For some reason -- and there's no logic, no logic in a lot of things we do, I guess -- but we put a lot of money and effort and energy into regulating the release of genetically controlled modified organisms. We don't release the engineered material unless we know it's going to be no problem. In this case, everything is guilty until proven innocent. On the other hand, with biocontrol organisms, although there are some protocols, still some releases go out of control. With horticultural material and pet imports there are few regulations. Yet in each of the examples above the probability of doing damage is equal, yet the societal protection and resources employed are unequal. This doesn't make any sense. We've got to change.

This is my last thought, why we are here. I guess that we, as a society, need to know what's happening and we need to know the cost of what we are doing. We need to know the good and the bad and we have to make decisions. We are, as has been said, managing the Earth. We can't turn back the clock, for the biogeographic barriers have been irreparably severed. We are going to have a new biotic world. But we can make some choices about what kind of biotic world we're going to have in the future. That's what this is all about. I think we can educate people at all levels and we need to do that a lot and do it frequently. With that, I thank you very much.

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