Global Justice Ecology Project: GlobalJusticeEcology.org , Hinesburg, VT

As they grow trees naturally take in carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their tissue. This ability to “sequester” carbon is now being considered as a means to “offset” the C02 emissions from polluting industries to combat global warming. Industry claims the development of monoculture tree plantations will absorb carbon at a faster rate than natural forests and are now looking to fast-growing GE trees as the latest solution. These claims, however, are unsubstantiated. Research actually shows:

• Native forests overall absorb more carbon than plantations;
• Plantations bring many additional problems, including water and nutrient depletion, increased soil salinity and acidity, increased fire risk and biodiversity loss;
• GE trees (e.g. Bt and reduced lignin trees) may exacerbate these problems and will cause novel ones, including alteration of decomposition, insect and disease patterns.