The Commons Blog: BioXenoPhobia

BioXenoPhobia

Posted by IMGrant · 1 May 2005 · Extinction

It is remarkable how xenophobia, which most thinking people scorn when displayed toward fellow human beings, is becoming the norm with regard to non-human species. This bioxenophobia has spawned active programs in the US and worldwide to root out “alien,” “invasive” or “non-native” species. But if it’s okay to stamp out such offending species, why not sub-species of humans that are also alien, invasive or non-native, such as the vast majority of the US population which is clearly non-native -- or descendants of non-native sub-species?

To carry the analogy a little further, not only are these people aliens, they have done considerable ecological damage in North America. In fact, since they are directly or indirectly responsible for the introduction of the majority of non-human invasive species, the extent of the ecological damage wrought by these alien humans necessarily exceeds the damage done by all non-native species ranging from purple loosestrife to the brown snake to the zebra mussel. Notably, Pimentel and others estimate that alien species cost the US between $100 and $200 billion per year, although, as Mark Sagoff and Ron Bailey have noted, they failed to account for any benefits associated with non-native species, such as much of our agricultural output. [This is very familiar methodology -- proclaim the costs but stay silent about the benefits, and then trumpet the precautionary principle. Witness the DDT story, or the green case against GM crops.]

Could not the logic that compels the extermination of non-native/invasive species also be applied to alien humans? Conversely, if extermination of non-native human beings cannot be justified, how can it be justified when the species in question is other than human? Are these rules different for humans and for other species? What makes xenophobia unacceptable, but bioxenophobia commendable?

To add to my pre-existing doubts about the war against the aliens, now comes Alan Burdick’s cover story, The Truth About Invasive Species, in the May issue of Discover magazine. It suggests, among other things, that the threat of non-human varieties of aliens is probably just as exaggerated as it is for the human variety.

TrackBack (105)

Equating non-human alien species with any class of human beings ignores the fundamental truths that human persons are, well, persons--subjects, not objects. I have to assume this posting is a put-on. Otherwise, this is a pretty extreme bit of anthropomorphism.

Posted by: G. Tracy Mehan, III at May 2, 2005 12:11 PM

"But if it’s okay to stamp out such offending species, why not sub-species of humans that are also alien, invasive or non-native, such as the vast majority of the US population which is clearly non-native -- or descendants of non-native sub-species?"

For the same reasons we throw chimps into zoos, eat fish, ride horses, kill mosquitoes, and keep dogs as pets, but do not do the same things to humans. We treat invasive species just like weeds in a garden -- to mold our surroundings according to our own taste.

Posted by: Marcelino Fuentes at May 2, 2005 04:41 PM

True--but because that's the case, we should at least be honest about it. Wrapping up the evils of invasive species up in some sort of ecological argument is fallacious. Non-native species are bad when they do something that offends humans--induce allergies, look ugly, or outcompete something we find desirable. Non-native species should be taken on a case-by-case basis, not decried as some sort of inherently immoral or unwanted thing.

Posted by: Timothy at May 3, 2005 12:45 AM

Also, I may add in response to Marcelino, whose taste ? What if I believe purple loosestrife is beautiful? While I would not insist on my taste prevailing, why should someone else's on public lands?

Posted by: IMGrant at May 4, 2005 09:34 PM

I would agree that we are a very invasive species. We are not, however, a non-native or alien species... unless you think we were put here by God. Native species are native to anyplace where they can travel on thier own. Humans traveled around the globe on their own... I dont know how that would relate to the space program though.

If what you meant was that Europeans are non-native species to N.America... then are Native Americans and Europeans different species?

I think that whatever gets people fired up about helping the earths environment might be a good thing... so let them have carp tournaments to see who can remove the most invaders from the local lake... and let them have garlic mustard feeds. Soon they may realize that removal is tough... and maybe they will try to find out why we have this problem in the first place.

Posted by: Lepomis at May 7, 2005 02:07 PM

IMGrant questions regarding tastes are perfectly appropriate. If I could edit my comment I would now write "some people's preferences" instead of "our own taste".

Posted by: Marcelino Fuentes at May 7, 2005 05:04 PM

By Author:

By Category:

By Month: