May 18, 2000 Action Alert

Contact National Public Radio

Demand equal time for irradiation opponents

To listen

Listen to the two segments of the May 16th "All Things Considered" broadcast on food irradiation here.

For a transcript, contact NPR at http://www.npr.org/inside/transcripts/.

To complain to "All Things Considered"

Send e-mail: atc@npr.org
Phone: Deputy Supervising Senior Editor of the Science Desk, Christopher Joyce. at 202-414-2789.

To have your comment broadcast

(LOCAL AFFILIATE STATION PHONE NUMBERS APPEAR BELOW)

Call the station FIRST and ask if they accept on-air comments. If not, then please complain directly to All Things Considered.

Pick your focus and stick with it--they will chose to air only about 15-30 seconds of your comments. Suggested comments follow. Use the "Lead" and one of the following themes.

Suggested comments

Lead
"The May 16th "All Things Considered" report on food irradiation was extremely misleading and did a disservice to the American public."

*****
Theme: "Incomplete, Biased Report"

NPR typically describes the sponsor of opinion polls. In this report, however, a 1998 poll was mentioned without any indication of how the poll was conducted or by what company. This throws into question the assertion that 80% of those people surveyed would buy food that was labeled "irradiated."

The reporters also failed to mention the FDA's most recent efforts to eliminate
currently mandatory labeling--where it exists--irradiated foods. This undermines the public's right to make decisions about how they feed their families. In fact, a 1999 poll sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons and the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 86 percent of Americans want labels on irradiated food.

Any opposition to this technology was only mentioned in passing. Why wasn't there an interview with irradiation opponents? I am one person who does not want to be subjected to yet another unproved and potentially dangerous technology without my consent.

*****
Theme: "Science/Health Effects Not Known"

No mention was made pf scientific studies showing that the DNA destroyed by irradiation is not just that of food-poisoning bacteria, but also beneficial vitamins and enzymes. In fact, studies of some foods have shown that up to 80% of vitamins can be destroyed if the food is stored.

The food industry is trying to influence the public to accept irradiated foods--and the NPR broadcast appears to be one example. Prodded by the food industry, the FDA may soon eliminate ALL mandatory labeling of irradiated food. If this happens, people will have no way of knowing that their food may have fewer nutrients or may have been sitting around for weeks.

And even now, labels are currently required only on unprocessed foods. Disturbingly, FDA does not now require irradiated food served in restaurants, hospitals or schools to be labeled to the consumer.

NPR did not mention the fact that there have been no scientific studies on humans of the long-term effects of eating irradiated food.

*****
Theme "Something's Wrong with the Food System"

Industry is turning to this technology because USDA's meat and poultry inspection system has been significantly weakened in recent years. One example of this is a system now being tested by meat packers that allows the industry, rather than USDA inspectors, to inspect its own product. I suspect that this is not an effective way of ensuring the cleanliness and wholesomeness of our food supply.

I want my tax dollars to be used to hire more food inspectors, rather than use irradiation to clean up 'after the fact' of contamination. Better inspection, not less inspection, is a better method than irradiation of ensuring a wholesome product for the consumer.

*********
LOCAL AFFILIATE STATION PHONE NUMBERS

(If your local station is not listed here, you can find contact information at
http://www.npr.com/members/biglist.html.

California

KALW-FM
91.7
San Francisco, CA
(415)841-4121
whelges@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us

KQED-FM
88.5
San Francisco, CA
Listener Services: (415) 553-2129 Recorded after hours
fm@kqed.org

KUSC-FM
91.5
Los Angeles, CA
213.514.1400
kusc@kusc.org

KXJZ-FM
88.9
Sacramento, CA
(916)480-5955

KXPR-FM
90.9
Sacramento, CA
(916)480-5900
npr@csus.edu

KFPR-FM
88.9
Redding, CA
(916) 898-5896

KPBS-FM
89.5
San Diego, CA
(619) 594-8100

KVPR-FM
89.3
Fresno, CA
(800) 275-0764
kvpr@kvpr.org

KUBO-FM
88.7
Fresno, CA
(619) 337-8051

Maryland

WEAA-FM
88.9
Baltimore, MD
(410)319-3564

WJHU-FM
88.1
Baltimore, MD
(410)516-9548
finlayson@wjhu.org

Massachusetts

WBUR-FM
90.9
Boston, MA
(800)909-9287
http://www.wbur.org/information/contact/wburtalk.shtml

WGBH-FM
89.7
Boston, MA
617-300-5400
http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/members/contactus/feedbackform.html

WUMB-FM
91.9
Boston, MA
(617)287-6900

Michigan

WKAR-AM
870
East Lansing, MI
(517)355-6540
mail@wkar.org

WKAR-FM
90.5
East Lansing, MI
(517)355-6540
mail@wkar.org

Minnesota

WIRN
92.5 FM
Duluth, MN
800-228-7123
mail@mpr.org

WSCN
100.5 FM
Duluth/Superior, MN
800-228-7123
mail@mpr.org

KZSE
90.7 FM
Rochester/Winona/Albert Lea, MN
800-228-7123
mail@mpr.org

Nebraska

KUCV-FM
90.9
Lincoln, NE
(402)472-3611

KIOS-FM
91.5
Omaha, NE
(402)557-2550
kiosinfo@kios.org

New York

WAMC-FM
90.3
Albany, NY
(800) 695-9170 (Listener Comment Line-answering machine)

WBFO-FM
88.7
Buffalo, NY
(716) 829-6000
mail@wbfo.org

WNED-AM
970
Buffalo, NY
(716)845-7000
Webteam@wned.org

WFUV-FM
90.7
New York, NY
(718)817-4550
thefolks@wfuv.org

WNYC-AM
820
New York, NY
212-669-7800
president@wnyc.org

WXXI-FM
91.5
Rochester, NY
(716)258-0333

Ohio

WGUC-FM
90.9
Cincinnati, OH
(513)241-8282

WVXU-FM
91.7
Cincinnati, OH
(513)731-9898
vjones@xstarnet.com

WCBE-FM
90.5
Columbus, OH
(614) 365-5555
wcbe@iwaynet.net

WOSU-AM
820
Columbus, OH
(614)292-9678

Rhode Island

WRNI-AM
1290
Providence, RI
(800) 753-9764
http://www.wrni.org/contactwrni.shtml

Wisconsin

WERN-FM
88.7
Madison, WI
(608)263-7903

WHA-AM
970
Madison, WI
1-800-747-7444
Listener@wpr.org

WHID FM
88.1
Green Bay, WI
1-800-747-7444
Listener@wpr.org