#831
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 09:05:07 -0800
From: Mark Fulop <markfulop@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Upcoming PBS Special: One More reason to Vote Today
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AIR: AMERICA'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS
Episode 111 Science Fiction
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/air/episodes_111.html
When scientific studies are released, most laypeople take the word of the
"experts" for granted and assume that the supporting data is legitimate. But one
science reporter discovered evidence that suggests there is an entire industry
built around spinning science for the purpose of confusing the public while
benefiting Big Business.
Paul Thacker was not hired to do investigative reporting, but rather general
news reporting for ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, a small industry trade
publication. But then, he says, he came across junkscience.com, a Web site
claiming to be dedicated to "All the junk that's fit to debunk." The site
challenges scientific findings on hotbed issues such as global warming. Thacker
looked into the background of "the Junkman" -- site publisher Steven J. Milloy
-- and discovered ties to both the oil and tobacco industries. A further search,
this time through the archives of tobacco-related lawsuits, revealed that Milloy
was on the Philip Morris payroll as a science consultant at the same he was
discrediting studies on the dangers of second-hand smoke in his role as a
columnist for foxnews.com.
After publishing his findings on Milloy, Thacker investigated cases in which
seemingly grassroots organizations promoted industry arguments on environmental
issues. In an article called "Hidden Ties", he wrote about a group called
Project Protect, which appeared to be made up simply of concerned Oregon
citizens. Project Protect advocated legislation promoting the cutting of trees
to prevent forest fires -- a position also promoted by the timber industry. As
Thacker discovered through IRS documents, however, Project Protect was really a
$2.9 million media campaign. He wrote, "this 'grassroots' organization has clear
ties to timber corporations -- an industry likely to benefit financially from
legislative reforms."
Thacker's investigative reporting, he says, didn't please some of the people he
worked for, and he soon found his career on the line. He says a board member of
the American Chemical Society (ACS), which publishes ES&T, objected to a story
he wrote about the Weinberg Group, an international scientific and regulatory
consulting firm which specializes in, among other things, "product defense."
Thacker's story examined a proposal made by The Weinberg Group to chemical giant
DuPont. The document outlined a detailed product-defense strategy regarding PFOA,
a chemical DuPont uses in the production of Teflon. The letter arrived as DuPont
was facing pressure from the EPA and a civil-action lawsuit by West Virginia
residents who claimed to suffer serious health effects from exposure to PFOA.
Thacker says the ACS board member suggested he was focused on "muckraking rather
than reporting news." He further claims that he was told to stop his
investigative reporting.
He didn't. Several months later, Thacker unearthed evidence that the White House
had tried to prevent scientists from speaking out about the link between climate
change and the increasing strength of hurricanes. He says ES&T refused to allow
him to follow the story, so he found a home for it at salon.com. Then, he says,
he was fired from ES&T. In a written statement, an ACS representative told AIR,
"...it is not the policy of the American Chemical Society to comment on
conditions of individual's employment or departure."
===
Democracy Begins with you. Stand Up and Make a Differene ===
M
Mark Fulop, MA, MPH
Breaking the silence - Ending the Isolation - Changing the story
“Forgive my error of generalization but ours is a profession that has never
reached its potential, in my opinion, because we have rarely tackled the tough,
earth-shaking issues. Secondly we have never led the way (e.g., segregation and
racism, Vietnam, human rights).” Daniel Leviton
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#832
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 13:46:18 -0500
From: Adriane Griffen <agriffen@SBAA.ORG>
Subject: ABCs of Folic Acid Counseling - new tutorial from Spina Bifida
Association
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Hello:
We are happy to announce the availability of our new tutorial, ABCs of
Folic Acid Counseling. We thank the many members of the list who
contributed during the "pretesting" phase. CEUs, CNEs and CHES are
available for the tutorial. Please visit the tutorial and share this
announcement with your colleagues! To take the course, go to
http://sba-resource.org/sbaacd/.=20
Regards,
Adriane
Adriane K. Griffen, MPH, CHES
Director of Health Promotion and Partnerships
Spina Bifida Association
4590 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20007-4226
(800) 621-3141 ext 13
(202) 944-3285 ext 13 =20
FAX (202) 944-3295
agriffen@sbaa.org <BLOCKED::mailto:agriffen@sbaa.org> =20
www.sbaa.org <http://www.sbaa.org/>=20
=20
Chair, National Council on Folic Acid
2000 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor=20
Alexandria, VA 22311
(703) 838-7551=20
www.folicacidinfo.org <http://www.folicacidinfo.org>=20
=20
Please pass along this announcement to your colleagues:
=20
ABCs of Folic Acid Counseling=20
from the Spina Bifida Association
Do you think you know everything about folic acid counseling?
You owe it to your patients to be sure!
=20
Take a new continuing education (CE) tutorial developed by the Spina
Bifida Association with cooperation from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. A 10 question pretest will help you to find out how
much you know. =20
=20
Continuing education credits will be offered for nurses and health
educators, based on 1 hour of instruction. After taking this CE
tutorial, you will be able to:
1. Discuss the general importance of folic acid.=20
2. Discuss the folic acid recommendation.=20
3. Use the steps in folic acid counseling.=20
4. Use 1 minute of folic acid counseling during an interaction with
a woman.=20
5. Identify women at risk for recurrence of spina bifida or another
neural tube defect.=20
6. Prepare evaluation plans for folic acid counseling.=20
Taking folic acid prior to pregnancy can reduce the risk of neural tube
defects like Spina Bifida by up to 70%. You owe it to your patients and
to yourself to know everything about folic acid!
=20
Take this informative course and earn continuing education credit.
CEUs, CNEs and CHES credits are available. To take the course, go to
http://sba-resource.org/sbaacd/.=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
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