Is it morally defensible to destroy an entire species?
I was at a party last night and as the sun set, the backyard turned into a kill zone. The mosquitoes were killing me. Like everyone else there, I was quickly driven inside. Even there, the mosquitoes quickly regrouped, hovering on the ceiling and waiting for their next victim. Mosquitoes suck, and it's only June. It's only going to get worse.
I have a horrible bat phobia. Yet even so, I understand the value of bats. They eat mosquitoes. But what is the value of mosquitoes? Do they contribute anything to the world besides disease, pain, misery and annoyance? If it ever became possible, would it be okay for mankind to wipe them off the face of the earth?
While I had a hearty knee jerk "YES!" to that question, is that the right answer? Don't most religions and philosophies believe that everything has a value and a purpose? Even mosquitoes. I mean, sure, we kill and eat other plants and animals, but so many cultures are taught to truly value that animal or plant for what it gives us. If we made mosquitoes extinct, it would just be out of spite.
Or maybe it's not even our right to decide that another species has no value. Who are we to judge? That might be just the kind of hubris that actually would speed up The Rapture.
Hmmm, or maybe The Rapture happened years and years ago, mosquitoes are part of the whole "hell on earth" thing and the Second Coming is just in the form of my personal savior, DEET.
Posted by kris at June 4, 2011 11:52 AM
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| # June 4th, 2011 4:08 PM themandownthehall |
| species die out all the time. It's part of evolution and life on the planet. So, the answer to your question is yes. It perfectly ok to eliminate a species, especially an annoying one like mosquitos. |
| # June 4th, 2011 6:19 PM Squibbly |
| I am in favor of eliminating mosquitos as well. Any idea how? |