This review may be of interest:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul08_4/b2766
Simon
-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fountain
Sent: 29 July 2009 09:13
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Support the Sense about science libel campaign
The details of the course and the fees are largely irrelevant - if an individual believes in the practise enough and wishes to undertaken the course, that has no actual bearing on whether or not the treatment is effective and scientifically defensible. Clearly the BCA felt they would not appear favourably in the open discussion that Paul suggested and so have decided to pursue a long-winded libel route.
One has to wonder why they would choose the legal avenue, when you would assume they have the scientific proof to be able to defend themselves adequately in open discussion.
It will be interesting to see how they present their case.
Dave Fountain
Contaminated Land Officer
email: [log in to unmask]
Office: 01283 508848 (direct dial)
Fax: 01283 535412
3 Post: Environmental Health Division, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Town Hall, King Edward Place, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2EB.
Web Site: www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk
Help save paper - do you really need to print this email?
-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tony Evans
Sent: 28 July 2009 19:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Support the Sense about science libel campaign
Paul,
I can understand your need to vent your spleen over the liable culture in
not only the United Kingdom but across the world.
However using the word "quackery" is possibly not the right way to describe
chiropractic and especially as you are a scientist and an intelligent man.
If you take the time to visit the Anglo-European Collage of Chiropractic you
will find that the masters course there is five years long and covers human
anatomy extensively. The students are also given one chance of a re-sit each
year fail that and you're out for good.
There are no government fees or loans to be had and the course costs were
(the last time I am aware were £13,000 in 1997). So the people that do it
believe in it as much as you believe what you write in your books and the
science behind them including Reclamation of contaminated land a book you
were co-author of.
Now I am sure that not every one that reads what you say or any of write
believes that it is gospel so maybe you should cut these people some slack
until you have carried out your detailed research programme into what they
learn and what they do then you could make a detailed response to the claims
laid against them and fight the cause.
Now there is some scientific study that show that the neck adjustment
provided by chiropractors can cause stroke in some patients (this they have
never denied) this risk is much the same as little old ladies or anyone else
for that matter who have their hair washed in an hairdressers with the head
tipped back over the basin. Do we now say that all hairdressers are to be
avoided no I think not it means that as with all things in life we make an
informed judgment on our own risk assessment of the situation that we will
be placing ourselves in. Bit like crossing the road risk access then cross!
I was married to a chiropractor and had the misfortune to be in the clinic
when a mother and father bring a child in suffering from colic and had been
in pain and crying for days now after some massage on the spine this child
stopped crying and fell asleep not a miracle but where other conventional
methods had failed this one worked. Happy parents happy baby.
I do think that sometimes some people jump on the band wagon too soon with
their own opinion, do you not think that the GCC had taken legal advice on
the best approach. And let's not forget it's not so long ago was it that
doctors and scientist like yourself were deemed to be "quacks".
Just because you don’t understand how it works doesn't mean its "voodoo or
quackery"
Tony Evans.
-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr Paul
Bardos
Sent: 25 July 2009 20:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Support the Sense about science libel campaign
Some of you may be interested to support this campaign:
Simon Singh is an author who wrote an article in the Guardian about the
likely risks of chiropractic treatment and whether or not there is any
evidence that it is effective for various childhood conditions,
including asthma and colic.
The British Chiropractic Association has sued Simon Singh for libel. The
scientific community would have preferred that it had defended its
position about chiropractic through an open discussion in the medical
literature or mainstream media.
The use of the English libel laws to silence critical discussion of
medical practice and scientific evidence discourages debate, denies the
public access to the full picture and encourages use of the courts to
silence critics.
From my point of view it seems bizarre that the pedlars of various
quackery not only have no need to provide reliable evidence for their
ideas, they can sue those who point this out.
This may seem a bit distant from the world of contaminated land
management, but it is very close to us in terms of professional risks.
I am sure many of you could imagine a scenario or two. What about
"Black Box Remediation Co" sues for reputational damage because "Not
Much Cash District Authority" contaminated land officer writes a case
study review in a trade journal describing a project where no convincing
evidence that the process works was presented.
There is a petition to "keep libel laws out of science" at:
http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/333/
Paul Bardos
PS
More to be found on:
http://www.badscience.net/ (good book too!)
--
** EUGRIS the contaminated land, soil and water portal receives as many as
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be
it is worth a look? www.eugris.info ***
Professor Paul Bardos
r3 Environmental Technology Ltd
Room 120, Dept. Soil Science
The University of Reading
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