North Carolina State University will study the potential for growing genetically modified tree species to produce ethanol in a more efficient manner. Last week’s news release provides a detailed outline of the grant recently awarded to the school by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The DNA of these new Populus (poplar) trees—the first genus of tree genome to be genetically sequenced—has been tweaked to make the plants grow faster, produce more celulose (used to convert to ethanol) and contain less of the substance that inhibits the extraction of cellulose.
Presumably, a successfully more efficient method of producing ethanol, for automobile use among other things, would lessen our dependence on fossil fuels for transportation. At a glance, this grant seems positive all around: a $1 million investment in studying alternative energy. However, the content of the study raises several environmental and ethical questions.
The long-term effects of genetic modification are unknown. There are many critics, and many arguments against the unregulated genetic engineering industry. The plants and animals on our planet are here and surviving because of their highly recombined genetic material. Toying with DNA sequences—a field humans have a relatively elementary knowledge of—may lead to unpredictable results when these new super-organisms are introduced into the environment.
Burning ethanol is another discussion altogether. Studies have shown that while burning ethanol reduces the amount of carcinogens released by fossil-fuel burning engines, it introduces higher levels of other harmful compounds such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde into the atmosphere. It has also been found to introduce higher levels of ozone. Stanford University atmospheric scientist Mark Z. Jacobson has predicted increased levels of cancer in humans with a widespread switch to ethanol. In addition, ethanol production has drastically altered our agricultural market; good for some farmers who sell crops used to produce ethanol, and bad for others who depend on buying those crops for feed and other purposes.
Illustration by Chad Evans
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