Improved Loblolly Pines Better for the Environment

Fast growing trees are great for pulp mills - but not construction, or survival of natural events like hurricanes or wildfire. Trees harvested from the ancient southern yellow pine forests (Loblolly, Shortleaf, Longleaf, etc...) that were cut in the late 1800's and early 1900's had fine, dense grain produced by many long, steady years of growth. You can go to old barns around Texas and see wood that is 120 years old with no termite or other activity in them because the grain spacing is too DENSE for wood-boring insects to invade the lumber. This wood has also stood the test of time with regard to Texas droughts and rains.

Genetically modifying entire forests to become more hospitable to insect invasion only serves the purpose of the likes of Monsanto who would, no doubt, be more than willing to sell millions of tons of insecticide to "manage" the forest and woodlands.

Greaaaaat.....