should We Be Concerned?

    “Genetic engineering is passé. Today, scientists aren’t just mapping genomes and manipulating genes, they’re building life from scratch – and they’re doing it in the absence of societal debate and regulatory oversight.” – Pat Mooney, Executive Director of ETC Group, whose mission is to access the consequences and impacts of new technologies. Listen to the […]

  • Watch: Gene Drives out of Hawaii Public Meeting

    Watch: Gene Drives out of Hawaii Public Meeting

    Watch the Livestream of Wednesday’s public meeting on Gene Drives in Hawaii, part of the series of events that took place to coincide with the ICUN conference. Hosted by Hawaii SEED. Host: Claire Cummings, journalist and author Speakers: Walter Ritte – Native Hawaiin activist, Hokolei Lindsey – Native Hawaiin legal scholar, Dana Perls – Friends […]

  • Gene Drives: Solution or Problem? Sacred or Synthetic?

    Gene Drives: Solution or Problem? Sacred or Synthetic?

    Events during IUCN World Conservation Congress September 1-10, 2016 in Oahu, Hawai’i Gene drives are a new biotechnology development that allows humans the unprecedented capability to profoundly alter or even drive to extinction entire populations or even whole species of organisms. Are they a valued tool for conservation or are they more likely to fail, […]

  • Reckless Driving: Gene drives and the end of nature

    Reckless Driving: Gene drives and the end of nature

    This is a new briefing from the Civil Society Working Group on Gene Drives which includes Biofuelwatch, Econexus, ETC Group, Friends of the Earth US, Hawai’i SEED and Navdanya. It can be downloaded as a pdf here (en español). Imagine that by releasing a single fly into the wild you could genetically alter all the […]

  • This scientist is trying to stop a lab-created global disaster

    This scientist is trying to stop a lab-created global disaster

    Disclaimer: This article is interesting as it expresses the concerns of a scientist deeply involved in the synbio and in particular gene-drive fields (his team figured out how to make dene-drives work!), and highlights just how under-regulated current experiments are.  We don’t condone the research described in the article, or necessarily agree with the alternative […]