ORLANDO, Fla. – Tech giant Google is seeking government approval to release 32 million mosquitoes into Florida — and the proposal has sparked reactions from thousands online.
What the proposal says
An EPA docket shows that Google is pushing to do so as part of a “debug program.”
A Federal Register notice earlier this year indicates that if approved for a permit, Google would release the 32 million mosquitoes into Florida over the course of two years:
- Half in year one
- The other half in year two
What Google is trying to do — and why
More specifically, the program is aimed at releasing sterile mosquitoes — dubbed “good bugs” — to bring down populations of mosquitoes that actually spread diseases like:
- Zika
- Yellow fever
- Dengue
Per officials with the program, this method could help prevent the spread of such diseases without relying on unsustainable pesticides or attempting to clear all standing water in an area — something they say is simply unfeasible.
How the “good bugs” work
“Our good bugs are male mosquitoes that have a naturally-occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which makes them unable to have offspring with wild female mosquitoes," the program’s website reads.
Google’s program describes the approach this way:
- The released mosquitoes are male
- Male mosquitoes can’t bite or spread disease
- Wolbachia makes them unable to produce viable offspring with wild female mosquitoes
- The goal is to reduce future generations of disease-carrying mosquitoes
Public comments: thousands weigh in
Public comment on the proposal ended on June 5, though there are over 2,700 comments on the docket alone, with many voicing opposition to the project.
“A tech company should not be involved in this kind of genetic modifications and releasing bugs into the public,” one such comment from June 18 reads. “What are the ramifications for the wildlife? For humans when they bite us? Has that been studied for 5 or 10 years? If so, where are the results? I am tired of humans playing God!”
What the CDC says about modified mosquitoes
According to the CDC, though, genetically modified mosquitoes have successfully been used in parts of Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama and India to control mosquito populations that carry dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
Since 2019, over 1 billion such altered mosquitoes have been release, the agency reports.
“(Genetically modified) mosquitoes will only work to reduce numbers of target mosquito species (e.g., Ae. aegypti), and not other mosquito types,” CDC officials wrote. “Most communities have more than one type of mosquito.”
What happens next
As of Wednesday, Google’s permit proposal was still under review by the EPA.
If approved, state and local authorities must still approve the release of the mosquitoes before the project can begin.