US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) comments on the testing of cold-resistant genetically modified eucalyptus trees in the Southern US, using the controversy over 'gene flow' to argue for the restoration of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to provide independent scientific evaluations of climate-related technologies.

• Genetically modified eucalyptus trees containing a foreign gene for cold weather resistance are being tested to determine if they can serve as a source for biofuels, pulp, and paper in the Southern timber belt, as standard eucalyptus trees typically cannot grow north of Florida due to freezing.
• CIEL and over 90 other organizations from various sectors, including public health, labor, and environmental groups, urged US Congressional Representatives to fund the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in the Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations bill. The OTA provided non-partisan information on scientific issues for 23 years before being cut in 1995 to save over $20 million annually.
• The author argues that independent assessment is necessary before the transfer of technologies intended for environmental protection or climate change mitigation, noting that GM trees are more controversial than GM crops due to the higher probability of "gene flow" from transgenic to wild-type trees.

APA

Kistler, A. (2010). US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/us-clears-test-of-genetically-modified-trees-in-southern-us/

Chicago

Kistler, Amanda. US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law. Center for International Environmental Law, 2010. https://www.ciel.org/us-clears-test-of-genetically-modified-trees-in-southern-us/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kistler |first1=Amanda |title=US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=19 May 2010 |url=https://www.ciel.org/us-clears-test-of-genetically-modified-trees-in-southern-us/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kistler2010clears, author = {Kistler, Amanda}, title = {{US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://www.ciel.org/us-clears-test-of-genetically-modified-trees-in-southern-us/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }