Biosecurity meets Big Brother: Pandemic Preparedness, Smart Cities, and the Tussle for Privacy

Juggling Global Biosecurity & Privacy Concerns: Tackling Pandemic Readiness and Smart City Surveillance

The documents discuss pandemic preparedness and smart city surveillance. Regarding pandemic preparedness, the USA and Europe support Global Biosecurity Agenda where health becomes a global agenda primarily in rapid mRNA vaccine deployment. The USA likens its pandemic preparedness to the Apollo mission, potentially pulling $65 billion over 7 to 10 years. mRNA vaccines are touted for their effectiveness against COVID-19. The investment is also seen to have long-term economic benefits by minimising pandemics' economic impacts, despite criticism.

For smart city surveillance, the digitization of transport is growing with "smart city" technology. This system collects real-time personal data to be used by law enforcement and other entities. Concerns are growing about potential privacy invasions and the vast data collection enabled by these systems. Biometric digital ID systems, if tied to this system, might lead to restricted travel based on social credit scores, threatening personal freedoms. There is also rising resistance from citizens who fear an invasion of their privacy.

Sources:

1. Health is being rejiggered into pandemic preparedness, huge expenses, and rapid deployment of mRNA vaccines for infections but maybe all other medical conditions

2. Hohmann: Citizens Fight Back Against Dangers Of Smart City Surveillance.

Scientist's Testimony Under Fire: Andersen's Controversial Virus Origins Claims Examined

Scientist Kristian Andersen's testimony to the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has raised suspicion due to potential inconsistencies and seemingly misleading claims. Accusations suggest that Andersen might have been influenced by Dr. Fauci, altering his stance on the virus's origins. Andersen supports the zoonotic transmission theory for SARS-CoV-2, but there's substantial evidence that contradicts this, highlighting the lab leak theory as more likely. The scientist is also criticized for neglecting the possibility of laboratory-based artificial selection when discussing viral selection patterns. Furthermore, Andersen has faced critique for dismissing the lab leak theory and vaguely addressing his conflicts of interest. The truth about these matters, asserts the author, will eventually be surfaced.

Source: Some Potential Untruths By Kristen Andersen. Good News: We Can Check and Double-Check and Find Out

Genetic Feats in Food: 'Piggy Sooy' and Synthetic Meat Stir Concerns and Debate

Moolec, a UK-based company, has engineered a genetically modified soybean, named 'Piggy Sooy,' that contains pig protein. This is done by inserting particular pig gene(s) into traditional soybeans, enhancing the animal protein content in them. These modifications alter the soybean's attributes and cause the plant's inner flesh to take on a pink hue, resembling a pig. The company aspires to introduce plant-animal hybrid sources to the market that imitate actual meat products' taste, texture, and nutrition but without the associated costs of lab-grown meat.

Concurrently, cellular agriculture is gaining traction. The United States Department of Agriculture recently authorised the sale of cell-cultured chicken produced by Good Meat and Upside Foods. Initially, this chicken will be distributed to luxury restaurants, with production capacity set to expand over time. However, some have expressed hesitation about these lab-grown meat alternatives due to potential long-term health impacts.

There are also safety concerns linked to the CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology used to create these genetically modified organisms. The technology leads to numerous unexpected genetic modifications, spawning demands for comprehensive safety evaluations for each genetically altered plant. Yet, countries like the US lack specific rules to govern this.

Critics are worried that these food technology innovations could lead us to a future with fewer unprocessed, natural food options. They argue that utilising synthetic biology in food production could raise substantial health risks and environmental concerns.

Source: Pig Beans — The Latest GMO Frankenfood