[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS

  (Mr. GILCHREST asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Norse, chief scientist for the Center 
for Marine Conservation, reminds us that biodiversity and ecosystems do 
such things as maintaining climate, removing pollutants from the 
atmosphere, building soils to sustain the agricultural industry, and 
protect coastlines, and these are essential, all of the things I just 
described, to human existence.
  Just as our astronauts are absolutely dependent on expensive, 
engineered life support systems to sustain them in the cold void of 
space, what sustains the entire Earth in the cold void of space is the 
life-supporting functions of the world's ecosystems and biodiversity. 
These things provide the habitat that all species need, including 
humans.
  Unfortunately, our responsibility for being stewards of the land 
often conflicts with our apparent and obvious need to produce and 
consume resources.
  Just as we would never sell the original Constitution of the United 
States or the Chesapeake Bay to foreign investors for any amount of 
money, we should not sell our biological diversity for a percentage. We 
must reexamine our knowledge on these issues.


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