Well yes says the supreme court of Italy. For all of you Catholic readers, calm down, as far as I know the Pope is just fine. It is not like he calls me everyday to say hi, and I am still waiting for a ride in the Pope Mobile, but for the most part the Pope and I get along just fine, and he is great health.
Of course we do have our spats, we don’t see eye to eye on contraception, and he gets a little surly when you bring up the subject of gay marriage. Rumor has it that he so incensed that he no longer watches the Ellen DeGeneres program (and I know that was one of his favorites).
So what is the scoop on cancer?
Well, the supreme court of Italy has ruled against Vatican City for their radio service. Apparently the papal transmitters are so powerful that health problems abound, on the Dr. Mercola site:
Reports emerged in 2001 that electromagnetic radiation produced by Vatican Radio’s transmitters near the town was above the legal limit. A health authority released a study claiming that children in the area were six times more likely to develop leukemia.
The town in question is Cesano, a small town close to Rome.
The exact amount of damages that the Vatican will have to pay have not been disclosed. But I am sure that it will not put a dent in the ‘war chest’.
Does EMF represent a danger? As with many subjects, that question will be answered over time. It is unfortunate that we live in a world where health studies have moved from the controlled laboratory environment, into the real world.
The Mercola site had this delightful quote:
Vatican Radio said it was disappointed by the ruling
I will bet they were! When science meets religion it is not unusual for a bit of a rumble! This case is obviously the poster child for the modern world. One has to wonder what the next step might be? Declaring the Earth the center of the universe? Oops that card was already played once before, and it wasn’t a trump.
Although this will not be the major news item on the next Surviving The 21st Century broadcast, I am certain that it will get a mention.
Simon Barrett
2 users commented in " Papal Cancer – Vatican Radio To Blame? "
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this is about the religion of junk science versus science, not about the Vatican or Catholics being anti science.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3516081
and here is another, more recent and larger study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12883018
RESULTS: Study subjects considered probably ever exposed to electromagnetic fields at work were not at increased risk of acute leukaemia compared to those considered never exposed. Generally, no associations were observed on stratification by sex, leukaemia subtype, number of years since exposure stopped, or occupation; there was no evidence of a dose-response effect using increasing number of years exposed. However, relative to women considered never exposed, a significant excess of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was observed among women probably exposed to electromagnetic fields at work that remained increased irrespective of time prior to diagnosis or job ever held.
CONCLUSION: This large population based case-control study found little evidence to support an association between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and acute leukaemia. While an excess of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia among women was observed, it is unlikely that occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields was responsible, given that increased risks remained during periods when exposure above background levels was improbable.
Anybody who persists in being a guinea pig, so that true science can once again be abused and used by the establishment to justify anything is a fool.
Me no fool.
Me no guinea pig.
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