Restoring the American Chestnut
December 20, 2019
In trying to return the American chestnut to Appalachian forests, some researchers are looking beyond conventional breeding techniques to new tools of genetic engineering to develop strains that aren’t susceptible to the fungal blight that caused their near-total disappearance, but critics from several quarters worry about the consequences. In Issues, a philosopher has examined the debate, finding that it has implications not only for these transgenic trees but also for how the public might address the potential risks and benefits of other emerging technologies.