On October 15, 2015, our colleagues at NRDC released a report detailing the potential destructive impact that the wood pellet industry poses to precious bottomland hardwood forests in the Southern US. The following is a blog written by report author Debbie Hammel, outlining the report and concerns along with policy recommendations.
On September 25, 2015, activists from the Stop GE Trees Campaign held a demonstration and action at ArborGen’s global headquarters in South Carolina. ArborGen is attempting to genetically engineer multiple species of trees including the loblolly pine which could have detrimental impacts on biodiversity, community health and even potentially private property rights in the Southern US. Two activists were arrested attempting to inform ArborGen of the over quarter of a million people that have signed petitions opposing GE Trees. You can read the statement of the two brave activists below.
This morning, Drax (LSE: DRX), one of the largest utilities in the UK, announced that it was pulling out of a plan to build a new coal burning power plant that would co-fire wood pellets and utilize untested Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. The conservation community welcomed the news that they hoped would mean the end of the controversial White Rose Project.
As part of “GE Trees Fall,” activists from across the United States are converging on two key regions involved in the genetic engineering of trees this fall, the US Southeast and the Pacific Northwest. On September 24th, activists are gathering near Asheville, NC for a Genetically Engineered Trees (GE trees) Action Training Camp, organized by Global Justice Ecology Project, and including the participation of Indigenous Environmental Network and Dogwood Alliance
This is Part 2 of a 2 part series exploring the impact that the wood pellet industry is having on the rural communities of the Gulf coast. Part 1 looked at the wood pellet industry in Mississippi and the destructive impact it has on the forests and the rural local economy…
