Preserving Biodiversity
Published on Nov 19, 2015
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MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Preserving Biodiversity
A case for facilitated adaptation via transgenic animals
Photo of critically endangered Sumatran Tiger | from National Geographic | http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/13/three-thousand-wild-tigers/
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Effects on Human Well-being
- Biological resources (food security, medicines, building materials)
- Ecosystem security (climate stability, soil condition, susceptibility to natural disasters)
- Cultural value
Photo by CIFOR
Facilitated Adaptation - humans are lessening biodiversity thus it is our duty to fix it
Photo by Fede Lacroze
We need to consider transgenic animals
How does it work?
Can it work?
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Unknowns
- Could transgenic animals become invasive?
- Can we develop the technology in time to make a difference?
- Will GM animals reduce intra-species diversity?
- Could the introduced genes have unexpected adverse effects?
Additional problems
- Expense
- Very difficult to actualize this technology from start to finish
- Ethical considerations of animal testing
- Generation of transgenic animals will require sacrifice of precious individuals left in a species
- Diverts focus away from habitat restoration
Photo by rbleib
Considerations
- Which species should be targeted?
- What kinds of genes should we introduce?
- Who will oversee the creation and care of GM animals?
- genes:
enable animals to survive harsher climates?
eat different foods?
reproduce faster?
grow up quicker?
resist diseases?
all of the above?
enable animals to survive harsher climates?
eat different foods?
reproduce faster?
grow up quicker?
resist diseases?
all of the above?
Photo by SEDACMaps
Months required to produce GM crops
https://isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/17/default.asp
https://croplife.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Getting-a-Biotech-Crop-to-M...
It takes 6-15 years to generate new GM crops from science to first sale - we can expect at least that amount of time for animals.
Total time is closer to 22 years.
Research alone takes ~4 years - we need to start right now.
https://croplife.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Getting-a-Biotech-Crop-to-M...
It takes 6-15 years to generate new GM crops from science to first sale - we can expect at least that amount of time for animals.
Total time is closer to 22 years.
Research alone takes ~4 years - we need to start right now.
A last chance solution
- At the end of the line, we may have only 3 options: let the species die, move the animals, or change the animals
- Moving animals could introduce invasive species, diseases to otherwise stable populations, the travel itself might also kill off animals.
- In this case, controlled transgenic experiments are the obvious best choice
- Moving animals could introduce invasive species, diseases to otherwise stable populations, the travel itself might also kill off animals.
- In this case, controlled transgenic experiments are the obvious best choice
Photo by adesigna
