Guest guest Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 > 2 Aug 2004 22:11:47 -0000 > No to GM Trees > press-release > > > The Institute of Science in Society Science Society > Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > ======================================================== > > No to GM Trees > > ************** > > Sam Burcher reports on a global movement to ban GM > trees > > Some 400 GM birch trees ( Betula pendula ) in a > single GM > field study situated in Punkaharju, Finland have > been either > ripped up or cut down by unknown parties at an > estimated > cost of 1.21 million euros in June 2004. > > After the attack, the researchers at the Finnish > Forest > Research claimed that their purpose was to examine > the > environmental risks of horizontal gene transfer. > When they > originally applied for permission for the field > trial in > 2000, however, it was to study the carbon-nitrogen > processes > of GM trees. > > Protests against GM trees greeted the 4 th UN Forum > on > Forests (UNFF) in Geneva in May 2004 because of the > “Decision” to draft plans for GM tree projects made > at the > UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP9) in > Milan in > December 2003. > > GM trees have been included in the Kyoto Protocol as > a means > of generating carbon credits under the Clean > Development > Mechanism. Carbon credits sold in this way are not > subject > to the traceability legislation that applies to all > other GM > imports into Europe and therefore countries hosting > GM trees > will have no way of knowing whether their credits > are GM > free or not. > > The hopes pinned on GM trees include slowing the > progress of > climate change and ameliorating the effects of > mercury > vapours in the atmosphere caused by fossil fuels and > medical > waste burning. > > The plan is to “phyto-remediate” plots of land by > planting > GM trees that take up ionic mercury or organic > mercury and > convert it to less toxic elemental mercury, which > can then > be expelled into the atmosphere where it is supposed > to > become less harmful. But what this will achieve is > relocate > soil mercury from contaminated soil sites in the > south and > redistribute the mercury to the north. Also, the > mercury > expelled to the atmosphere will go back to the land > through > precipitation, and convert to its original toxic > state in > the soil. This poses threats to animal and human > health as > well as problems of cross-contamination of native > plants . > Prof. Joe Cummins, among others, has warned that > populating > expansive areas with mercury transgenic trees could > cause a > global catastrophe (see “GM trees alert”, Science in > Society > 16, 2002 and http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMtrees.php ) > > Trees are also genetically modified to reduce the > amount of > fibrous lignin that is the substance of the wood of > trees, > providing strength and resistance to pests and > disease. GM > trees may contain up to 50% less lignin than their > conventional counterparts, which reduces the ability > of the > plant to reach optimum levels of fitness in the > environment. > This reduced capacity leads to decreased biomass and > > degraded biodiversity. > > It is thought that reducing lignin in trees will > make wood > easier and cheaper to pulp and paper, especially > soft woods, > as well as creating fas ter growing trees. But a > forest of > slow decaying trees is a major carbon sink whereas > fast > decaying forests will result in carbon dioxide being > > returned to the atmosphere too rapidly (see “Low > lignin > trees an forage crops”, ISIS report 5 June 2004 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/LLGMT.php ; Science in > Society 23). > > The US Department of Agriculture has issued more > that 300 > permits for open GM tree trials since 2000 and > officials are > expected to grant permission to grow GM trees > commercially > by 2005. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) > GM tree > trials are also taking place in China and Chile. In > New > Zealand GM tree trials are underway by Aventis and > DuPont > who have engineered pine trees ( Pinus radiata ) and > > Norwegian Spruce ( Picea abies ) to be resistant to > their > herbicides “Buster” and “Escort”. A second trial > involves > speeding up the growth of these GM tree species. > > The introduction of “novel bio-engineered” trees > into stocks > of indigenous trees that “out compete” the native > populations will have a disrupting effect on > ecosystems and > poses similar risks as GM crops, on an increased > scale. > Problems with GM trees in the environment are > amplified > because trees engineered to contain pesticides have > increased ability to harm non-target insects and > birds as > well as distributing pollen extensively. Tests have > shown > that pollen from pine trees can travel up to 600 km. > > Furthermore , trees remain in the environment for a > lot > longer than seasonal crops like maize. > > There is very little evidence as to what GM trees > may do to > the soil, but there is every possibility that they > may > absorb more nutrients than traditional trees, which > further > threatens biodiversity. And it is not yet know > whether GM > trees can withstand strong winds, a condition of > climate > change. > > A campaign to ban GM trees was launched in January > 2004 by > Finnish Environmental Groups, The Peoples Biosafety > Association and the Union of Ecoforestry. So far > they have > attracted support from many concerned groups: – The > World > Rainforest Movement, Friends of the Earth > International, > ISIS, The Forest Action Network and Scottish Green > Party. > > At a side event in Geneva under the banner “The > Peopl e's > Forest Forum” Anne Petermann, co-director of the > Stop GE > Trees Campaign in the US presented evidence about > the > hazards of GM trees and the risks of contamination > across > state borders from even single field trials. She > said: “Once > the pollen from those trees escape there is no going > back.” > > An open letter to Governments was circulated on the > last day > of the UNFF by the Finnish Environmental Groups > which stated > that there is no control system for GM pollen > flowing with > the wind or seeds transported by birds , and that > this > “breaks with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety”, > the first > international law to control the transportation of > LMOs ( > Living Modified Organisms) across national borders. > > Mikko Vartiainen, a lawyer specialising in > international law > on natural resources confirmed that the burden of > proof of > safety should lie with the proponents of GM trees > and that > “We should follow a very tight precautionary > principle with > such risks.” The campaign delegation at Geneva has > facilitated dialogue between Government agents and > NG Os and > hopes to stimulate discussions between GM proponents > and > concerned scientists. But they argue that the > “Decision” > made at COP9 regarding GM trees should have been > preceded by > such dialogue. > > American Lands Alliance, WWF and Greenpeace have all > called > for a moratorium on the release of GM trees. They > suggest > positive moves be made to “reduce the need” for fast > growing > trees that increase global demands for virgin wood > and paper > products along with further research and more > regulations in > place before GM trees are manufactured in the > forests. > > Hannu Hyvonen, the co-ordinator of the Union of > Ecoforestry > and an organic farmer said that planting GM trees > was not > the answer to Climate Change prevention, “One cannot > put out > the fire with gasoline,” he said. > > Sign onto the petition: Global Ban on GM trees at > http://elonmerkki.net/forestforum > > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation > dedicated to providing critical public information > on > cutting edge science, and to promoting social > accountability > and ecological sustainability in science. > > If you would prefer to receive future mailings as > HTML > please let us know. If you would like to be removed > from our > mailing list at > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mailinglist/.php > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, > London > NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] > [44 20 > 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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