The EPA released a study today that said apple juice contains unacceptable levels of arsenic. They want you all atwitter about how much a travesty this is so that you'll demand more government regulation. All the while, they'll talk about unrestrained capitalism while they hide the facts.
Apparently, this is just another example of bad science. Unbeknownst to me until today, the acceptable water arsenic level is 10ppb, which is like finding 60 people on the entire planet. They even admit in the study that they only tested 88 total samples. That's hardly statistically significant. I have yet to see any description of what samples they took, why they chose them, how they sampled them, or any ANOVA statistics on their results. How many biological and technical replicates? How many producers? How many plants? How many different orchards? How many, how many, how many? Then they even go on to say it was a mixture of grape and apple juices. That means they may have only tested one apple juice sample, and then only one time. That's just bad form. They want to extrapolate a small group onto the entire population when their sampling might be the anomalous group.
Much NSF driven science amounts to little more than fearmongering and wishmongering. Scientists persuade the granting agency that their aims will cure cancer, stop aging, eradicate roaches, ensure happiness and finally find that last missing sock. They use fear and hope as emotional blackmail to get money. Then, the government uses what they find to get more power over you.
I used to make a massive nuisance of myself at scientific conferences, seminars, and other meetings with colleagues. I have some private sector research experience, some educational research experience, some private sector application, and some public sector application now that I'm a professor. When they presented sweeping claims, I challenged the statistical relevance of their data and data collection methodology. I know about statistical significance and the artifice used by the unscrupled and overeager when constructing conclusions. While their results might indicate a problem, it does not follow that it must. Like I tell my students, "Science never proves anything. It removes all other possibilities until only the truth remains." Too many scientists go out thinking they know the truth and look for evidence that their preconceived notions are true. It is unwise to theorize without the facts, because then you bend the facts to fit the theories.
Apples used to be a miracle food. If you ate one per day, it meant according to lore you would not have to go to the doctor. How many cases are there of arsenic poisoning? How many people have developed disease as a complication arising from arsenic in apple juice? Government is ironic claiming that we're smart enough to elect our governors, but not enough to choose our own food and that they think the body is amazing but ignore that it might already have a solution. Meanwhile, michelle obama luxuriates in rich fatty foods and sounds like a Hippie-crit that she is.
Government studies like this one from the EPA are not about truth. They are about power. People should not be afraid of their governments or of their environment. Be you. Do what you do. As long as you own it, you'll be just fine.
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