WHO Said What?

By ACSH Staff — Jul 02, 2002
"If you enter my office, you are invited by me. No one who is invited would like to give me headaches." Gro Harlem Brundtland, director general of the World Health Organization, explaining that she believes electromagnetic waves from cell phones give her headaches and that children should avoid them. She forbids mobile phones in her Geneva office (as reported by Reuters, July 1). "If what we know from water and animal experiments is true, it could be a very significant source of cancer in humans...It is not just another food scare."

"If you enter my office, you are invited by me. No one who is invited would like to give me headaches."
Gro Harlem Brundtland, director general of the World Health Organization, explaining that she believes electromagnetic waves from cell phones give her headaches and that children should avoid them. She forbids mobile phones in her Geneva office (as reported by Reuters, July 1).
"If what we know from water and animal experiments is true, it could be a very significant source of cancer in humans...It is not just another food scare."

Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation Of Infant Formula

By ACSH Staff — Jul 01, 2002
Revised by Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., Director of Nutrition, ACSH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Joseph F. Borzelleca, Ph.D. Medical College of Virginia Dale J. Chodos, M.D. Kalamazoo, MI

Revised by Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., Director of Nutrition, ACSH
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Joseph F. Borzelleca, Ph.D.
Medical College of Virginia
Dale J. Chodos, M.D.
Kalamazoo, MI

Satire: Greenpeace to Oppose Everything

By ACSH Staff — Jun 27, 2002
"It's all bad, it all needs to stop," said a Greenpeace spokesperson, who added the group will no longer send out action alerts calling for opposition to specific issues, but will instead issue daily alerts to all members that read, "No" in 37 different languages. Fictitious Greenpeace spokesperson in a Satirewire.com spoof entitled "Greenpeace Will Now Oppose Everything." See the full piece: http://www.SATIREWIRE.COM/news/june02/greenpeace.shtml

"It's all bad, it all needs to stop," said a Greenpeace spokesperson, who added the group will no longer send out action alerts calling for opposition to specific issues, but will instead issue daily alerts to all members that read, "No" in 37 different languages.
Fictitious Greenpeace spokesperson in a Satirewire.com spoof entitled "Greenpeace Will Now Oppose Everything."
See the full piece:
http://www.SATIREWIRE.COM/news/june02/greenpeace.shtml

Body Politics

By ACSH Staff — Jun 25, 2002
Science strives for objectivity, but public health, by definition, involves human preferences and is subject to political forces, sometimes quite nutty ones. Decisions about one's own health can be made in a fairly rational, individualistic manner (does this cut look bad enough to warrant a trip to the doctor's office?), but collective decisions (are enough people vaccinated to prevent a plague?) inevitably become political ones.

Science strives for objectivity, but public health, by definition, involves human preferences and is subject to political forces, sometimes quite nutty ones. Decisions about one's own health can be made in a fairly rational, individualistic manner (does this cut look bad enough to warrant a trip to the doctor's office?), but collective decisions (are enough people vaccinated to prevent a plague?) inevitably become political ones.

Precautionary Principle Raises Blood Pressure

By ACSH Staff — Jun 25, 2002
It used to be said that the most fearsome statement in the world is, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you." Now, government officials have the "precautionary principle," which supposedly will make our lives safer. In fact, the principle which is not really a principle at all but a seemingly plausible excuse for opposing innovation has already laid waste to several industries and boasts a body count in the millions.

It used to be said that the most fearsome statement in the world is, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you." Now, government officials have the "precautionary principle," which supposedly will make our lives safer. In fact, the principle which is not really a principle at all but a seemingly plausible excuse for opposing innovation has already laid waste to several industries and boasts a body count in the millions.

NANA Wants Your Fries

By ACSH Staff — Jun 24, 2002
Where would you expect to hear that paying less and getting more is a bad thing? Only in the often-bizarre world of "public-health" activism. Yes, according to NANA (the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity), fast-food vendors are robbing you blind by giving you more for less. You can read their report about the cost and calories found in various fast foods at their parent organization's website (http://www.cspinet.org/new/waistline_061802.html). Among the horrifying findings:

Where would you expect to hear that paying less and getting more is a bad thing? Only in the often-bizarre world of "public-health" activism.
Yes, according to NANA (the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity), fast-food vendors are robbing you blind by giving you more for less. You can read their report about the cost and calories found in various fast foods at their parent organization's website (http://www.cspinet.org/new/waistline_061802.html).
Among the horrifying findings:

More scary claims from the 'junk science' file

By ACSH Staff — Jun 22, 2002
TORONTO Last Monday, a group called the Center for Children's Health and the Environment in New York ran a full-page ad in The New York Times. "Pesticides could become the ultimate male contraceptive. Why? Sperm defects, sex reversals and other abnormalities."

TORONTO Last Monday, a group called the Center for Children's Health and the Environment in New York ran a full-page ad in The New York Times. "Pesticides could become the ultimate male contraceptive. Why? Sperm defects, sex reversals and other abnormalities."

Low-Fact Diet: The Acrylamide Case

By ACSH Staff — Jun 20, 2002
A low-fact diet can be dangerous. Have you heard that chips, fries, and even bread can give you cancer? This "fact" has been widely reported, even though it's essentially untrue.

A low-fact diet can be dangerous. Have you heard that chips, fries, and even bread can give you cancer? This "fact" has been widely reported, even though it's essentially untrue.

Dying for Regulation

By ACSH Staff — Jun 18, 2002
Flawed government regulation discourages innovation and delays lifesaving products. Yet as the nation's population ages, Americans are becoming more dependent on medical progress to provide innovative treatments for diseases ranging from Alzheimer's and stroke to cancer. A chilling example of this tension is the delay of an injectable antibiotic called Tigecycline for infections caused by "resistant pathogens" bacteria that are immune to standard antibiotics.

Flawed government regulation discourages innovation and delays lifesaving products. Yet as the nation's population ages, Americans are becoming more dependent on medical progress to provide innovative treatments for diseases ranging from Alzheimer's and stroke to cancer.
A chilling example of this tension is the delay of an injectable antibiotic called Tigecycline for infections caused by "resistant pathogens" bacteria that are immune to standard antibiotics.

Eco-Traitor Patrick Moore

By ACSH Staff — Jun 18, 2002
"Most environmentalists have adopted zero-tolerance positions in order to remain adversarial. The only way to stay adversarial is to adopt even more extreme positions." Patrick Moore, a Greenpeace co-founder turned skeptic. His old allies call him a turncoat. See: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/3471893.htm

"Most environmentalists have adopted zero-tolerance positions in order to remain adversarial. The only way to stay adversarial is to adopt even more extreme positions."
Patrick Moore, a Greenpeace co-founder turned skeptic. His old allies call him a turncoat. See: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/3471893.htm