[Coral-List] "assisted evolution"

[Judith Lang]

Dennis,
If we really wanted to “do something” that will help, we’d be more focused on reducing CO2 emissions and cleaning up all the other land- and atmospheric-based sources of pollution in the oceans.
Judy Lang
AGRRA Scientific Coordinator

> On 16 Feb 2021, at 18:18, Dennis Hubbard via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
> Steve makes a more nuanced point than I did on our track record with
> bio-evolutionary engineering. Nevertheless, our bad track record with
> agreeing on "good" vs "bad" traits - and then assuming that we can make the
> "right" decisions going forward, will only be made worse by the reality
> that we do not know what other human-made problems will occur down the line
> and how our decisions with respect to this one might have adverse effects
> on the trajectory of as-yet unknown problems. It is frustrating because we
> always want to "do something" that will help, but......
> 
> Dennis
> 
> On Tue, Feb 16, 2021 at 10:18 AM Steve Mussman via Coral-List <
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Hi Doug,
>> 
>> Interesting article and a fascinating topic.
>> 
>> I’ve often wondered if the coral science community has given ample
>> consideration to the possibility that “assisted evolution” could do more
>> harm than good. Seems to me that all the momentum favors moving forward for
>> as the article points out, “as the border between the natural and manmade
>> blurs, gene editing animals to protect them may become increasingly
>> appealing”- making the question you raised, (how far should we go to help
>> species adapt?) both a crucial and precarious one.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Steve Mussman
>> 
>> On 2/15/21, 4:12 AM, Douglas Fenner via Coral-List <
>> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>> 
>> Assisting evolution: how far should we go to help species adapt?
>> 
>> 
>> https://e360.yale.edu/features/assisting-evolution-how-far-should-we-go-to-help-species-adapt
>> 
>> The article talks about corals but also other animals and plants.
>> 
>> Cheers, Doug
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> Douglas Fenner
>> 
>> Lynker Technologies, LLC, Contractor
>> 
>> NOAA Fisheries Service
>> 
>> Pacific Islands Regional Office
>> 
>> Honolulu
>> 
>> and:
>> 
>> Coral Reef Consulting
>> 
>> PO Box 997390
>> 
>> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799-6298 USA
>> 
>> Social cost of carbon emissions much higher than previous estimates
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/trump-downplayed-costs-carbon-pollution-s-about-change
>> 
>> A German initiative seeks to curb global emissions of a climate
>> 
>> super-pollutant
>> 
>> 
>> https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30122020/chemical-plant-nitrous-oxide-climate-warming-emissions/
>> 
>> The toxic effects of air pollution are so bad that moving from fossil fuels
>> 
>> to clean energy would pay for itself in health-care savings and
>> 
>> productivity gains
>> 
>> —
>> 
>> even if climate change didn’t exist. In the US alone, decarbonization
>> 
>> would save 1.4 MILLION lives in the US alone. And save $700 Billion a year.
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/8/12/21361498/climate-change-air-pollution-us-india-china-deaths
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
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>> 
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>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dennis Hubbard - Emeritus Professor: Dept of Geology-Oberlin College
> Oberlin OH 44074
> (440) 935-4014
> 
> * "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
> Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"
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