Solving Climate Change By Bioengineering Humans?

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."

Comments

Oh hey look

[Baloroth]

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!

Re:Oh hey look

[Bieeanda]

No, no, you need to read between the lines: he's suggesting that we eat the Irish.

Just great...

[fahrbot-bot]

We'll all be genetically engineered humans, probably patented by Monsanto, and will then have to pay a licensing fee to reproduce. :-)

Re:Going way too far

[pushing-robot]

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.)