Should we eradicate Mosquitos?

Mat · 29 Jan 2016 at 08:33

Richdog said:
Cosimo, if you one of the worlds most populous insect being a food source for many animals is not something forehead-slappingly obvious in ecological terms, then I would be a tad worried. It is widespread knowledge and publicly available info.

Do your own research for the specific data on animals that feed on them, I'm not your personal Wiki. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=animals+that+feed+on+mosquitos

Although I agree that Cosimo seems to be trying hard to be purposely difficult and obtuse, my own quick Google suggests that, although it would be a problem in some specific circumstances, there wouldn't be a catastrophic break down in the world's ecosystems:

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

Having said that, I don't believe we have the right to wipe another species off the face of the Earth.

MookJong · 29 Jan 2016 at 08:39

Was there not a very successful trial where they genetically modified very sexy male mosquitos which the females wanted to mate with but when they did the offspring were all impotent?

Obviously this won't totally eradicate them but we could keep the numbers very low this way.

Parabellum · 29 Jan 2016 at 08:41

Hell yes

pinkowl · 29 Jan 2016 at 08:46

MookJong said:
What is your stance on asteroids? Just let them impact, rather than try and protect ourselves? Wouldn't want to mess with nature...

Oh come on. Two completely different things.

I didnt however say we shouldnt fight diseases at all only that they are here for a reason and when we beat one a new stronger one will surface. But to fight against them doesnt mean wiping out entire species which will mess with our nature and help destroy it. Maybe not like an asteroid would but it will still destroy it in ways we cant predict.

Richdog · 29 Jan 2016 at 08:48

Mat said:
Although I agree that Cosimo seems to be trying hard to be purposely difficult and obtuse, my own quick Google suggests that, although it would be a problem in some specific circumstances, there wouldn't be a catastrophic break down in the world's ecosystems:

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

Having said that, I don't believe we have the right to wipe another species off the face of the Earth.

I'm not saying it would be catastrophic for the entire world and all acosystems would collapse, but many species use them as a food source. The knock-on effects when you take into consideration not only the animals and plants that rely on mosquitos, but the animals that rely on them, and then animals that rely on them, would still be enormous. Mosquitos have been around since the dinosaurs, and species have evolved in specific ways as a direct result of their continued presence.

MookJong said:
What is your stance on asteroids? Just let them impact, rather than try and protect ourselves? Wouldn't want to mess with nature...

lolwut?

MookJong · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:01

pinkowl said:
Oh come on. Two completely different things.

I didnt however say we shouldnt fight diseases at all only that they are here for a reason and when we beat one a new stronger one will surface. But to fight against them doesnt mean wiping out entire species which will mess with our nature and help destroy it. Maybe not like an asteroid would but it will still destroy it in ways we cant predict.

No, disease is not here for a reason, there is no overarching strategy or balance to nature. Everything is in constant competition it only looks balanced because you are thinking in the short term. For a long long time there were no mammals on this planet now there are billions and many extinct reptiles what is the reason behind this...there is none, it's just how it played out.

What is your stance on farming?

dirtychinchilla · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:03

No, I'm not convinced.

ci_newman · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:06

I originally read the titles as "should we eliminate mosques"

J.T · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:14

No, in fact we should genetically modify them to deliver vaccines instead.

Schlong&Stable · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:18

MookJong said:
No, disease is not here for a reason, there is no overarching strategy or balance to nature. Everything is in constant competition it only looks balanced because you are thinking in the short term. For a long long time there were no mammals on this planet now there are billions and many extinct reptiles what is the reason behind this...there is none, it's just how it played out.

What is your stance on farming?

You're quite right to say there is no long term balance. However, there are conditions which we know and (to some degree) understand. Maintaining those conditions may be desirable, because the unknown could be hellish.

Richdog · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:46

J.T said:
No, in fact we should genetically modify them to deliver vaccines instead.

Ahh, imagine if that were possible. Problem is then you would get some nutjob who would use a GM mosquito containing some irreversibly deadly pathogen to wipe out the human race.

Feef · 29 Jan 2016 at 09:54

I try to do my bit.

Dengue fever outbreak here last year was stupid, something like 21,000 cases just in my city, several of my friends were floored by it. That said, I'd still be against the eradication of an entire species. But any around my flat/work are fair game

bloodiedathame · 29 Jan 2016 at 10:17

Thread needs a poll. I'd vote no.

SPG · 29 Jan 2016 at 10:17

Ryan-3 · 29 Jan 2016 at 10:19

gjrc · 29 Jan 2016 at 11:17

i heard it said that the mosquito is solely responsible for slowing the destruction of the rain forest.

without their presence, making the place such a miserable place to live / exist in, rain forests would have been destroyed at an even faster rate by humans.

they also play a key role in the food chain. if they are eradicated then some commentators say that it wont be catastrophic. Another insect will fill the void left by them, however we have no idea what that might be and what impact that will have on the natural world.

eradicating them is not an option we should take. the work to GM them so that they are resistant to the virus they carry is a far better solution.

jpod · 29 Jan 2016 at 11:49

Amp34 said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35408835

Do we have the right to wipe out entire species on purpose, or even entire families in this potential case?

Which TBH I would totally agree with. We are the biggest danger to earth at the moment and even if we weren't, our meddling in nature in the past has shown we don't anticipate all the side effects, for example

Having spent a few weeks in Western Australia and picked up hundreds of cane toads (in one or two evenings!) I'm sceptical doing something like this won't cause problems we didn't think about.

The premise that wiping out Mosquitos is morally wrong is utter nonsense. Our natural history is built on countless extinct species, I would have thought that this was fairly obvious.

Naff8000 · 29 Jan 2016 at 12:49

Do it with fire.

George Hincapie · 29 Jan 2016 at 12:50

No. Humans are constantly negating nature's checks and balances. Too many humans. The reality is we could do with shedding a few billion. Not me or mine, obviously.

Freefaller · 29 Jan 2016 at 12:58

No from me. I'm not sure what the impact will be on the ecosystem and I don't want to find out. Furthermore, if we do wipe them out what is to say that another species which is more virulent and dangerous may come about? We can't be sure of that at all.

Eradication of a species is not our right. Just because we happen to be the most evolved creatures (though that can be argued!) on this planet, it actually means we have a responsibility to protect rather than destroy.