Wayne Gilchrest: “as we take up the debate over the reauthorization of the Environmental Protection Act, we hear claims there is no need…”

“as we take up the debate over the reauthorization of the Environmental Protection Act, we hear claims there is no need to preserve less well-known, often unglamorous species. It is easy to call for preservation of charismatic species like the bald eagle, the grizzly bear, and the sea turtle. Some of today's most important medicines, as well as the keys to future medical crises, come from a wide range of animals, plants, molds, invertebrates, and other obscure wild species. In fact, more than 40 percent of the prescriptions sold in the United States today are derived from these organisms. For instance, one of our most effective treatments for heart and circulatory disease was derived originally from chemicals produced by the purple foxglove. In 1991, more than 923,000 Americans died of heart disease or stroke. That statistic would be higher if it were not for the purple foxglove, the plant which produces digitalis, a drug that is taken by 3 million Americans annually to combat high blood pressure. Digitalis is frequently used to improve circulation in patients with congestive heart failure. Only 5 percent of known plant species have been screened for their medical purposes. Let us continue to look for more.”