BLUF:[American Conservative] Biologist Lawrence Roberge has a theory that holds more water than a simple online review scam—and it’s something he’s been warning about for years. Government notifications have focused on the potential damage of invasive species (remember, the foreign-originating seeds have still not been identified) and caution recipients not to plant any unsolicited seeds or even to open the packages they come in. What if this potential damage is exactly the point?
Dr. Roberge has been writing and speaking for the better part of a decade on the potential for non-indigenous species to be employed as a form of biological weapon by hostile actors. There is substantial evidence to suggest that we may be watching just such an attack play out in real time.
One key factor is broad dispersal: hundreds or thousands of propagules shipped to numerous locations nationwide. Roberge warns that such a broad dispersal can be effective even if no recipients plant the non-indigenous seeds, as there is substantial risk that unsolicited shipments will be "dumped in the trash, only to proliferate in dumps or trash heaps," he told TAC. Beside that, there is potential for significant harm from unplanted seeds as "some attacks can come from the fungal spores on the seeds or bacterial or fungal cells on the surface or inside the seeds." Government warnings not to plant the seeds have made their way through the population, and most recipients will surely follow the publicized instructions. But this may not be enough.
The admittedly unthreatening appearance of a packet of seeds in the mail may cause many to dismiss the possibility of real danger. But Roberge expressed concern that, while the U.S. is well equipped to defend human targets against biological threats, we are "poorly prepared for agricultural or environmental bioweapons." "We are very vulnerable to such an attack," he said.