A consensus is emerging on EMFs and childhood leukemia that is nothing short of remarkable. Not long ago many people, including well-informed researchers, would have characterized the existing epidemio logical studies as a muddle some finding a health risk, others finding nothing at all. In particular, it is far stronger than it was in the early 1990s, when newspapers covered the story on the front page.
Today there is less debate over whether there is an association and more about what it means.
Even if the link is not due to bias, Dr. Martha Linet of the National Cancer Institute favors focusing research on other pos sible causes. Linet is right to emphasize how little we know about children s cancer, but it is wrong to think that this makes the EMF childhood leukemia connection unimportant. First, while most children do not live in high-EM F environ ments, there are millions around the world who do. Second, the idea that there may be a health effect at four milligauss is a sci entific bombshell, and this cannot be left unresolved. Third, public opposition to new power lines is an expensive problem for the electric utility industry and it is not going to go away.