We d like our readers to take note of a recent speech by ACSH colleague Jon Entine, who authored our publication Scared to Death: How Chemophobia Threatens Public Health. Mr. Entine is a senior research fellow at the Center for Health and Risk Communication at George Mason University and director of the Genetic Literacy Project.
In a talk at the annual Institute of Food Technologists meeting last month, Entine discussed his perceptions about why the food industry is increasingly under attack. He strongly believes that these increasing attacks are due in large part to the ramped-up efforts of NGOs (non-governmental advocacy organizations), which are particularly adept at cultivating strong media relationships in order to derail productive scientific debate. The examples he cites include especially divisive issues, such as genetically modified foods and bisphenol A.
NGOs and advocacy groups lead rather than follow the consumer," Entine observed. "Regulators who we expect to be objective respond not to facts on the ground but to the perception of those facts, making anti-science views become the template to how decisions are made."
Nicely said, Mr. Entine. We couldn t agree with you more!
