Many thanks! I've actually already posted it there! great service by the way.. i really appreciate receiving news from Alpha Gallileo.
Kind regards
Jim Thomas
Peter Green wrote:
> We would be pleased to carry this on AlphaGalileo (www.alphagalileo.org). To do this please register, it is currently free and then once you are accepted post via the online form.
>
> Best wishes
>
> >Please find below an invitation to a Press Briefing to be held in London
> >next Tuesday, May 27, on Nanotechnology - The state of the technology
> >and its implications for policy makers, scientists and consumers. (Full
> >text follows this meassage in plain text format)
> >
> >I very much hope you will be able to attend - or send someone else in
> >your stead if the short notice makes this impossible. Please get in
> >touch if we can provide further information or help in other way.
> >
> >Kind regards,
> >
> >
> >Jim Thomas - European Programme Manager, ETC Group.
> >c/o The Ethical Property Company, 9 Park End Street, Oxford,
> >Oxfordshire, OX1 1HH,
> >Phone: +44 (0)1865 207818
> >Mobile:+44 (0)7752 106806
> >email: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >Ben Duncan
> >Green MEPs' Press Officer
> >Suite 58, The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TY
> >020 7407 6280 (tel)
> >0776 997 0691 (mob)
> >020 7234 0183 (fax)
> >[log in to unmask]
> >
> >---------------
> >
> >
> >PRESS NOTICE
> >>From the office of the Green MEPs
> >
> >
> >21 May, 2003
> >
> >MEDIA INVITATION: GETTING PAST 'GREY GOO'
> >- A PRESS BRIEFING ON NANOTECHNOLOGY
> >
> >Event: Getting Past Grey Goo - A Press Briefing About
> >Nanotechnology
> >Time: Tuesday, May 27th, 2003, 10.30-11.30am
> >Place: UK Office of the European Parliament, Queen Anne's Gate,
> >London
> >WC1
> >Panel: Dr Caroline Lucas MEP
> > Pat Mooney - Executive Director ETC Group
> > Dr Vyvyan Howard - Senior toxicology lecturer, Univ. of
> >Liverpool (TBC)
> > Jim Thomas - ETC Group (UK)
> >
> >EURO-MP Caroline Lucas and a civil society panel are to host a press
> >briefing on the future of nanotechnology at the London office of the
> >European Parliament next Tuesday, May 27th 2003.
> >
> >Thanks to recent media interest in 'The Grey Goo problem' we've all now
> >heard of nanotechnology. Prince Charles is concerned about it. Science
> >Minister, Lord Sainsbury, doesn't see any problems with it. The
> >Astronomer Royal thinks it might annihilate the planet. Tony Blair
> >thinks it's the future of British Science. A cabinet taskforce has
> >warned the Government it needs to regulate the technology. Lord
> >Sainsbury (again) disagrees - he says it doesn't need any special
> >regulations. A Nobel Prize winner for nanotech research has told the
> >Prince of Wales to 'stop reading silly books'. The former technology
> >advisor to Bill Clinton has called it 'evil'. So what's the real story?
> >
> >On June 11 the European Parliament is to host the first ever
> >international seminar for policy-makers, scientists and industry to
> >discuss what the coming industrial revolution in nanotechnology could
> >really mean for society, environment and the future of democracy.
> >
> >Three of the speakers for that event will be in London on Tuesday 27th
> >May to discuss the brewing storm over nanotechnology (see 'Charting the
> >Nano Debate', attached), clarify some of the key issues and answer
> >questions on the state of the technology and concerns over its
> >implications. You are welcome to join them for coffee - and to see some
> >of the nanotechnology products already commercially available.
> >
> >Dr Lucas said: "The proponents of nanotech - mainly those biotech and
> >military businesses with most to gain from it - claim it will bring a
> >brave new world free from poverty, hunger and drudgery.
> >
> >"The truth would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic: current nanotech
> >projects include transparent sunscreen, self-cleaning glass, ever-more
> >destructive weaponry and stain-resistant clothes.
> >
> >"Where nanotechnology research is concerned with food it is concerned
> >not with distribution or affordability but 'efficiency gains' and
> >profitability - and will do nothing to alleviate hunger. Medical
> >research is concerned with 'lifestyle' afflictions of the wealthy, not
> >the epidemics killing millions in the developing world every year. The
> >reason is simple to grasp: neither the hungry nor the poor will ever be
> >able to pay for the billions already invested in nanotech research.
> >
> >"Like GM before it, nanotech is about providing a highly profitable
> >"techno fix" for the problems of the affluent rather then addressing the
> >root causes of inequality, poverty, hunger or disease.
> >
> >"What nanotech's enthusiasts are not telling us, however, are the grave
> >risks it poses to the environment, human health and consumer choice."
> >
> >Expert Panel
> >
> >Pat Mooney - Pat Mooney is Executive Director of ETC Group, a civil
> >society organization that currently leads international concerns about
> >Nanotechnology. They have called for a moratorium on Nanotech
> >development. In the early eighties it was ETC group (then known as RAFI,
> >the Rural Advancement Foundation International) who initiated civil
> >society concerns about GM food and farming, 'biopiracy' (the theft of
> >genetic resources from poorer countries) and patents on life. Later they
> >successfully forced Monsanto to drop controversial sterile seed
> >technologies (dubbed 'terminator
> >seeds' by RAFI). Author of several books on genetic resources, Mooney is
> >a past winner of the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize) as
> >well as the Giraffe Award ('for people who stick their neck out') and
> >recent awards by Project Censored and the World Social Forum. Well known
> >as a rousing speaker, he was also lead author of ' The Big Down' - a
> >civil society report on Nanotechnology widely cited as responsible for
> >Prince Charles interest in the issue.
> >
> >Dr Caroline Lucas - Green Party MEP for South-East England and the
> >Green/EFA group's spokesperson on nanotechnology. Dr Lucas is a member
> >of the European Parliament's Environment Committee and the Industry
> >Trade, reseacha nd Energy Committee and is an expert on EU policy on
> >Genetic Engineering. She served as vice-president of the European
> >Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into the UK's 2001 Foot and Mouth
> >Disease epidemic.
> >
> >Dr Vyvyan Howard (University of Liverpool) is a well-respected
> >toxicologist and immediate past president of the Royal Microscopy
> >Society. He edited the first ever collection of scientific papers to
> >address the toxicity of nanoparticles and recently undertook an updated
> >literature survey into nanoparticle toxicity, which highlighted serious
> >risks associated with synthetic nanomaterials.
> >
> >Jim Thomas is European Programme Manager for ETC group - based in
> >Oxford, UK. He is co-ordinating the upcoming European Seminar on
> >societal impacts of Nanotechnology to be held in the European Parliament
> >on June 11th. For more details see www.etcgroup.org
> >
> >For more information please contact:
> > Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or [log in to unmask]
> >Jim Thomas ( ETC Group) 07752 106806 or [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk
> >www.etcgroup.org
> >
> >
> >
> >Charting the Nano debate
> >
> >Dec 2002
> >- Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, releases
> >hardback of 'Prey', - thriller about killer nanoparticles out of control
> >- in Christmas top 10 sellers list.
> >
> >Jan 2003
> >- Red Herring, influential tech investment magazine
> >identifies "the Backlash against Nanotech" as one of its Top Ten Trends
> >for 2003.
> >- Civil Society Group ETC Group release The Big Down, -
> >First comprehensive critical report on nanotech from civil society
> >perspective - they call for a Moratorium on Nanotech.
> >
> >Feb 2003
> >- UK based Journal of Nanotechnology carries warning from
> >Bioethicist Peter Singer that a dangerous gap is growing between ethics,
> >public concerns on nanotech and the researchers and nanotech industry.
> >- The Cabinet office better regulation task force report on
> >scientific research warns that the UK government urgently needs to show
> >it has regulation in place to deal with the safety issues associated
> >with nanotechnology. Editorial in Nature.
> >- US National Science Foundation increases annual funding
> >to Nanotech by 10% to around 850 million dollars per year at a time when
> >all other budgets are being cut. This makes nanotechnology best funded
> >technology since the space race.
> >- UK high street shops start selling stain resistant
> >nanotech trousers. (with Teflon nanoparticles)
> >
> >March
> >- Some of first ever studies into synthetic nanoparticle
> >toxicity are presented at American Chemistry Society Annual Meeting
> >showing toxicity problems with carbon nanotubes.
> >- Royal Institution holds one day public seminar of 300
> >participants aimed at framing the coming debate on nanotechnology.
> >- Survey of existing literature on Nanoparticle Toxicity by
> >Dr Vyvyan Howard is published by ETC Group. Concludes that nanoparticles
> >as a class tend to be more toxic than larger particles irrespective of
> >material. Findings unchallenged.
> >
> >April / May
> >- Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees releases book '50/50
> >chance' , in which he warns of total annihilation by nanotechnology as a
> >likely doomsday scenario by end of the century.
> >- The Ecologist runs special issue on nanotechnology -
> >contributions by civil society groups including Greenpeace, ETC group,
> >ITDG and others.
> >- Prince Charles is reported as having concerns about
> >nanotechnology, asking Royal Society to recommend expert meeting. Leads
> >to a spate of articles, discussions, headlines on 'Grey Goo'. Prince
> >Charles attacked by Science establishment (eg Aaron Klug, Harry Kroto,
> >Ian Gibson)
> >- Science minister Lord Sainsbury defends nanotechnology on
> >Today Programme claiming the technology raises no important issues in
> >the short term and is already properly regulated.
> >- Ian Gibson MP announces that The Commons Science and
> >Technology Committee will look into nanotechnology issues.
> >
> >Upcoming:
> >- UK Government to respond to better regulation task force.
> >
> >- Greenpeace to release report prepared by Imperial
> >College, surveying current work on Nanotechnology and thereby entering
> >into the debate.
> >- European Seminar on societal implications of
> >nanotechnology to be held in European Parliament Brussels sponsored by
> >cross-party group of MEP's and involving civil society, press and
> >policymakers from across Europe (inc UK) with view to initiating
> >regulations (June 11)
> >- US department of Agriculture to release report on their
> >plans\ for Agri nanotech in advance of WTO preparation meeting on
> >Agriculture in Sacramento.
> >- World Nano Economic Congress to be held in London (Nov
> >3-5).
> >- Towards end of year - book on dangers of nanotechnology
> >by Bill Joy, Founder of Sun Microsystems (former technology advisor to
> >Bill Clinton).
> >- End of 2003/ early 2004- opening of Movie based on
> >Crichton' "Prey".
> >
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