This seems to be the
argument I hear all the time. There is no scientific proof. Planted by
the disinformation specialists and repeated by laypeople the world
over. The hell there isn't!!! There is a massive amount of
scientific proof despite the cell phone industry's attempt to bury it
and put pressure on journals not to publish it.
After the first news cycle, the mobile
phone industry 'hit squad' went into action. First, they planted
stories that cast doubt on the Einstein quote. Never before have
I seen such a desperate attempt to distance a quote from a
figure as revered as Albert Einstein. In the process, his name
was besmerched. Very sad. Next, they conscripted
scientists from a number of universities to begin going public with
other explanations...viruses, bacteria, pesticides etc., etc.,
etc.. These alternatives have been making the rounds over the
past month. The mobile phone industry is putting quite a bit of
money into the pockets of these scientists by supporting their
work regarding viruses and alternative explanations. The industry
is dealing with it as a politics and public relations problem....thus,
manipulation of the public perception is the appropriate remedy for
them. Sadly, this is business as usual for the mobile
phone industry.
Dear Dr. Carlo:
I have read recently
in Salon.com
that the theory
that bees are disappearing because of exposure to EMR is not supported
by any science. You were on Good Morning America supporting
that theory. Who is correct?
Carol H
Amherst, MA
Dear Carol:
Unfortunately, the situation
with the bees is a page out of the playbook that we deal with
all the time with the mobile phone industry. When the bee story
first broke, it was based on a German study that showed information
carrying radio waves disrupted the ability of bees to make it back to
their hives. That work was made public about two months
ago. There were other data to support it as well. You can
see some of that on our SWI website -- note especially an
exceptionally insightful article by Milt Bowling posted
there.
The news media ran with the story, bolstered a great deal by a quote
attributed to Albert Einstein something along these lines: 'watch
the bees. when they disappear, man will disappear within four
years'......The mobile phone industry was caught off-guard by the
widespread media attention the story garnered.
After the first news cycle,
the mobile phone industry 'hit squad' went into action. First,
they planted stories that cast doubt on the Einstein quote. Never
before have I seen such a desperate attempt to distance a
quote from a figure as revered as Albert Einstein. In the
process, his name was besmerched. Very sad. Next,
they conscripted scientists from a number of universities to begin
going public with other explanations...viruses, bacteria,
pesticides etc., etc., etc.. These alternatives have been making
the rounds over the past month. The mobile phone industry is
putting quite a bit of money into the pockets of these scientists
by supporting their work regarding viruses and alternative
explanations. The industry is dealing with it as a politics and
public relations problem....thus, manipulation of the public perception
is the appropriate remedy for them. Sadly, this is business as
usual for the mobile phone industry.
Most people in the public don't know the back story, so they do not
see the manipulation coming or have the necessary bases for
skepticism to see through it. But here is the bottom line:
- The colony collapse
disorder has occurred concurrently on four continents within a very
short time frame. If the reason was biological or chemical, there
would be a pattern of epidemic spread....we would be able to trace the
spread of bee disappearance or Colony Collapse Disorder from a
source similar to the spread of SARS a few years ago. That is not
the case. The condition has hit each continent at roughly the
same time. That would mean the cause has to have hit the
continents at the same time as well. Mobile phones meet that
criterion.
- None of the biological or
chemical hypotheses actually have a mechanistic explanation that is
plausible. The science for the biological and chemical
alternatives is far thinner than the science supporting the EMR
connection. A case of the pot calling the kettle black.
- The disruption of
intercellular communication hypothesis that we now know effects cell
membranes in most species is biologically plausible...and no
other theory has that support.
- The basis for a biological
mechanism, coupled with the saturation in information carrying radio
waves we have globally in the past 14 months, provides the
underpinning. In 2004, we had the first billion cell phone
users globally, the accumulation over 20 years; by mid 2006, we had the
second billion; today we have surpassed three
billion. That suggests we are near a saturation point of
these waves in the ambient environment. The bees are likely the
harbinger or the proverbial 'canaries in the coal mine'.
- Taken together, EMR
is the only explanation that makes sense regarding the
disappearing bees: the timing is correct -- the problem has
occurred primarily within the past two years....when we have
nearly tripled the background level of information carrying radio
waves; the pattern is global so that suggests a cause that is
globally present; there is at least one peer-reviewed study
that supports it, and there is a mechanism documented that lends
biological plausibility.
In our view, this is a serious 'red
flag' of risk that should be heeded. This is yet another example
of mobile phone industry orchestration aimed at distracting the public
from data that can save lives.
___________________
Dr. George L. Carlo
Science and Public Policy Institute
1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW -- 7th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20004
www.sppionline.org
202-756-7744
Paul Raymond Doyon
MAT (TESOL), MA Advanced Japanese Studies, BA Psychology
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do
nothing"