Environment

Will Franken-Mosquitos Threaten the Food Chain?

An experiment meant to curb the rise of Dengue fever is raising many questions after it was announced that 6000 genetically altered mosquitos were released into a Malaysian forrest.

Will Franken Mosquitos Threaten the Food Chain?

Dengue fever is certainly a scourge. And while infections have recently been on the rise, it is not normally a fatal disease. According to the WHO, most people recover from dengue without any complications. Since mosquitos transmit dengue, it was normal to look for ways to control their population and limit the chances for transmission. In the past, governments have limited their management of the mosquito problem to reducing breeding areas, this is one of the first efforts known to introduce modified mosquitos that will produce fewer offspring into the ecosystem.

So we have fewer mosquitos on the planet, what could possibly go wrong?  After all, the Cayman Islands also did a little experiment with modified mosquitos last year and they reported an 80% reduction in the little blood suckers.  Again, what could possibly be bad about a planet with fewer mosquitos?

Let’s see. . . mosquitos feed on us, but who needs mosquitos to live?   Birds, dragonflies, frogs, bats, and something called the mosquito fish.   Ok, so we might have a few less birds, dragonflies, frogs, bats, and mosquito fish.  Some say it is small price to pay for getting rid of those pesky vampires.  Can’t we live without those a few birds, frogs and fish?

Hmmm, aside from people, what eats frogs, birds and fish?   Snakes, mongoose, many species of cats enjoy frogs and birds.   Once you step back and look at the big picture here, the dominos all line up pretty quickly.  And once they start falling, it may be too late

Am I being an alarmist?  It’s only a few mosquitos. . . and the government said that a month after the “test” they went in with insecticide and killed all of the modified bugs.  Unless I see 6000 tiny body bags, each filled with a genetically modified mosquito, I’m not buying it.

Comments (100)

1 2
  • tower7femacamp
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:26am

    this crap is just the beginning

    Report Post » tower7femacamp  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:21am

    These environmentalists are always wrong. Most species would be better off extinct. Think about it all we really need are dogs for companionship and cows, chickens, pigs, and fish to eat. All the other species are just unnecessary.

    The frightening thing is that genetic manipulation , gene splicing is not that hard. You don’t need a multimillion dollar laboratory. It’s almost to the point where you can buy a gene splicing kit at Toys R Us and do it at home. There’s going to be thousands of “hobbyist” gene splicers creating all sorts of freakish forms of plants, bacteria and viruses in the near future.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • DevotedDad
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:59am

    Let’s see here for a minute –

    Birds are dying all over the place..

    Fish are dying all over the place…..

    Cattle are dying all over the place…..

    Genetically modified agriculture….

    Genetically modified mosquitoes…..

    Climate experiments in the desert that make it rain…..

    Oil in the gulf stream…..

    But of course this had nothing to do with any effects on the climate or the world…

    Silly rabbit….

    It’s climate change,,,,That explains EVERYTHING

    Report Post » DevotedDad  
  • sagatomg
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:58am

    Good headlines get readers!

    I started to associate Al Franken with Franken-stein except I felt sorry for Frankenstein.

    Report Post »  
  • oldsoldier10
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:37am

    OH I though you meant Al Franken, DOH yea he is terrible.

    Report Post » oldsoldier10  
  • EZDOZIT
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:37am

    The most intelligent people (liberals) on the panet were able to get DDT ban . Millions of people have died from malaria because of this. So either they are not as smart as they claim or their plan was to reduce the earth population.

    Report Post »  
  • simple thought
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:32am

    the worst blood suckers on the planet are the politicians in washington d c .

    Report Post »  
    • mossbrain
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:12am

      The Cost of America’s Farm Subsidy Binge: An Average of $1 Million Per Farm

      Report Post » mossbrain  
  • mark
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:28am

    This is what happens when you try to clone Al. If you look really close, you can see Al’s pin-head on the body of these wonderful man-made creations.

    Report Post »  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:24am

    It must be simple Eugenics.

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
  • chuck
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:17am

    I am living proof that DDT does not kill people! My brother, when I was 5 years old, sprayed a whole can of OFF with 66% DDT in my mouth while I was sleeping…I am 52 now and still kicking…the DDT lie, was just that, a lie.

    Report Post »  
  • lildeb56
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:17am

    I don‘t know why they didn’t just release some dragonflies. They eat mosquitoes. I think that‘s what they’ve done here in SW FL (I could be wrong) to help with the mosquito population (since we do live in a swamp here!). I wish they would quit with the genetic engineering. That can’t end well.

    Report Post » lildeb56  
    • USAMama
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:47pm

      Again.. Killer Bee’s come to mind, lol. (For anyone unaware, they were genetically engineered to create a bee that didn’t sting and produced alot of honey. Instead they got a bee that produced no honey and killed in swarms. Ooops!)

      Report Post » USAMama  
  • flagbearer
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:10am

    Don’t fool with Mother Nature. Bottom line.

    Report Post »  
  • 9thCommandment
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:04am

    The Blood Suckers in DC are more of a threat.

    Report Post »  
  • oldchevyguy
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:56am

    Any relation to Al Franken?

    Report Post »  
    • DashRipRock
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:05am

      lol thats what I first thought

      Report Post »  
    • NancyBee
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 12:31pm

      HaHaHa………..I thought the same thing……..“The Mosquito”….Starring Al Franken…….instead of “The Fly”…starring Jeff Goldbloom.

      Report Post » NancyBee  
  • Mackerel
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:56am

    Take comfort and know that God is in control.

    Report Post » Mackerel  
    • jedi.kep
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:58am

      Mack, if God is in control, then He sure has things in a MESS!

      Report Post » jedi.kep  
    • USAMama
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:11am

      God has given us free will, we are the ones who have things such a mess! Can you imagine how much worse it would be without Him? He is like a parent who gives us freedoms to grow and learn but when we get in over our heads He steps in to set us straight. Watch for miracles, I think we’ll be seeing them real soon!

      Report Post » USAMama  
    • Eblaze44
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:07pm

      @USAMAMA – “GOD”, people have been looking for 2000+years, I’m not holding my breath. Reading the book – it appears GOD kind of lets you go to hell in the handbasket you created.

      Report Post » Eblaze44  
    • USAMama
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:41pm

      @ EBlaze,

      I think you need to read “The Book” again. God saves us from going to Hell in the Handbasket we create, but only if we let Him. He says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.” If you don’t open the door to your heart and invite Him in, He can not help you. If your having a heart attack, or “holding your breath” but don’t call 911 or open the door to let the medics in, how do you expect them to be able to help you? You have to actually ask Him and let Him in if you want to see Him.

      Report Post » USAMama  
  • quickone
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:52am

    DDT anyone?

    Report Post »  
  • historyguy48
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:51am

    Should we discuss the recently passed Food Bill? The big co’s will be suppling only genetically modified seeds to farmers, that way there is no chance of a crop after the first year, without buying more seeds. This insures their profit.
    Of course, if anything major ever happens, such as a war, plague, etc, on a scale large enough to disrupt our society, starvation will result. Of course this could never happen, just ask the Inca, the Romans, etc.

    Report Post » historyguy48  
    • blanco
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:09am

      There’s just so much to keep up with on how we are being screwed by our own government!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • tower7femacamp
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:51am

      look up Bill Gates Seed vault

      Report Post » tower7femacamp  
    • oldoldtimer
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:57am

      The biggest fear is it will mutate into wild species of plants and they will quit producing viable seeds. Already weeds are picking up the Gene used in soy beans to make them Roundup ready. It now takes 3 times as much herbacide to control the weeds in Monsanto Roundup ready 3rd and 4th generation fields. Even weeds down wind where GMO soy beans have never grown are getting genetic resistance. The GMO is also crossing into all other soybeans making them the property of Monsanto who is filing law suits to be paid even though the farmers had never ever used their seeds.

      Report Post »  
  • Rob
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:50am

    Same thing was said about the dinosaurs…. things went on just fine without them.

    Report Post »  
  • Rob
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:49am

    How about genetically altered progressives that will produce fewer blood sucking offsprings?

    Report Post »  
  • joecitizen
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:47am

    DDT killed malaria causing mosquitos. DDT also killed birds, fish, frogs, etc… So we banned the use of DDT.
    Now the malaria causing mosquitos kill millions of people a year, interesting trade-off.

    Report Post » joecitizen  
    • historyguy48
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:54am

      Better yet: that “evil” DDT was anything but. Do your research, the claims of it’s killing birds, etc, were false. In actuality you can eat a teaspoonful of DDT yourself, without any adverse results. The libs have killed millions with their big lie.

      Report Post » historyguy48  
    • Hayeksgirl
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:12am

      http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.html

      This is the very same thing they are doing with AGW “science”….

      Report Post » Hayeksgirl  
    • Oh, God!
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:51am

      @ HISTORYGUY48-completely agree. If people did their research they would realize that DDT did not harm the environment or the people. This was all hyped up thanks to the wacko treehuggers and the media. Mark Levin talks about this in his book Liberty and Tyranny.

      Report Post » Oh, God!  
    • Marylou7
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:52am

      I can remember when trucks use to come down our streets spraying those pesky mosquitos and once DDT was banned you couldn’t walk outside in the summer. Yuck.

      Report Post » Marylou7  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:49am

      @HistoryGuy

      Correct, I remember seeing the footage in the DDT debates after the talk of banning it or not had come out; mostly from documentaries, and the books on the subject (the talks and debates over the subject, not on the results) are interesting. The part of eating DDT you talked about, I believe is where a scientist actually ate a teaspoon of it in front of several journalists?

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • natstew
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 12:42pm

      Over use of DDT is what killed the birds, fish, and harmless insects. DDT is still used in other Countries, some export agricultural produe to us. Giving them an unfair atvantage.
      DDT can safely be used to control harmful pests without harming nature.

      Report Post »  
    • TheGreyPiper
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 3:56pm

      Whether or not you can eat it by the spoonful or even mainline it is beside the point, the problem was how it tended to accumulate in the foodchain. The whole thing about DDT was its longevity. I found an old gardening book from the ’50s, I think it was my grandmother’s, and for every insect problem, the solution was “Sprinkle one teaspoon of DDT at the beginning of the season.” Once was enough! Now I agree that the DDT ban was largely politically motivated and a lot of the data was fudged worse than Arctic sea ice temperatures. However , there were legitimate concerns that needed to be addressed.

      Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
  • Voice-O-Reason
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:46am

    I think there will still be plenty of mosquitos to go around….besides, mosquitos are not the only thing that avian and fish eat.

    Report Post »  
    • kindling
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 3:39pm

      there are lots of plants polllinated by mosquitos that we would loose and some of them we eat.

      Report Post » kindling  
    • Voice-O-Reason
      Posted on January 30, 2011 at 1:45pm

      I think the plants will be ok, there are plenty of other things that pollinate plants besides mosquitos.

      Report Post »  
  • psycodad36
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:45am

    Butterfly effect

    Report Post »  
    • MrObvious
      Posted on January 30, 2011 at 11:30pm

      Lets see, who eats butterflies? :)

      Somehow I don‘t think a drop in the Mosquito population is going to effect Domino Pizza’s delivery schedule much.

      Report Post »  
  • WireWizard
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:43am

    Now, if we could apply this to Democrats…

    Report Post » WireWizard  
  • Carl1
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:43am

    It can happen….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxfcM2vAiF8

    Report Post » Carl1 Supports Israel  
  • Carl1
    Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:42am

    I’m not buying it either. Government is doing more then they telling us.

    Report Post » Carl1 Supports Israel  
    • DashRipRock
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:02am

      Gees the way this was worded

      I thought Al Franken had done something to mosquitos in order to save the planet.

       
    • bread and circuses
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:07am

      the headline was confusing, I thought Sen Al turned into a blood sucking insect, he was already half way there

      Report Post »  
    • bread and circuses
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:13am

      For those who do not understand my “Sen” contraction, I give you 2 options:
      Senator OR Senile

      Report Post »  
    • Sevens
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:13am

      Its to set us up for de- popultation. The NWO wants less people to rule over.. what a better way to test their gentics than on mosquitoes? Everyone considers them to be pests. No one will speak out. Problem with my post or not.. email me @ sevenators7@gmail.com

      Report Post » Sevens  
    • SteveSD
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:27am

      I have two words for ya…

      ‘Jurassic Park’

      Report Post »  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:54am

      You know I am not sure WHO thinks it knows more THE GOVERNMENT, THE SCIENTISTS, OR W.H.O. .. however.. I am pretty sure if you put ALL their brains togeather they are NOT going to out smart MOTHER NATURE.. besides the fact NOT one of the above 3 have EVER thought of the old saying..”for every reaction there is an EQUAL and OPPOSITE reaction..we can’t drill, spend millions save a mouse, have to save a minnow but it‘s OK to kill off a lot of things because of mosquito’s .. priorities..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
    • ron the veteran
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:04am

      the dems are the biggest blood suckers on the plannet? lets geneticly modify them so they cant breed and more commies or saul alinski followers. break out the DDT!

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:09am

      Agreed, we start tinkering around with stuff, and there is always a chance some form of a chimera will be the result. So, if we are to play with genetic fire, the players should be prepared for the burns that will inevitably result – fire itself, like genetics are tools; it is the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of using them that determines the morality of the subject.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • LittleBigMouth
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 11:23am

      Dash, I think Al is creating a “Progressive Mosquito” This thing will bite you and suddenly you want Government Health Care.. Al will save us all, this is great……….

      Report Post » LittleBigMouth  
    • Bearfoot
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 3:46pm

      Seems to me that if all the mosquitoes were gone, exterminated, then all the critters that used to feed on them would simply start eating other things, like flies and other insects.
      Personally, I hate mosquitoes and would not shed any tears over their demise.

      Report Post » Bearfoot  
    • fist_of_fury
      Posted on January 29, 2011 at 11:18pm

      *smack* just killed one.

      Report Post »  
    • Lunar
      Posted on January 30, 2011 at 2:38am

      So… votes on what to call the zombie plague ??? Dengue zombie fever ? Ooooo Dengue death ? Has a nice ring to it.

      GM corn and wheat made to resist the herbicide Roundup. Is supposed to be sterile and NEVER breed with anything else.

      Can you guess what happens beside fields with GM products ? Sometimes it sterilizes the neighbours corn by cross pollination and other times NATURE finds a way. In fact Monsanto has made it a job to make sure that farmers don’t use those seeds that are part their genetics and part natural. The very FACT they need to track down and sue farmers to keep them from using there now FLAWED (halfbreed) grain. Is all the proof you need that we don’t have some kinda lock on this kinda stuff and thats American companies with oversight.

      Report Post » Lunar  
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