Emily Baumgaertner (2018). Viruses Spread by Insects to Crops Sound Scary. The Military Calls It Food Security. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/science/darpa-gene-editing.html on 2018-11-17
There is a developing weapon considered and used as a new type of threat. Darpa (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has created insects which carry viruses ultimately to genetically modify crops. Modified crops can then supposedly have the ability to withstand just about any natural disaster. However, insects can also carry viruses to destroy acres of crops. The growing dispute is whether the endeavor is considered ethical. Some argue that the virus is like a plague or disease, unable to be controlled. Others believe that the new advance in technology can save millions of crops in unstainable areas in an effective and cost friendly manner.
Pests which carry viruses that impact crops are essential in developing crop land throughout the United States, however there may be severe repercussions. The effects of such technology could be historical and studied for decades in environmental science. As environmental science deals with the interactions between nature, seeing wildlife coexist to benefit or harm one another, learning how pests may change the world is essential. I believe and hope that with the rise of any technology, impairments can be maintained while advantages can be utilized. Although seemingly scary advancement are necessary to humanity’s survival and just like any revolution, another agricultural revolution is bound to happen in one form or another.
I found your topic very thought-provoking, however, I am still not sure I understand the implications of this GMO bug. Does the bug implement some sort of pollination system on the crops or spread do they spread a kind of bacteria, etc? I am also curious where you stand as far as the mass spread of GMOs this invention intends upon, rather than the technology itself.
I agree that insects are a key role in agriculture. All the chemicals we use to protect the harvest have unintended consequences we can not see on the surface. Technology can help make up for whatever the plants lack but it is not natural for them. Do you think technology is better for the plants then nature doing its own thing?
This is an interesting topic, but like mentioned in your article there could be many ways this could go wrong. And if it does go wrong how do we contain the problem, they would be like an invasive species and already they’re hard to control. With this there are too many external cost.