United States

 

 

For Immediate Release, 20 August 2014

The US Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it is voluntarily preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding a petition to deregulate [legalize] the commercial sale of the first genetically engineered tree in the US, a freeze tolerant eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus trees are not native to the US and are a documented invasive species. They are also highly flammable and known to deplete ground water. The freeze tolerant GE eucalyptus trees will be able to survive in regions too cold for their non-GE relatives.

Social organizations try to prevent a Chiapas-California REDD agreement from going forward. They denounce the potential for increased emissions in California on the one hand and landgrabs in Chiapas on the other.

The forestry industry’s endless pursuit of bigger profits has led to the growing homogenization of trees cultivated for timber, pulp and paper production.

The letter has received more than 11,000 endorsements, from both organizations and individuals, from 33 countries. To Whom It May Concern, I oppose allowing ArborGen to plant over a quarter of a million GE eucalyptus in 29 field trials over 330 acres for the following reasons:

“Eucalyptus is the perfect neoliberal tree. It grows quickly, turns a quick profit in the global market and destroys the earth.”—Jaime Aviles, La Jornada

A Position Paper on the Potential Environmental and Economic Impacts of the Cellulosic Ethanol Industry in the Southern United States. By Scot Quaranda Research Assistance by Mollie Petersen, Siara Cowan and Kathryne Crane Download full report as pdf

 WRM information sheets on GE tree research First posted: 1 August 2008 Updated: 30 October 2008 (including information provided by the Global Justice Ecology Project) Updated: 10 July 2009, based on (1) and (2) (Field trials) Last update: August 2014

The United States is legendary for our ability to consume. Though we have the third largest population in the world far behind China and India, we consume more than any other nation in the world.  This is no different when it comes to paper; we leave the rest of the world behind with the average American consuming 300 kg of paper per year.  For context, the United Nations estimates that 30-40 kilos is the minimum needed to meet basic literacy and communication needs.