1.Blair's science fiction - The Guardian
2.Blair "extraordinarily ignorant" - GeneWatch UK
3.Developing GM almost bottom of UK farmers' wish-list
EXTRACT: "Ordinary people ask more intelligent questions about science than the Prime Minister." - Dr Sue Mayer (item 2)
Douglas Cross, a former UK Department of Health forensic ecologist, suggested that "many of the 'campaigners' that [Blair] dismisses are highly reputable scientists"; and Friends of the Earth reminded Blair that his own government found that "when people become more engaged in GM issues, and choose to discover more about them, they harden their attitudes to GM". (item 1)
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1.Science fiction
John Vidal and David Adam
Eco soundings, The Guardian, November 8, 2006 http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1941434,00.html
The prime minister devoted lots of his science speech on Monday to attacking "the anti-science brigade [which] threatens our progress and our prosperity" - by which he made clear he meant anyone who has opposed him on GM food, nuclear power, animal testing, the MMR vaccine, global warming or anything else. Not all scientists understood what he was on about. Dr Sue Mayer, director of GeneWatch, thought Blair was "deaf to the genuine concerns that people have about the impacts of new technologies on society"; Douglas Cross, a former UK Department of Health forensic ecologist, suggested that "many of the 'campaigners' that he dismisses are highly reputable scientists"; and Friends of the Earth reminded Blair that his own government found that "when people become more engaged in GM issues, and choose to discover more about them, they harden their attitudes to GM".
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2.Prime Minister unscientific about science:
GeneWatch UK response to PM's speech on science and the economy
3rd November 2006
Responding to the Prime Minister's speech on science and the economy, Dr Sue Mayer, GeneWatch UK's Director said:
"The Prime Minister is extraordinarily ignorant about the scientific method. This makes him blind to the dangers of corporate control of science and deaf to the genuine concerns that people have about the impacts of new technologies on society. There are real questions about whether science to meet the interests of big business will meet the need to improve people's health and protect the future of the environment."
"Over-commercialisation of science leads to bias, secrecy and distorted research priorities: pills for obesity instead of a better diet. Treatments for baldness get greater priority than prevention of malaria."
"Ordinary people ask more intelligent questions about science than the Prime Minister. He seems to have been seduced by the excessive hype of industry and some scientists. Science is exciting and interesting, but its connection with the economy and the future of the planet is complex."
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3.Biofuels research tops UK farmers' HGCA research wish-list [extract only]
By Mike Abram
Farmers Weekly Interactive, 7 November 2006
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=13808&start=1&control=171&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1
Developing industrial uses for combinable crops, such as biofuels, tops the list of research topics growers would like to see the Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) fund between 2007-10.
Over 1200 levy-payers responded to the HGCA questionnaire assessing what research targets were most important to growers.
Exploiting genetically modified cropping came second bottom out of the list of 27 possible areas, although in consultation there was a lot of discussion about what traits could be introduced, should GM crops become acceptable.
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