Solving Climate Change By Bioengineering Humans? 363
derekmead writes "Forget CFLs, hybrid cars, and organic jeans. Buying our way out of climate change — even if it's green consumption — won't get us far.
A new paper (PDF), published in Ethics, Policy, and the Environment by NYU bioethics professor S. Matthew Liao, poses an answer: engineer humans to use less. The general plan laid out by Liao is straightforward, ranging from using pharmacological behavior modification to create an aversion to meat in people, to using gene therapy to create smaller, less resource-intensive children. The philosophical and ethical questions, on the other hand, are absurdly complicated. The Atlantic also has a great interview with Liao, in which he talks about gene therapy and making humans hate the taste of meat."
Oh hey look (Score:5, Funny)
ranging from using pharmacological behavior modification to create an aversion to meat in people, to using gene therapy to create smaller, less resource-intensive children.
Pretty sure I've read this book before. Now, if I could only remember what it was called. Hmmm...
Well, no time to waste, lets go create our bold refreshed earth, now with vegetarian midgets!
De-evolution (Score:2, Funny)
There was a sci-fi short that posited mankind colonizing other planets, but just as they had started spreading out, all the newborns were coming out "devolved" to Australopithicus. Evolution had driven the growth of intelligence and the brain to get mankind off the single vulnerable planet, but now that it had spread and was safe from a single-point disaster, evolution pointed to the efficiency of not maintaining that large energy intensive brain. Monkeybrains were quite good enough.
So that's actually the solution I propose. Monkeyboys and monkeygirls may fling feces but they don't burn petrochemicals or cause global warming.
Just great... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh hey look (Score:5, Funny)
This is strange... (Score:4, Funny)
A bioethicist advocating eugenics.
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Going way too far (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, but if you knew who the conspirators were, you'd know they have no problem controlling mother nature. And this time, they've gone too far—tipped their "hand", as it were. Herbivores with dwarfism? Could it be any plainer? Next they'll want to put hair all over our bodies to "reduce our climate-control and clothing needs" and give us four legs "to encourage walking instead of driving".
Yes, that's right—I'm on to you, Pony Illuminati! I know your secrets! While I'm sure I'll "disappear" soon, no doubt turned to stone by your advanced science and freakish magic, know that ten more will take my place... And your plans for friendship and harmony will never succeed as long as there is but one selfish asshole to keep up my fight!
(ed. note: I would like to apologize for the above post. A valiant attempt was made to formulate a serious response to this article; in the end, however, it proved utterly impossible.)
Actually, you've got it wrong... (Score:2, Funny)
You have said everything correctly. I just hope more ears will listen...
What you wrote reminds me why we have freedom of speech " I might not like what you said, but I will defend your right to say it"
I would hope that others see why I link your words to it...
I think the actual quote is:
"I might not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to die in a fire of suspicious origin."
-- Terry