The Glory of the Garden
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The GM tree plantations bred to satisfy the world's energy needs

The GM tree plantations bred to satisfy the world's energy needs | The Glory of the Garden | Scoop.it
Israeli biotech firm says its modified eucalyptus trees can displace the fossil fuel industry...

 

FuturaGene has spent 11 years trialling thousands of GM eucalyptus and poplar trees on 100-hectare plots in Israel, China and outside São Paulo in Brazil, and is now at the last stages of the Brazilian regulatory process for commercial planting. Thanks to a gene taken from the common, fast-growing Arabidopsis weed, the company has found a way to alter the structure of plant cell walls to stimulate the natural growth process. The company says its modified eucalyptus trees can grow 5 metres (16ft) a year, with 20%-30% more mass than a normal eucalyptus. In just five and a half years they are 27 metres high.

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The Impact of Tar Sand Mining on Bird Migration

The Impact of Tar Sand Mining on Bird Migration | The Glory of the Garden | Scoop.it

Fifty years ago, Rachel Carson warned us about a silent spring, a time when we would no longer hear the birds sing. After her book Silent Spring was published, many of the toxins used at the time were banned and birds became protected under international law. Unfortunately, we often put economic gains before our commitment to the environment, and the tar sands of Canada are another example of putting profits before ecology. Studies predict that over the next 50 years, bird populations could decrease anywhere between 6 million and 166 million unless effective action is taken — action that is both in our hands and our best interests.

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