111 organizations call for synthetic biology moratorium
March 15, 2012 | Source: Science Insider
Light programmable biofilm made by the UT Austin/UCSF team during the 2004 Synthetic Biology competition, displaying "Hello World" (credit: Skosuri/Wikimedia Commons)
Synthetic biology needs more oversight, and the government needs to put in place regulations specific for this field, according to 111 environmental, watchdog, and other organizations, which have released a report with specific recommendations for managing new biological techniques for building and remaking organisms for research and commercial uses ranging from medicines to biofuels.
Calling synthetic biology “an extreme form of genetic engineering,” the report said that current practices for regulating and assessing biotechnology were inadequate. The group, which includes the watchdog organizations ETC Group and Friends of the Earth, wants to ban the use of synthetic biology to manipulate the human genome or the genomes of microbes in and on the human body.
But Brent Erickson from the Washington, D.C.-based Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) calls the report absurd. “[With] the shrillness of its tone and its lack of objectivity, I don’t’ think it’s really helpful to policy-makers and the public.”
He points out that synthetic biology is in many ways a relabeling and evolution of biotechnology that’s been going on for decades. While he agrees that existing rules and regulations may eventually need upgrading, “it’s not like we don’t have experience in dealing with those organisms,” he points out. “There are a lot of safeguards in place.”
Comments (11)
by Kevin George Haskell
These groups are worse than the Luddites, whose main and open goals are to halt development where it is presently. These groups represent the religion of Earh-worshipping primitives of the pagan goddess, Gaia, and who hide their true motives and thoughts. While the these groups use the ‘protection of mankind from unregulated science’ as the face of their arguments to present themselves as just being ‘responsible,’ their true faith is anti-human, anti-reason, and supportive of reversing humananity to a very primitive and barbaric stage of existence. They fear the ideas and progress of H+ and AGI, are like viruses in the scientific and political communities, and will attempt to regulate to death the further progress of H+ and AGI. They are the true enemies of Man and the evolution of super-human intelligence.
by Patrick J Meehan
Luddites and religionists? My guess would be big money and corporations trying to keep the game going they’re way. alfter all it’s been these two group’s that have held back tec. its all ways about the money, and all ways well be. I bet ATT wish’s they had went all out on cell phone’s? copper wire is costly and hard to maintain. but it was they’re system why change any thing if its cost money? the Luddites and religionists in goverment are just the tool’s of the trade when it comes too what big money wants done. corporations only pitch in when it come’s too the bottem line. good or bad it makes no differnce as long as the cash keep’s coming in. any thing that might slow the cash down is met with a wall of fear.
by CarolyneK
It is really time to get a new model of the life construction !
We must eccept that there is no limit for seach and directions of seach.
Il est grand temps de comprendre que l’évolution de la condition humaine dépend de sa liberté de recherche ! Je veux dire la LIBERTé de CHERCHER à la mesure des questions que l’on se pose ! La recherche ne doit pas avoir de limite mais doit s’abstenir d’intention de détruire !
Son seul objectif doit rester celui de PROGRESSER et de nous aider à devenir plus libres de nos destins et de gagner du TEMPS sur le TEMPS qui nous “évapore” biologiquement ! Notre mission impérieuse est de conquerrir tout le savoir possible pour atteindre les explications ultimes de tout ce qui existe et participer à son progrès et transfomations pour atteindre une puissance non encore imaginable sur la maîtrise de nos existances et de ces univers !!! Nous n’en sommes encore qu’à la préhistoire !
by Peter Simmons
ETC Group is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. To this end, ETC Group supports socially responsible developments of technologies useful to the poor and marginalized and it addresses international governance issues and corporate power. So where exactly are the religionists and Luddites? Or is it the case that you can’t rubbish what they say so attempt to deny its authenticity with silly, ill-considered labels? I say engineered organisms which have NEVER existed in the world, need very careful monitoring. You people would be quick enough to blame someone if a virulent disease organism was created and released, and demanding why there wasn’t more regulation.
by Peter Simmons
All any of you can see is shiney new ideas that can ‘help everyone’ and anyone who wants the scientists controlled are luddites. Of course the scientists couldn’t possibly be egotistical, arrogant and careless from time to time. I mean like sciece is peopled with pure minds with only the good of humanity as their goal? Like they wouldn’t put organisms intop the environment that they then couldn’t control. Saying ‘oh dear, sorry’ won’t be good enough. Sorry, but most scientists have tunnel vision; they see only their narrow field of interest, they do not see the whole. It was sceintists who developed nuclear bombs and assured servicement they would be perfectly safe watching the explosions. Then the governments and their scientists deny responsibility when people start dieing. What’s this obsession with medical progress? I have rarely needed a doctor, I live healthily. Medicine is for those who don’t live healthy lives, and for non-viables, who are thus kept alive to breed. We don’t do that with other species, Ever wonder why? What makes the hairless ape so specieal, apart from being your species?
Americans may have fallen over in surrender to the GM bullies, and most of Americans’ diet is now solidly GM, but in Europe the people have said no. Monsanto doesn’t own us.
by Spikosauropod
It is the usual bugaboo: they can’t redistribute wealth and remake everyone into a poet farmer if science renders these concepts obsolete.
by Peter Simmons
What a pathetic statement. Do you read them off a hymn sheet?
by Chrispium
Luddites and religionists joining hands to stop progress once again. I hope that a cure for the malady of cognitive parasites will come soon.
by Peter Simmons
FoE is an environmental organisation, it campaigns for limits to environmental damage, they are not religious and not Luddites. And anyway, Luddites were opposed to the destroying of home based crafts workers in favour or vast industrial looms run by wage slaves, so maybe you don’t know so much about the terms you sling around so carelessly. I think it’s you who has a cognitive parasite. It makes you think scientists should not be hampered or controlled in any way, just left to do whatever they fancy.
by OkinKun
While surely some safety measures need to be in place.. This sounds like more fear-mongering and “lets ban it” reactions based on skewed religious morals.
Banning those things will only restrict and slow down medical progress.. Not a good idea. It may even prevent incredible discoveries that could help everyone.
Regulations are fine, but banning these things is the absolute worst possible way to deal with moral questions.
by William J. Ray
Yet again the Luddites strike.