Subject:  Re Burden of Proof for Health Effects (Slesin)(Clarke).
Date:     Fri, 15 Sep 2000 035531 -0500
From:     Roy Beavers 
To:       guru 
--------------------------------------------------

........Response from EMF-L.........

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Burden of Proof for Health Effects (Slesin).
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 00:13:26 -0400
From: Susan Clarke 
To: roy@emfguru.com

Dear Dr. Slesin,

As you well know, without a bar of proof, the demand for "proof" is
meaningless.  

It's a common industry technique: raise the bar to the sky, so that no
matter how much evidence accumulates, that evidence cannot rise to the
level of proof.  Keep paying mouths to say there's no proof (or even
"evidence"!) of harm, contrary to the facts, in order to fabricate an
appearance of controversy on that matter.

In fact, criteria do exist in the US health agencies for establishing
agents as (possible or probable) carcinogens, teratogens, neurotoxins,
and more.  There exist criteria in public health circles for considering,
such as through literature reviews, medical case reports and
metaanalyses, that a particular previously unknown condition, such as
EMR-induced brain hemorrage, EMR-induced angina or electromagnetic
sensitivity (ES), has become "established".  Naturally, public health,
medical and governmental criteria exist the world over, and deserve their
due recognition.

I am not surprised, Dr. Slesin, that you are unaware of these; as public
health science is not your field.  Nor do I fault you for your lack of
awareness.  I only object to your presumption in making determinations
and announcing them publicly, where they fall outside your areas of
expertise and knowledge. 

If one cannot provide criteria for establishing proof, one cannot claim
there is not proof.  The same holds for the establishment of consensus.

Susan Clarke
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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com