Government GE precautions like a condom with holes

Auckland 12 February 2003: Greenpeace GE spokesperson Steve Abel today described the Governments GE precautions as “like a condom with holes: destined to fail”.

“The environment minister has ignored the mass of international information about how uncontrollable GE organisms are, and is blindly heading for GE release and so jeopardising our invaluable GE-free production status and the integrity of our unique environment. What a legacy for an environment minister to leave – that she presided over the release of GE organisms into our land and food chain,” said Abel.

“The Government is so obsessed with its “knowledge economy” that it has lost grip on basic economic reality.

“65 percent of our economy is based on primary production and a further 20 percent on tourism both of which depend on our clean green reputation; re-branding New Zealand as “New GE Land” is stupid. “GE is perceived by consumers world wide as like having radiation in your butter.

Greenpeace believes the concept of “conditional release” is deeply flawed and misleading. “Keeping GE in containment is the only safe, scientifically, environmentally and economically defensible course.

The lack of a full liability regime for GE reflects the reality that economic and environmental risks are at the end of the day irreversible and can’t be compensated, and this itself shows why GE organisms should not be released into the environment.

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