Paper industry tests genetically altered trees

[Lorien]

TAMPA, Fla. – The commercial paper industry's plans to plant forests of genetically altered eucalyptus trees in seven Southern states have generated more cries from critics worried that such a large introduction of a bioengineered nonnative plant could throw natural ecosystems out of whack.

ArborGen, a biotechnology venture affiliated with three large paper companies, got U.S. Department of Agriculture approval last month for field trials involving as many as 250,000 trees planted at 29 sites during the next few years. Much smaller lots of the genetically altered trees have been growing in some of the states for years.

Australian eucalyptus trees grow faster than native hardwoods and produce high-quality pulp perfect for paper production, but thus far, they have been able to thrive only in very warm climates. South Carolina-based ArborGen genetically altered the trees to withstand freezing temperatures, and the idea with the test forests is to see how far north they can now be grown.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100607/ap_on_bi_ge/us_food_and_farm_bioengineered_eucalyptus



Hemp now please.

[tridim]

1. Chiming in to say "hemp" like you did.

No research necessary, just plant it and watch it grow, fast.

[RC]

2. Beat me to it.

Why not legalize hemp?

[Lorien]

5. I'm guessing that the timer industry and other special interests are against it

meanwhile we import hemp products from Canada. Insane. Industrial hemp is no more hallucinogenic than shitake mushrooms are; yet shitake mushrooms, like other edible mushrooms, are legal while other types of "'shrooms" are not.

[rrneck]

3. They need to leave the Australian Eucalyptus trees

in Australia.

Imagine how much Kudzu they'll have to clear to get them planted.

[HillbillyBob]

4. Really

There are already thousands of Maleleucca, Norfolk Pines, and Eucalyptus loose in the Southern Everglades..
The the Eucalyptus and Maleleucca were planted on purpose to dry out the glades..idiots, now Fl spends a bunch of$$ every year cutting them down. Maleleuccas also release toxins that really made me sick when they were in bloom or on fire.

This is really fucking insane.

[WhiteTara]

6. I wonder if this will end badly

like all Frankenstein experiments, the unintended consequences are rife.