Wayne Gilchrest: “I want to give some concrete examples of what these particular regulations, what the Endangered Species Act, for…”

“I want to give some concrete examples of what these particular regulations, what the Endangered Species Act, for example, can do for us, some concrete examples to give you some understanding of the value of natural resources and why they should not become extinct. According to Dr. Susan Mazer, who is a scientist in California: No scientist would have predicted, prior to their analysis in the laboratory, that the Pacific yew tree would prove an effective remedy for cancer, that the periwinkle would be a potent remedy for Hodgkin's disease and leukemia, that yams would be the source of oral contraceptives, or that bacteria from deep sea thermal vents would lead to the discovery of DNA fingerprinting, a critical source of evidence in forensic criminology. In the case of the rosy periwinkle, a road side weed... children have an 80-percent chance of being cured or have long term remission as a result of the medicine extracted from this plant. It is also important to note that the agent in the plant that cures the disease cannot be synthesized so we need to continue to have a healthy supply of the plant.”