Frodomann1
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Ok, while I know logically most genetically modified organisms are perfectly regulated, and a huge part of the food we eat, the textiles we wear ect, is 2020 really the year to tempt fate? One moment you're releasing genetically modified sterilized mosquitos, the next we have a new checkmark for apocalypse bingo, and 10ft mutant mosquitos start drinking Floridians dry. Can it wait till next year?
dashcan
Yeah... Wary on this as well, for different reasons. Food chain and all that.
Fumbleskunk
This is what our *government* should be doing. Let's drive ticks extinct, too, please!
hometovalhalla
gene drives are actually kind of ominous if you understand the concept behind them. The potential is a little wild
Jazzcabage
Why would you release more mosquitoes anyway? If for not reason that isn't for basically evil. Not a conspiracy guy but wtf? The regular>
Jazzcabage
Ones are still gonna keep breeding and being there anyway..
TinyCactusss
I get they’re trying to avoid disease spread but won’t this have an impact on critters that eat mosquitoes, like bats?
BluddLoard
There are other pests that breed about as much. At least in the swamps I'm around anyway. Horsefly, deerfly, blackfly and such.
professionalConfirmologist
There was a study saying that mosquitos aren't necessary in the food chain. I'll try to find it.
ITellBadPuns
The idea is they die before they mature, so it cuts the spread of deadly diseases without spraying environment-harming pesticides everywhere
Unclestinkyfingers
Hmm, so how they bred them to have so many to release
marzipanius
And I wonder what consequence analysis, if any at all, has been done on this. Genetics and organisms keep evolving after all, GMO or not.
ITellBadPuns
Evolution is simply a survival and passing of traits. Worse-case, they evolve beyond the GMO trait and we're just back to where we are now.
marzipanius
Evolution is adaptation; change.
ITellBadPuns
Yep. The survival and passing of traits both positive and negative. Evolution's a messy random throw-shit-at-the-wall-see-what-sticks affair
Frodomann1
I know, and I think it's a great idea! Just....2020 has made me wary of this sort of thing
ITellBadPuns
There's just so much fearmongering around GMO, y'know? People are literally downvoting my first comment, which is a factual description.