OCA Editor’s Note: Please click here to take action against ArborGen’s plan to plant 260,000 franken-trees.

Here’s a great idea: Let’s bring into our country a
genetically-engineered, non-native tree that is known to be wildly
invasive, explosively flammable, and insatiably thirsty for ground
water. Then let’s clone thousands of these living firecrackers and
plant them in forested regions across seven Southern states, allowing
them to grow, flower, produce seeds, and spread into native
environments.

Yes, this would be irresponsible, dangerous, and stupid – but
apparently “Irresponsible, Dangerous, and Stupid” is the unofficial
slogan of the U.S. Department Agriculture. In May, with little
consideration of the devastating consequences for our native
environment, USDA cavalierly rubberstamped a proposal by a profiteering
corporation named ArborGen to do all of the above.

Substantially owned by International Paper, ArborGen shipped tissue
from Brazilian eucalyptus trees to its New Zealand laboratories, where
it was genetically altered to have more cellulose. New Zealand,
however, outlaws plantings of genetically-engineered crops, so ArborGen
sought out a more corporate-compliant country: Ours. The engineered
eucalyptus was waved right into the good ol’ USA to be cloned, and it’s
now awaiting final approval for outdoor release in our land.

This has happened with practically no media coverage or public
participation. It is happening solely because a handful of global
speculators hope to profit by making ethanol from cellulose-enhanced
eucalyptus – never mind that their self-aggrandizement would put
America’s native forests in danger of irreversible contamination by
these destructive, invasive Frankentrees.

Luckily, several scrappy grassroots groups have mobilized to bring
common sense and public pressure to bear on USDA. For updates and
action items, visit www.nogetrees.org.

“Public Overwhelmingly Rejects Genetically Engineered Trees,” Stop GE Trees Campaign, July 16, 2009.