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UID:Indybay-18717789
SEQUENCE:18814467
CREATED:20120719T034400Z
DESCRIPTION:The City of Richmond has announced a community meeting about the Lawrence 
 Berkeley National Laboratory Second Campus:\n\nRichmond Bay Campus 
 Community Workshop\nJuly 26, 2012, 7-8:30PM (Doors open at 
 6:30PM)\nRichmond Memorial Auditorium\n403 Civic Center Plaza\n\nCome hear 
 from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley about the 
 proposed project, join a discussion, and offer your thoughts and ideas.  
 Please RSVP: www.richmondbaycampus.eventbrite.com\n\nThe city, and the lab, 
 have also released a one page description of the planned lab. Amazingly, 
 the flyer says not one word about synthetic biology. 
 \n\n--------------------\nDANGERS OF SYNTHETIC 
 BIOLOGY\nhttp://www.foe.org/healthy-people/synthetic-biology\n\nEnvironmental 
 Harms:\n\nSynthetic biology threatens the world's biodiversity through the 
 contamination of genomes that have evolved over billions of years with 
 synthetic DNA. Once it has contaminated a species, this synthetic DNA 
 cannot be recalled and will pass on indefinitely through 
 generations.\n\nSome applications involve growing synthetic organisms in 
 open ponds or intentionally releasing them into the environment. While 
 other types of pollution can be cleaned up and do not breed, synthetic 
 biological creations are designed to self-replicate and once released into 
 the environment they would be impossible to stop.\n\nThe ways in which 
 these organisms will interact with the natural environment is 
 unpredictable, potentially devastating, and permanent. A synthetic organism 
 designed for a specific task, such as eating up oil from oil spills in the 
 ocean, could interact with naturally occurring organisms and adversely harm 
 the environment. The synthetic organism could displace existing organisms 
 or interfere with the existing ecosystem. Once it found an ecological niche 
 in which to survive, it would be difficult if not impossible to 
 eradicate.\n\nSocioeconomic Harms:\n\nSynthetic biology is creating a new 
 "bioeconomy" in which any and all types of biomass can become a feedstock 
 to produce industrial products such as fuel, chemicals, medicines, and 
 plastics.\n\nTheoretically any product made from petrochemicals can one day 
 be made by syn-thetic microbes in a vat eating plant sugars. But who will 
 decide what plant matter is turned into an industrial feed stock, who 
 decides what land is used to grow food or bio-mass, and whose land will be 
 used to grow these feedstocks for synthetic organisms?\n\nSynthetic biology 
 enthusiasts falsely assume there will be an endless supply of biomass and 
 "marginal" land to fuel their biological revolution. These "marginal" lands 
 are often the source of livelihood for small-scale farmers, pastoralists, 
 women, and indigenous peoples. These "marginal" lands should be used to 
 grow food for local communities, not fuel or industrial chemicals for 
 wealthy nations. Synthetic organisms require an incredible amount of land, 
 water, and fertilizer – all of which are already in short supply for food 
 production. Increasing pressure on already strained land will only worsen 
 issues of land grabbing, land ownership, biodiversity, and the health of 
 the land and surrounding communities.\n\nBiosecurity Threats:\n\nThe 
 poliovirus and the 1918 Spanish Influenza have already been recreated using 
 mail-order DNA from a DNA synthesis company and were proven to be deadly in 
 lab rats. A growing "Do-it-Yourself biology" movement that encourages the 
 use of synthetic biology tools in people's garages increases the risk that 
 dangerous pathogens may be intentionally or unintentionally created and 
 released.\n\nFurther Resources:\n\nThe Bay Area Bio Lab & Synthetic 
 Biology, False Solutions Part 1\nhttp://youtu.be/vwR0tYu4_WU\n\nThe Bay 
 Area Bio Lab & Synthetic Biology, False Solutions Part Two, Panel 
 Discussion\nhttp://youtu.be/5ynQfmC4h0M\n\nBerkeley Scholar Raises Alarm on 
 Synthetic 
 Biology\nhttp://www.baycitizen.org/science/story/berkeley-scholar-raises-alarm-synthetic/\n\nSynBioWatch\nhttp://www.synbiowatch.org/\n\nAlliance 
 for Humane Biotechnology\nhttp://humanebiotech.com/\n\nETC 
 Group\nhttp://www.etcgroup.org/\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/07/18/18717789.php
SUMMARY:Richmond Community Meeting -- LBNL & UCB "Second Campus" Proposal (Synthetic Biology)
LOCATION:Richmond Bay Campus Community Workshop\nJuly 26, 2012, 7-8:30PM (Doors open 
 at 6:30PM)\nRichmond Memorial Auditorium\n403 Civic Center Plaza
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/07/18/18717789.php
DTSTART:20120727T020000Z
DTEND:20120727T033000Z
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