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Short- and long-term risk arising from daily exposures to novel entities, are disregarded and downplayed in Aotearoa New Zealand[i] [ii] [iii]. Media and governance institutions do not sufficiently communicate nor reflect the complexity and degree of risk, that is represented in the scientific literature.

The failure to steward - and resource science relating to - chemicals and pollution is a global phenomenon. Only a small fraction of chemicals are stewarded, there is an absence of horizon scanning to identify risk, there is an absence of feedback loops into the policy and regulatory communities, and there is a failure to provide resourcing and latitude for expert interdisciplinary communities that can traverse the issues at hand.

Scientific research required to identify and assess risk to novel entities is markedly under-resourced. Scientists who maintain staff and expensive research facilities cannot easily access funding to explore human and environmental health risk from synthetic chemical, heavy metal and biotechnological emissions.[iv]

PSGR recently interviewed Dr Bruce Lanphear, public health physician & paediatric epidemiologist, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University. Dr. Lanphear has an M.D. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and an M.P.H. from the Tulane School of Public Health. Served on the Lancet Commission on pollution and health, served on government panels and advisory boards. Founder of Little Things Matter who released the eye-raising video, the Impact of toxic chemicals on the developing brain

Our interview (also in audio) traversed the issues that are not conventionally recognised, the difficulty in securing funding for work that is often complex and long term. We drew attention to the questionable ethical habit of funding billions for drug cures, while underfunding research to identify the risks and harms of manmade environmental contaminants and the toxic breakdown products that can persist in humans and the environment for years. Lanphear's research history encompasses pesticides, fluoride, diet, plastics, heavy metals and more, and his experience with long-term cohort trials, and his work untangling the relationships of exposures with health risks has provided him with a unique 'birds-eye' view. As a result, PSGR threw the book at him - asking him a broad range of questions which would help unravel the problems he has identified, their drivers, but also to define and shed light on common terms and understandings that people must navigate when they become familiar with an environmental problem.

NOVEL ENTITIES

Many Anthropogenic emissions can be classified as novel entities. In 2015, Will Steffan et al. recognised novel entities as:

“new substances, new forms of existing substances and modified life forms that have the potential for unwanted geophysical and/or biological effects… These potentially include chemicals and other new types of engineered materials or organisms not previously known to the Earth system as well as naturally occurring elements (for example, heavy metals) mobilized by anthropogenic activities”.[vii]

Everyday commercial industries; factories; transport; agriculture; service industries and the functions of household and community life, result in emissions of chemicals and the biotechnologies into to air, water, soil and into human, animal and other forms of life. Anthropogenic deployment of novel entities into the environment are of concern at the global level when these entities exhibit (i) persistence, (ii) mobility across scales with consequent widespread distributions, and (iii) potential impacts on vital Earth System processes or sub-systems. [xvii] Risk increases from chemical mixtures which can produce additive and/or synergistic effects.

The year 1950 is recognised as the start of the Anthropocene[viii], when the great expansion in industries and human activity surged post World War II. Since the 1950’s expansion of these industries has been multiscalar, without concomitant resourcing to identify risk both at scale, and to reflect the complex use patterns of these products.

Only a small proportion of chemicals undergo risk assessment,[ix] and frequently risk assessment uses outdated methodologies, or patterns of assessment that result in industry data being kept secret, and the profile of the drug as it is marketed, being thoroughly assessed.[x] [xi] [xii] [xiii]

Most media and governance focus revolve around carbon emissions and the control of carbon emissions by the alteration of agriculture and daily activities. Chemical and biotechnology emissions and risks from manmade technologies remain fundamentally disregarded.

Stewardship[xiv], including monitoring and research, risk assessments and national emissions standards have not kept space with the speed of introduction and deployment into the environment. Scientists consider that human activity has modified and potentially disrupts many critical earth system processes. In order to protect these processes, scientists urge that governing bodies steward a safe operating space where earth systems do not decline into irreversible tipping points.

Recently, the lag in stewardship has resulted in Stockholm Institute scientists proposing that the safe operating space of the planetary boundary for novel entities is exceeded when annual production and releases increase at a pace that outstrips the global capacity for assessment and monitoring.[xv]

Meaningful regulation remains set aside as regulators turn to industry for evidence of harm. For example, the co-operative relationships between pharmaceutical drug producers and governments does not extend to the development of public policy treaties, protocols and agreements that include demands to reduce the presence of pharmaceutical products in water.[xvi] Pesticides regulation continues to be shaped by industry influence, biotech industries and patent holders pressure for biotechnology regulation and meaningful regulation fails to be implemented to steward and protect all vertebrates from endocrine disruptors in diets and in the environment.

STEWARDSHIP OF MANMADE TECHNOLOGIES DENIED & DISCOUNTED?

The term ‘science denial’ reflects

‘an activity aimed at renouncing some well-justified assertion or theory in mainstream science’ , irrespective of whether this activity targets research or policy-making.

'Chemicals denial' has been identified as a phenomenon that consists of repeated patterns to deny and dismiss the degree to which chemicals and waste represent a risk to biological function. Such activities occur in New Zealand. In the PSGR & the Soil and Health Association released a 2019 paper that documented the patterns of chemical denial that has distorted New Zealand policy on freshwater for at least ten years, steering government consideration away from industrial chemicals, and directing consultation and policy exclusively towards 'pathogens, nutrients and sediment.'

Fail to resource and under-resourcing of monitoring capacity and scientific research not only applies to research exploring effects in the natural environment.[v] For medical doctors attempting to identify the drivers of chronic disease in patients, there are systemic barriers to conducting serum and tissue analysis to identify relationships and identify potential disease drivers, using advanced technologies, including biomarker assisted technologies. Associations from exposures can include inflammation, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and oxidative stress.

As we have noted:

‘Omics technologies (adductomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics) traverse a broader biological space, and can complement the traditional biomarker endpoints and play an important role in understanding mixture effects, and the early molecular events in the pathways leading to disease which to date has been largely excluded from regulatory considerations.’[vi]

Such technologies are available and widely incorporated in drug development, as well as in environmental research to understand system stressors of vertebrates.

CONSOLIDATION OF INDUSTRY POWER

Novel entities can be broadly grouped into synthetic chemicals, products of biotechnology and include heavy metals. Industry sectors are powerful, and work closely with governments and their regulators to advance policy and shape (and resist changes to) guidelines.

The chemical industry is the second largest manufacturing industry globally. Industry restructuring and consolidation has dominated the past decade, accompanied by vertical integration, increasing control along the chain of production. Between 2010 and 2050, production is projected to triple. There are an estimated 350 000 chemicals (or mixtures of chemicals) on the global market, with 6,000 of these chemicals accounting for more than 99 per cent of the total volume. Material extraction as feed stocks for novel entities was approximately 92 billion tonnes globally in 2017, and is projected to reach 190 billion tonnes by 2060.[xviii]

Patterns of concentration in major industries that are emitters of novel have occurred across the global food system[xix], the pesticides and crop protection sector[xx] and the pharmaceutical industry[xxi]. Unimpeded corporate concentration has expanded the market power of investment management institutions and dominant industries, distorting prices[xxii] and leading the IMF to question whether extreme market power suppresses innovation.[xxiii]

The power of these large institutions and related investment management institutions are woven into government policies through processes of international trade agreements, industry meetings to develop regulatory guidelines and via global treaties. Public organisations are often excluded from these processes, and there are barriers to participation. Media rarely cover these events, and advertising incentives reduce the likelihood that a critical perspective will be adopted.

The global crop protection chemicals market was projected to grow from $59.41 billion in 2021 to $81.74 billion in 2028.[xxiv] From 1990-2009 annual imports of pesticides into New Zealand increased by 70%.[xxv] In 2009 recording-keeping ceased.

The global biotechnology market is expected to expand from US$ 852.88 billion in 2020, and to be worth around US$ 3.44 trillion by 2030. A CAGR of 17.83% during forecast period 2021 to 2030. Market growth has been driven by SARS-CoV- which is ‘driving the market’, through supportive government initiatives and advances in nanobiotechnologies, using nanotechnologies for drug delivery. [xxvi]

In 2020 global pharmaceutical revenues were valued at USD1.42 trillion.[xxvii]

The scientists, pivoted to recognise that substantial growth in volumes of these technologies, effectively means that novel entities are ungoverned:

‘increasing trends of production and emissions of diverse novel entities that outstrip our efforts at safety assessment and monitoring are a transgression of the planetary boundary and that immediate actions are needed to return us to the safe operating space’.

The acknowledged the problem of lock-in where companies shift sideways to produce replacement compounds (which have potential to be regrettable substitutes). The scientists recommended a preventative and precautionary hazard-based approach to steward these technologies, and concluded

‘that increases in production and releases of novel entities are not consistent with keeping humanity within the safe operating space, in the light of the global capacity for management.’ [xxviii]

For 20 years, PSGR NZ have released reports and made submissions to government consultations. Reports focussing on novel entities include:

BIOTECHNOLOGY & GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGIES

Report: Transgenic cotton, a toxic business (2017)

Report: Genetic Engineering FAQs (2010)

DEPLETED URANIUM.

Report: Why depleted uranium should be banned from New Zealand (2012)

FLUORIDE TOXICITY

Submission on endocrine (thyroid hormone) - related risk, Fluoridation of Drinking water Amendment Bill (2021)

Report: The Fluoride Debate (2014)

MERCURY TOXICITY

Report: Dental amalgam & mercury poisoning (2015)

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Report: Nanotechnology. A New Zealand Perspective (2014).

PESTICIDES

Submission: NZEPA Glyphosate Call for Information (2021)

Article: Glyphosate. Twenty years of highlighting cancer risk.

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY.

Report: Synthetic biology (2017)

REFERENCES

[i] PSGR (2021 Aug), Inquiry on the Natural and Built Environments Bill: Parliamentary Paper Environment Committee. https://psgr.org.nz/component/jdownloads/send/1-root/72-21nba

[ii] PSGR (2022, March 16) Submission Te Ara Paerangi - Future Pathways Green Paper. Submitted to the: Future Pathways Policy Team Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. https://psgr.org.nz/component/jdownloads/send/1-root/88-nzscience

[iii] PSGR (2021, Oct 3). Submission Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessments) Amendment Bill. https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/53SCEN_EVI_112194_EN7820/81f0cd1bb6c6cd56e4630e975b9f0e6dcb0d888c

[iv] Bruning, J. (2021). Master’s thesis (research). Innovation and Ignorance: How Innovation Funding Cultures Disincentivise

Endocrine Disruption Research. Department of Sociology. University of Auckland.

[v] Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (2022, March) Knowing what’s out there: Regulating the environmental fate of chemicals

[vi] PSGR (2022, Aug, 7) Submission Public consultations on the Food Regulatory System Strategic Plan 2023-2026. Ref: ANON-NESK-81CH-5

[vii] Steffen, Wet al. (2015). Planetary Boundaries: Guiding Human Development on a Changing Planet. Science 2015, 347 (6223), 1259855−1259855.

[viii] Crutzen et al. (2002), Geology of mankind. Nature 415, 23 (2002). 10.1038/415023a doi:10.1038/415023a

[ix] UN Environment. Global Chemicals Outlook II - From Legacies to Innovative Solutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; 978-92-807-3745-5, 2019.

[x] Demeneix, B., & Slama, R. (2019). Endocrine Disruptors: from Scientific Evidence to Human Health Protection. requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions. PE 608.866 - March 2019. Brussels: Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs.

[xi] Benbrook et al 2021. Commentary: Novel strategies and new tools to curtail the health effects of pesticides. Environmental Health volume 20: 87 2021

[xii] Robinson et al 2020. Achieving a High Level of Protection from Pesticides in Europe: Problems with the Current Risk Assessment Procedure and Solutions. European Journal of Risk Regulation. DOI:10.1017/err.2020.18

[xiii] Kassotis et al 2020. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: economic, regulatory, and policy implications. The Lancet 8:719-730

[xiv] Boston et al. (2019) Foresight, insight and oversight: Enhancing long-term governance through better parliamentary scrutiny. Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 978-0-473-48292-3

[xv] Persson L et al. (2022) Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities. Environmental Science & Technology 56 (3), 1510-1521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04158

[xvi] González Peña, O. I., López Zavala, M. Á., & Cabral Ruelas, H. (2021). Pharmaceuticals Market, Consumption Trends and Disease Incidence Are Not Driving the Pharmaceutical Research on Water and Wastewater. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(5), 2532. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052532

[xvii] Persson L et al. (2022) Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities. Environmental Science & Technology 56 (3), 1510-1521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04158

[xviii] UN Environment. Global Chemicals Outlook II - From Legacies to Innovative Solutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; 978-92-807-3745-5, 2019.

[xix] Clapp, J. (2021). The problem with growing corporate concentration and power in the global food system. Nature Food. 2, 404–408 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00297-7

[xx] Watson D. (2018) Pesticides and Agriculture Profit, Politics and Policy. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited

[xxi] Shepherd J. (2018). Consolidation and Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Role of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Current Innovation Ecosystem, 21 J. Health Care L. & Pol'y 1 (2018). https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/jhclp/vol21/iss1/2

[xxii] Clapp J. & Isakson SR. (2018). Speculative Harvests Financialization, Food, and Agriculture. Practical Action Publishing.

[xxiii] Diez et al (2018). Global Market Power and its Macroeconomic Implications. International Monetary Fund, 15/06/2018

[xxiv] Fortune business insights

[xxv] MfE & StatsNZ 2020 MfE’s Our Freshwater paper, Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ Publication number: ME 1490 https://environment.govt.nz/assets/Publications/Files/our-freshwater-2020.pdf

[xxvi] BioSpace (2022, April 25) Biotechnology Market Size to Worth Around US$ 3.44 Trillion by 2030 https://www.biospace.com/article/biotechnology-market-size-to-worth-around-us-3-44-trillion-by-2030/

[xxvii] Statista (2022, August 23) Revenue of the worldwide pharmaceutical market from 2001-2021 https://www.statista.com/statistics/263102/pharmaceutical-market-worldwide-revenue-since-2001/

[xxviii] Persson L et al. (2022) Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities. Environmental Science & Technology 56 (3), 1510-1521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04158

Ruakura

Ruakura, on the outskirts of Hamilton, is the largest of the AgResearch campuses. Research includes animal molecular biology (genomics and cloning), reproductive technologies, agricultural systems modelling, land management, dairy and meat science, food processing technology and safety, and animal behaviour and welfare.

AgResearch Limited

Ruakura Research Centre

East Street
Private Bag 3115
HAMILTON

Telephone +64 7 834 6600
Fax: +64 7 834 6640
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Hopkirk Research Institute

The Hopkirk Research Institute concentrates on health sciences for pastoral-fed animals. Its scientists work in association with Massey University on the University’s Turitea campus.

Hopkirk Research Institute

Tennent Drive
PALMERSTON NORTH 4442

Private Bag 11008
PALMERSTON NORTH 4442

Telephone +64 6 351 8600

Fax +64 6 353 7853

AgResearch Grasslands

AgResearch Grasslands is adjacent to Massey University, near Palmerston North, its research focus being plant breeding and plant molecular biology (particularly functional genomics), ruminant nutrition and land management.

Grasslands Research Centre
Tennent Drive
PALMERSTON NORTH 4442

Private Bag 11008
PALMERSTON NORTH 4442

Telephone +64 6 356 8019
Fax +64 6 351 8032

National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease

National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID) is a collaboration between AgResearch and Biosecurity New Zealand, the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and AsureQuality.

National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease

AgResearch

Wallaceville Campus
Ward Street
WALLACEVILLE

PO Box 40063
UPPER HUTT 5140

Telephone +64 4 529 0300
Fax +64 4 529 0413

AgResearch Lincoln

AgResearch Lincoln, 15 km west of Christchurch, focuses on: biocontrol and biosecurity; plant breeding and seed technology; wool and skin biology; and animal fibres and textiles.

AgResearch Lincoln
Lincoln Research Centre

Cnr Springs Road and Gerald Street
LINCOLN

Private Bag 4749
CHRISTCHURCH 8140

Telephone +64 3 321 8800
Fax +64 3 321 8811

Molecular Biology Unit

Molecular Biology Unit (MBU) is in partnership with a Crown Research Institute (CRI), and the University of Otago, and combines agricultural and medical research to develop molecular tools for genome analysis.

AgResearch Molecular Biology Unit
Centre for Innovation

University of Otago
Cnr St David & Castle Streets
PO Box 56
DUNEDIN 9054

Telephone +64 3 479 7681
Fax +64 3 477 5413
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Invermay Agricultural Centre

Invermay Agricultural Centre is on the Taieri Plain, near Mosgiel and Dunedin. Its research concentrates on animal molecular biology, particularly genomics, deer, sheep, land management, and biocontrol and biosecurity.

Invermay Agricultural Centre
Puddle Alley
MOSGIEL 9092

Private Bag 50034
MOSGIEL 9053

Telephone +64 3 489 3809
Fax +64 3 489 3739

Illustrated public lectures presented by Robert Anderson

Climate change

Depleted Uranium Issue

EMR - Electro magnetic radiation

Iraq – a nuclear war?

Nanotechnology

Peak oil

Revisiting Silent Spring: Living in a toxic world

Synthetic biology

The sacred ocean: how long have we got?

I thank Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility for offering to host these lectures in recognition of Bob’s work for PSGR from 1998 to 2008. And I thank everyone who helped make it possible to post them here.

Bob died on 5 December 2008. In the previous decade, he had given public lectures throughout New Zealand on a wide range of scientific, social justice and human rights issues, beginning with genetic engineering. The subjects covered were at the public’s request and given under the auspices of a number of different organizations.

The lectures are offered gratis. If you wish to use the material, please acknowledge your source and continue to use Bob’s work without charge in the interests of the public’s right to be independently informed. If you would like to recognize his input, I ask you to consider donating to PSGR (1), Quaker Peace and Service Aotearoa/New Zealand (2) or Amnesty International (3 or any movement of your choice working towards social justice and peace. Every donation helps.

Bob was a Quaker and lived by the tenets of his faith. He opposed violence between people and nations, to other species and to our planet. He believed that true peace cannot be dictated; it can only be built on equality, social justice, respect, and co-operation between all peoples. He was passionate about the welfare of all beings, regardless of race or religion, with a special caring for women and children, and about the welfare of the world this generation would leave behind. Bob worked tirelessly to better that world.

Jean Anderson, November 2009

New Zealand only: enquiries about Robert Anderson’s books may be addressed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

1. www.psgr.org.nz; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2. www.quaker.org.nz/contact/how-to-donate-to-us

3. www.amnesty.org.nz; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Paul G Butler, BSc, MB, ChB, Dip. Obst. (Auckland), FRNZCGP. General Practitioner. Make New Zealand Healthy trustee. Region: Auckland

Jon Carapiet MA, MPhil, Senior Market Researcher. Region: Auckland

Bernard J Conlon, MB, BCh, BAO, DCH, DRCOG, DGM, MRCGP (UK), FRNZCGP. General Practitioner. Region:Whakatāne

Elvira Dommisse, BSc (Hons), PhD, Mus.B, LTCL, AIRMTNZ. Scientist, Crop & Food Research Institute (1985-1993), working on GE onion programme. Region: Canterbury.

Anna Goodwin, FRACP, FACNEM, FASLM. Dip Marine Biology and Seismology (UK). USA trained medical oncologist. Region: Bay of Plenty

Brian M Maskell, Strategist & development consultant (public and private sector). Region: Bay of Plenty

Frank Rowson, BVetMed Veterinarian. Region: Waikato

Damian Wojcik, BSc, MBChB, DipObst., DCH FIBCMT FACNEM FRNZCGP Master Forensic Medicine (Monash) FRCPA (Forensic). General Practitioner; Clinical Metal Toxicologist; Forensic Physician; Director, Northland Environmental Health Clinic. Member of the Make New Zealand Healthy Advisory Panel. Region: Northland

Jodie Bruning, Sociologist. B.Bus.Agribusiness (Monash Australia); MA Sociol, Research, University of Auckland. www.TalkingRisk.NZ JRBruning.Substack.com. Member of the Make New Zealand Healthy Advisory Panel. Region: Bay of Plenty.

Jodie Bruning is PSGRNZ's lead researcher and primary media contact.

Subcategories

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For over 20 years the Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility New Zealand Charitable Trust (PSGR) has produced reports and submitted to government Bills and Inquiries.

We’ve been extraordinarily busy over the past 2 years with our work.

This Update aims to inform members and colleagues – and act as a go-to summary of our recent work.

2022 UPDATE - PDF

As well as our recent work All PSGR’s submissions are available to the public on our Submissions pages. In addition, we are now on LinkedIn, Twitter, Odysee & Instagram.

MEMBERSHIP

Please – without your support and membership PSGR cannot do this work. We’ve kept our fees deliberately low because your membership is important to us.

MOVING FORWARD 2022+

The PSGR recognise that the perspectives that have been expressed by the PSGR from 2020 onwards will not necessarily reflect the perspectives of all trustees and all members.

However, we sincerely hope that PSGR’s perspectives are more likely to reflect the perspectives of the majority of our membership and of collegial organisations – which represents a diverse quorum of inquiring minds.

We hope that we have demonstrated a consistency to our work, that reflects and upholds the principles reflected in 20 years of research, information communications and submissions to policy

Reports and Papers

Royal Commission

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