I need help.......

[Patrick Foley]

Paul,

    It is reasonable to ask for antireleasers for more science. It is not reasonable to
expect them to solve your problems however. The kind of questions you raise constitute a
substantial research program. Normally this would involve some preliminary work, grant
writing and so forth. This month I don't have the time ( I teach full time, do research
on theory of extinction, contribute to epidemiological work organized by my wife, Dr.
Janet Foley, am developing a research program on pollination conservation issues, and
help raise 3 kids). I am sure everyone else has plenty to do also, so perhaps the people
who are causing the potential problem could put out the energy, money and time to solve
the problem. As a start organize a small conference?

Patrick Foley
patfoley at csus.edu

Paul Cherubini wrote:

> Geneticist Patrick Foley wrote:
>
> > 2) Bruce seems to assume that the burden of proof
> > should lie with on the anti-releasers. This is point of view would not be held by
> > anyone working in biological control.
>
> 90% of all the butterflies raised and released in the USA (48 contiguous states) by
> commercial and educational breeders involve just two species: The Monarch and Painted
> Lady. The Monarch and Painted Lady naturally range and breed in all 48 states.
> In the case of the Monarch, about 100,000 are annually raised and released by
> breeders into a nationwide population of about 200,000,000.
> Now lets assume the burden of proof of no harm should lie with the pro-releasers.
> Pat, can you list specific scientific studies that the pro-releasers should
> sponsor or conduct that would satisfy this "burden of proof" in regard to these
> two species?
>
> > 3) There are some dangers (discussed by me
> > and others in posts last year) that Bruce is not mentioning, such as disease,
> > transposons, runaway sexual selection etc. that could cause major problems from an
> > apparently minor release.
>
> Can you be more specific about what sorts of "major problems" might
> develope from annual releases of 100,000 Monarchs and 200,000 Painted Ladies
> within the 48 states?
>
> > Releases would bollox up many kinds of future
> > scientific studies on phylogeography (the geography of micro- and meso-
> > evolution)
>
> Can you be specific about what you mean by "bollox"?  Can you present us
> with a math based model that describes the assumptions that would
> have to be made for this type of harm to realized? For example, how many
> Monarchs or Painted Ladies would have to be released annually over what
> amount of land area?
>
> Paul Cherubini, Placerville, California