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Jean Fleming's avatar

How very interesting.

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Melanie Newfield's avatar

Thanks Jean. I learned a lot doing this article.

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Paul Hormick's avatar

Ever since I was a child, I've loved Douglas fir trees. Native to where I live, it takes me a little getting used to the idea that they are invasive elsewhere.

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Melanie Newfield's avatar

I get it, and it's true that they are lovely trees. The first time I heard that pōhutukawa had become invasive in South Africa it was challenging. Apparently our lovely ngaio tree might be invasive in California too.

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Mark Dolan's avatar

Very well presented. Douglas fir production got a lot of coverage in North America during the first Trump administration since there are an enormous number planted sustainable in US and Canada. Trump's gripe was reducing the number of imported trees and lumber. They are likely the #1 or #2 tree in both countries for hardwood production.

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Sheyma Gates P.h.D.,'s avatar

This article is excellent but requires multiple experts to analyze the proposed editing process . I know that early one introducing predators to a specific problem causes other unforeseen ecological damages. Gene editing and the labs that can do the job are not required or responsible for the unforeseeable consequences . This job belongs to the evaluators with legal responsibilities if there is such an environmental law . More on this later @Alan Dershowitz

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Melanie Newfield's avatar

New Zealand has pretty strict laws and although they are looking at reducing the restrictions (something I think is a good idea), there will still be some oversight.

New Zealand learned its lesson with disastrous attempts at introducing predators for biocontrol in the past, but the current approaches are compleltely different very safe. So I have hope that we can get things right with gene technology.

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