Royal Society fights all-out cloning ban

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-08-30 11:58am

BRITAIN’S leading academic institution is backing an international campaign to stop the United States securing an international ban on all forms of human cloning.

The Royal Society has joined 67 other national academies urging the UN to ban the cloning of babies while making no ruling on using the technology for medical research.

A ban could be introduced at the UN’s 59th General Session in October.

President George Bush’s administration is pushing for an all-encompassing ban to cover therapeutic as well as reproductive cloning.

Although member nations would not be compelled to sign up to it, scientists fear such a treaty would place a major obstacle in the way of vital stem cell research. They believe it could also backfire by thwarting serious efforts to block maverick cloning scientists.

Last year the UN voted by a slim margin to postpone the decision despite powerful lobbying by the US.

An original attempt to agree on a reproductive ban was scuppered by Washington, which ruled out any treaty unless therapeutic cloning was banned too.

Although it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the US on other international issues, Britain is strongly opposed to a total cloning ban.

Earlier this month, scientists from the University of Newcastle were granted a licence to clone human embryos for medical research.

Stem cells taken from early-stage embryos can potentially be used to make replacement tissue for any part of the body. Scientists believe they could provide new treatments for a host of incurable diseases including diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Professor Richard Gardner, chairman of the Royal Society’s working group on stem cell research and cloning, said: "A UN convention which draws a clear distinction between reproductive and therapeutic cloning will provide invaluable guidance in passing effective legislation."

Come on you guys. Being regressive in your own country is bad enough, but trying to stop us as well is just not on.

Loner · Post by **Loner** » 2004-08-30 12:23pm

Eh, we have the tendency to order and push people around.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-08-30 12:48pm

In this anti-science respect. I fucking hate my country. I hate how the Bush administration HATES sceince and all I hope to achieve in my lifetime. I dont fucking care, I will use human cloning out of spite now, whether the ban goes through or not.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-08-30 01:03pm

Let's clone assassins to lace their coffee with laxatives, and then put notices on the toilet paper that it could have been something deadlier, and that they should sponsor cloning.

Why clone assassins? Because it's ironic. Also makes it sound like the plot of a bad movie.

But seriously, give a Bush one a nice disease and see if they still uphold their views.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-08-30 01:04pm

ERRATA: I don't know how that sentence turned out so bad. Should read:

"If you give one of the Bush's a nice disease that's probably only going to be curable via stem-cell research, let's see if they still uphold their views."

Boyish-Tigerlilly · Post by **Boyish-Tigerlilly** » 2004-08-30 01:13pm

I don't see why they give a shit whether or not cloning goes on. (Government) What makes them right over anyone else, and why do they even care!!!

What's the worst that could happen, logically?

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-08-30 01:22pm

Boyish-Tigerlilly wrote:I don't see why they give a shit whether or not cloning goes on.

Because it's a sin against god!

What makes them right over anyone else,

Because god is on their side!

and why do they even care!!!

Because it's a sin against god!

What's the worst that could happen, logically?

A race of soulless atrocities walking the earth, brought about by the foolish pursuits of heathenistic devil scientists and the sacrifice of thousands of aborted fetuses!

Oh wait, sorry, you said "logically". I was still in fundie-mode. (But that is their reasonings.)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-08-30 04:58pm

I believe the Bush admins. silly anti-cloning rule only applies to gov't grant maintained institutions and not private companies, though that may have changed since I last checked. In anycase, I hope the RS wins over more people since this stupid myth about evil clones and armies and playing God is getting tedious.