[Dioxin-l] Fwd: Toxicology - Urgent Message

[Norbert Dichter]

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Subject: Toxicology - Urgent Message


http://www.uni-kiel.de:80/toxikologie/message-en.htm
<BASE HREF=3D"http://www.uni-kiel.de:80/toxikologie/
	message-en.htm">
Doomsday for Toxicology in Germany

Critical science is often at loggerheads with both the industries and some=
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scientific circles, which enjoy generous financing through the industries.=
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Oftentimes, such scientific critics or institutions are silenced either by=
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severing of funds, or - a more drastic and sure punitive measure - by=20
shutting down the institution. Since environmental toxicology has no good=20
tidings to spread, it has become a thorn in the flesh for industrial=20
polluters and their "experts". In Germany, the few academically independent=
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institutes of toxicology at universities are being increasingly dismantled=
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- at the retirement of the Professor and Head - even when the core of the=20
scientific activity was not environmentally oriented - a strategy of=20
nipping in the bud! In this manner about half of the former potential in=20
this discipline in Germany has already been destroyed!

One university institute which has stood out nationwide and which has=20
dedicated its scientific and financial resources solely to teaching and=20
research is the Institute of Toxicology at the University of Kiel under the=
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directorship of Professor Otmar Wassermann. For the last three decades=20
Prof. Wassermann has taken bold public positions in support of protecting=20
public health on environmental toxicology issue. He and his team have=20
provided unrelenting efforts with often clashes in public debate and in=20
courts for improvements in emission standards (e.g. waste incineration),=20
pesticide reductions, hazards due to wood preservatives, dental amalgam=20
etc., evaluation of endocrine disruptors, causal relations of radioactive=20
burdens around atomic power plants and childhood leukaemias etc.. The=20
Institute of Toxicology in Kiel is now facing doomsday: upon the pending=20
retirement of Otmar Wassermann this year, the Medical Faculty of the=20
University of Kiel has put up a plan to downsize the status of the=20
institute by stripping off its endowment with a Full Professorship and=20
replacing it with a less attractive and less influential Associate=20
Professorship - a well-aimed degenerative measure! - and curtailing=20
teaching and research of toxicology to "side effects of drugs", the genuine=
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obligation and responsibility of drug manufacturers! Whether by cynicism or=
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by ignorance, the Medical Faculty calls this destruction "strengthening of=
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toxicology" ...

Even the state politicians (Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein) in the=20
State Legislative Assembly and present Government (a Social Democrat and=20
Green coalition) recognise the need, in public interest, to maintain the=20
Institute of Toxicology both in its present independent form and scope of=20
activities. However, vested (concealed personal and industrial) interests=20
in part of the Medical Faculty (which calls itself "Profit-Center" ...),=20
are pushing on with their vindictive plans of downsizing (camouflaged by=20
arguments of structural reorganisation) to ward off interference on grounds=
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of the "autonomy of the university". The staff of the Institute of=20
Toxicology therefore seeks your support to make an appeal to the State=20
Government (Prime Minister's Office) to courageously exercise its right of=
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denying sanction to the plan of the Medical Faculty, since it belongs to a=
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state university. Destruction of the Institute of Toxicology at Kiel would=
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be an unrecoverable blow to international (environmental) toxicology -=20
students will be denied of exposure to critical assessments of=20
toxicological problems; the public will be denied excess to critical=20
experts for help when needed, and independent research will be gone once=20
and for all!

Kiel, January 2000

The Staff of the
Institute of Toxicology
Christian-Albrechts-Universi=E4t Kiel
Brunswiker Str. 10
D-24105 Kiel
Germany

Fax: 0049-431-597 3558
http://www.uni-kiel.de/toxikologie/tox_home.htm
e-mail: kruse@toxi.uni-kiel.de
Please direct your appeal to:
The Prime Minister Mrs. Heide Simonis, Landeshaus, D=FCsternbrooker Weg 70,=
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D-24105 Kiel, Germany (Fax: 0049-431-988 1960, e-mail:=20
heide.simonis@landsh.de).
With a copy to us, please.
Dr. Hermann Kruse (e-mail: kruse@toxi.uni-kiel.de)
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And would you please address your concerns to the Head of the University=20
and the Dekan of the Medicine Department:

Christian-Albrechts-Universit=E4t zu Kiel

Rektorat
Rektor Prof. Dr. Ruprecht Haensel
mailto:haensel@rektorat.uni-kiel.de
Postadresse: Olshausenstr. 40
D-24098 Kiel
Telefon: + 49 431 880-3000
Telefon B=FCro: + 49 431 880-2100
Telefax: + 49 431 880-7333

Dekanat der Medizinischen Fakult=E4t
Dekan
Prof. Dr. Dr. H. K. Albers
mailto:albers@konspar.uni-kiel.de
Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4
D-24118 Kiel
Tel 0431/8802126
Fax 597-2950
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