More than 150 New Zealand scientists under 30 have signed a letter to the Green Party urging a rethink of its stance on the regulation of genetic modification. The full text of the letter follows.<\/p>\n
To the members and supporters of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and their representatives in government<\/p>\n
Climate change is one of the greatest crises in human history, and our current law severely restricts the development of technologies that could make a vital difference. In 2003 the 1996 Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act was modified to tightly regulate research into genetic modification (GM). This legislation and the surrounding public debate was driven by uncertainty about the risks that these new technologies posed to biodiversity and human health, and resulted in creating one of the toughest regulatory environments in the world for this field of research.<\/p>\n
We, an emerging generation of New Zealand scientists with expertise in and\/or undertaking research in the biological sciences*, are writing to request that the Green Party reconsider its position on the regulation of these technologies. We are addressing this letter to the Greens because of a history of leading in science-based policy such as climate action, even when that path is difficult. We believe that GM based research could be decisive in our efforts to reduce New Zealand and global climate emissions as well as partially mitigating some of the impacts of climate change. At the same time, we emphasise that potential reduction of impact is not a substitute for emission reduction.<\/p>\n
The period since the introduction of the 2003 legislation has seen important GM related research in the areas of agricultural efficiency, carbon sequestration, and alternative protein production. The existing regulation in New Zealand inhibits application of advances such as these, blocking not only the development of green technology, but the potential for a just transition away from extractive and polluting industries. New Zealand has the opportunity to be a world leader in such a transition: for example, the development and demonstration of effective technologies to reduce agricultural emissions could have an international impact and set an example for other countries.<\/p>\n
While such a powerful technology as targeted genetic modification certainly requires controls, existing frameworks do not enable public and environmental benefits from these technologies to be realised. The gene editing expert advice panel supported by The Royal Society Te Aprangi, the Prime Ministers Chief Science Advisor, and the interim climate change committee have recently called for public discussion on potential reform of New Zealands laws around modern gene editing techniques.<\/p>\n
As a confidence and supply member of the current government the Greens have the ability to drive this reform: the members can persuade the party to reconsider its policy position, and the Members of Parliament can influence the government it supports to revise the legislation. The Greens have been strong advocates of both climate action and evidence based policy informed by science. In this light we call upon its members, supporters, ministers, and MPs to add their voices to the cause of a science-based approach to climate, on behalf of the people and environment of both Aotearoa and the world.<\/p>\n
Ng mihi<\/p>\n
PhD <\/p>\n
Kyle Webster, University of Auckland, Bio-nanotechnology<\/p>\n
Luke Stevenson, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Emilie Gios, University of Auckland, Microbial ecology<\/p>\n
Morgane Merien, University of Auckland, Biological Sciences Entomology<\/p>\n
Lucie Jiraska, University of Auckland, Environmental Microbiology<\/p>\n
Victor Yim, University of Auckland, Peptide chemistry<\/p>\n
Zach McLean, University of Auckland, Genetic engineering<\/p>\n
Declan Lafferty, Plant and FoodResearch\/University of Auckland, Genetics and Molecular Biology<\/p>\n
Samarth Samarth, University of Canterbury, Plant Biology<\/p>\n
Juliane Gaviraghi Mussoi, University of Auckland, Avian Behaviour<\/p>\n
Alex Noble, University of Canterbury, Biology<\/p>\n
Kelsey Burborough, University of Auckland, Genetics<\/p>\n
Matthew Mayo-Smith, University of Auckland, Plant Molecular Biology<\/p>\n
Moritz Miebach, University of Canterbury, Plant-microbe interactions<\/p>\n
Olivia Ogilvie, University of Auckland, Food Biotech \/ Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Rachel Bennie, University of Canterbury, Human Toxicology<\/p>\n
Sean Mackay, University of Otago, Chemistry and Nanotechnology<\/p>\n
Georgia Carson, Victoria University of Wellington, Cell and Molecular Biology<\/p>\n
Ruby Roach, Massey University<\/p>\n
Jeremy Stephens, Massey University, Biology<\/p>\n
Zidong (Andy) Li, Massey University, Molecular Cancer Biology<\/p>\n
Aqfan Jamaluddin, University of Auckland, Molecular Pharmacology<\/p>\n
Michael Fairhurst, Victoria University of Wellington, Microbiology<\/p>\n
Nikolai Kondratev, Massey University, Plant Biology<\/p>\n
Mariana Tarallo, Massey University, Plant pathology<\/p>\n
Ellie Bradley, Massey University, Plant pathology<\/p>\n
Mercedes Rocafort Ferrer, Massey University, Plant pathology<\/p>\n
Yi-Hsuan Tu, Massey University, Biochemistry & Microbiology<\/p>\n
Sean Bisset, Massey University, Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Patrick Main, Massey University, Biological sciences<\/p>\n
Abigail Sharrock, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Alvey Little, Victoria University of Wellington, Molecular Microbiology<\/p>\n
William Odey, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Gabrielle Greig, Victoria University of Wellington, Molecular Microbiology<\/p>\n
Melanie Olds, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Jennifer Soundy, Victoria University of Wellington, Biological Sciences<\/p>\n
Matire Ward, Victoria University of Wellington, Cell and molecular bioscience<\/p>\n
Tom Dawes, Victoria University of Wellington, Plant Ecology<\/p>\n
Hamish Dunham, Victoria University of Wellington, Biomedical science<\/p>\n
Amy Alder, Victoria University of Wellington, Neuroscience<\/p>\n
Caitlin Harris, University of Otago, Plant genetics<\/p>\n
Lucy Gorman, Victoria University of Wellington, Coral reef biology<\/p>\n
Vincent Nowak, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Brandon Wright, University of Otago, Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Anna Tribe, Victoria University of Wellington, Cancer cell biology<\/p>\n
Conor McGuinness, University of Otago, Breast Cancer<\/p>\n
Genomics\/Immunology Kelsi Hall, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Andrew Howard, University of Waikato, Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Mitch Ganley, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology\/vaccines<\/p>\n
Matt Munro, Victoria University of Wellington, Biomedical Science<\/p>\n
Prashath Karunaraj, University of Otago, Genetics<\/p>\n
Pascale Lubbe, University of Otago, Evolutionary genetics<\/p>\n
Mackenzie Lovegrove, University of Otago, Genetics, Insect evolution<\/p>\n
Nicholas Foster, University of Otago, Ecology<\/p>\n
Taylor Hamlin, University of Otago, Antarctic Marine Ecosystem & Movement Ecology<\/p>\n
Fionnuala Murphy, Massey University, Proteomics<\/p>\n
Amanda Board, University of Canterbury, Protein Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Esther Onguta, Massey University, Food Technology<\/p>\n
Nomie Petit, University of Auckland, Proteins<\/p>\n
Liam Le Lievre, University of Otago, Plant Reproduction<\/p>\n
James Hunter, University of Otago, Ecology<\/p>\n
Samarth Kulshrestha, University of Canterbury,<\/p>\n
Rebecca Clarke, University of Otago, Whole body regeneration<\/p>\n
Sarah Killick, University of Auckland, Environmental Science<\/p>\n
Stephanie Workman, University of Otago, Developmental Genetics<\/p>\n
Erik Johnson, University of Otago, Oceanography<\/p>\n
Declan Lafferty, University of Auckland, Molecular Biology<\/p>\n
Laurine van Haastrecht, Victoria University of Wellington, Glaciology<\/p>\n
Leo Mercer, Victoria University of Wellington, Environmental Studies<\/p>\n
Aidan Joblin-Mills, Victoria University of Wellington, Chemical Genetics<\/p>\n
Gabrielle Keeler-May, University of Otago, Marine Science<\/p>\n
Aqfan
\nJamaluddin, University of Auckland, Pharmacology<\/p>\n
Spencer McIntyre, University of Auckland, Biological Sciences<\/p>\n
Sarah Inwood, University of Otago, Genetics<\/p>\n
Isabelle Barrett, University of Canterbury, Freshwater ecology<\/p>\n
Olivia Angelin-Bonnet, Massey University, Biostatistics<\/p>\n
Hannah McCarthy, Massey University, Plant Pathology<\/p>\n
Sofie Pearson, Massey University, Plant Science<\/p>\n
Zac Beechey-Gradwell, Lincoln University, Plant physiology<\/p>\n
Hannah Lee-Harwood, Victoria University of Wellington, Biotechnology<\/p>\n
Euan Russell, University of Otago, Microbiology<\/p>\n
Masters <\/p>\n
Kelly Styles, University of Auckland, Biological Sciences<\/p>\n
Merlyn Robson, University of Auckland, Virology<\/p>\n
Andra Popa, University of Auckland<\/p>\n
James Love, University of Auckland, Bioinformatics<\/p>\n
Evie Mansfield, University of Auckland, Molecular Microbiology<\/p>\n
Ash Sargent, University of Auckland, Immunology<\/p>\n
Sabrina Cuellar, University of Auckland, Plant Genetics<\/p>\n
Renji Jiang, University of Canterbury, Plant pathology<\/p>\n
Morgan Tracy, University of Canterbury, Ecology<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Continued here: More than 150 New Zealand scientists under 30 have signed a letter to the Green Party urging a rethink of its stance on the regulation of genetic modification. The full text of the letter follows Continue reading
\nGM could be decisive: An open letter to the Green Party from young NZ scientists - The Spinoff<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"