Previously known as Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics PSRGNZ - Charitable Trust
As required under the new 2005 Charities Act, PSGR has reregistered as a charitable trust.

22 January 2018           

To all New Zealand Councils and Councillors                   cc District Health Boards and Public Health Services, Other interested recipients

Formulating your Long Term Plans

PSGR is a not-for-profit, non-aligned charitable trust whose members are mainly science, medical and machinery-of-government professionals.  Since the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification made recommendations “to proceed with caution”, PSGR has maintained a watching brief, in particular on scientific developments in genetic engineering (also referred to as genetic modification), as well as other public interest issues involving health and environmental safety where we can offer expert opinion on lawful and authoritative public policy information.

Please consider this information and recommendations as a submission by PSGR to your planning development and consultation 2018.  PSGR will speak to this submission.

In forming responsible and effective governance

The responsibility to ratepayers and the wider community requires informed decision-making, including consideration of new information and peer-reviewed science that may challenge perceived wisdom, or current policy assumptions.  In many situations an intergenerational perspective is required.

In this submission regarding your Long Term Plans we ask Council to consider the following issues to be addressed:

  • Providing drinking water free of fluoridation;
  • Protection against contamination of land and waterways by genetically engineered organisms;
  • Urgent reduction of public, crop and animal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides.

Appropriate policy and planning responses to these issues are also provided in PSGR’s recommendations at the end of each following section.

22 January 2018           

To all New Zealand Councils and Councillors                   cc District Health Boards and Public Health Services, Other interested recipients 

Formulating your Long Term Plans

PSGR is a not-for-profit, non-aligned charitable trust whose members are mainly science, medical and machinery-of-government professionals.  Since the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification made recommendations “to proceed with caution”, PSGR has maintained a watching brief, in particular on scientific developments in genetic engineering (also referred to as genetic modification), as well as other public interest issues involving health and environmental safety where we can offer expert opinion on lawful and authoritative public policy information.

Please consider this information and recommendations as a submission by PSGR to your planning development and consultation 2018.  PSGR will speak to this submission.

In forming responsible and effective governance

The responsibility to ratepayers and the wider community requires informed decision-making, including consideration of new information and peer-reviewed science that may challenge perceived wisdom, or current policy assumptions.  In many situations an intergenerational perspective is required.

In this submission regarding your Long Term Plans we ask Council to consider the following issues to be addressed:

 

16 November 2017

To all Members of the New Zealand Parliament   

 

For the sake of a tooth

Michael E Godfrey MBBS, FACAM, FACNEM, Director, Bay of Plenty Environmental Health Clinic, TAURANGA

 

This letter is to request that all Members of Parliament work cooperatively with all other Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum, to ensure a safe and proper approach to the use of fluoride.  We ask this in the interest of protecting New Zealanders.

The Science has changed

An important study published this year in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives by a team of investigators at the Universities of Toronto, McGill, and the Harvard School of Public Health, has found a significant association between fluoride exposure in pregnancy and lower measures of intelligence in children [1]. The US National Institute for Health funded this US$3 million study to specifically investigate developmental neurotoxicity.

The study is the first by the U.S. Government in 60 years into potential adverse neurological effects. It adds to the published evidence indicating widespread adverse effects from fluoride involving all stages in life from pre-birth to old age. They include, amongst other effects, confirmed neurological impairment including: loss of IQ; hypothyroidism; musculo-skeletal fluorosis diagnosed as arthritis; and dental fluorosis. This element is present due to an unlimited consumption of fluoridated water; in toothpaste; in tea; in pharmaceuticals; and in the commercial food chain.

17 November 2017 

 

17 November 2017

To all Members of the New Zealand Parliament

PSGR is a not-for-profit, non-aligned charitable trust whose members are science and medical professionals. Since the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification to proceed with caution PSGR has maintained a watching brief on the scientific developments in genetic engineering (also referred to as genetic modification).

Genetically engineered organisms

This letter is to request that all Members of Parliament work cooperatively with all other Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum, in order to ensure a precautionary approach to the use of genetically engineered organisms.  We ask this in the interest of protecting New Zealand's GE-free production and natural environment, and the economic advantage of a GE-free status for our export markets.