Scripps Florida is a biotech corporation funded by State tax dollars, the department of defence, and other government and private sectors. Though it is headquartered in La Jolla, California, Scripps Florida is located on the Jupiter Campus of Florida Atlantic University. Three new Scripps facilities opened on campus in February of this year. The ribbion cutting ceremony included the usual suspects, Gov. Christ, Scripps CEO and longtime tobacco industry goon, Richard Lerner, and the bought and paid commissioners of several nearby municipalities.
Scripps has a long history of animal experimentation, including the vivisection of primates, cats, dogs, and rodents. Though public scrutiny of animal vivisection is all but absent at the facilities on at the Jupiter Campus of FAU, a recent study by a Scripps scientist attests to the deliberate infection of over one hundred macaque primates with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (also known as "mad cow disease.")
Worst of all, Scripps Florida is attempting to expand across the street from FAU to the beautiful pine flatwoods ecosystem of the Briger Tract. At 900 acres, the Briger Tract is one of the few remaining forests of any measure left in the area. It is home to endangered species such as the gopher tortoise, the gopher frog, indigo snakes, nesting bald eagles, osprey, and many types of endangered flora. It is also lush with saw palmettos, the berries of which provide medicine for several ailments. It is telling that Scripps is attempting to clear cut and replace a medicinal forest with bio-pharmacueticals that will be patented and corporatly owned in a process some call 'bio-colonization.'
As students of Florida Atlantic University, regardless of what campus we attend, we must speak out against the torturous and environmentally unsound projects that are carried out on, and supported by, Florida Atlantic University, which is supported by our tuition.
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Various county and state agencies want to develop the land to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Additionally, the information that your own group has released elsewhere includes a preliminary layout of the potential development with ~70% being housing. You can certainly argue that the houses are not necessary, but your ire should go towards the government officials who are more concerned about building something there than what those structures actually are.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from FAU in 1980 with a B.S. in Geology. I was very proud of that at the time. However over the years FAU has been involved in some very spurious, despicable actions, including the destruction of burrowing owls (the FAU mascot) and their habitat to build a football stadium (the original FAU benefactor did not want there to be football as it detracted from the academic program but FAU ignored the prohibition). Then the most heinous and despicable involvement with Scripps which is involved in vivisection and the torture, mutilation and killing of animals. I am now deeply ashamed of FAU and ashamed of ever having had any connection with them. SHAME, SHAME ON FAU!!
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