Biodiversity, GMOs, Gene Drives and the Militarised Mind

TRANSCEND Member Prof. Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecofeminist, philosopher, activist, and author of more than 20 books and 500 papers. She is the founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, and has campaigned for biodiversity, conservation and farmers’ rights, winning the Right Livelihood Award [Alternative Nobel Prize] in 1993. She is executive director of the Navdanya Trust.By Dr Vandana ShivaNEW DELHI, Jul 18 2016 (IPS)A recent report from the National Academy of Science of The United States, titled Gene Drives on the Horizon : Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values”, warns: Dr Vandana Shiva“One possible goal of release of a gene-drive modified organism is to cause the extinction of the target species or a drastic reduction in its abundance.”Gene Drives have been called “mutagenic chain reactions”, and are to the biological world what chain reactions are to the nuclear world. The Guardian describes Gene Drives as the “gene bomb”.Kevin Esvelt of MIT exclaims “a release anywhere is likely to be a release everywhere”, and asks “Do you really have the right to run an experiment where if you screw up, it affects the whole world?”The NAS report cites the case of wiping out amaranth as an example of “potential benefit”. Yet, the “magical technology” of Gene Drives remains a Ghost, or the Department of Defence of the United States Government’s secret “weapon” to contin...

Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - July 18, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Vandana Shiva 2 Tags: Biodiversity Climate Change Development & Aid Editors' Choice Environment Featured Food & Agriculture Global Globalisation Headlines Health Inequity IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse North America opinion Population Poverty & S Source Type: news