The Wrong Direction on Cancer?

We hear that the Networks are going to join forces to raise money to fight cancer.

We applaud their commitment and wish them the best. Only, we have to ask ourselves whether all of that hoopla is more self-serving than productive in attempting to wipe out cancer in our lifetime.

Put me down as dubious.

After all, we have spent billions on Cancer research, with most of it going to high overhead, vast laboratory operations and expensive research centers where we never seem to get an accounting back on what’s been accomplished. And somewhere along the line, we’ve seemed to have forgotten, that most scientific “breakthroughs” come from small out-of- the-loop type of enterprises that seem to do the extraordinary things that earmark progress.. It’s been ever so! And we can’t seem to harness that kind of innovative power by applying money the way we do.

I don’t mean to rain on the Network’s parade but accountability and vision surely are important to results over the longer term….and that may spell progress or not.

The barometer seems to be this: More and more people seem stricken with cancer. And it is a disease not likely to go away any time soon.

This, it would seem, should lead us to put the whole challenge into a different perspective.

And poses the challenge: Are we possibly going in the wrong direction to fight this great battle?

As one who has personally fought the cancer battle on three separate occasions, I feel as if I bring to the table a little perspective. Add to that, I spent the last forty years of my business life analyzing and rewriting plans that others have put together.

Combined with an interest and love of science, I think I may have a little different perspective that at the very least should be heard.

As of now, most of the efforts against Cancer are being expended in diagnoses and treatment. What is missing is a crusade to eliminate cancer
in our lifetime.

And when one raises the question, “Why?,” the answers are not always clearly defined.

What most of us may have hoped for, a crusade against cancer the same way John Kennedy conducted a crusade to get us to the Moon has not happened. Nor will it happen under this myopic administration.

And therein lies the sticky wicket.

The truth increasingly seems as if business and industry and government do not want to deal with the problem.

Why?

Let’s pursue this a little further: As it turns out, eliminating the bulk of cancers may be as simple as cleaning our air and our water of heavy metals.

For toxic materials in the air and water seem to be the major culprit in the proliferation of cancers affecting humankind.

The irony is that we have put the primary tools in place; although they have been held back for the next ten years through government regulation, or lack of it. The principal vehicle may be OSHA and the Clean Air/Clean Water Acts.

But why hold them back since cleaning up the air and water seems to be such a no-brainer. The Devil’s in the details: For you see, the biggest polluter of air and water tends to be the largest supplier of fuel and one of the biggest profit centers for business and industry: The Coal industry.
With deep pockets and legions of lobbyists to support its cause, rhe coal industry is notorious for the volumes of CO2 and heavy metals that it belches into the atmosphere and vents into the seas, raising not only the Global Warming threat but also leaching heavy metals into the biosphere.

A recent analysis of fresh water, considered potable, in our own State, suggested that the waters were loaded with heavy toxins—like Mercury and lead and other dangerous materials—and the concensus was that it was mainly unsuitable for drinking without filtering or other remedial actions..

This was a shock to local residents who had come to our State to enjoy its natural attractions, including what was thought to be clean air and clean water.

We are also told not to consume fish taken from local waters more than twice a week to protect our health. This is not an encouraging news from a State where fishing is one of the major reasons people retire here in the first place.

So one might posit the question: Where is the outrage?

That is the big imponderable.

And why are not the local polls mindful of the concerns caused by pollution that will just as easily kill the Golden Goose and scramble the Golden egg if it isn’t dealt with intelligently and expeditiously.

Clearly, if the government really wanted to eliminate cancer, clean air and water are logical places to begin.

If coal cannot be made to reduce its toxic output, then it should move over and allow the gradual move to alternative sources.

This is the logical solution.

But will it happen?

From our understanding of the recent past, it’s clear that it won’t happen on this president’s watch.

We can only look forward to a new administration that understands that we are only stewards of the environment and if we don’t do the right thing, we may not only see a steep rise in cancer occurrences but also the inevitable loss of species and an increasing deterioration in the quality of life of every person on this planet.

Les Aaron
The Armchair Curmudgeon