Tag Archives: Campaign to Stop GE Trees

New Video on the campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees!

30 August, 2013. Source: Global Justice Ecology Project

Photo: photolangelle.org

Photo: Photolangelle.org for GJEP

Global Justice Ecology Project has just launched a brand new crowdfunding campaign and promotional 4 minute video to raise funds for the next phase of our campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees.

Coming off of our successes in May, when we organized the largest ever protest against GE trees at an industry conference in North Carolina, we are now organizing a roadshow that will travel to the communities directly threatened by the development of future GE eucalyptus plantations.

Please join us in making this crowdfunding campaign a success and helping us permanently stop the threat of genetically engineered trees.

Click here to see the video: http://bit.ly/stop-ge-trees

Thank you!

Anne Petermann

Executive Director, Global Justice Ecology Project

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Filed under Bioenergy / Agrofuels, Climate Justice, Ending the Era of Extreme Energy, False Solutions to Climate Change, Forests, GE Trees, Genetic Engineering, Green Economy

U.S. public overwhelmingly rejects genetically engineered trees

April 30, 2013. Source: Global Justice Ecology Project

GE Trees protest photo

By a majority of almost 99.99% to .01%, the US public overwhelming rejected steps toward the legalization of genetically engineered trees during the USDA APHIS public comment period that ended yesterday. The comments were in response to a petition by genetically engineered (GE) tree company ArborGen requesting permission to commercially sell their GE freeze tolerant eucalyptus trees.  Calls for a ban on the technology flooded the APHIS office, through individual online comments, petitions and online virtual meetings.

“Yesterday, during APHIS’s ‘Invasive Species Month,’ the people of the US issued a firm demand to APHIS to reject invasive, flammable genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees,”said Anne Petermann, Global Justice Ecology Project Executive Director and Coordinator of the Campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered (GE) Trees. “We will continue to hold the government accountable to the will of the people, rather than corporate interests.”

South Carolina-based ArborGen hopes to sell billions of GE cold-tolerant eucalyptus trees for planting across millions of acres in the US South in vast industrial plantations to supply biofuel, biomass electricity and paper production.

Dr. Rachel Smolker, Co-Director of Biofuelwatch stated, “ArborGen’s reckless vision of using the US South as a giant sacrifice zone for energy production would wreak havoc on rural communities, native forests and wildlife across the region, pushing already endangered species like the Louisiana Black Bear and the Red-cockaded Woodpecker over the edge.” Dr. Smolker added, “and despite the rhetoric about replacing fossil fuels with climate-friendly fuels, this wood-based energy will actually worsen climate change.”
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Filed under Actions / Protest, Biodiversity, Bioenergy / Agrofuels, False Solutions to Climate Change, Forests, GE Trees, Genetic Engineering