Skeeter Survey Shenanigans

 

By Rick Boettger

 

At their last meeting the Mosquito Control Board voted to postpone the release of Genetically Modified (GM) mosquitos in Key Haven. The experimental release had a lot of momentum until a new survey showed 79% of Key Haven residents opposing the release, as opposed to an average of 60% favoring the GM release in four other surveys.

 

 

Why the difference? Mostly due to the way the survey asked the question. Monroe County activist Michael Welber’s group, the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, asked a single simple question: “Do you approve of releasing genetically modified mosquitos or not?” That got 79% “No’s.”

 

 

A by-the-book “scientific” study conducted by a North Carolina University group reported 60% in favor of the release, with only 23% in favor. Why the big difference? NCU’s leading-in questions raise worries about safety in generaland dengue in particular, prime towards trying new technologies, and then explain how GM works as part of the bottom-line question.

 

 

“How safe do you think it is for humans to live in areas where chemicals and insecticides are sprayed to kill mosquitoes?” This makes salient (jargon for “makes you think of”) the problems with non-GM methods.

 

 

“Do you agree or disagree with this statement: ‘We should use promising new technologies unless it can be demonstrated they cause harm.’” This inclines one to favor “promising new”—both positive-sounding words—technologies as the default unless they have been “demonstrated” to cause harm. The alternative way to ask the same question would have the opposite slant: “We should avoid possibly helpful technologies until it can be demonstrated they cause no harm.” This was a conscious choice by the surveyors.

 

 

“How worried are you about getting dengue fever in Key West from a mosquito bite?” Again, makes salient a worry pushing you towards taking action.

 

 

“Scientists have created genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes to control the natural population of mosquitoes. Before today, how much had you read, heard or seen about this technology?” Sneaks in as accepted fact that GM mosquitos actually work, whereas testing this possibility is, indeed, the point of the experiment.

 

 

“The FKMCD is considering releasing genetically engineered mosquitoes in one part of Key West to control the species of mosquitoes that spreads dengue fever. Their plan is to release only males because they don’t bite. If the GE males mate, they are designed to pass on a lethal gene that leads to the death of their offspring.”

 

 

This is brilliantly worded. It is not even a question. It is an authoritative scientific explanation of a reasonable sounding plan, which could not be phrased more favorably towards the GM release. The response is to choose from Strongly oppose, Oppose, Neutral, Support, Strongly support. 

 

 

And that, dear students, is how to create a survey that gets the results ensuring future corporate grant monies for your academic research programs. As an academic researcher myself in the day, I didn’t do that, but became practiced, particularly as a reviewer of journal submissions, in understanding how it was done. “Science” ain’t always pretty.

 

 

Boo to the District for trying to weasel in an unwanted experiment, but hurray to the Commissioners for listening to the true will of the people and voting it down. We The People are having a surprising run here in the Keys. Last week it was the Deep Well folks. I gave them all the Margaret Mead Award for “small group of committed etc.,” the great honor of which I am going to dilute by also giving it to Welber’s group.

 

 

There may in fact be a need for GM. We’ve been messin’ with genetics for thousands of years, since the first hybrid seeds were created. Dumping tons of even the safest chemicals of course creates dangers, and for sure bad side effects. I have so few bugs of any sort in my garden that the crabby spiders, anoles, and frogs are almost gone.

 

 

Gee, it would be great if releasing a big bunch of non-stinging, infertile male mosquitos kept down the stinger mosquitos while letting the good bugs live by not gassing them, so my crabbies, croakers, and chirpers could return in force, feasting on the eunuchs and other bugs.

 

 

Dear well-intentioned Mosquito Control District, you should be able to find an appropriately-bounded community that would honestly like to try out the GM. Let them happily serve as brave Guinea pigs on behalf of the rest of us chickens. It would be wonderful to find out GM works and is safe.

 

 

I would even be happy to help you design an honest scientific survey to seek that community out. Just drop me a line, guys.

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