25/February/22

 

Stop Designer Babies is hosting an online mini-conference on "Why your movement should oppose designer babies", on March 9 at 9 am PT/12 pm ET/5 pm GMT. GMWatch's Claire Robinson, Dr Vandana Shiva, and Center for Genetics and Society consultant Pete Shanks will present as part of a panel of feminist, anti-racist, disability rights, social justice, and environmental activists discussing opposition to heritable gene editing. Find out more about the conference and register here. Stop Designer Babies

 

 

Fungicide use in agriculture is driving the spread of multi-fungicide resistant human pathogens, finds a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Georgia. While this occurrence has long been an assumption based on the rampant overuse of fungicides in chemical-dependent farming, scientists have now found clear evidence linking the development of widespread fungal resistance to farming practices, rather than health care use. Despite strong evidence that commonly used synthetic pesticides in chemical-intensive farming are driving resistance that threatens human health on a global scale, the US government has not only failed to take action, it has fought against international efforts to slow the crisis, at the behest of the agrochemical industry. Beyond Pesticides

 

 

Glyphosate-based herbicides damage biodiversity and play a role in decimating amphibian populations. This is the result of recent research by scientists at the University of Ulm. Using the South African clawed frog as an example, the scientists investigated the concentration of glyphosate that disrupts embryonic development and has a toxic effect. The scientists found severe damage to the brain and heart of the tadpoles. The scientists treated frogspawn with the glyphosate-based pesticide Roundup and found that the tadpoles had smaller eyes, brains, hearts and brain nerves as a result. The glyphosate concentrations that the scientists treated the embryos with are about the same as what scientists in some countries, such as Brazil, have been able to detect in smaller, stagnant bodies of water. "We now know and were able to clearly show that the heartbeat is impaired, that mobility is inhibited and that the master gene PAX 6 for eye development is also impaired," says biologist Susanne Kühl. FAZ.net (German text)