Up to 20,000 Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Released in Australian Towns

Natural Society
and via Blacklistednews

Here ya go.. another release of GM mosquitoes (aka mozzies as my down-under friends would say) into Australia!!

Do you remember how some scientists, researchers, and individuals like Bill Gates were trying to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the environment? Well, that endeavor isn’t quite over. Two towns in Northern Australia have recently been gifted with 10-20 thousand genetically engineered mosquitoes – almost completely replacing mosquitoes naturally occurring in the outdoors.

Although the mosquitoes released are still GM, they aren’t exactly the same as the more well-known mosquitoes developed my Oxitec. Oxitec is a British company responsible for the creation of the genetically engineered mosquitoes containing a gene designed to kill themselves unless given an antibiotic known as tetracycline. The company created this internally manipulated insect to help control agricultural pests and reduce insect-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria.

These new mosquitoes released in Australia, however, are developed with a slightly different strategy. A bacterium named Wolbackiapipientis infects numerous insects species, and harnesses the ability to alter it’s hosts reproductive ability. When this happens, entire populations become infected within generations, and when the bacterium infects mosquitoes, the mosquitoes’ ability to pass on the dengue virus vanishes

Now this isn't the first time this has been done (as related in the article), here are the older ATS threads:
Biotech company secretly releases millions of GM mosquitoes in Cayman Islands
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to be Released in the US for the First Time
GM Mosquito’s in the fight against malaria

So what are the risks associated with this release?!
according to the article,

Unfortunately, no peer-reviewed scientific proof of the safety of such biotechnologies can be offered. Long-term effects have not been at all measured, and once these insects are released, they can not be recalled. Here are but a few of the questions and issues regarding GM mosquitoes (or any GM insect for that matter).

•Will Oxitec need to acquire the free and informed consent of residents in Key West for the release of the GM mosquitoes? With the previous release of the mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands there was no public consultation taken on potential risks and informed consent was not given from locals.
•What could happen to the ecosystem and local food chain with the major decrease in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population?
•Tetracycline, the antibiotic Oxitec’s genetically engineered mosquitoes are supposed to have no contact with, is showing up in the environment. With tetracycline being present in the wild, these GE mosquitoes would survive and thrive.
•Mosquitoes can develop resistance to the lethal gene inputted by Oxitec. In fact, 3.5 percent of the insects survived to adulthood in laboratory tests despite carrying the lethal gene, according to Todd Shelly, an entomologist for the Agriculture Department in Hawaii.
•0.5 percent of the released insects are female (the gender which bites humans); what happens to humans if bitten by the female mosquitoes?
•Who regulates releases, and who will be responsible in the event of complications – to any degree?

Does it seem crazy to anyone else that these are being released as an experiment without hard scientific proof?! What happens, as mentioned above if these becaome out of control? Or start to mess with everything else?!
What are the implications for animals and humans?! Do they actually work to control Malaria and Dengue fever and other diseases passed by mosquito?
I understand the premise of what is trying to be done here, but without pre-sceintific testing, it just seems plain dumb and completely UN-scientific to release these creatues without hardcore lab tests to determine what other effects they may have on the environment in which they will be released. Seems to me like due diligence is not being done.. why?! Probably because there is money and other agendas involved with the creation of these GM creatures!

Thoughts?!

Bill gates is a big vaccine advocate. I wonder.....
Any one else catch my drift?
Who knows.

reply to post by Infi8nity


here is an article regarding his involvement and funding of GM mosquitos!

Bill Gates’ Foundation Funded Approval of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
From 2010,

Bill Gates, who recently bought 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock, is reportedly funding the approval of genetically modified mosquitoes. It seems that not only will genetically modified salmon enter the environment along with unforeseen changes, but a new self-sterilizing mosquito may be joining them.

The plan, concocted by United Nations’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, involves creating genetically modified mosquitoes that either kill or sterilize themselves.The United Nations’ aim is to combat Dengue fever through the genetic manipulation of nature.

S&F
I agree with your sentiments. It doesn't appear sufficient testing has been carried out.
Who's to know what dangers they pose with their bites. Rather they had altered them to stop biting.

I would like a warning one is near to avoid being bitten, the buzzing sound is very annoying though. Just as your getting to sleep, one always has to buzz by and wake you up.

They buzz very, very quietly. That infuriating high-pitched whirring that can rob you of your sleep on summer nights is not part of their repertoire. At this small laboratory near the English university town of Oxford, maintained at a steady 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), the mosquitoes emit no more than a light purr. Their victims can't hear them it until it's almost too late.
Source .

reply to post by Nspekta

Thoughts?!

All kidding aside?

*RUN AWAYYYYY!!!*

peace

reply to post by Nspekta


What does Bill Gates have to do with mosquitos ?

The only thing they should be genetically engineering are mosquitos that self distruct upon emergence from the water. Really, can someone tell me why these insects are necessary ? Bird food ? There are millions of other flying bugs the birds can eat.

Originally posted by karen61057
reply to post by Nspekta

 

What does Bill Gates have to do with mosquitos ?

The only thing they should be genetically engineering are mosquitos that self distruct upon emergence from the water. Really, can someone tell me why these insects are necessary ? Bird food ? There are millions of other flying bugs the birds can eat.

To sterilize the population.

love and harmony
whateva

Introduction of these genetically modified species to counteract (problem of the day) is similar to any invasive non-native species being introduced to an eco-system in history. It never really works out as intended.

This kind of thinking reminds me of an old childrens song. There are analogies, albeit obscure.

Here are more lins to other aricles regarding this!
www.hangthebankers.com...

Who is regulating the release?
technyou.edu.au...
That article states that scientist who release these repeatedly use unpublished and non-peer reviewed works that support 'contentious conclusions'

imho we are not yet ready as a species to decide eliminate stuff from nature...maybe removing malaria etc will unbalance other things

please dont mess with nature ..thank you

Disturbing news

There is nowhere to run or hide, and you will never now what stung you.
This isnt reality is it?

reply to post by TribeOfManyColours


I know! its insane right?! There is no way to track these things, and if there are potential reactions in the environment, is it reversable?!?

reply to post by Nspekta


Lately all I do is take a deep breath, and carry on in this matrix of life.
Are we really lost as a society and let it all happen?

Sadly I think so.

There is a reason to release these mosquitoes..

I have to go to work now, go run my program. No time watching the truth

This was also done in Bangladesh recently in February, again without the permission of the population!
axisoflogic.com...
There are also plans to release them in vietnam as well

More concerns from this article,

Opponents to the experimentation say such plans could leave a vacuum in the ecosystem that is then filled by another insect species, potentially introducing new diseases. If we remove an insect like the mosquito from the ecosystem, we don't know what the impact will be," said Pete Riley, campaign director of GM Freeze, a British non-profit group that opposes genetic modification, according to the ABC report from the Caymans.

My daughter is always asking me why God invented such an annoying pest as mosquitoes. Well I don't pretend to know the mind of God, or, if you prefer, understand how each part of nature supports the other part, but I do know the mind of man and our extreme shortsightedness, greed, and arrogance, and I do understand we have not lived in proper balance with nature for generations. This is not likely to end well. And it's extremely unethical to release something that can inject people with substances whose effects can not be foreseen, without their informed consent. In fact, I think it should be a crime.

And I don't believe Bill Gates way is doing enough to end suffering. He has the money to rescue children from brothels and other situations of extreme abuse and suffering and put them in schools. Is he doing that? What little I've found indicates only a small fraction of his foundation's money goes to causes that do real hardcore relief work..the kind that gives medical and psychological assistance to victims of war and poverty induced violence. He seems to think literally that a shot will cure all that ails the human condition, if you look at the flow of money.

I've never heard that he is keen on doing anything quite so "mundane" and straightforward as repairing war torn bodies. I've only heard about him talking about biotech or getting computers to third world populations. I get that technology is his pet obsession but he seems hellbent on putting all the eggs into that basket as if we can engineer our way out of all the causes of our suffering. His foundation seems to give preference to funding the Frankenstein stuff. I therefore question his motives. But I may be very ill informed about him. I'm open to correction and apologize if I'm mistaken.