An interesting article regarding implementing the current research to eradicate mosquitoes and the diseases that they spread.
Are you suggesting the interesting bit is it is Ethically challenging or is there more to the story?
I found it numbing, though the suggestion that science may be seen to be “playing god”.
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Personally I am all for eradicating mosquitoes and diseases but I thought that others may be interested in reading the artricle.
Do you think there could be any unplanned consequences to eradication? On what basis do you decide which species to destroy?
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A world without mosquitoes…there could be potentially severe ecological impacts which aren’t limited to mozzies…
https://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html
It is a bit like the concept of what happens then a butterfly in a jungle flaps its wings.
If humans eradicated all things which are a nuisance or potentially cause harm (such as disease), then the world would be a vastly different place.
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I don’t decide. That is what the scientists and politicans do.
It would be far better to eradicate malaria and not the mosquito, like they have hopefully done with smallpox and polio. The eradication of a disease would have limited ecological impact compared to the eradication of a insect. Money would be best spent on such than possibly more on the eradication of the mozzie.
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Sorry my bad.
On what basis does one decide which species to destroy?
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A worrying proposition that politicians are ever likely to take the word of scientists.
Of course someone might ask the electorate, a risky option for a politician if the scientists get to decide?
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Another article regarding successful research into eradicating mosquitoes.
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I am not so sure eradicating mozzies is always the right answer. They function as important food sources for other animals, they fertilise plants. They have a place but what we need to do is to make sure we are protected, vaccinated, and deal with the diseases some spread. Would it matter if a mozzie had say Malaria if we had an effective vaccine/immunisation against the disease, I suspect probably not. If the worst we get is an itch then we shouldn’t care too much and use effective discouragement for them to bite us.
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Why is this a good idea in your opinion?
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I shudder to think of the potential consequences. To wit: overseas news that will affect us, and that might be coming to us if we don’t wake up. Populism is, and pollies are a reflection of the electorates LCD - the secret to being elected. Science has been smeared and demeaned and diminished by conspiracy mongers, provocateurs, ideologically driven politics, fringies, and sometimes religious orders for years without much of a noticeable reset.
The question is, is that a funny or a warning?
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It might depend.
Is an effective Scientific thinking mind a mutually exclusive personality trait to that required for success as a Politically thinking mind?
Few would appear to bridge that divide.
Between the spiders and larger predators mosquitos have a tough life around here. Mosquito wrigglers are fair game for small fish etc, which as in most things are eaten by larger fish etc. Breaking that food chain - no one knows for sure the outcome. For the political food chain the end point is equally uncertain, despite perhaps a profitable journey along the way to self destruction?
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Barry Jones is sometimes attributed as being the first and so far the last pollie with a functioning brain to be resident in Canberra. His biggest failure was there were none there who could understand him, and almost as few in the electorates.
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Scientists discover a microbe which prevents mosquitoes carrying malaria.
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Melbouurne researchers working towards developing a vaccine for malaria.
An article regarding researchers discovering chemicals that kill malaria in the infectious stage.
Some good news.
