GMW: Jennifer Thomson joins board of nukes firm

[Guest guest]

GMW: Jennifer Thomson joins board of nukes firm

" GM WATCH " <info

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:44:48 +0100

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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Dr David Fig is a South African sociologist, author of the book

'Uranium Road: Questioning South Africa's Nuclear Direction', and

Biowatch

South Africa's chairperson.

 

For more on the South African GM scientist and lobbyist Jennifer

Thomson see: 'Jennifer Thomson lying Down Under'

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6859

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" David Fig " <davidfig

[via the GM_Free_Africa list]

 

Jennifer Thomson, darling of GM-industry-supported AfricaBio, UCT

microbiology professor, and strong advocate of GMOs, has just accepted

membership of the board of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company.

 

The Pebble Bed Co is seeking to tie South Africa into a further round

of commitments to the nuclear industry. 85% owned by government, it is

plannnig to spend a total of R15.9 billion on the establishment of a

fuel plant and a pilot pebble bed reactor at Koeberg. It hopes to

commercialise this reactor, foist it onto the South African taxpayer,

as well

as exporting it if it can find any clients. Despite the outcome of the

new EIA being unclear, contracts are already being handed out to

construction and engineerinig companies.

 

Thomson's appointment comes as no surprise to anti-GM and anti-nuclear

campaigners, who see strong similarities in the way the respective

unsustainable technologies have been adopted in South Africa. Both

technologies represent false paths for development here and further

afield.

Yet both technologies are supported by government which believes that

they are integral to our economic growth. Both technologies are likely to

leave a legacy of social misery and environmental degradation in their

wake. They feed into corporate greed and abuse of our natural resources

for narrow private gain at the expense of jobs and environmental

security. Nuclear expansion in particular brings back the need for a

" security state " which we thought we had jettisoned after apartheid.

 

Thomson's acceptance of a position on the PBMR Co board is a further

nail in the coffin of her scientific reputation. When asked why she felt

the need to do this she responded, " anything to infuriate the

greenies " . Little does Thomson realise her own naivete will count

against her in

the long run, as even broader constituencies take note of her slavish

support for technologies which rupture the path towards broad social

and ecological justice.

 

David Fig

davidfig

Johannesburg, 18h45CAT 18 August 2006

 

 

 

 

 

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