Wall Street Journal Raises Concerns about Proposed Release of GE Trees into Forests
Action Alert: For information about submitting comments to the USDA regarding the proposal to release genetically engineered trees into the wild, please go to: https://globaljusticeecology.org/action-alert-comments-needed-to-stop-release-of-ge-trees-into-wild-forests/
Excerpts from the article, dated 29 December 2022
WASHINGTON—More than a century after blight decimated the American chestnut tree, the U.S. government is weighing whether to allow a genetically engineered version to spread in the wild.
The impending decision has unleashed a ferocious debate over the promises and perils of genetic engineering among legions of chestnut enthusiasts. Some have been preparing for years in hopes that a genetically modified tree that can withstand blight will revive once-mighty chestnut forests. Others warn that could have unintended environmental consequences.
Skeptics of genetic engineering said more time and tests are needed before releasing a tree into the wild and that other methods hold promise in restoring the American chestnut. They worry, for example, that the genetically engineered chestnut could spread more rapidly than expected and potentially replace the wild American chestnut before it is known whether future problems will occur.
“This is a tree that could potentially live 200 years—they’re saying after three years in a field trial, they know what it will do in a forest,” said Anne Petermann, executive director of Global Justice Ecology Project, an environmental advocacy group. “If there’s a problem with this genetic modification in say 10, 20 years, there’ll be no way to recall them.”
