SYNTHETIC LIFE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY:
A PUBLC TALK ON THE POLITICS OF TECHNOLOGY

Organised by the Stop Unsafe Nano-silver Campaign and Corporate watch

Monday June 14th, 7 - 9pm
at Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, Brixton, SW2 1AS
see  http://www.bsvcc.org/contact.html for directions

The evening will include:
- a presentation by the Stop Unsafe Nano-silver Campaign on their
legal challenge against the selling of unsafe nano-silver products in
the UK. see  http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech and
www.corporatewatch.org for more information.
- a speaker on the new 'synthetic life' genetics from Human
Genetics Alert. See  http://www.hgalert.org for more information
- time for discussion, questions, planning, announcements, updates

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We are at the beginning of a new industrial revolution, a 21st Century
industrial revolution where computers, molecules, and genetic engineering
are being combined in new and uncanny ways. While the many advances in new
technologies may bring great promise, they also create many concerns.

Genetically Modified Food, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Geoengineering &
now ‘synthetic life’…what are all these new technologies and how can we
know they are safe? We are told that these technologies will be the
future, but who's making the decisions and who benefits the most from the
insertion of these new forces into our lives? Which corporations are
behind these technologies and how are they doing well out of these
apparent advancements? Are we moving too far too fast with inadequate
precaution & no democratic safeguards?

The talk and discussion will be a chance for people to get a grip on
what's going on. We will discuss environmental, human health, economic and
social concerns. Everyone is welcome, we hope you can make it.
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Glossary:

Nano-silver is a brand new type of silver that is highly reactive and
extremely small in size. As a powerful bactericide it can kill both the
good bacteria and the bad bacteria in our ecosystems, in our water
supply, and in our human bodies. For more information see
 http://nano.foe.org.au/node/332
 http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech/

'Synthetic life' is the use of laboratories to make genetic material
which can be inserted into microbes which then reproduce with the new
genetic material. Investors hope to build bugs that will produce oil or
other profit-making chemicals. For more information on 'synthetic life' see
 http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5142
 http://www.icta.org/template/page.cfm?id=218

The biotechnology research for these so-called advances is publicly
funded despite poor returns on the investment. Universities and the
public purse often cooperate with private corporations who take all the
rewards in the end. For more information on the biotechnology research
economy see "Biosciences for Life"
 http://www.genewatch.org/pub.shtml?als%5Bcid%5D=492774