Poems

AgResearch : putting New Zealand at risk
It’s NOT O.K.

Government research institute ‘AgResearch’ has applied to develop genetically modified (GM) animals and commercialise their products.
This move could pose the single biggest threat to farm animals and New Zealand’s cultural identity.

If approved, AgResearch will be able to conduct broad-ranging genetic experiments on cows, goats, sheep, pigs, deer, llama, horses, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and chickens. They will even use cells taken from humans and monkeys.
Their intention is to mix genes from different species to make transgenic animals. The process creates animal deformities, and new risks to human health, the environment and our reputation.

It’s not ok for overseas biotech investors to exploit New Zealand as an experimental playground when the public is liable for costs of clean-up when things go wrong 
It’s not ok to create deformities and suffering in animals in order to make ‘cheaper’ pharmaceuticals, when other production methods are available
It’s not ok to undermine New Zealand’s reputation and brand-image as a producer of safe, natural, clean food the world wants
It’s not ok to genetically engineer animals with human genes and have no respect for the integrity of species, just to make ‘healthier’ nutriceutical milks
It’s not ok to deliberately create sick animals as ‘models’ of human disease when the Bioethics Council has called for an ethical review of such practices
It’s not ok to risk creating new diseases by experimenting on NZ animals when they are currently free of Mad Cow Disease and Scrapie 
It’s not ok for GE animal waste to be used as compost or sprayed onto .......

.. read more

ERMA Brassica Field Trial - Appeal

GE Free NZ (in food and environment) has filed High Court Papers on 25 June 2007. After much consideration papers were filed  in relation to errors in law relating to approvals for field trials of GE Brassica.

GE Free NZ (in food and environment) has decided that this approval cannot go unscrutinised.  Unfortunately there is no other legal redress for those making public submissions to challenge what appears to be an approach by ERMA that justifies why an experiment should go ahead instead of considering all points and then finding solutions to best address them....  read more

We need your help to raise money to challenge ERMA's approval of GE brassica field trials . The trials lack common sense, and we believe the approval to be flawed based on points of law (see Court of Appeal document).
 
Please send a donation (cheque) to:  GE Free New Zealand, P.O. Box 693 Nelson 
-  or  donate directly into account #  0609960521358 00  (GE Free New Zealand in Food and Environment, Inc., National Bank Wellington)
 

RED ALERT: Application for GE Crop Trials in New Zealand

Field trials of Genetically Engineered broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale are applied for. 

Crop & Food Research in the South island have applied to ERMA (the Environmental Risk Management Authority) for a 10-year field-trial of Genetically Engineered brassicas. The plants will have genes spliced from bacteria and viruses, including ‘Bt’ (Bacillus thuringiensis) which can kill some insects.

See the full application at: www.ermanz.govt.nz or view a summary and make a submission online: http://www.ermanz.govt.nz (NB scroll down the page)

HAVE YOUR SAY  - MAKE A SUBMISSION - Deadline : 12  December 2006. 

View the Key Notes (PDF)    Points to consider (PDF)

Visit the GiantExperiment website for an up to date  index of key issues and articles about this application.

Start your own Petition and give your GE Free requests more weight. Download a Petition Form and collect signatures of likeminded people in your community.

Valuable resources to this are also available at: http://www.giantexperiment.co.nz in the Take Action -> Resources section.

A test for Bt10 is currently available within the EU!

on behalf of the EU Commission, as reported in some media reports over the past few days, the detection of Bt10 maize as well as the distinction from Bt11 is possible immediately. >> Read more here <<

Sign on to the GE Free Register and declare your property to stay GE free. Give a powerful message to those who intent to pollute the country with GE organisms. Research overseas shows that GE cannot be contained and threatens neighboring properties. Check out how many have signed on in your area already!!

R.I.P. GE MORATORIUM

The GE Free marches around the country were supported by thousands of people. Government however acted undemocratically deciding to lift the ge moratorium anyway, despite 70% of New Zealanders calling for it to stay in place.
At parliament’s "Tent City" the People’s Moratorium was launched and the Peoples Moratorium enforcement agency was set up. (see website)

Things you can do:
 
1. Get as many people as you can in your area to sign the GE Free Register to support your calls for councillors to adopt a GE Free stance.

2. Contact your local councillors, encourage them to declare your local area GE Free. This year is local election year, find out prospective councillors opinions and support green candidates. 

3. Visit your local Government MP–today, tell them your concerns and ask them to support their electorate! 

URGENT:  Write or talk to your local authority - questions referring to their new responsibilities in your area after the moratorium on GE is lifted. 
Check out suggested questions.

New amendments are soon to be made to the Resource Management Act with more limited public notification on applications. 95% of resource consent applications are already processed on a non-notified basis and decisions are based solely on information provided by the applicant.

HSNO ACT AMENDMENT INFORMATION 

Human Cloning? 

The New Zealand government is planning to become the first in the world to legalise the inheritable genetic modification of human beings within the next 6 months. They claim they are doing this because "There is potential for therapies that use germ-line genetic modification to rectify inherited genetic conditions such as Huntington's Disease." They are going to do this through a piece of legislation called the Human Assisted Reproduction Technology (HART) Bill. 

Although this Bill does make some positive changes, for example, ban reproductive cloning, the legal precedent it will set with inheritable genetic modification could change forever the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens. 
GE-Free NZ submission to the Hart Bill in MS-Word format (750kb) or in PDF format (930kb)

The Beginning of the End of the Human Race and the Start of a Transhuman Future?
Analysis of the New Zealand Governments Proposals to Amend the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill. Read article by Tremane Barr    - also includes lots of LINKS to "cloning related" sites or check out the "International Treaty Prohibiting Human Cloning and Inheritable Alterations"

ERMA DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON MAORI ISSUES AND GE  http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/Consultation/Discussion-paper-Maori-concerns.pdf

About 10,000 people marched in Auckland at a Rally on November 16, 2002 demanding Aotearoa New Zealand remain GE-Free in food and environment. 

New Edition of the GE Free Food Guide out now 

A new edition of the GE Free Food Guide was launched recently - much of the market place is now free of genetic engineering. Some of the largest food companies in New Zealand have taken steps to remove GE from their products.
Search the database or download your free guide now at www.gefreefood.org.nz

Seeds of Distrust: The story of a GE Cover-up

In November, 2000 - in the middle of the Royal Commission on genetic engineering - the Government learned that a shipment of GE contaminated sweet corn seeds had been planted in three regions of New Zealand. Imposing strict secrecy, Prime Minister Helen Clark took control of the issue and said that the crops must be pulled out.
Then the big business lobbying began.

Royal Commission on Genetic Modification 

The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification has delivered its recommendations to the Government. You can download the full report as a zipped up version from our website.
Note: It's 5 MB in size.

You can also read the report online as a html version on our website.