Monday, March 06, 2006
Of All The Disingenuous...
Here is the story
First, note the careful use of the word "linked" that indicates the whole correlation, not causation thing.
I have all sympathy for that child and his parents, but they better hope I'm not on the jury, they have a seriously steep hill to climb to prove pesticides caused this poor child's problem.
But the real problem is whatever editor decided to put this picture with this story - creating a link for which there is no evidence presented!
Related Tags: cancer, birth defects, pesticides, toxic materials, causation, correlation, disingenuous, bad journalism, linkage
Pesticides linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders contaminate almost all of the nation's rivers and streams and most fish found in them, but seldom at concentrations likely to affect people, government scientists said Friday.Now, that is a serious concern, but panic is certainly not the proper response. You see there are a couple of points that needs to be remembered.
First, note the careful use of the word "linked" that indicates the whole correlation, not causation thing.
Secondly, remember that to experience of toxic effects is not just dependent on the presence of a toxic material, but also on
- the quantity of exposure (how much of the toxic material is present)
- the duration of exposure (how long are you exposed to the toxic material)
- the pathway of exposure (inhaled, ingested, adsorbed...)
The fact of the matter is that you come into rather intimate contact with toxic materials everyday, but because there is not enough of it, or it is not long enough, or you touch instead of drink it, you are just fine.
So, the fact that public waterways contain these materials is not, of itself, a problem, and the article does not make any such accusation, but this is the picture and caption that appears with it:
Francisca Herrera holds her one-year-old son Carlos Herrera-Candelario, who was born without legs or arms after his parents claim they were exposed to toxic pesticides, sit, Wednesday, March 1, 2006, in their attorney's office in Miami as they announce the law suit they filed against the agriculture company, AG-Mart. The baby's father Abraham Candelario, left, and lawyer, Andrew Yaffa, center, are in the back ground. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)The lawsuit is not mentioned in the story at all, but its an odds on bet the lawyer was somehow involved in getting the actual "story" to the reporter.
I have all sympathy for that child and his parents, but they better hope I'm not on the jury, they have a seriously steep hill to climb to prove pesticides caused this poor child's problem.
But the real problem is whatever editor decided to put this picture with this story - creating a link for which there is no evidence presented!
Related Tags: cancer, birth defects, pesticides, toxic materials, causation, correlation, disingenuous, bad journalism, linkage
