Unfortunately for the planet and its living creatures, corporate greed and unsustainable forestry practices have caused massive deforestation and devastation to the planet's biodiversity and carrying capacity. Confronted with rapidly accelerating environmental damage and species extinction, and now undeniable global climate disruption, a growing segment of the public have become alarmed and concerned. Down the road the biotech lobby also promise us pest-resistant fruit trees and even tastier and more nutritious fruit. All this may sound rather nifty at first, until you start to think about some of the downsides of gambling with the future of our trees, of tampering with the genetic structure and life cycle of the world's forests. Native forests will be logged and replaced by corporate tree plantations even faster than they are now, since GE trees will grow much faster and will be able to be sprayed with world record amounts of toxic herbicides such as Monsanto's Roundup.
Trees produce enormous amounts of pollen, which can travel up to hundreds of miles.
This in turn will kill off beneficial insects, decrease the food available for wildlife, and force tree pests into adjacent natural forest areas where they will wreak havoc. In addition the leaves from Bt-spliced trees will create toxic soil conditions, undermining the entire soil food web and natural systems of composting on the forest floor. Scientists warn that the enormous quantities of pollen generated by Bt-spliced and other GE trees will likely cause major allergic reactions in humans. Such trees will grow faster than before, but will be devoid of the bees, butterflies, moths, birds, and squirrels which depend on pollen, seed, and nectar. Recipients should seek permission to reprint the article from the source listed above.