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The how already exists (genetic engineering) but it will probably never be done due to political reasons.
by onewaystreet 10y ago
The how already exists (genetic engineering) but it will probably never be done due to political reasons.
- kafkaesq 10y agoUmm, it's hypothesized that it can be done. It's not like we "know" it can be done, but the politicians won't let us.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- roywiggins 10y agoIt has been tried, and works. http://www.popsci.com/genetically-modified-mosquito-knocks-out-dengue-brazilian-neighborhood http://www.popsci.com/genetically-modified-mosquito-knocks-o...
- kafkaesq 10y agoThere have only been a handful of small-scale field studies conducted so far; whether it will "work" regionally and long-term is another matter. So while the idea looks promising, objectively speaking, it's still a work in progress.
- thaumasiotes 10y agoHeh. Politics is never going to stand in the way of mosquito elimination. Mosquitoes are more unpopular than child pornography.
- stcredzero 10y agoNeighbors whose property breeds mosquitos aren't as universally shunned as sex offenders.
- bluejekyll 10y agoPolitical? Or just money? Obviously politics exist around the way govt spends money, but are you suggesting some more sinister than that?
- djsumdog 10y agoThis has been commented on before here and elsewhere: the elimination of certain species of mosquitoes that seem to serve no ecological purpose other than spreading disease. There may be political motivations/economic (Malarial drugs would plummet for example), but I think it goes further than just that. We don't think there are any ecological purposes .. but spreading disease is a purpose. Animals that have been kept in check may explode. Human populations are already exploding. Parts of this planet are in bad shape simply due to species introduction (Australian Camels is a good example). Other species have been introduced to solve the initial problem, only to create more problems. I would like to see an end to these annoying insects too, but there could be unintended consequences. Those are legitimate concerns.