We are super honored to have organizers from STOPGEtrees + Global Justice Ecology Project join us this year at the New Moon Mycology Summit! GE Trees are silent killers of forests & habitat! Get ready to learn so much of their work and how we can educate ourselves + the public about these toxic unnatural techniques of forestry. The Campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees advocates for a global ban on GE trees. Genetically Engineered trees, also known as GM or GMO trees are important threats to forests, biodiversity, indigenous cultures, and sustainable economies. GE trees are similar to other GMOs: Scientists manipulate the genetic material of trees by inserting DNA from an unrelated species to achieve desired results. Unlike traditional plant breeding methods, genetic engineering involves high-tech biotechnology. This includes transgenics: the transfer of genes from one species to another. The results are organisms with traits not found anywhere in nature, designed solely to meet the needs of industry. GE trees are unlike GMO food crops in some very important ways: trees can live for decades to centuries; have seeds + pollen that can travel up to hundreds of miles; and have numerous wild relatives in native forests that could be contaminated. Conducting long-term risk assessments on organisms that could persist in the environment for decades is next to impossible. Such risk assessment isn’t even required for regulatory approval. These factors make GE trees a much greater threat than GMO food crops. Commercial plantations of GE trees pose an enormous threat to forests internationally. The threat of large-scale commercial plantations of GE trees for timber, pulp, bioenergy, and chemicals is quickly advancing. The effort to permanently stop GE trees is reaching a critical stage: It is essential to have a broad network of organizations, grassroots groups, alliances, and coalitions that are informed and mobilized to spread the word about the GE tree threat to their constituencies + activate them on the issue. Support their work! @globaljusticeecology #stopgetrees #newmoonmycologysummit #mycology #fungi #gmotrees #biofuels #forestry #forests https://www.instagram.com/p/BzK-Ae1gzHp/?igshid=1cxn1w7stqwv
