There have been long talks about how far is too far when it comes to science, and some folks in Florida believe that they may have just found the line.
In mankind’s quest for total domination of our domain, scientists have begun to unlock a number of deeply inborn parts of biology – namely in the realm of genetics and DNA. For many, this is a sacred part of the makeup of the species surrounding us, and tampering with this natural “code” is sketchy at best, sacrilege at worst.
Yet still, science persists, and The Sunshine State is about to become a testing ground for one of the largest genetic experiments to date.
The Florida Keys will this week see the release of genetically modified, non-biting male mosquito larvae as part of a controversial program designed to curb the spread of insect-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and British firm biotech Oxitec announced last week that 12,000 of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito species are expected to emerge each week for twelve weeks from six locations: two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key.
Scarier still, there are plans to possibly release hundreds of millions of these mosquitoes in Florida in the near future, which has some social media users aghast.
I’m sorry but I don’t care what the CDC says. https://t.co/OwUgTqfhBL
— ??Lionel?? (@LionelMedia) April 27, 2021
Physicians, Scientists, Activists, and Residents Oppose Scheduled Release of GMO Mosquitoes in Florida https://t.co/KSOiXMVYOm via @activistpost
— DejaView (@DejaView) April 21, 2021
People should not be forced to be part of risky experiments that benefit private corporations – yet that’s exactly what the @EPA is letting @Oxitec do with its GMO mosquito trial in the Florida Keys. @FLKeysMosquito must step in and stop these tests that silence local voices! pic.twitter.com/orrdBMC87K
— Friends of the Earth (Action) (@foe_us) April 20, 2021
While these male mosquitoes won’t bite, they will mate with other female mosquitoes in the state, creating offspring the likes of which the world has never seen.
