<nettime> GENETICS ACTIVISTS CREATE SUPERWEED

[ir-heath@mail.netnames.net]

 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: superweed@hotbot.com
 Heath Bunting email: jan99@irational.org
 Rachel Baker email: rachel@irational.org
 Hayvend email: hayvend@backspace.org

 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: majordomo@desk.nl and "info nettime-l" in the msg body
#  URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/  contact: nettime-owner@desk.nl