1. Rael: 'Genetically Modified Food is the Only Answer!' - Scientific study confirms Rael's prediction
2. Raelian leader says cloning first step to immortality

GMWatch comment: The latest twist in the GM debate has taken a bizarre turn.

In 2008, we had 400 leading experts and 57 governments authoring and signing up to the IAASTD report, which found that the future of food production was in agroecological farming and that GM crops had little, if anything, to offer in solving world hunger.

Response from GM company Syngenta, one of the IAASTD stakeholders: walked out of the process. Response from US government: refused to sign the report. Response from UK government: had to sign the report because they'd helped organise it, but met its release with resounding silence.
http://www.bangmfood.org/feed-the-world/17-feeding-the-world/6-gm-no-solution-to-global-hunger

Now, in 2011, we have the 2011 Foresight Report, produced by the UK government and authored by, er, 400 leading experts (presumably a different 400 experts than the ones who were responsible for IAASTD) from 35 countries. The report advocates an intensification of the existing failed agribiz system. It carefully leaves the door open to GM and other high-tech "solutions" to world hunger, while also putting in some decidedly faint praise for agroecology/organics.

Response from UK government chief scientist John Beddington: he makes a cautiously qualified statement that doesn't rule out GM crops as part of the solution to world hunger, while also allowing for the fact that no GM crops are available that that actually solve any of the world's hunger problems:
http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/12828

Response from media, presumably in response to press campaign by UK government: Slew of articles appear, using Foresight and Beddington to tout intensive ag and GM as solutions to world hunger:
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=15278
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/24/global-food-system-report
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3371621/Peter-Seabrook-The-world-cant-afford-to-ban-GM-crops.html

The UK government's most outspoken allies in the pro-GM, pro-techno-fix approach to feeding the world: a religious sect called the Raelians. The Raelians, unlike Beddington and the UK government, see no need to qualify their enthusiasm for GM out of respect for the inconvenient and undeniable truth that GM crops have failed on just about every front.

See articles below.

More about the Raelians:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/10485/dance-with-the-naked-aliens
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1. Rael: 'Genetically Modified Food is the Only Answer!' - Scientific study confirms Rael's prediction
PRNewswire
LONDON, January 26, 2011
http://bit.ly/gEXm1m

Rael, founder and leader of the International Raelian Movement, has been the most fervent advocate of Genetically Modified (GM) food. Indeed, as he predicted for many years, it's the only means to end starvation.

Those who claim that GM crops will cause an environmental disaster are like those who tried to prevent cars from replacing horses a century ago on similar grounds," he commented after hearing a statement on the subject made by the prince in 2008. "The truth is, if we had stuck with horses, London would now be one meter deep in horsesh*t!"

Supporting Rael's view is a UK study involving 400 experts from 35 countries that has just called for urgent action to avert global hunger. The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures says the current system is unsustainable and will fail to end hunger unless radically redesigned. It also says the use of particular technologies, such as genetic modification, cloning and nanotechnology, should not be ruled out. And Sir John Beddington (the government's chief scientist) argues that moves to block GM crops on moral grounds are no longer sustainable.

Rael pointed out that there isn't enough arable land on Earth to feed the entire population using only organic and pesticide-based farming.

"Privileged, overfed, over-rich countries like the United Kingdom can afford to debate this issue," Rael said. "Fortunately, most African leaders are focused on giving food to the continent's starving children rather than on debate. GM crops are the only solution to the food crisis, and they're 100 percent safe!"

As a science-based religion, the Raelian Movement teaches that science should not be restricted and that it should always used to help humanity.

"We were created from science and all the problems on this planet can be solved through science and love," said Glenn Carter, president of the UK Raelian Movement.

"We are very happy that finally public opinion will be challenged and ultimately changed in this matter, however it is disappointing that it has taken so long and ultimately this crisis to provoke a rethink in attitude. Maybe now it will not be so 'PR sound' for 'Pret A Manger' to advertise that their food is GM free?" added Glenn.

Glenn warns "All those scare mongers who criticised GM food should take note, and ask yourselves what else have you commented on that has retarded the progress of science and in turn nudged our planet ever closer to an avoidable crisis?"

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Raelian Movement
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2. Raelian leader says cloning first step to immortality
Brigitte Boisselier
CNN
December 27, 2002
http://bit.ly/gFZ2RU

The leader of a religious sect that claimed to have created the first human clone Friday called the development "just the first step" toward human immortality through cloning.

Former French journalist Claude Vorilhon, who now calls himself Rael, claims to be a direct descendant of extraterrestrials who created human life on Earth through genetic engineering. A company founded by his followers announced Friday that the first human clone has been born -- a 7-pound baby girl dubbed "Eve."

The announcement was met with skepticism and concern, since other cloned mammals have had serious birth defects or developed health problems later. But in an interview with CNN, Rael dismissed concerns about health problems in cloned animals, saying "I have no doubt the child will be perfectly healthy."

"Everybody in the world now is crazy about what if the child has a problem. What if? I say, what if the child is perfectly healthy and beautiful? I think opponents to cloning are more afraid of that than of the faults," he said.

Brigitte Boisselier, the chief executive officer of the Raelian-founded company Clonaid, said Eve was created using DNA from the mother's skin cells and is a genetic twin of her mother, a 31-year-old American citizen.

"The best proof that we can have is probably the grandmother, who said she looked just like the mother," Boisselier announced Friday at a news conference in Florida.

The Raelians eventually hope to develop adult clones into which humans could transfer their brains, Rael said.

"Cloning a baby is just the first step. For me, it's not so important," he said. "It's a good step, but my ultimate goal is to give humanity eternal life through cloning."

Boisselier said the cloned child was born Thursday at 11:55 a.m. in an undisclosed country. A group of independent scientists has been chosen by freelance journalist and physicist Dr. Michael Guillen to verify that Eve is the first human clone.

"I have accepted on two conditions: that the invitation be given with no strings attached whatsoever and that the tests be conducted by a group of independent world-class experts," Guillen said.

Results are expected in eight to nine days, Boisselier said.

Friday's announcement prompted a wave of condemnation from scientists -- including one who leads a rival cloning project -- as well as religious organizations and the White House.