Plus, any thoughts about the implications this project could have on the spread of emerging infectious disease?
Popular press: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/01/13/10151806-smuggled-bush-meat-brings-viral-threat-to-us?lite PLoS Article it references: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029505 Andrew J. Bennett On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 11:35 PM, Matthew Chmielewski < [email protected]> wrote: > Clara, > > A lifelong interest in sampling a variety of bushmeat is hardly a > sufficient > reason to warrant the sort of program that you are proposing. Given that > you > have acknowledged that you have no way of asking any sort of controlled > scientific question, this proposal is the equivalent of gastronomically- > centered trophy hunting. The bush meat trade in many parts of the world > severely undermines conservation efforts in a world already quite severely > impacted by anthropogenic changes in land use and climate. It is ethically > unsound to add to this problem so that you can satiate a desire to pursue > "sciency play". Additionally, there is the carbon footprint associated with > sending you frozen bushmeat from various parts of the world to satisfy > your curiosity to consider. This is the sort of behavior that makes the > public > distrustful (rightly so) of how scientists spend publicly generated federal > funds. > > Appealing to a sense of tradition by citing your genealogical connection to > food justifies your proposal little more than your suggestion that you are > part of a subculture of "life listers" when it comes to diversity of > species > consumption. > > Unless you have a justifiable research question that promises to gain > traction on a reasonable area of scientific inquiry, I appeal to you to > consider your ethical responsibilities as well as the consequences of your > actions. > > Cheers, > > Matthew Chmielewski > PhD Student > Center For Life In Extreme Environments > Biology Department > Portland State University >
