Subj: First Documentary on Genetically Engineered Trees Released
Date: 11/10/2005 4:13:59 PM Central Standard Time
From: [log in to unmask] (Laurel Hopwood)
Sender: [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
Reply-to: [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
To: [log in to unmask]
Please forward far and wide.
Also, to reporters!!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2005
CONTACT: Dr. Neil Carman, Sierra Club 512-288-5772
Anne Petermann, Global Justice Ecology Project 802-482-2689/ (mobile)
802-578-0477
First Documentary on Genetically Engineered Trees Released
Dangers of Genetic Engineering in Forestry Explained
Narrated by Dr. David Suzuki * Produced by Three Americas, Inc. and
Raindancer Films * Directed by Ed Schehl
ALSO: Biotech Companies Move to Commercialize Genetically Engineered Trees
Hinesburg, VT- Global Justice Ecology Project and the STOP GE Trees
Campaign announced the release of A Silent Forest: The Growing Threat,
Genetically Engineered Trees, a 45 minute documentary narrated by Dr. David
Suzuki, renowned geneticist and host of PBS' The Nature of Things.
In A Silent Forest, Dr. Suzuki confronts the rush to commercialize the
unproven products of biotechnology: "In any revolutionary area [of
science], and biotechnology is a revolutionary area, most of our current
ideas are wrong. Then I ask you, what the hell is the rush to apply these
ideas? We're still at the very beginning of understanding what we're
doing. The rush to apply these ideas is absolutely dangerous because we
don't have a clue what the long term impacts of our manipulations is going
to be."
"At the same time that corporations such as Arborgen, the company at the
forefront of genetic engineering in trees, are preparing to begin selling
dangerous and unproven genetically engineered trees, A Silent Forest sends
a powerful message about the dangers posed by this type of manipulation,"
stated Orin Langelle, Coordinator of the STOP GE Trees Campaign. The STOP
GE Trees Campaign is an alliance of thirteen U.S. and Canada organizations,
including the Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network, Dogwood Alliance,
Southern Forests Network and others opposed to genetically engineered
trees.
The biotechnology industry has been focusing recently on stacking the legal
deck in their favor. During the past year, in response to grassroots
campaigns for GE-Free zones, the industry has been working to establish
pre-emptive state laws that prohibit local governments from regulating GE
plants.
Genetically engineered trees have the potential to transfer pollen for
hundreds of miles carrying genes for traits including insect resistance,
herbicide resistance, sterility and reduced lignin. They have the
potential to impact wildlife as well as rural and indigenous communities
that depend on intact forests for their food, shelter, water, livelihood
and cultural practices.
"Genetically engineered trees are being developed with almost no research
on the inevitable negative impacts- we know they will rapidly contaminate
natural forests with engineered characteristics," added Alyx Perry,
Coordinator of the Southern Forests Network. "There is almost no public
debate about genetic engineering in forestry, and our federal agencies have
taken a facilitative rather than regulatory approach. Public agencies are
supporting the development of this technology with little regard for the
public's interest."
DVD's of A Silent Forest are available for purchase at
http://www.customflix.com/207574
http://www.stopgetrees.org
A project of Global Justice Ecology Project P.O. Box 412
Hinesburg, VT 05461 U.S.
+1.802.482.2689 ph/fax
<[log in to unmask]>
http://www.globaljusticeecology.org
The Stop Genetically Engineered Trees Campaign includes the Sierra Club,
Rainforest Action Network, Dogwood Alliance, Polaris Institute, Global
Justice Ecology Project, WildLaw, Southern Forests Network, Institute for
Social Ecology Biotechnology Project, ForestEthics, Klamath-Siskiyou
Wildlands Center, Forest Stewards Guild, Northwest Resistance Against
Genetic Engineering and GE Free Maine.
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