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Then you will be glad to hear that no one is proposing eradicating mosquitoes! What's being proposed it eradicating a single invasive mosquito species that does

by bedobi 5y ago

Then you will be glad to hear that no one is proposing eradicating mosquitoes! What's being proposed it eradicating a single invasive mosquito species that doesn't belong in the ecosystem in question, constitutes only a tiny fraction of the mosquito population where they exist, and doesn't fill any meaningful ecological role anywhere! Instead of indiscriminately drenching entire ecosystems in DDT and other substances with god knows what effects. As for mosquitoes playing a part in evolution... Just what? I also note that you probably don't live in the affected areas. Sorry, but your feeling good about your ideological tastes being satisfied isn't worth more than literally millions of lives every year.

globular-toast 5y ago
> As for mosquitoes playing a part in evolution... Just what? It sounds like a very plausible theory to me. Horizontal gene transfer is now well-known in bacteria. We know the tree of life is a vast oversimplification of the real processes that drive evolution. Why would you so quickly dismiss this idea?
- bedobi 5y ago
  Even ignoring this species is invasive everywhere outside Africa, constitutes only a tiny fraction of the mosquito population where they exist, and doesn't fill any meaningful ecological role anywhere... The rest of the planet that has never had this mosquito are basically in danger then, from inability to "evolve", and humans shouldn't live in those areas lest they lose out on evolution? Will you move to an affected area to make sure you don't miss out?