Subject:  An important paper by Magda Havas (guru).
Date:     Sun, 07 Jan 2001 122552 -0600
From:     Roy Beavers 
To:       guru 
--------------------------------------------------

Hi everybody:

I am in receipt of an excellent paper by Dr. Magda Havas of Trent 
University in Canada.  A link to the paper is provided below -- but, 
let me encourage all of you who are serious about the EMF saga to 
obtain a paper copy as I have.  It should be "in your EMF library" 
on a permanent basis.

I credit this paper as being the first GOOD critique of what may be
the two most important (in terms of their "P.R." impact) studies that
have been done on the EMF issue so far.  The long title of Dr. Havas'  
paper is:  

Biological Effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic energy:
A critical review of the reports by the U.S. National Research Council
and the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as
they relate to the broad realm of EMF bioeffects.......

I say that the "P.R." impact of these two papers has been great -- much
more than their lack of objectivity merits -- because they have become
perhaps the two most "cited" papers in news reports and other discussion
of the EMF issue.  A number of "foreign" governments have recently used
them as a "defense" of their EMF decisions.  i.e, To do nothing.  I'm 
sure that the readers of this list are familiar with them.....

But Dr. Havas is the first to subject these two papers to a CRITICAL
examination of their scientific credibility and objectivity.  And, in 
my opinion, she has arrived at the right ANSWER -- both studies are 
"biased"-- (the NRC study, she says, to a greater degree) but, I 
believe she has arrived at the wrong REASON.......

Magda does a good job of explaining her rationale, which, by and large,
hinges upon a distinction between "prejudicial bias" (by implication,
that is "bad" and all true scientists seek to avoid it) or "cultural
bias" which she defines as: "a type of bias associated with different
scientific disciplines."

Magda, I was there!!  The **indeed, UNDISGUISED bias** which I saw 
... had nothing to do with "different scientific disciplines."  It 
had to do with CONFLICT OF INTEREST.  

There were simply too many of the 'key  participants' who had -- 
to various degrees and in various ways -- a VESTED INTEREST in the 
outcome.......!!!  

That ... is bias of the WORST kind!  And, if we (society) cannot do 
something about the lack of INDEPENDENCE (thus, lack of scientific 
objectivity) in our EMF research, we are going to DESERVE the coming 
CALAMITY that the "hazards of electromagnetic radiation" can produce 
for ALL of mankind.......!!!
 
I strongly recommend that ALL of my "serious" readers obtain and study 
Magda's paper.......

Cheerio.....

Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
roy@emfguru.com

It is better to light a single candle
    than to curse the darkness..

WEBSITE:  http://emfguru.com

PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROFITS$$


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: electronic version of review paper
Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 14:32:23 -0500
From: Magda Havas 
To: Roy Beavers 
CC: mhavas@trentu.ca

Roy,

Thanks for your comments about the paper I sent you in the mail.  I 
have just learned that the Journal Environmental Reviews (where it 
was published) is now providing free electronic versions of their 
publications (a step in the right direction).  Unfortunately these 
are available only to those who have Canadian IP addresses (so some 
of your readers will be able to access it).  The URL is below for the 
review article entitled:  Biological effects of non-ionising 
electromagnetic energy.  Please pass it on to your readers.  Also, 
please alert them that it takes some time to download since the 
article is 80 pages long.

Thanks and hope you had a relaxing holiday!

-magda


http://www.nrc.ca/cgi-bin/cisti/journals/rp/rp2_tocs_e?er_er3-00_8
-- 
Dr. Magda Havas
Environmental & Resource Studies, Trent University,
Peterborough Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada

mhavas@trentu.ca   phone:(705) 748-1232  fax:(705) 748-1569


Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com