Fake Science Basis of Regulations

Americans are frightened by the drumbeat of claims they are in danger of cancer from chemicals in the environment and hence need more government regulation for protection. Paul Driessen is a scientist exposing the corruption of science, collusion of regulators with anti-chemical activist groups and activist lawyers, and diversion of U.S. taxpayer dollars to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France for phony manipulation of studies to show carcinogenicity.

The latest target of the IARC is glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is also one of the most extensively tested chemicals ever. Over 3,300 studies over four decades attest to its safety. Driessen writes, “Virtually every reputable regulatory agency and scientific body in the world has determined that it does not cause cancer – including the European Food Safety Authority, European Chemicals Agency, German Institute for Risk Assessment and US Environmental Protection Agency. Only IARC says glyphosate causes cancer.”

Dr. Linda Birnbaum is director of the $690-million-a-year National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (a National Institute of Health agency in the U.S. Health and Human Services). She has worked closely with anti-chemical pressure groups and even trial lawyers, thereby undermining the US regulatory and chemical review process and benefiting predatory lawyers who are suing glyphosate manufacturers. And in the coordinating and directing these activities, she has has turned the United States into IARC’s biggest donor. 

Driessen writes: “IARC repeatedly ignored or altered studies that exonerated glyphosate. One report clearly said the researchers “unanimously” agreed that glyphosate had not caused abnormal growths in mice they had studied. IARC deleted the sentence.

“In other cases IARC panelists inserted new statistical analyses that reversed a study’s original finding; quietly changed critical language exonerating the chemical; and claimed they were 'not able to evaluate' a study because it included insufficient experimental data, while excluding another study because 'the amount of data in the tables was overwhelming.'” These machinations helped to ensure a “consensus.”

“Equally questionable, NIH Cancer Research Institute scientist Aaron Blair conducted a years-long study that also found glyphosate was not carcinogenic. But he held off on publishing his results, and did not divulge his findings, knowing IARC would leave “unpublished” work out of its analysis.

"This is not science. It is manipulation and deception – supported by our tax dollars, and used to drive safe, widely used chemicals off the market.”

“Other activists repeatedly claim 'endocrine disrupting' chemicals which don’t cause cancer or other harm in high doses somehow do so at barely detectable levels. Another clever ploy claims no actual exposure is needed; kids get cancer because their parents or grandparents were exposed to something, perhaps years ago. It’s ridiculous”

Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and author of books and articles on energy and environmental policy.