Following recent talk of resurrecting the woolly mammoth, a new analysis has poured cold water on the idea of de-extinction efforts, recommending that funding go to conservation efforts instead:
Ten days ago, science news media outlets around the world reported that a Harvard University–led team was on the verge of resurrecting the wooly mammoth. Although many articles oversold the findings, the concept of de-extinction—bringing extinct animals back to life through genetic engineering—is beginning to move from the realm of science fiction to reality. Now, a new analysis of the economics suggests that our limited conservation funding would be better spent elsewhere.
"The conversation thus far has been focused on whether or not we can do this. Now, we are progressing toward the: 'Holy crap, we can—so should we?' phase," says Douglas McCauley, an ecologist at University of California, Santa Barbara, who was not involved in the study. "It is like we've just about put the last stiches in [Frankenstein's monster], and there is this moment of pause as we consider whether it is actually a good idea to flip the switch and electrify the thing to life."
[...] the results also show that if instead of focusing the money on de-extinction, one allocated it into existing conservation programs for living species, we would see a much bigger increase in biodiversity—roughly two to eight times more species saved. In other words, the money would be better spent elsewhere to prevent existing species from going extinct in the first place [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0053] [DX], the team reports today in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
[article abstract not yet available]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday March 01 2017, @01:33PM (2 children)
Caribou?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday March 01 2017, @02:35PM (1 child)
Santa, that magnificent bastard, has brainwashed too many kids into thinking reindeer pull his sleigh when its obviously area 51 UFO levitation technology. Anyway you can only sell "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" burger patties to some place at least somewhat outside western civ.
Maybe we could sell "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Burger Patties" to Chinese and they could sell us ... melamine contaminated dog meat patties, naw thats not going to work. Easier to get kids to eat Rudolph than Lassie.
Caribou are interesting but its just not gonna happen culturally.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday March 01 2017, @04:26PM
We could call them "elk." Nobody would know the difference. It's more honest than calling Subway's meat nuggets, "chicken."
Washington DC delenda est.