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If importing rabbits to Australia would have saved 500,000 lives annually, it would have been one of the best health-related things to happen to humanity. (The
by petters 8y ago
If importing rabbits to Australia would have saved 500,000 lives annually, it would have been one of the best health-related things to happen to humanity.
(The eradication of this particular mosquito species is likely harmless, but that does not matter. We should do it even if it isn't)
- wuschel 8y agoSorry, there are two separate questions here: A) the use of a technology - a gene drive - we have no full control of in the wild B) the act of eradication of a species to help to lower the loss of human life in Malaria affected regions. Your statement regarding the Australian ecosystem engineering is purely hypothetic. The import of alien lifeforms always had a detrimental effect on ecosystems, and often, as a second order effect, on humans as well. It scares me how a lot of people think that it is not worth thinking and evaluating the use of a technology. Perhaps it is because they have no experience and knowledge in this particular domain of science?
- stickfigure 8y agoOr perhaps they have thought and evaluated and made their judgement call.
- hopler 8y agoI don't think HN is full of experts on CRISPR and African ecology.
- Dylan16807 8y ago> We should do it even if it isn't That depends on the level of risk to other species, in case these genes leak across some barrier. Which might be fine, but you need to, uh, check.
- mcguire 8y agoHow many lives did industrialization save or improve? Compared to the costs? Was it worth it? Yes, but all the consequences have not yet come home to roost.