Educating the Public

[Guest guest]

Jim White's comment are very much on center. There are so many special interest groups at so many social, political, commercial and even scientific levels that muddle the Public's understanding of all aspects of IEQ, not just building science, that the task of educating the public seems overwhelming. What is really sad is that we have court rulings and medical doctors (considered by the public as the authorities and professors of truth) making it even more difficult every day.

On a weekly basis, I encounter at least one more victim of their doctor's unbelief and/or ignorance of the impacts of exposure to poor IEQ. With a PhD in toxicology and nearly 20 years of experience focusing on IEQ, I am no match for the wizardry of the patient's doctor. Now, on occassion, I have been successful in persuading the victim to consider "another source of medical wizdom," such as an MD that is "board certified in environmental issues."

Too many times, I have had to go blow by blow with another IEQ consultant dispensing pure crap and tainting the true professional in this field. Often this wannabee expert came from one of the 3-day wonder mills but not always.

Two months ago I butted heads with a 12 year CIH from Seattle who had worked 10 years in a health agency, which of course makes him an instant expert, almost an MD, who was advising clients to SOAK their moldy basement drywalls with a 2/3 bleach 1/3 water solution. Does this sound vaguely familiar? Where the hell do these people come from? The lady of the house passed out during the treatment and was carted off to a local hospital. Unfortunately, the IEQ consultant was not carted off to jail.

Enough ranting. My point is, I guess, we just have to keep plugging along with the hope that we ultimately bring some order to this madness. Perhaps, we should be offering seminars to the medical profession. But what would the carrot be to get their sorry asses to the session to listen to obviously much less informed folk? Maybe we could pass out free lottery tickets!!

Miles