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ISS007-E-10807 (21 July 2003) --- This view of Earth's horizon as the sunsets over the Pacific Ocean was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Anvil tops of thunderclouds are also visible. Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

Image Credit: ISS007-E-10807 (21 July 2003) – Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

Ban Pet Cloning!?

Published.

Crazy talk!

California Assembly Member Lloyd Levine is calling for a ban on pet cloning. Why?

  • Pet cloning is unregulated.
  • Animal shelters are filled to capacity.
  • “Who knows what’s going to happen if these things get released into the wild?”
  • Vulnerable people are being exploited.

My response to Mr. Levine:

  • Instead of banning pet cloning, why not regulate the industry? Better yet, let people decide for themselves.
  • If people are paying good money to clone their beloved pet, what makes you think they are going to end up sending them to an animal shelter? If someone prefers a clone of their pet to a pet from an animal shelter, who are you to judge their preference?
  • Things? Sounds like a xenophobic statement. What do you expect to happen?
  • The service of cloning is expensive. If someone wants to pay $50,000 for a pet clone, why not? The price will likely come down over the next few years as the technology is improved and competitors enter the market. How exactly are individuals who choose this service being exploited and why are they vulnerable?

This fear of new technology is going too far. What’s next? Banning Apple’s iPod as a weapon of mass destruction?

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