The Genetic Engineering Debate
Dr Neil Vaney
Issue 7, August 2002
The Biblical meaning of the Land
The Old Testament is a story of the gift of good land and the loss of that land. At the start of the first millennium before Christ, the sacred writer reflected on the history of tribal squabbles, of migration and of conquest out of which the Jewish nation was born. From the first he saw it as a story of disharmony between men and women, between shepherd and farmer. Interwoven in this story was the battle of the people to find good soil and become rooted in it.
The Genetic Symphony
Nathaniel Centre Staff
Issue 10, August 2003
"The return of Ludwig! 'A Further Feast of Beethoven' was again highly successful in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Of the many letters and emails received there was one from a young newcomer to symphony concerts that summed up the power of the music: "I was full of cold and nearly didn't go, but I'm glad I made the effort – it was just great. Wilma was fantastic (Romances). Saturday night was great as well. I have to say the best piece was Symphony No 9. It was absolutely stunning. I can't believe he was deaf when he wrote it. Unbelievable! I can't say enough about it. I was spellbound. When I looked at the programme and saw it was 67 minutes long I thought 'oh, my goodness'. But the time just flew by. I had tears in my eyes during the third movement. And the drums in the second movement were fantastic. I was still talking to myself about the night long after I got home. Incredible..." [1]
New Organisms and Other Matters Bill 2003
Nathaniel Centre Staff
In May 2000, the government established the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. In its report (July 2000) the Royal Commission made many recommendations, most of which were accepted by the government. The government has since introduced a Bill into Parliament called the "New Organisms and Other Matters (NOOM) Bill" covering a range of issues in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission. It proposes amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 (47 clauses), the Medicines Act 1981 (8 clauses) and the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997(3 clauses).
Ethical Criteria Outlined for Use of Genetically Modified Organisms
Nathaniel Centre Staff
Issue 10, August 2003
Vatican Official Urges Respect for Biodiversity
VATICAN CITY, AUG. 18, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Recourse to genetically modified organisms calls for proof of their usefulness as well as a verification of the risks involved, says a Vatican official and expert on the matter.
Given the debates within the Catholic world on the subject, Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and director of the Bioethics Center of Rome's Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, spoke on a recent program on Vatican Radio.
"First of all," the bishop said Aug. 5, "there must not be blind opposition to man's intervention on plants and animals in the genetic field, when the latter does not cause harm and is useful to man himself."
Second, there must be scientific verification of "the risks ... both on the natural and pharmaceutical products as well as on the genetically modified organisms themselves," he said.
"It is the verification of the risk, the so-called principle of precaution. Until now no very serious risks have been reported. I think that progress is being made with due caution, with a kind of experimentation before introducing these products in the market," Bishop Sgreccia said. In this connection, he added that it is necessary to respect the "ecological balance, namely, respect for biodiversity." "The new species must not supplant the pre-existing ones," he said. "Biodiversity must be safeguarded in the world, as it is wealth for all."
"In the third place, the citizen must be informed," namely, when these products are commercialized they must have a "label," the Vatican official said. He added that the introduction of genetically modified organisms must respect "the economic ethic at the international level."
In other words, "genetically modified products must not serve for the exclusive use of enterprises, of great industries," the bishop said. "Industries must benefit from a just profit, but must not be turned into a monopoly which becomes a serious burden for those needing to take recourse to these products."
"The question on biotechnologies, moreover, must not be used with protectionist objectives," he said. The bishop explained that there "must be a balance, respect for the ethical concerns of the market, not only for the ethical concerns of health."
In a word, according to Bishop Sgreccia, the key lies in harmonizing "science -- with its undoubted capacity to develop, to verify objectives truths of an experimental character -- and ethics, which must relate the resources of the sciences to human values and persons, which must be at the center."
When addressing the Ministerial Conference on Biotechnology, held in Sacramento, California, in June, Archbishop Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, explained that the Holy See is gathering information on the problem in order to develop "a clear view on the use of GMOs."
Toi te Taiao: Use of Human Genes in Other Organisms
Nathaniel Centre Staff
Issue 14, November 2004
Earlier this year Toi te Taiao: the Bioethics Council undertook a process of dialogue with New Zealanders on the cultural, spiritual and ethical issues arising from the use of human genes in other organisms. The process involved using focus groups to identify the issues, followed by a programme of dialogue meetings and 12 hui, an online dialogue process and written submissions. The Council presented its report to the Minister for the Environment, Marion Hobbs, in August.
Xenotransplantation: A Spiritual Perspective
John Kleinsman
Issue 15, April 2005
Xenotransplantation is defined as the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another. In the wake of a worldwide shortage of organs, and transplant waiting lists that will continue to accelerate due to an aging population, animals are being seen as offering a potentially unlimited supply of organs and tissues.
ERMA and Ethical Issues
Nathaniel Centre Staff
Issue 16, August 2005
On 1 July 2011, the Government announced the establishment of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as a Crown agent responsible to the Minister for the Environment, incorporating all of the functions and powers of the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA).
The Environmental Risk Management Agency (ERMA) recently established an Ethics Advisory Panel to assist in dealing with ethical aspects of applications made to ERMA under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act).
Editorial: Bioethics and Politics: The Axing of the Bioethics Council, Toi te Taiao
Michael McCabe
Issue 27, April 2009
The recent axing of the Bioethics Council – Toi te Taiao – by the National Government is a matter of regret and real concern.