Air Date: Week of April 30, 1993

Steve opens the mail.

Transcript

CURWOOD: And now. . . listener comments.

Our recent feature on the emerging field of "insect cuisine" provoked this response from a listener to WFIU in Bloomington, Indiana. He writes, "I was amazed and annoyed that you would include a segment on your show concerning insect and worm eating. Although this is something that other cultures do. . . and that our ancestors most likely relied upon. . . I feel that it is unnecessary today. " To "take food away from the bats and the birds would be just one more pressure that we put on the environment."

Our story about the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields struck a chord with many listeners. . . including these two who called our listener line.

#1: Hello, my name is Daniel Sabsey [sic]. I'm president of the East Bay Skeptics Society in Oakland, California. What I was concerned about in your presentation was that you used some imagery about the atoms in your brain and molecules dancing to the 60-cycle current, and you were talking about exposure levels from two to seven milligauss and I'm very concerned that you leave the impression that these are high levels of magnetic fields, whereas compared to the 400 to 500 milligauss of the earth's magnetic fields that pervades everybody's body all the time, this is a very minor ripple.

#2: This is Dr. Clint Case [sic] calling from Reno, Nevada, and I would like to comment that an objective review of literature so far indicates that we may be in a place, relative to electromagnetic radiation, that we have been for some years as regards tobacco smoke. Tobacco companies have yet to admit that tobacco smoking can cause cancer. Yet the epidemiologic studies of electromagnetic radiation really make a pretty clear case for danger of low-levels of electromagnetic fields being at least promoters of childhood leukemia and other cancers.

CURWOOD: And we received this enthusiastic endorsement from Lester Embree of Delray Beach, Florida: "Dear Folks," Mr. Embree writes. . . "Just like Cokie Roberts is still a second stringer on Brinkley's Sunday news show, you and the environment are peripheral on NPR." Mr. Embree continues - "Go for prime time! Agitate to become the "Fresh Air" of the mornings! Pull out all the stops! Show them this card. Gaia told me to tell you this." Well, thanks for the show of support, Mr. Embree!

If you have any comments or criticisms, drop us a line - our address is Living on Earth. . . Box 639. . . Cambridge, Massachusetts. . . 02238. That's Living on Earth. . . Box 639. . . Cambridge, Mass. . . 02238. Or give us a ring on our listener comment line. . . at 617-868-7454. That's 617-868-7454.