http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2013/04/03/ability-to-restore-extinct-species-and-more-is-coming/ *By Ralph Maughan <http://www.thewildlifenews.com/author/badwolf27/> On April 3, 2013 · 1 Comment<http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2013/04/03/ability-to-restore-extinct-species-and-more-is-coming/#comments>· In Politics <http://www.thewildlifenews.com/category/politics/>, Wildlife<http://www.thewildlifenews.com/category/wildlife-2/>, Wildlife News <http://www.thewildlifenews.com/category/wildlife-news-2/> *
*Control over genetics will usher in many opportunities for good, bad, and unpleasant politics-* Our direct ability to manipulate genes is growing so powerful that many scientists say it won’t be long before extinct species can be “resurrected.” This has already been anticipated in sci fi movies like*Jurrasic Park * and *Rise of the Planet of the Apes* (chimera). Even easier will be the creation of chimera — organisms whose cells are a mosaics of two or more species. Think rabbit plus jellyfish. This actually has already been done. There are fluorescent white rabbits created by inserting a jellyfish gene into a fertilized rabbit egg. The same with cats. Genetic diseases can and will be cured in advance, or even after they have begun. This would seem to be nothing but a good thing all around, but already opposition has emerged from various groups who think they will lose out in some way from this, e.g., perhaps religions who benefit by supplying succor to those who suffer from “God’s Will.” Genetic engineering will take immense wisdom. The reality is that this knowledge and the ability to apply it is being dropped on top of an economy dominated by corporations who have little to no interest in the side effects of their actions, a government that seems to think new animals and plants equal new weapons, and where aggressive religions views are on the march asserting that fertilized human ova are truly full blown people with all the rights, duties, and privileges of a real (a born) person. *Science Daily* has run a spate of articles this last week on these issues. Most relevant to *the Wildlife News* is probably this one, Can Synthetic Biology Save Wildlife? From Re-Creating Extinct Species to the Risk of Genetically Modified Super-Species. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130402182502.htm> The article describes a recent scientific article arguing the field of synthetic biology and that of conservation biology need to start talking to each other. Indeed! The paper says that there are five critical issues for discussion: 1. The possibilities of recreating extinct species. 2. How synthetic organisms will interact with existing species. 3. Our current definition of what “natural” is. 4. Using synthetic biology to produce natural services for humans (e.g. carbon sequestration, pollution control). 5. The use of synthetic life for private benefits, as in the applications for industrial processes, agriculture, and aquaculture; how will a balance be struck between private risk and gain vs. public benefit and safety? It is easy to see that discussion or the failure to discuss are already upon us, and many don’t like that fact that among the first genetic products created was “Roundup Ready” soybeans, and similar life forms where the desire for profits from one patented herbicide (Roundup) led to the creation of patented life, and also to the predicted (but glossed over) side effects which have already led to emergence of superweeds and superpests. In response to corporate lobbying, Congress just passed what critics call the Monsanto Protection Act, which Obama just signed into law. Such public disregarding, ecologically ignorant legislation is amazing, but now law. There was almost no public discussion of the bill either though perhaps the public will eventually be heard, e.g., Top senator apologizes for ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ after public outrage<http://rt.com/usa/protection-act-monsanto-apologizes-229/>. RT.com. The bill was which was just slipped into “must-pass” legislation, the $982 billion six-month government appropriations bill needed to keep the government open for the rest of the fiscal year. It seems like these issues might benefit from a full discussion on *The Wildlife News.* (Visited 1,974 times, 1,974 visits today) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Epistemology" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/epistemology?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
