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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Bee shortage hypothesis

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  • From: "William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Bee shortage hypothesis
  • Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:59:09 -0500


ARE MOBILE PHONES WIPING OUT OUR BEES?
By Geoffrey Lean and Harriet Shawcross
The Independent
April 15, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece
It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some
scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food
shortages, as the world's harvests fail.


I'm not familiar with "The Independent," but this seems like a rather alarmist article, doesn't it? Something designed to sell papers, but that we needn't take too seriously?



Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is
still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer,
take decades to show up.
Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive.


Take this, for example. Proof is "still" lacking? I was under the impression that scientists have found no link between cell phones and brain cancer (and there's been a lot of people looking into it, for obvious reasons). "No link" doesn't mean "inconclusive." Of course, you can always find some study, somewhere, that will show almost anything. That's why these studies are duplicated, to be sure that the results are valid. But this article seems to assume there's a link, but that it just hasn't been proved.

Well, I wouldn't say that none of this is true, necessarily, but I don't think I'd worry about it just yet. I'm sure scientists will determine the cause of the colony collapse disorder eventually. I just hope it's soon enough, and that the nature of the problem is such, that it can quickly be fixed. But for now, speculation is just ... speculation.

Bill

--
Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality. ... When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others. - Bertrand Russell




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