Hope Shand’s Posts

• Synthetic biology: Coming soon to a gas tank near you?

  With little oversight, BP, Chevron, ADM, and Cargill cook up next-gen biofuels 16

  Posted 1 year ago

  Synthetic biologists, a brave new breed of science entrepreneurs who engineer life-forms from scratch, are holding their largest-ever global gathering in Hong Kong this week, known as "Synthetic Biology 4.0."

  Although most people have never heard of synthetic biology, it's moving full speed ahead fueled by giant agribusiness, energy and chemical corporations with little debate about who will control the technology, how it will be regulated (or not) and despite grave concerns surrounding the safety and security risks of designer organisms. Corporate investors/partners include BP, Chevron, Shell, Virgin Fuels, DuPont, Microsoft, Cargill, and Archer Daniels Midland.

  "Bankrolled by Fortune 500… Read More

• Jolly gene giant

  A review of Claire Hope Cummings' Uncertain Peril 1

  Posted 1 year, 6 months ago

  In October 1996, a spokesman for Monsanto told Farm Journal why his company was buying up seed companies left and right: "What you're seeing is not just a consolidation of seed companies, it's really a consolidation of the entire food chain."

  Today, Monsanto is the world's largest seed company -- and makes more money selling seeds than chemicals. The company's biotech seeds and traits accounted for 88 percent of the worldwide area devoted to genetically modified seeds in 2006 -- and Monsanto earns royalties on every single one. No one needed to… Read More

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