Topic B Key Takeaways

Hi delegates! To help you out at conference, we want to go over some key ideas from Topic B. 

Biological terrorism is a growing modern threat because of the rapid advancement and increased availability of gene editing technology, and the facilitation of pathogen spread by steadily warming climates. Because this is a multi-causal issue, solutions should include a multifaceted approach.

The development of CRISPR technology and widely available gene editing kits has placed powerful technology in the hands of everyday civilians. The recreation of horsepox, an extinct smallpox cousin, proved that stitching together dangerous viruses from DNA fragments is fairly easy and accessible. Because of this, it is difficult to regulate dangerous gene editing and respond to potential biological terrorism attempts, and countries have to address biological threats from a variety of angles.

One concern is that there is virtually no way to trace the bioterrorist attacks back to the perpetrators. Some biological agents can be developed outside of a lab and made to appear as a natural accident through biohacking (e.g. DNA fragment manipulation). This makes combatting bioterrorists directly a difficult task, and other avenues need to be explored to compensate for this.

Another important facet is the intersection of climate migration and dangerous pathogens. When climate crises occur, such as the earthquake in Syria and Turkey in 2023, thousands of persons are displaced and forced to seek refuge in neighboring regions. Refugee camps are often overcrowded with unsanitary conditions such as lack of clean water, sparse bathrooms, and inadequate shelter that act as catalysts to pathogen spread. This means that dangerous viruses and diseases spread more rapidly than normal, increasing infection rates and exposing thousands of people to pathogens within days. This issue is very intersectional, as it impacts issues like clss, sex, and economics. For example, when climate crises occur, upper-class people have more resources available to them that make it easier to relocate to somewhere more sanitary, whereas middle and lower class people are forced to travel long distances or move to these overcrowded refugee camps, where they get exposed to these dangerous pathogens. Additionally, women are more impacted by these climate crises because when they relocate to these refugee camps, they lose access to essential healthcare, including maternity care. Without maternal healthcare, it is more difficult for women and children to fight off dangerous diseases when they contract them in overcrowded environments. These are just a couple examples of how climate change and pathogen spread intersect, and how their combination impacts different groups disproportionately. 

Do your best to keep all of these factors in mind and create well thought out solutions during conference. We are so excited to see what you all come up with!

Sincerely, 

Zoe Kuebrich, Shannon Farrell, & Valentine Lindarto