British Company Offers No Reassurance to Concerns of Proposal to Release GM Mosquitoes in U.S.Heather Callaghan British company Oxitec is petitioning the U.S. Government for permission to release male GE Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that contain a gene whereby they die unless receiving an antidote in the form of antibiotic tetracycline. The males released will live long enough to mate, but the offspring will die before maturation. The proposal that is now gaining ground has been in preparation for three years, with significant involvement by Wellcome Trust. In 2012, the plan to go through was thwarted when a resolution didnt pass. Of course the company insists that the technology is totally safe. The expressed idea behind using Key Haven for the trial run is to eradicate the possibility of dengue and chikungunya viruses yet, the area hasnt experienced dengue since 2010. The FDA, CDC, USDA, and EPA are in tandem reviewing the process. Among the most vocal opponents is Mila de Mier, whose massive petition caught a lot of attention. She says: Residents have listed several concerns: Yahoo News adds the following: Oxitec spokesperson Chris Creese said it was possible some females could get released but being bitten by one was no different than being bitten by a wild female. She said of the five different dengue viruses/subtypes: All the unanswered or non-reassuring answers to the questions lead to a fear that even scientists have of a major ecological disruption. Even the company cannot answer concerns with complete certainty. Creese, who did not mention where previous trials in the wild took place or how they were certain the mosquitoes dont affect the bat population, added that in the lab up to five percent of the GE male population can survive, But a big question remains unanswered why now? Why the urgency? Why did the wheels for this trial project keep turning after dengue disappeared from the Keys? Why is Oxitec (and Wellcome) so willing to generously finance the entire operation? I think a look at the people behind the company is revealing. Syngenta, Bayer, biotech and pharma alums top the list. A final comment from the Oxitec spokesperson who pointed out to dengue outbreaks in the Caribbean Islands as a reason for prompt release. In other words, this is a vastly uncharted and extreme preemptive move where no threat currently exists. Where no other options have been placed on the table for future possibilities. Where no benefits exist except for a trial run to test their work on insects, a human population and the ecosystem. Heather Callaghan is a natural health blogger and food freedom activist. You can see her work atNaturalBlaze.com and selfnewsPost.com. Like at Facebook. Recent posts byHeather Callaghan: 