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[SANET-MG] No to GM trees



No to GM Trees

Sam Burcher <mailto:sam@i-sis.org.uk> 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 <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 <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.n
et/forestforum <http://elonmerkki.net/forestforum>


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article can be found on the I-SIS website at http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
<http://www.i- sis.org.uk/>

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