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Isn't South America already losing biodiversity at a rapid pace? Seems like it could be difficult to separate the effects of an experiment like this from the st
by briga 5y ago
Isn't South America already losing biodiversity at a rapid pace? Seems like it could be difficult to separate the effects of an experiment like this from the steady background of biodiversity loss already present across the continent.
It seems unlikely to me that any creature could have existed in an ecosystem for tens of millions of years without evolving into some sort of important niche. Obviously I could be wrong here, but the claim that we can just eliminate them with zero repercussions strikes me as a bit of scientific arrogance. Nature is a complex dynamic system, how could we possibly know what unexpected side-effects might occur when we tamper with it?
- bedobi 5y ago> existed in an ecosystem for tens of millions of years without evolving into some sort of important niche These mosquitos are a man-brought invasive species, so that argument doesn't fly. + You're already mentioning we don't know what effect species going extinct can have... But that's the point, countless species are already going extinct anyway, there's literally zero reason why you would worry or care more about keeping this one.
- galangalalgol 5y agoThat biodiversity loss is primarily species in the shrinking rainforests. These mosquitoes are released in major cities and don't have measurable impacts on populations far outside those cities. It is easy to imagine something going wrong. When the scientists are saying don't do something, we all say "trust the scientific consensus", but when that consensus says "nah its fine" we distrust them.