Environmental Ethics 47 (4):Pages 409-433. 2026Several new technologies and methods have been proposed for reducing the incidence of mosquito-borne illnesses. In this article, two new technologies being implemented in the field are examined. A number of criticisms have been levied against these mitigation methods. This paper reviews several salient questions related to animal ethics, arguing although these questions are important, more analysis is needed to answer them. The focus then shifts to two issues yet to be addressed in detail. In short, an analogy can be drawn between an allegory in Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac (1949) and possible consequences of these new technologies—specifically, a concern about trophic cascades. There is also a concern the removal of mosquitoes from certain locations might deprive us of an important naturally occurring canary in the global coal mine. If that is the case, then we need to take pause and seriously reconsider these new mitigation methods. ( direct link )