Tag Archives: Brazilian Research Network in Nanotechnology Society and the Environment

Sort of secret summit for international nanotechnology activists

Apparently, global activists are meeting for the 4th International Nanotechnology Activist Summit in Berlin, Oct. 6 – 7, 2011. I did a quick search and was unable to find a website for the summit or find any additional information about it on the Friends of the Earth nano website or the ETC Group website, both represented at the summit. The source for the Oct. 7, 2011 news item on Nanowerk is the European Environmental Bureau (one of the activist groups at the Summit). From the news item on Nanowerk,

Some 30 activists representing 14 environmental, technology assessment and consumer organisations from Europe, the United States, Canada and Latin America met for the 4th International Nanotechnology Activist Summit in Berlin on October 6 and 7.

Jaydee Hanson from the International Center for Technology Assessment, which has filed legal challenges to the US Environmental Policy Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, called “for the protection of workers and the public from exposure to nanomaterials that have not been proven safe.”

Paolo Martins, Coordinator of the Brazilian Research Network in Nanotechnology, Society and the Environment called for review of nanotechnologies that will have wide-ranging effects on workers and consumers in the developing world. He noted that there must be, “full consideration of the ethical and social impacts of these technologies.”

Ian Illuminato of Friends of the Earth [FoE]-US demanded that “a full lifecycle analysis must be completed prior to any commercialization of nano-products.” [emphasis mine]

Dorothée Browaeys, Director General of VivAgora (France) noted that “nanomaterials must be classified as new substances and subject to nano-specific regulation. France has initiated mandatory declaration for producers and importers, this should be expanded to include all formulators and retailers of products containing nanomaterials. Other countries should do likewise.”

Pat Mooney, Executive Director of the ETC Group, with offices in Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and the US called for a moratorium on the commercialization of nano-products, but noted that all “Nano-industries must be fully accountable for liabilities caused by their products if they come on the market.”

Given the carbon footprint from the travel for these 14 individuals, these quotes seem like fairly standard rhetoric. I hope there’s more news forthcoming from this meeting otherwise it would seem to be a waste of time and resources.

As for Ian Illuminato (what a marvelous name!), I’m surprised he heads up the FoE-US arm of the organization since, according to a July 21, 2011 news article by Alex Roslin for Vancouver’s (Canada) Georgia Straight, Illuminato has a “home office in Victoria (Canada).” Is this a new trend? Live in Canada and head up a US organization? Note: I wrote a commentary about Roslin’s article on nanoparticles in my July 26, 2011 posting.