The Guardian: GM insects and moral blackmail
Jack Stilgoe, senior lecturer in science policy at University College London, and Sarah Hartley, research fellow at the University of Nottingham

“…The [House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee] have been persuaded that [genetically modified (GM)] insects have the ability to save countless lives. They argue that we have a ‘moral duty’ to support the technology and clear out any regulation that might slow its development … [but] we do not know enough. … No new technology lives up to all of its promises, and they all bring risks. To only invest in the hope without considering the rest is far from ‘responsible innovation.’ … The report … emphasizes the risks from malaria and dengue as a reason to develop and deploy GM insects … [However,] their report is poorly constructed moral blackmail. … Technologies are always hyped, and the younger they are the more hype they attract. The difficulties of making them work in the real world are realized later, and their troubles often become clear only in hindsight…” (12/17).