Now that we have seen the many harmful effects of invasive plants, invasive animals, and invasive microbes, we must take a look at the basic, constituent factors which make a species harmful to the environment around them. In other words, we must generalize the traits and qualities of invasive species in such a way that they can be easily sorted and applied in order to answer our essential question. Invasive plants are prolific seeders, able to compete well with native species, able to survive in all sorts of conditions, grow quickly, use allelopathy, may harm livestock and/or humans, and cause economic damage. Invasive animals can be deadly to trees, cash and food crops, transmit virulent diseases, displace native animals, and can even carry venom. Last but not least, invasive microbes are easily spread, and are very dangerous to the target. Now that we have generalized the classic traits of invasive organisms, we can draw a conclusion about whether or not invasive species could be used as weapons of war.
As we have seen all throughout this paper, invasive species can be very deadly the way they are. Given the modern technology of genetic engineering, where one can forcefully create organisms with traits from other organisms, could one create an invasive species with all of its weaknesses covered by the strong traits of another invasive species? Could one create a giant mix of all invasive species, or, in other words, a SUPER invasive species? At the rate genetic engineering technology is growing, the answer would be yes. The question is, why would someone create a more powerful invader? That is why my essential question brings in the factor of warfare- after all, isn’t war just a big invasion of enemy forces? So, given the motivation to do so, could a super invasive species, or multiple super invasive species, be made in such a way that, released on enemy lands, could devastate the enemy war effort to such an extent that it could win the war? My conclusion is yes, and here is why.
As we have seen all throughout this paper, invasive species can be very deadly the way they are. Given the modern technology of genetic engineering, where one can forcefully create organisms with traits from other organisms, could one create an invasive species with all of its weaknesses covered by the strong traits of another invasive species? Could one create a giant mix of all invasive species, or, in other words, a SUPER invasive species? At the rate genetic engineering technology is growing, the answer would be yes. The question is, why would someone create a more powerful invader? That is why my essential question brings in the factor of warfare- after all, isn’t war just a big invasion of enemy forces? So, given the motivation to do so, could a super invasive species, or multiple super invasive species, be made in such a way that, released on enemy lands, could devastate the enemy war effort to such an extent that it could win the war? My conclusion is yes, and here is why.
We have seen the harmful effects of invasive species. We have seen the powers of genetic engineering. Imagine a combination of invasive plants: giant hogweed, hydrilla, and kudzu, and maybe a bit of growth hormone. You could create a super giant hogweed with beneficial traits from other invasive plants. I believe that sometime in the near future, genetic engineering will be able to create a plant that grows at a rate of, say, 20 m a day. There are already invasive plants that naturally grow 20 in a day. This super invasive plant would also cause severe pain and maybe even death to the enemy soldiers, just like giant hogweed. With extremely fast growing rate and death by touch, this could create an impenetrable wall. All one would need is to create a ramp on one’s own side of the large wall to get over, while the enemy is left unable to take action, giving you a severe advantage on the battlefield. And finally, perhaps the most important trait comes from hydrilla- the ability to adapt extremely quickly. Thus, super giant hogweed would give you the perfect defense position, located anywhere you want- all one would have to do is plant it as a large wall.
However, many wars are won from the home front- that is to say, the war efforts going on in one’s own country rather than on the battlefield. So, we could create an invasive species that targets the home front of the enemy. Imagine a multi-step attack launched upon the enemy’s food sources. Introducing foreign species such as Johnsongrass and soybean cyst nematode to attack crops, Brazilian waterweed to clog up irrigation pipes, and, for good measure, houndstongue to poison livestock, on a large, war-effort scale would no doubt severely cripple the invaded nation’s food source. That is just with normal, unmodified invasive species. Now imagine the effects of biotechnology on these invasive species- super Johnsongrass, super soybean cyst nematode, super Brazilian waterweed, and super houndstongue, each with their invasive qualities enhanced 10 times over- that would truly decimate the enemy's war effort.
One could also use invasive species to cripple the enemy’s economy, thus rendering them without money to be able to conduct trade with their allied nations. You could accomplish this by introducing a large array of biotechnology-enhanced invasive plants and/or animals through a bordering nation, with the plants disguised as ornamentals or medicinal plants and the animals disguised as having similar benefits. By the time the enemy notices something is wrong with these invasives, it will be too late to try to eradicate them to save the economy while at the same time fighting a war against enemies with weapons like super giant hogweed on their side. The enemy would be effectively stuck between a choice of watching their economy crumble, or surrender.
Now let us take a look at the marine aspect of the military. A marine invasion like D-Day would not have been possible if one had bred a type of super Brazilian waterweed that was super strong and durable- the battleships from Britain would not have gotten close enough to shore. In addition, one could have placed venom-enhanced lionfish into the waters near shore to prevent any enemy soldiers from stepping onto the beach at all. In fact, with a tactic like that, you would only need a few dozen men to man heavy artillery to take down the ships. The largest invasion in history could have been easily stopped with the most powerful invaders in history.
When all else fails, one must resort to a low but powerful weapon: disease. In WWI, over 80% of all deaths were caused by disease instead of actual fighting. Although this would be a last resort tactic, it would still be the most powerful. If one would only genetically engineer the Asian tiger mosquito to breed many times faster and transmit deadlier diseases, the war could be easily won...or could it? There is an obvious flaw in this plan. By imbuing the mosquitos, which are free-willed and able to think with their own mind, with heightened abilities, the mosquitos are free to attack anyone they wish- even your own soldiers. This brings me to my final point- that even though warfare with invasive species is extremely powerful, it should never be used. We have already established that invasive species can effectively be used as weapons of war. We have seen how they, using their classic invasive traits, are able to bring entire armies and nations crashing to their knees. Indeed, there may even be wars fought with only invasive species. But given all this, they should never be used, not even in times of war.
The reason can be explained by comparing the damages of this type of warfare to the damages sustained by Germany after WWII. After all the damage and destruction of the war, America even stepped in to help Germany rebuild. All the structures were destroyed, and it took a long time to rebuild everything. Now imagine the damage after an invasive species war. This time, it is not the buildings, but the ecosystem there that is destroyed. We spend $138 billion on invasive species control every year, and our ecosystem is in relatively good health compared with a hypothetical nation devastated by super-enhanced invasive species. Trying to “rebuild” the ecosystem there would be near impossible. Unlike guns and artillery shells, invasive species are alive and capable of reproduction. The effect can be compared to a nuclear war. After the nuclear bomb itself, radiation remains. The super-invasive species would not stop in that area. They would gradually spread out over the continent. As they reach the vast ocean, one would think their spread has finally stopped. But then one asks himself, how did invasive species cross vast oceans in the first place? That’s right. By some accidental means, by some human mishap, the super invasive species would spread out over the face of the Earth, like a giant plague. The ecosystem would be destroyed, with it, the food source of humans. Eventually, these biotechnologically enhanced invasive species would be the only life on this planet. Then, as they out compete each other for resources, they would die out, one by one, destroying each other, until this planet is left a barren wasteland. It sounds like a story out of a science fiction book, but this hypothetical situation represents the dangers of both genetic engineering and of invasive species.
My essential question at the beginning of this paper was: “Could a genetically engineered invasive species potentially be used as a weapon in warfare?” Through the process of defining invasive species, looking at the harms they cause, and finding out the root mechanisms in their invasiveness, I have concluded that the answer to my essential question is most definitely a yes. But I think what is more important is the “Should...” question. In that case, my answer to is most definitely a no.
However, many wars are won from the home front- that is to say, the war efforts going on in one’s own country rather than on the battlefield. So, we could create an invasive species that targets the home front of the enemy. Imagine a multi-step attack launched upon the enemy’s food sources. Introducing foreign species such as Johnsongrass and soybean cyst nematode to attack crops, Brazilian waterweed to clog up irrigation pipes, and, for good measure, houndstongue to poison livestock, on a large, war-effort scale would no doubt severely cripple the invaded nation’s food source. That is just with normal, unmodified invasive species. Now imagine the effects of biotechnology on these invasive species- super Johnsongrass, super soybean cyst nematode, super Brazilian waterweed, and super houndstongue, each with their invasive qualities enhanced 10 times over- that would truly decimate the enemy's war effort.
One could also use invasive species to cripple the enemy’s economy, thus rendering them without money to be able to conduct trade with their allied nations. You could accomplish this by introducing a large array of biotechnology-enhanced invasive plants and/or animals through a bordering nation, with the plants disguised as ornamentals or medicinal plants and the animals disguised as having similar benefits. By the time the enemy notices something is wrong with these invasives, it will be too late to try to eradicate them to save the economy while at the same time fighting a war against enemies with weapons like super giant hogweed on their side. The enemy would be effectively stuck between a choice of watching their economy crumble, or surrender.
Now let us take a look at the marine aspect of the military. A marine invasion like D-Day would not have been possible if one had bred a type of super Brazilian waterweed that was super strong and durable- the battleships from Britain would not have gotten close enough to shore. In addition, one could have placed venom-enhanced lionfish into the waters near shore to prevent any enemy soldiers from stepping onto the beach at all. In fact, with a tactic like that, you would only need a few dozen men to man heavy artillery to take down the ships. The largest invasion in history could have been easily stopped with the most powerful invaders in history.
When all else fails, one must resort to a low but powerful weapon: disease. In WWI, over 80% of all deaths were caused by disease instead of actual fighting. Although this would be a last resort tactic, it would still be the most powerful. If one would only genetically engineer the Asian tiger mosquito to breed many times faster and transmit deadlier diseases, the war could be easily won...or could it? There is an obvious flaw in this plan. By imbuing the mosquitos, which are free-willed and able to think with their own mind, with heightened abilities, the mosquitos are free to attack anyone they wish- even your own soldiers. This brings me to my final point- that even though warfare with invasive species is extremely powerful, it should never be used. We have already established that invasive species can effectively be used as weapons of war. We have seen how they, using their classic invasive traits, are able to bring entire armies and nations crashing to their knees. Indeed, there may even be wars fought with only invasive species. But given all this, they should never be used, not even in times of war.
The reason can be explained by comparing the damages of this type of warfare to the damages sustained by Germany after WWII. After all the damage and destruction of the war, America even stepped in to help Germany rebuild. All the structures were destroyed, and it took a long time to rebuild everything. Now imagine the damage after an invasive species war. This time, it is not the buildings, but the ecosystem there that is destroyed. We spend $138 billion on invasive species control every year, and our ecosystem is in relatively good health compared with a hypothetical nation devastated by super-enhanced invasive species. Trying to “rebuild” the ecosystem there would be near impossible. Unlike guns and artillery shells, invasive species are alive and capable of reproduction. The effect can be compared to a nuclear war. After the nuclear bomb itself, radiation remains. The super-invasive species would not stop in that area. They would gradually spread out over the continent. As they reach the vast ocean, one would think their spread has finally stopped. But then one asks himself, how did invasive species cross vast oceans in the first place? That’s right. By some accidental means, by some human mishap, the super invasive species would spread out over the face of the Earth, like a giant plague. The ecosystem would be destroyed, with it, the food source of humans. Eventually, these biotechnologically enhanced invasive species would be the only life on this planet. Then, as they out compete each other for resources, they would die out, one by one, destroying each other, until this planet is left a barren wasteland. It sounds like a story out of a science fiction book, but this hypothetical situation represents the dangers of both genetic engineering and of invasive species.
My essential question at the beginning of this paper was: “Could a genetically engineered invasive species potentially be used as a weapon in warfare?” Through the process of defining invasive species, looking at the harms they cause, and finding out the root mechanisms in their invasiveness, I have concluded that the answer to my essential question is most definitely a yes. But I think what is more important is the “Should...” question. In that case, my answer to is most definitely a no.
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With support from George Chijoke Ohia
Essential Question
"Could a genetically engineered invasive species potentially be used in warfare?"