FROM PRESS TV
The US paper industry plans to plant forests of genetically altered Australian eucalyptus trees to save the country's ecosystem, currently subject to unrelenting tree cuts.
US Department of Agriculture approved a total of 250,000 trees last month to be planted at 29 sites during the next few years in seven southern states in the United States.
Researchers chose the Australian eucalyptus trees for their fast pace of growth. The trees produce high-quality pulp perfect for paper production.
The strategy, however, infuriated critics who believe the bioengineered non-native plant could put natural ecosystems in danger.
"We have many reservations about it," the Associated Press quoted Neil J. Carman, a biologist who serves on the Sierra Club's genetic engineering committee, as saying. "We don't think the scientific evidence is in yet that says this is a good idea."
The paper industry is one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. It also removes a large number of trees, natural oxygen producers.
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