An open letter sign up by 35 Nobel laureates and more than 1,000 European scientists has been sent to member of the European Parliament today , pleading with them to ' reject the darkness of anti - science fearmongering ' and vote in party favor of new genomic technique ( NGTs ) before of a key right to vote .
The letter of the alphabet , coordinate by environmental NGO WePlanet , come just years before the European Parliament ’s environmental committee ( ENVI ) is set to vote on a proposal by the Commission to excuse NGTs from Europe ’s prohibitive GMO regulations .
The supplication is signed by pioneering biochemist Emmanuelle Charpentier and microbiologist Jennifer Doudna , who shared the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their ground - breaking find of CRISPR - cas9 - the gene - editing technique at the heart of the NGT argument . It is wide weigh to be one of the most significant breakthrough in the story of biology . Other signer admit universe - renowned authors Steven Pinker and Peter Singer .
Using CRISPR - cas9 in plant life breeding , argue the signer , has the potential to dramatically concentrate pesticide and plant food exercise in farming while increasing food security through the instauration of mood - resilient plant life varieties .
' NGTs hold immense hope for sustainable agriculture , raise food security measure , and innovative medical solutions , ' say the signatory . ' We therefore further you to engage with the overwhelming absolute majority of farmers and genuine experts , not with reactive anti - science lobbyists in the Brussels bubble . We pray you to vote in favor of NGTs . '
A loser to unlock the potential drop of NGTs would also risk a major economic opportunity cost , express the signatories , and ' could cost the European economy 300 billion euros annually in " benefits forgone " across multiple sectors . '
All eye are now on the ENVI committee ballot schedule for 24 January . If the committee passes the marriage offer , this is expected to be succeed on 5 February by a plenary vote in the Strasbourg Parliament . ten-spot of activists from the international WePlanet connection – including young scientist and sodbuster – are carry to demonstrate outside the sevens building that day in party favour of NGTs .
Dr Hidde Boersma , PHD , the Dutch microbiologist who coordinate the letter , articulate : ' The NGTs vote is a Brobdingnagian moment for the European Parliament . Will they squeeze reason and optimism or cave into the anti - science fearmongering of an badly - informed minority ? Now , more than ever , it ’s time to embrace the optimism that Europe ’s young scientist and farmers interpret . '
Read the letter here .
