Problems with Cloning:

As discussed under Bioethics, under the 'The Impact of Cloning on Animals', cloning is not known for having a high success rate (10).  In addition to unlikely success, cloning also faces many other challenges.  Some of the major problems with cloning, overall, is that it can lead to many detrimental side effects such as environmental, health, and safety issues.  There is a fear among scientists that any genetically engineered organism that is released into nature could potentially cause environmental distress.  As one author puts it, "genetically engineered 'biological pollutants' have the potential to be even more destructive than chemical pollutants.  Because they are alive, genetically engineered products can reproduce, migrate, and mutate.  Once released, it will be virtually impossible to recall genetically engineered organisms" (25 pg. 33, pictures are references 22 and 13).

Accidents are also possible when dealing with cloning.  In March of 1980, Dr. Samuel I. Kennedy was attempting to clone the Sindbis virus when his experimentation went horribly amiss.  Though Dr. Kennedy was following all safety protocol, he somehow managed to clone the strand of the virus and made the much more dangerous Semliki forest virus (which is similar to smallpox or yellow fever).  Upon admitting his mistake, Dr. Kennedy was fired before any one had the opportunity for illness (26).  This goes to prove that even with careful organization, accidents happen within the field of cloning. 

Another possible problem involving the cloning of animals or humans is the chance for eugenics among different species.  The ideals that surround eugenics are issues that the world would have to deal with if cloning became more readily available.  It is possible that worldly institutions might encourage certain types of people or animals to be cloned, because of their genetic superiority, leading to a cloning bias and potentially negative side-effect (24).  People also feel that cloning would also lead to a breech in The Genetic Bill of Rights (from 25 pg. 36).

A similar negative implication of cloning entails responsibility and accountability for the wrongdoings of scientists.  Who would the finger of blame point to if an experimentation went wrong?  Are we all, as worldly citizens, responsible for the negative aspects of cloning? Could we become expendable due to our mistakes?  Kilner says it best by stating, "when utility is our basis for justifying what is allowed in society, people are used as mere means to achieve the ends of other people" (24 pg. 42).  Will we allow ourselves to becomes the means to our own end?  Perhaps only time will tell.

Benefits of Cloning:

  One of the main benefits that the cloning of animals could provide is the increased probability of saving many of our endangered species.  Like Noah, the endangered gaur, experimentation has been successful at creating these special animals.  There has been research conducted into cloning the African wildcat and the Kenyan bongo thus far (25).  Further successes will increase the likelihood that endangered species can be saved.

As for human cloning, a major argument that always arises in favor of cloning involves the reproduction of babies for infertile couples.  Cloning advocates remind us that in vitro fertilization was a heavily debated topic at the time of its initial success in 1978, but science now provides thousands of babies to deserving parents worldwide (24).  Might the cloning of humans produce a paralleled outcome?  Is this benefit worth the major risks it involves?  Hundreds of couples might say that any potential risk is worth the successful birth of a child to infertile parents. Worth noting is the prediction that cloning a baby would be scientifically safer for the child than the normal childbearing delivery process (24).  Is this justification enough for human cloning?

Another probable success of human cloning involves improved research for the rejuvenation of human life and the curing of deadly or limiting diseases.  Dr. Richard Seed is currently using cloning technologies to attempt to reverse the human aging cycle, while other scientists are looking into curing diseases such as Down's syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, Cystic fibrosis, and cancer (24).  With each of the positive outcomes of human cloning, we must keep in mind that once attained, "techniques and powers can produce desires where none existed before, and things often go where no one ever intended " (23 pg. 13).