IEN Joins Campaign to STOP GE Trees - Mobilization expands on four continents   
      
   Aug 20, 2014 by admin   
      
   For Immediate Release  20 August 2014   
      
   Groups globally mobilize to stop commercial release of genetically engineered   
   eucalyptus trees in Brazil and US   
      
      
   Campaign to STOP GE Trees expands to four continents   
      
   getreesNew York - Two unprecedented applications are pending that, if   
   approved, would allow the commercial sale of millions of genetically   
   engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees for development into vast industrial GE tree   
   plantations in the US and Brazil. The    
   Campaign to STOP GE Trees [1] is expanding and mobilizing to stop these and   
   all large-scale releases of GE trees into the environment.   
      
   In the US, ArborGen has a request pending with the Department of Agriculture   
   to commercially sell freeze-tolerant GE eucalyptus trees; in Brazil,   
   Futuragene has requested permission from CTNBio, the Brazilian biosafety   
   regulatory agency, to release GE    
   eucalyptus trees there. CTNBio is planning a public hearing on the Futuragene   
   GE tree application on 4 September. The USDA could release their draft ruling   
   at any time.   
      
   "We have tried to ban GE trees globally through various bodies of the United   
   Nations, and now groups are coordinating internationally to stop any and all   
   applications to legalize GE trees," stated Winfridus Overbeek, Brazil-based   
   Coordinator of the World    
   Rainforest Movement and Steering Committee member for the Campaign. "It's   
   crucial that these potentially disastrous trees not be commercially released   
   because the health and viability of entire forest ecosystems and the   
   communities who depend on them    
   will be at risk."   
      
   Because GE trees, unlike GE crop plants, can live for decades and spread their   
   seeds and pollen for many kilometers, if planted on an industrial scale they   
   are likely to invade and contaminate ecosystems. The Campaign is also   
   concerned that GE trees will    
   deepen the already proven harmful ecological and social consequences of   
   industrial tree plantations, including the loss of land and water shortages   
   for neighboring communities. Therefore, the international Campaign to STOP GE   
   Trees, which recently    
   expanded its reach with campaigners on four continents, is demanding a global   
   ban on the release of all GE trees into the environment.   
      
   Native only to Australia, eucalyptus trees planted elsewhere have been   
   documented to be invasive, water intensive, and extremely flammable. According   
   to Australian Emergency Management, eucalyptus trees "once caught alight are   
   very difficult to control    
   and extinguish due to the high amounts of flammable vapour from [their]   
   leaves. This causes large fireballs in the upper storey of the forest". [2]   
      
   "Young, densely stocked eucalyptus plantations in particular are highly   
   flammable," said Lauren Caulfield, Forest Campaigner with Friends of the Earth   
   Melbourne (AUS) and Campaign to STOP GE Trees Steering Committee member.   
      
   The Campaign to STOP GE Trees is an international alliance of organizations   
   [3], that includes Indigenous Peoples, scientists, anti-GMO food activists,   
   forest protection advocates and social justice organizers from across North   
   and South America, Europe    
   and Australasia - all of which are home to companies and universities   
   developing GE trees.   
      
   Campaign Steering Committee member and Indigenous Environmental Network   
   campaigner, BJ McManama said, "We are mobilizing organizations, social   
   movements, communities and grassroots groups to stop GE trees from being   
   released by the millions into the    
   environment. We must stop this attack on Mother Earth."   
      
   ###   
      
   Contact: Jay Burney, Media Coordinator, Campaign to STOP GE Trees,   
   +1.716.867.4080  jay@stopgetrees.org (English)   
      
   Winifridus Overbeek, Coordinator, World Rainforest Movement +55.27.98821.9007   
   winnie@wrm.org.uy (English, Spanish, Portuguese)   
      
   Notes:   
      
   1] The Campaign to STOP GE Trees recently hired additional staff, opened a new   
   international office and launched a website stopgetrees.org which lists the   
   Steering Committee members and organizations involved in the Campaign, as well   
   as details about the    
   threats of GE trees.   
      
   2] http://www.em.gov.au/sites/schools/Getthefacts/Bushfires/Pages/default.aspx   
      
   3] Organizations involved in the Campaign include:   
      
   Biofuelwatch (US-UK)  http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk   
      
   Canadian Biotechnology Action Network http://www.cban.ca/   
      
   EcoNexus (Europe) http://www.econexus.info   
      
   Indigenous Environmental Network (North America)  http://www.ienearth.org/   
      
   World Rainforest Movement (Uruguay) http://wrm.org.uy   
      
   Friends of the Earth Melbourne (Australia) http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au   
      
   Global Justice Ecology Project (US-International) http://globalj   
   sticeecology.org/   
      
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