A new and perhaps sinister branch of science is taking even as alarmed cringe at warnings of asteroids colliding with our warming globe, the on-and-off extinction of snail darters, food additives wiping out whole populations and misshapen frogs threatening mankind.
The against-the-grain science appears to be spreading the message: Don't worry.
Running unchecked, the new science could sidetrack professors and students from careers as fright mongers, de-fund environmental organizations and even shut down a branch of journalism whose reporters are under orders to scare the daylights out of people at least once a week.
Think of it: Whenever a new caution is raised of approaching doom for all of humankind and innocent friends in the animal kingdom, some plucky scientist might say, "Wait a minute. Let's take another look. And don't worry."
This sort of thing has actually been happening without drawing attention from the alarmist envi ronmental industry and the media for several years. No, it's been quietly reported in many post- alarm scientific studies, the high tension wires are not causing cancer.
And no, that red food dye couldn't even make mice sick unless they eat a barrel of it and die from bloat. And no, that stuff called Alar doesn't kill people, even though alarmists and a cooperating media nearly ruined hundreds of apple orchard owners by stampeding food buyers into a boycott.
No, there's no proof that radon seeping into houses and public buildings has killed or sickened a single person, certainly not the 20,000 annual "victims" reported by the Environmental Protection Agency. And there's no proved link between EPA reports of "hot" radon areas and statistics on known lung cancer deaths.
No, no, no, it's been said by a few little-noticed scientists and individuals who've arrived while some or another environmental alarm is still ringing and who've tried to say: Don't worry. It doesn't sound right. It's probably not true.
So far, when an against-the-grain objection is registered after environmental assurances the sky is falling and those of us who survive will wish we hadn't, the spokespersons for that insolence are often as not branded as unfeeling specimens of humanity who're probably in the hire of craven polluters or conniving industrialists.
The newest debunking of an environmental and media fright campaign has come-- quietly, again- -just as the shocking story of the deformed frogs is hitting its stride across the nation, as pictures of odd-looking frogs are published and distraught women are wondering if they'll have to buy pants with three legs for unborn little boys and girls they fear they'll parent some day.
Looking at the deformed frog data, much if it coming from Minnesota where the frog story first leaped to life, a few unfrightened and unimpressed scientists suggested frog abnormalities most likely resulted from a "benign ion imbalance" found in water samples or from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Whatever was happening, the scientists said, it was happening to a few frogs because they were frogs, not humans, and that "alarmist and premature" broadcast of the frog findings had unnecessarily upset some people because of the obvious suggestions of "possible human health risks."
So chalk one up for the "don't worry" scientists who - maybe have quieted the alarms over three legged frogs, just as they've tried to calm other victims of environmentalism who've stayed awake nights fretting over false alarms, wondering if their tiny tots will grow up to be normal human beings and listening for alligators crawling out of the toilet.
But keep in mind there are hundreds of ambitious scientists and their student helpers toiling at Perilous State College and its sister academic and research institutions, and all seeking the sun of publicity. And many of them are doing studies on 37 mice or a couple of monkeys to rush into print with findings that too much coffee might be bad for you and aspirin can be good or bad. Or that broccoli might be good for you if you can stand the smell and you don't choke to death.
And, unless those few "don't worry" scientists catch up, you'll probably read it in your newspaers and see it on TV and get scared all over again.
Leonard E. Larsen is a nationally syndicated columnist.
Material presented on this home page constitutes opinion of the author.
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