From: James Bell <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002
Subject: 'Environmental Savior or Saboteur? Debating the Impacts of Genetic
Engineering'

Copyright 2002 PR Newswire Association, Inc.

January 17, 2002, Thursday 12:07 PM Eastern Time

SECTION: WASHINGTON DATELINE

HEADLINE: 'Environmental Savior or Saboteur? Debating the Impacts of Genetic
Engineering' National Policy Forum to be Held in San Francisco;
Environmental Activists, Policymakers and Academics to Debate
Ecological Effects of Genetic Engineering;National Consumer Poll Will
Be Released Evaluating Environmental Risks and Benefits

DATELINE: WASHINGTON, Jan. 17

BODY:

The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology announced today that it is
hosting a policy dialogue, "Environmental Savior or Saboteur? Debating the
Impacts of Genetic Engineering" on February 4, 2002 from 10-11:30 am PST in
the Hawthorne Room of San Francisco's Golden Gate Club in the Presidio.
Margaret Warner, Senior Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,
will moderate the lively discussion with policymakers, environmentalists and
researchers.  A poll will also be released on consumer attitudes towards
agricultural biotech and the environment.

"Much has been researched and written about whether genetically modified
crops are good or bad for the environment," said Michael Rodemeyer,
executive director of the Initiative.  "We hope, through this policy
dialogue, to stimulate an informative discussion about the present and
expected impacts of agricultural biotechnology on the environment and to
help examine the science as well as the passions for why people feel so
strongly -- one way or another -- about this technology."

Panelists are:

*  Charles Benbrook, an environmental consultant and the former executive
director of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Agriculture, will
critique contemporary claims of environmental and economic benefits
from today's genetically modified crops.

*  Professor Martina McGloughlin, director of the Biotechnology Program at
the University of California-Davis, will discuss the environmental
benefits of biotechnology.

*  Carl Pope, president of the Sierra Club, will discuss why he believes
there should be a moratorium on all genetically modified products until
they have been adequately tested to better understand which of them
pose environmental risks.

*  Peter Raven, president of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science and recently named "Hero of the Planet" by Time Magazine,
will discuss how biotechnology could be a boon to biodiversity, not a
threat.

Note:
The dialogue will be presented via a live Internet webcast.
To watch go to http://www.pewagbiotech.org or
http://www.ConnectLive.com/events/pewagbiotech.  To RSVP to attend the event
in person, contact [log in to unmask] The event is open to the
media and members of the public.

The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
research project whose goal is to inform the public and policymakers on
issues about genetically modified food and agricultural biotechnology,
including its importance, as well as concerns about it and its regulation.
It is funded by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the University of
Richmond.

http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X78726282

SOURCE Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
CONTACT: DJ Nordquist of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology,
+1-202-347-9044 or [log in to unmask]
URL: http://www.prnewswire.com
LOAD-DATE: January 17, 2002

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