Tom Ridge Keynote Speech a Highlight of PestWorld 2005

Day two of PestWorld 2005 was highlighted by a keynote speech given by Tom Ridge, the nation’s first Office of Homeland Security Advisor. (Photo: Brad Harbison)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Day two of PestWorld 2005 was highlighted by a keynote speech given by Tom Ridge, the nation’s first Office of Homeland Security Advisor. The speech was sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.

In his speech, Ridge said that many of the actions taken by the United States government post 9-11 will have positive secondary effects.

For example, in the wake of 9-11 the government has invested in a public health disease surveillance system in response biological terrorism threats. This same system can benefit the U.S. in the development of vaccines in response to global health threats such as SARS and Avian Bird Flu.

Ridge drew a parallel to the U.S. response to the Cold War in which many of the systems put in place built an infrastructure that supported a thriving economy and provided citizens with the highest standard of living in the world.

“We accepted the challenges of the Cold War, we dealt with it as a country and ultimately we became a stronger country,” Ridge said. “We are making these same types of advancements as we deal with the concerns of weapons of mass destruction.”

PestWorld 2005 continues throughout the next four days at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Bob Arnot, author and former medical correspondent for NBC News, is among those scheduled to speak.

Click here to view coverage and photos from day one of PestWorld 2005.