For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 17, 2001
National Biotechnology Week
By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
For thousands of years, man has been utilizing
and modifying biological processes to improve man's quality of
life. Scientific advances have enabled biotechnology to play
an increasingly large role in the development of new products that
enhance all areas of our lives.
In the battle
against disease, our ever-increasing knowledge of cellular and genetic
processes continues to improve the quality of our health
care. Biotechnology has contributed to the development of
vaccines, antibiotics, and other drugs that have saved or prolonged the
lives of millions of people. Insulin, which is vital in the
treatment of diabetes, can now be produced inexpensively and in large
quantities through the use of genetically engineered
bacteria. In addition, exciting gains in the understanding
of the human body's genetic code show significant promise in finding
treatments and eventually a cure for many diseases. This
technology is now central to the research being conducted on diseases
such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, heart and lung
disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS).
Consumers enjoy continual
improvements to the quality and quantity of our Nation's food
supply. Genetic engineering will enable farmers to modify
crops so that they will grow on land that was previously considered
infertile. In addition, it will enable farmers to grow
produce with enhanced nutritional value. We also are
benefiting from crops that resist plant diseases and insects, thus
reducing the use of pesticides.
The
environmental benefits of biotechnology can be realized through the
increased ability of manufacturers to produce their products with less
energy, pollution, and waste. In addition, the development
of new biotechnology promises to improve our ability to clean up toxic
substances from soil and water and improve waste management
techniques.
Our Nation stands as a global
leader in research and development, in large part because of our
successes in understanding and utilizing the biological processes of
life. The field of biotechnology is important to the quality
of our lives, the protection of our environment, and the strength of
our economy. We must continue to be leaders in the pursuit
of knowledge and technology, and we must be vigilant to ensure that new
technologies are regulated and used responsibly towards achieving noble
goals.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH,
President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do
hereby
proclaim May 13 through May 19, 2001, as National Biotechnology
Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe
this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
# # #
|