The Washington Post: Gene editing could revive a nearly lost tree. Not everyone is on board.
The Washington Post discusses a research project at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) that is seeking approval to release a genetically engineered American Chestnut Tree into the wild.
Excerpts from the article, dated August 30, 2022.
Saving the American chestnut could restore a piece of history, resurrect a lost ecosystem and combat climate change. But critics say it would come at a cost.
“The big public policy question is: Should we bring back forests with genetically modified chestnut trees?” said Edward Messina, director of the Office of Pesticide Programs at the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the agencies weighing approval. “That’s a pretty heavy question.”
Critics say releasing the transgenic tree is akin to running a massive and irreversible experiment in the wild.
Anne Petermann, executive director of Global Justice Ecology Project, which helped organize the campaign against Darling 58, is worried the project will lead to more commercial use of transgenic trees, to produce paper and lumber. She noted biotech firms hoping to make greater use of genetically modified organisms have helped fund SUNY ESF’s work.
“There are studies coming out weekly that show just how much we don’t know about forest ecosystems,” she said.
“This case sits right at the intersection of cutting-edge science and public policy considerations,” Messina [the EPA official] said in a video call. Still the question remains, he added: “Just because we can do something, should we?”
TAKE ACTION: To learn more, listen to this Breaking Green episode for a discussion of current threats to forests and indigenous peoples from attempts to genetically engineer trees for use in plantations and release into the wild, including the American Chestnut Tree.
Information on the Campaign to STOP Ge Trees can also be found at: https://stopgetrees.org/
