Action Alert: Stop the Spread of Genetically Engineered Trees

Call on Office Depot, Office Max and Staples to reject paper from Genetically Engineered trees!

Despite emails and calls from over ten thousand OCA members, the US Department of Agriculture has approved a “field trial” of over 250,000 genetically modified eucalyptus in the Southeast United States, including Florida. The field trials are being conducted by ArborGen, a notorious biotechnology entity owned by the “Big Three” paper multinationals: International Paper, MeadWestvaco, and Rubicon,

ArborGen’s GE eucalyptus has not been adequately evaluated by the USDA for potential environmental impacts. In fact, GE trees have the potential to be far more damaging than any other genetically engineered plant to date. Pollen from GE trees can travel hundreds of miles, contaminating communities and species far from the plantation. GE eucalyptus will likely become a dangerous invasive specie in southeast US, as non-GE eucalyptus has in other states, like California. Finally, ArborGen is simply the tip of the iceberg, advancing multinational pulp companies’ policies of environmentally devastating business plan of monocultures and clear cuts.

Act now! Send an email to the nation’s top retail office supply stores and insist that they reject paper products from GE trees!

Subject:

Your Letter:

I am concerned about ArborGen’s recent trial of Genetically Engineered trees. ArborGen’s GE eucalyptus. GE tree plantations represent an unnecessary and dangerous risk to native forests in the United States. Please help stop this potentially massive environmental disaster by making a commitment to source GE free paper products.

As you are aware, GE trees will severely impact the environment, forest communities, and the climate. Agriculture genetic engineering is a dangerous and untested technology that has had a disastrous impact on farming economies at home and abroad. Consumers have consistently demanded food and paper products free of genetic engineering.

The field trials are being conducted by ArborGen, a notorious biotechnology entity owned by the “Big Three” paper multinationals: International Paper, MeadWestvaco, and Rubicon,

ArborGen’s GE eucalyptus has not been adequately evaluated by the USDA for potential environmental impacts. In fact, GE trees have the potential to be far more damaging than any other genetically engineered plant to date. Pollen from GE trees can travel hundreds of miles, contaminating communities and species far from the plantation.  GE eucalyptus will likely become a dangerous invasive specie in southeast US, as non-GE eucalyptus has in other states, like California. Finally, ArborGen is simply the tip of the iceberg, advancing multinational pulp companies’ policies of environmentally devastating business plan of monocultures and clear cuts.

Please be a leader in committing to socially and environmentally responsible paper products in your brands and products and commit to sourcing GE-free paper products.

Sincerely,

Office Depot

Staples

Office Max

Organic Consumers Association - 6771 South Silver Hill Drive, Finland MN 55603
E-mail: Staff | Activist or Media Inquiries: 218-226-4164 | Fax: 218-353-7652
Please support our work. Send a tax-deductible donation to the OCA

Fair Use Notice: The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of scientific, environmental, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal or technical advice.