No mas on the embarassing and harmful “Call To Action Indoor Air Pollution Causes 50% Of Illnesses Globally” based on a flawed news article title out of Ghana (prior reference No 1 of the GIHN position statement); or “according to a United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman, indoor air pollution causes 50% of illnesses globally” – based on no reference whatsoever. Now it appears to be a valid paper, with legitimate references and does not discredit the credibility and work of some of our finest environmental physicians.
To be clear: there is no scientific study that states indoor air pollution is the No.1 cause of illness on the planet (50% of all illness). There was a policy paper from Massachusettes in 1989 which states, “Indoor air pollution is a growing problem in the United States and accounts for up to 50% of all illnesses” GIHN has now changed their reference for the 50% quote to this paper.”
So far, we at Katy’s have received no thank you note from the GIHN president or any of the listed authors/board members for bringing the prior, serious breach of science and ethics to their attention. Nor do we expect we ever will, since publicly outting the org’s president for unethical misconduct was the ONLY way to make it change. (See prior post “Spinning Science ~GIHN ~ With Friends Like This What Mold Injured Person Needs Enemies?”)
After two and a half years of witnessing (and being the victim of) less than stellar behavior by their self promoting president, why should we expect ethical conduct from her now? Or expect an apology for prior misconduct which has made it a thousand times harder for us to expose the US Chamber’s/ ACOEM’s/ Manhattan Institute’s/ Veritox’s/ Congress’s and CA courts’s collusive roles in aiding unscientific naysaying of causation of illness in court and policy? And made it a THOUSAND TIMES HARDER on Sharon Kramer and her family for daring to speak the truth?
WE”D LIKE AND DESERVE A PUBLIC APOLOGY AND THANK YOU FROM GIHN, WHICH WOULD HELP US SHUT DOWN THE DECEIT ONCE AND FOR ALL AND HELP STOP THE CALIFORNIA COURTS FROM HARASSING SHARON – BUT WE DOUBT WE WILL SEE ONE – AS DECEIT AND FRAUD ON THE CA COURT BY OFFICERS OF THE COURTS, CONTINUES TO HARM ALL MOLD INJURED BY AIDING THE CONTINUANCE OF SCIENTIFIC FRAUD IN US COURTS, POLICIES AND CLAIMS HANDLING PRACTICES – NATIONWIDE, OVER THE MOLD ISSUE.
So basically, we are saying the GIHN paper now appears to be valid and we are thankful for this for the authors’ reputations and credibility. But for good reason we still think GIHN leadership is unethical, a little too slick for our taste and a detriment to stopping fraud in policy over this issue which continues to harm those injured by contaminants in water damaged buildings. Coal in some stockings this year would still seem appropriate!Link to prior scientifically fraudulent version of which we helped GIHN authors and officers stay out of trouble in court:
Link to new version with legitimate statistical statements and references: http://globalindoorhealthnetwork.com/files/GIHN_position_statement_Revised_12_17_2012.pdf
Link to GIHN authors’, board members’ and president’s apology and thank you note to us:
NADA, ZILCH!
We will post it if we ever see one!
One hour interview of Sharon Kramer for Lawless America regarding the deceit over the mold issue and unlawful misconduct/retaliation by the California courts — while her “ethical friends” at GIHN threw her under the bus in self promotion of using the fruits of her research of conflicts of interest for their paper, while aiding the horrific retribution to Sharon to continue to harm her, her family and us all.
Katy's Exposure 
Thank you, Dina. That’s all that has been asked of GIHN on several occassions and not just by us at Katy’s: Tell the truth. And when it is not told, acknowledge it, correct it, mitigate the damage from it and apologize for the damage from the untruth. If those within the mold community think they should not be held accountable for damage caused, then why would they think they have a right to call for those who naysay the severity of illness in policy and courts be held accountable for the damage caused? No problems are ever solved by trying to sweep them under the rug and proceeding on like nothing happened while the damage from the problems continue.
Yes, an apology to Sharon is not only warranted but necessary in order for the truth of the intent of any organization to be credible. Unification for the real cause is supposed to be the object, not shooting the messenger. Otherwise, what is the point of having any group? ANY advocate who’s hell bent on destroying people like Sharon for getting out the truth, who in fact saves many careers as well as people’s health is inexcusable and not worthy of the current leadership.
Spinning has gotten us into wars so it is okay to allow spin to destroy people’s lives in other ways, as with mold victims?
As BOD members with professional reputations tied to the group you are alleging has led you down the wrong path, the physicians might be interested in helping you air your grievances. I know Melinda understands the importance of one’s reputation.
thanks katy for that info. im just not sure docfors would be interested in a member of gihn that ruined my home and preyed on me.
According to GuideStar, which provides public information of nonprofits, GIHN is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization headed by Cheryl Wisecup.
Its stated Board of Directors:
Cheryl Wisecup No Affiliation
Melinda Ballard Policyholders of America
Dr. David Straus Texas Tech University
Dr. Janette Hope Hope Environmental Medicine, Inc.
Dr. Alan Vinitsky Enlightened Medicine
The doctors all have excellent reputations of advancing the understanding and treatment of illnesses caused by water damaged buildings. Melinda Ballard has worked for years to help homeowners w/problems from botched remediations, etc. Good luck. Hope that helps.
katy..thank you. who are the BOD i thought she ran that group?
Correct. There is no study that says poor indoor air quality causes over half of the illnesses in the world. Poor IAQ is a major cause and contributor to illness. When one overstates the problem based on false statistics, they diminish the validity of the words who say they are sick from poor IAQ. It makes them appear to be puffing and overstating the problem. When it was brought to GIHN’s BOD’s attention that they were promoting false statistics based on the flawed title of a news article out of Africa by an unnamed author and it would be harmful to the credibility of sick and the members of GIHN if the parroted this statistic; they removed this false info. Priorly it was the theme to their position statement and their call to action. To my knowledge, the statistics in the position paper are now correct.
So, are you saying that her statement, “more than 50% of homes of ilness is due to poor indoor air quality,” is false? I’m just trying to understand because of mold poisoning I have problems thoroughly understanding. There there a study that says it isn’t responsible?
Destiny, my advice to you would be to take the matter to their Board of Directors, not Cheryl Wisecup. She has a habit of ignoring things she does not want to hear, while providing no explanation for her actions. With that said, when it was brought to the attention of the GIHN BOD members and advisory physicians that there was a scientific fraud in their position statement that is harmful to the injured, they ultimately did correct it.
i agree katy..it seems to me they are making the division worse. i thought GIHN was a respected group…until I had an issue with one of their members that preyed on me and ruined my house. They defended this person because they are good friends …i thought wisecup was an advocate…it is a farce. an advocate views both sides not just one side…as a result a predator lurks in that group. keep up the advocacy! R.A
Thank you, Heather. Yes, you are exactly right we have enough to combat from the naysayers. We don’t need deceptive spinners on our side. To make a mistake happens. To REPEATEDLY attempt to cover up mistakes while knowing the damage, is not anyone who will help to bring unity or closure to this issue. Before Ms. Wisecup decided to turn advocate in 2010, we never had this kind of public division among the doctors, IAQ pros and advocates. I make no bones about it. This woman needs to GO from the advocacy scene! And I have proven more than once that she is a dangerous spinner, who spins more when caught at it.
Keep up the good work, Sharon! I hope you see your apology. It would really be nice to be unified as a group. All this separation is not helpful… not to say the things you do or others do is not helpful, but if we stood together and everyone was on the same page, it seems we could accomplish so much more. A girl can dream, right?