Should there be a moratorium on allowing genetically engineered plants or animals reased in the wild? Is it ok to experiment if they're captive?

[DrPepper12]

One of the world’s most important nature groups is weighing a call for a moratorium on allowing genetically engineered plants or animals, such as canines edited to appear like extinct “dire wolves,” from being released into the wild.

Advocates for the temporary ban, which is being considered at a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), worry about the dangers of engineered organisms upending nature. The consequences of any misstep, they say, may be uncontainable and irreversible.

“We need to put funding towards nature conservation strategies that we know work and not trying to bring back animals that don’t exist,” said Joann Sy, a scientific adviser to a Paris-based conservation group called Pollinis, a lead sponsor of the moratorium. But opponents of the proposal say that beyond “de-extinction” efforts, synthetic biology holds great untapped potential to save nature, not hurt it. Such a blanket ban, even if temporary, only threatens to drive more plants and animals to the brink, they say.

Has ANYONE heard of Frankenstein? Prometheus? WTF?

It's fine. Viable organisms will thrive & bad genes won't. Duh.

In the wild? No. Experiment in captivity as much as you want.

Here's my 2¢...

[Lliam]

Absolutely.
Creating GMO plants and allowing them out into nature where their pollen can pollute natural varieties is evil. Monsanto was famous for that and they did it deliberately. It destroys biological diversity and prevents farmers from seed saving and hybridizing. And some of those plants produce toxins.

I don't think anyone should be allowed to own intellectual property rights on plants or animals.

I'm not 100% opposed to experimental genetic engineering, but it should be totally contained. I am 100% opposed to gain of function research for biological weapons.

I do wish that certain extinct species like the Tasmanian tiger, Irish elk, black rhino, passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet, for example, could be brought back and reintroduced to the habitats they once inhabited.

[Lliam]

Thanks for the MHO, DrPepper. It was a great question. It's a very important issue.

by the way, I had lunch with Percy Schmeiser and his wife and a couple other people when he was raising money to fight the lawsuit against Monsanto. I was the Board President of a local nonprofit who hosted him to our community to speak.
I'm also a huge fan of Vandana Shiva.

[Staximus]

Everything on this planet evolved for millions of years by natural selection. To just take those genetics and throw them in the trash or throw a monkey wrench in those gears could be disastrous to say the least. It's more than irresponsible, it's desecration of nature and an abomination of nature. It's almost unholy. The stupidity, callous disregard, irreverence of nature, and mental myopia of man knows no bounds. Genetic engineering should have been out loud a long time ago. I don't care if they can grow new hearts and livers and shit for people eventually. Life on this planet is a delicate balance and truly should not be fucked with.

[DrPepper12]

Agreed! Mother Nature is not to be challenged

[Lliam]

Yes. It's hubris. But, most of all it's greed. The purpose of genetic engineering is profit.

[abc3643]

This is what Jurassic Park was all about. I'm not too concerned about it - especially plants.

[Anonymous]

I think its too late for that. Too many times where humans have played around with nature weve created ecological disasters.

[exitseven]

this cannot end well. isn't that how the world got covid?

[msc545]

No, it is NOT how the world got Covid. Jesus...

[exitseven]

@msc545 Genetically altered organism that somehow got loose from the lab. Looks pretty similar to me. Wait, I bet that you think it came from a wet market or some bat cave someplace like what dr, fauci said. After all, Dr Fauci would not lie form personal gain.

[msc545]

How many genetically altered organisms have you looked at in an electron microscope? I mean - since it "Looks pretty similar to... you"

[exitseven]

@msc545 I have had GMO food products but i think that animals that have been altered could become dominant species or could mate with other species and mutate. Who knows what happens after that?

[msc545]

I don't think anyone actually set out to do that. Turns out that low-level radiation is sufficient.

[exitseven]

@msc545 Yes, that is how some of the X-men got their powers.

[msc545]

It is also thought to be the way that mutations occur in animals and humans. We are all exposed to cosmic rays even though it sounds kind of science fiction and fantastic. This is because the atmosphere does not do a complete job of blocking such rays and they have the ability to mutate DNA.

[chrissykerdock]

no not okay experiment on human's

[seeyounexttuesday]

I'd be fine with Fauci being arrested for releasing covid-19 on the world

[msc545]

Don't do this in the wild, please.