CITIZENS SAY “NO!” TO GENETIC MODIFICATION
Message will go around the world

10 November 2000

Vancouver, Canada - As representatives of the biotech industry prepare to descend on Vancouver for the Pacific Rim Biotechnology conference, the city’s citizens are planning a resounding rejection of genetically modified organisms(GMOs)and the corporations promoting them.

Big Money, Bad $cience, a day-long “teach-in” on Friday, November 10, which has been arranged by Greenpeace and other members of Canadian Alert on Genetic Engineering (CAGE), will bring together scientists and other experts from around the world to detail the known and suspected environmental and human health risks inherent in our current unchecked race to embrace this unproven technology.

Citizens of the world can attend.The teach-in will be simultaneously broadcast on the web by Vancouver Independent Media Centre and can be accessed at www.vancouver.indymedia.org or by logging on to the Greenpeace Canada www.greenpeacecanada.org or Greenpeace International www.greenpeace.org web sites. (Full program follows – all times PST or minus 8 hours GMT.)

“The people of the world do not want or need genetically-modified crops, fish or trees,” said Greenpeace Canada Executive Director Peter Tabuns. “We already know there are problems. We are gathering in Vancouver to demand that governments put people and the environment first and end this genetic experiment now.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
For more information, contact Miranda Holmes at 604 253 7701 ext. 20.

A teach-in to provide balanced information about the threats posed by biotechnology and genetic engineering to the environment, public health and sustainability.

10 November 2000, 10 am to 10 pm

10:00-11:00 Frankenfood ¾ Food, Agriculture, Environment Richard Bocking, Agricultural Economist, British Columbia Brewster Kneen, Author, The Ram's Horn, British Columbia Tom Evans, Radio Broadcaster, British Columbia, Canada

11:00-12:00 The Patenting of Life ¾ Patenting of Lifeforms, biopiracy Debra Harry, Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, Nevada, USA Paul Reynolds, SFU Doctoral Student, New Zealand Beth Burrows, Director of Edmonds Institute, USA

12:00-1:00 For Whose Benefit? Biomedical Research ¾ Bio-Medical, pharmaceuticals, genetic screening, Human Genome Project. Arthur Teuscher, Professor of Medicine, University of Berlin, Switzerland Marcy Darnovsky, Research Co-ordinator, Exploratory Initiative on New Human Genetic Technolgies, USA Gregor Wolbring, Research Scientist, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary; Canada

1:30-2:30 Science and the Public Interest ¾ Ethics, testing, labeling, precautionary principle, and the role of science in society. Warren Bell, Physician, British Columbia, Canada David Steele, Research Scientist, University of British Columbia, Canada Doreen Stabinsky, Science Advisor to Greenpeace, Council for Responsible Genetics, USA

2:30-3:30 Tricks of the Trade: the biotech corporations ¾ Corporations, the market, corporate concentration, the media, propaganda, and "the big lie." Donald Gutstein, Co-Director of NewsWatch Canada Tony Clarke, Director of Polaris Institute of Canada Bradford Duplisea, Canadian Health Coalition

3:30-4:30 Genetically Engineering Democracy ¾ Globalization, trade agreements (WTO, etc) and public policy. Jennifer Story, Health Protection Campaigner, Council of Canadians Phil Bereano, Professor Technical Communication, University of Washington Herb Barbolet, Director Farm Folk /City Folk, British Columbia, Canada

4:30-5:30 Sowing Seeds of Empowerment ¾ Citizens' actions in response to globalization. Denny Henke, Genetix Alert, USA Lindsay Keenan, Markets Campaigner, Greenpeace UK Cathleen Kneen, The Ram's Horn, British Columbia, Canada

7:30-10:00 Genetically Engineer This -- Evening Forum Peter Tabuns, Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada Maude Barlow, Chairperson Council of Canadians Ann Clark, Associate Professor, Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph Mae-Wan Ho, Director of Institute of Science in Society, UK David Suzuki, Chair David Suzuki Foundation, Associate Professor Sustainable Development Research Institute, UBC, Canada.