This is from the national Sierra Club Biotech Forum. In a message dated 1/17/2011 7:37:33 P.M. Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: There is a pine tree in Sierra Club's logo, so the following news item is very troubling to me: The University of California, Davis, has been awarded a $14.8 million grant through NIFA, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture program (this is part of the US Dept. of Ag) to map the DNA sequence of pines. "Using fast-growing trees such as loblolly pine for fuels also can contribute to carbon sequestration and may help mitigate the effects of climate change," USDA said. According to Roger Beachy, the project, "will generate and use genomics information to provide an understanding of genes and genetics in conifers to help in developing new bioenergy sources." (Roger Beachy is currently president of the NIFA, developed the first GE tomato and served as president of the Danford Plant Science Center in Saint Louis, which received a founding gift of 40 acres and $50 million from Monsanto.) This means that pine trees may become a plantation crop. Tree plantations will, wherever planted, replace biodiversity and replace real forests. This will be done with pretence that biofuel is carbon neutral. I don't want to take time to argue that point at the moment - probably most of us realize that true forests sequester far more carbon. Right now I just want to say that destruction of forests and the great biodiversity they represent will greatly impoverish all of us who love and connect to the natural world. Nature of course will still exist, but in a diminished form. And the armies of genetically altered pines which may occupy the place of old forests will spread via seeds and pollen, not respecting the boundaries of national forests and parks. posted by Jim Diamond, M.D. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/