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Dropeza t1_j68disb wrote

We could eradicate mosquitoes if we really tried. We already have technologies like gene drive and alternatives like wolbachia engineering. It would have little ecological impact and improve quality of life along with disease prevention. The US could easily finance it if it dedicated justa a bit of its military budget, but more tanks better I guess.

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Mycousinvindy t1_j68pem4 wrote

Idk, history has shown any time humans attempt to eradicate something... There are generally terrible outcomes. We could do better at treating diseases spread from this bussing bastards.

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RigbyRoadIce t1_j691rkn wrote

Like? Ecologists all tend to believe eradicating malaria-susceptible mosquitos for example would not produce a significant impact on the food web in the region.

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Mycousinvindy t1_j6983ki wrote

I mean on another post I already explained I don't pretend to know the ecology of mosquitoes. Their are a multitude of interactions between animals from their predators or plants. I know most mosquitoes don't even drink blood and a lot are pollinators. I believe only female mosquitos drink blood and their male counter part may play a role in the ecosystem. Also their larvae stage may be a major player for some aquatic species. That's off the dome, but how any of these interactions would actually effect I have no clue.

I never said we shouldn't, just that eradicating sections have ripple effects that are largely not always predictable. Accounting for all interactions within nature is nearly impossible and we can only speculate. We can agree upon hypothesis but to state you know the outcome with 100%, truth is asinine.

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xeric t1_j69nat9 wrote

This is much safer than eradicating all mosquitos - eliminating 1 or 2 species that are really effective at transmitting malaria while allowing other species to take over that part of the ecosystem feels especially low-risk, given it could save hundreds of thousands of lives per year

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Dropeza t1_j68pw45 wrote

What terrible outcome could come out of wiping out human targeting mosquitoes? We already have successfully controlled species that transmit dengue through these means. Mosquitoes that don’t transmit disease may also inflict a lot of pain on people that are allergic to the chemicals in their saliva. We have nothing to lose from exterminating these species.

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Mycousinvindy t1_j68rgn6 wrote

I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what's going to happen or have done any research into the ecology of mosquitoes. I just know it's never as simple as, "yes just wipe out an organism from the food chain and it will be fine."

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