| ir-heath on Sun, 24 Jan 1999 22:59:24 +0100 (CET) |
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| <nettime> GENETICS ACTIVISTS CREATE SUPERWEED |
Cultural Terrorist Agency PRESS RELEASE ***immediate release*** 24th January 1999 GENETICS ACTIVISTS CREATE SUPERWEED Launch of Natural Reality SuperWeed Kit 1.0 Photo-opportunity 12.00 noon Wednesday 27th January 1999 On Wednesday 27th January 1999, Michael Boorman of Natural Reality will launch the 'Natural Reality SuperWeed Kit 1.0 - a DIY kit capable of producing a genetically mutant superweed, designed to attack corporate monoculture'. Heath Bunting and Rachel Baker, founders of The Cultural Terrorist Agency [1] who have financed SuperWeed Kit 1.0 will also speak at the launch in the Nash Room, The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, UK. The launch starts at 12:15 noon and will be completed by 13.00. Natural Reality SuperWeed Kit 1.0 [2], contains a mixture of naturally occuring and genetically mutated (GM) Brassica seeds (e.g. Oilseed Rape, Wild Radish, Yellow Mustard, Shepard's Purse). If these seeds are allowed to germinate and cross pollinate, a SuperWeed [3] will be created that will be resistant to current herbicides (e.g. Monsanto's Roundup�), thus not only threatening the profitability of conventional and GM Brassica crops [4], but also of herbicide production and distribution. This kit be will distributed throughout the UK to interested parties along with tactical suggestions and planting instructions. If released, SuperWeed 1.0 will not only destroy the profitability all GM crops, but also of conventional and organic crops. This genetic contamination will be irreversible. Michael Boorman is one of the California Croppers who held football match early Thanksgiving morning at the "Gill Tract" gardens, California, USA, resulting in the destruction of a crop of genetically-engineered corn owned by the University of California, in protest over UC-Berkeley signing a multimillion dollar research deal with biotech giant Novartis.[5] Michael Boorman of Natural Reality said "Genetic hacker technology gives us the means to oppose this unsafe, unnecessary and unnatural technology. I hope that this SuperWeed Kit will empower others in their actions. We are engaged in a biological arms race with corporate monoculture." Heath Bunting is a well known internet hacker activist responsible for information subversion campaigns against organisation such as Glaxo, Nike and 7-Eleven stores. He is a founder member of irational.org collective [6]. Heath Bunting of irational.org said "Biotechnology is not only the next battleground on which the control of life and land is fought, but also on which life itself is redefined. It is essential that the concepts of property and representation in this arena are seriously challenged." Rachel Baker is a network activist with a well documented history of actions against organisations including Sainsbury, Tesco and American Express. She is also a member of irational.org collective [6]. Rachel Baker of irational.org said "Millions of ordinary people are very worried about genetically modified foods and I am one of them....With genetically modified foods I believe we have reached the thin edge of the wedge, we are messing with the building blocks of life and it's scary." Michael Boorman email: [email protected] Heath Bunting email: [email protected] Rachel Baker email: [email protected] Hayvend email: [email protected] ENDS Editors Notes [1] The Cultural Terrorist Agency (CTA) is a funding agency committed to supporting contestation of property and representation. CTA turns it's enemies best weapon, that being investment, back onto itself. Cultural terrorism can be defined as an offensive against dominant systems of meaning, and their defining of reality and nature, within the realms of propaganda and disinformation. Website: http://www.irational.org/cta/ [2] Natural Reality SuperWeed Kit 1.0 is available from Hayvend, ICA Bar, London, UK for the price of �1.00 Website: http://www.backspace.org/hayvend/ SuperWeed Kit 1.0 can also be ordered free of charge by post directly from the Natural Reality via the internet. Website: http://pages.hotbot.com/politics/superweed/ [3] "SCIENTISTS last night confirmed the green campaigner's worst nightmare: genetically engineered crops can lead to superweeds which shrug off weedkiller." Website: http://www.islandnet.com/~ncfs/maisite/ipr-ge02.htm [4] There are currently no commercially grown GM crops in Britain, although soya, maize and oil seed rape or products produced from them are imported. Commercial planting of GM oil seed rape is expected in summer/autumn 1999. Natural Reality is calling for a total ban on the planting of GM crops. [5] See release dated November 26, 1998 entitled Gardeners Decontaminate Genetic Corn Crop. Website: http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian [6] Irational.org is an anarcho collective consisting of over 20 people internationally working mainly in the areas of contestation of property and representation: Website: http://www.irational.org/ Picture Editors Notes [1] As part of the launch of the SuperWeed Kit there will be photo-opportunity at 12.00 noon in the ICA Bar, London, with Michael Boorman of Natural Reality and Heath Bunting and Rachel Baker of irational.org demonstrating how to obtain SuperWeed Kit 1.0 from Hayvend. The photo-opportunity will be complete by 12.15 p.m. [2] Freelance photographer Rob Todd will be covering the launch, contact: +44 (0)467 420 283 <unsubscription instructions deleted for recirculation on nettime-l> --- # distributed via nettime-l : no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a closed moderated mailinglist for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: [email protected] and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/ contact: [email protected]