Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Dr Devra Davis of Environmental Health Trust Is Helping To Change Our World
Lead by example and listen more than you speak
Learning to live with technology so that it does not dictate one’s life and radiation exposures are reduced to the lowest level remains a major challenge. There are simple things that I do and urge others to do to reduce direct wireless exposure to our children and ourselves. It’s important to know what those things are and communicate them clearly.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Devra Davis.
Devra Davis PhD, MPH is an award-winning scientist and writer who has just released her new, updated and expanded edition of Disconnect: A Scientists Solutions for Safer Technology. A National Book Award finalist for her first non-fiction book, When Smoke Ran Like Water, 2002, Dr. Davis is founder of Environmental Health Trust (EHT), an independent nonprofit scientific and policy think tank that focuses on preventable, human-made pollutants. Dr. Davis was the founding director of the Center for Environmental Oncology of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, held senior posts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the National Toxicology Program, and is part of the team that won the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Al Gore in 2007 as well as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Green America and a commendation from the National Cancer Institute for her pioneering research on environmental causes of cancer and other topics in her more than 220 scientific publications.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
The town I grew up in, Donora, Pennsylvania was famous for extraordinary environmental pollution and became the basis for my National Book Award Finalist book, When Smoke Ran Like Water, 2002. In October 1948, a third of the small town became ill and more than 20 dropped dead within five days from the worst air pollution episode ever recorded in modern history. That pollution had come from the town’s steel mills, coke ovens, and zinc plants. My beloved grandmother had survived so many heart attacks, I couldn’t believe she didn’t come back after her 25th a decade later. My favorite uncle who had grown up in Donora dropped dead at age 50 in Los Angeles having absorbed years of unhealthy air. As I began to connect the dots, I became determined to understand what had happened in my town to my family and many others in order to try to prevent this from happening anywhere else.
Documentary films on the History Channel and public television (awarded an Emmy) captured my mother and me reminiscing as we strolled through the remains of the town more than half a century later.
As a young researcher with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1983, I traveled with a particulate monitor — that frankly looked like a small metal bomb — on an overseas flight determined to measure the differences between the smoking and non-smoking sections. Lo and behold there were none. In other words, by the end of the flight the amounts of invisible microscopic levels of dirt in the air from tobacco smoke were identical in both sections of the aircraft. This finding was revolutionary to those who had insisted that smoking provided no risk to those in non-smoking sections. Another committee soon reported that children of smokers developed serious bronchitis requiring hospitalization far more than children of nonsmokers and that non-smoking women married to men who smoked died much more often of lung cancer. When others confirmed these results, this work led to the eventual bans on smoking not only in airplanes but in public places all around the world today. It is hard to believe that smoking in public places once was legal.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
Recently members of the telecom industry have come forward to signal their full support for our efforts to reduce exposures to wireless radiation. The preface to the new edition of my book Disconnect is written by Frank Clegg, the former president of Microsoft Canada and now a member of our board of directors. Our new general counsel is Joseph Sandri, a seasoned Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and industry attorney who founded and sold several telecom companies. Working with them and other industry insiders has convinced me of the value of what our team has done and the importance of what lies ahead.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I directed the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, I served as a liaison to the chiefs of the 400 different hospitals and clinics that comprised the University of Pittsburgh medical center. We created the Recycle, Reduce and Reuse Team to promote the use of fewer toxic materials throughout the buildings. At our first meeting I was asked to present proposals for how we could operate with fewer toxics and be more efficient. I prepared about a 20-minute presentation that relayed plans to save water by using microfiber cleaning cloths and biodegradable cleaning agents and save carpeting by using only green carpeting.
When I was finished the looks on the faces of everybody were ashen and glum. Finally, one of the hospital chiefs raised his hand and said, “Dr. Davis I don’t understand. Why do all the carpets have to be green?”
I had not made clear that when I referred to “green carpeting” I was NOT talking about the color of the carpet at all but about the fact that the carpet could be recycled and reused rather than disposed of in landfills, incurring significant costs and contributing to pollution at that time. In short order the university purchased carpeting that would automatically be recycled when it had reached the end of its use, sparing all costs of disposal and transport.
So I learned that you really do need to take the time to explain basic concepts, know your audience, know what they know, and what they don’t know, and seek feedback to ascertain they know what the hell you are talking about before plunging ahead.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
For the past 15 years, original research and practical advice from Environmental Health Trust about avoiding and identifying environmental health hazards has led to the formation of dozens of other groups that share our concerns. The State of California has issued guidance on safer technology, based largely on our efforts. Wireless radiation has been one of our major focus areas. We are no longer standing alone in this endeavor, as various other organizations have joined forces in support, including Environmental Working Group, Physicians for Safe Technology, Grassroots Environmental Education, the New Hampshire Commission on 5G, the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Children’s Environmental Health, The California Department of Health, Phonegate Alerte and the National Agency for Frequencies of France.
I am very proud that working with Theodora Scarato, Executive Director Emerita of EHT, and distinguished expert scientists, our organization is now the go-to spot for: understandable explanations of the complex science underlying environmental health hazards; for practical advice about how to use technology more safely; and for access to world-class scientists that provide relevant information.
With the work we have done over the years, many organizations are adopting the safety advice that we have developed and advocated since 2007, and this dynamic new team in place, we anticipate more and more organizations to follow suit.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
In the new edition of Disconnect I introduce several people who have faced the impacts of wireless radiation. One is Tiffany Frantz, whom I met with her mom Traci in 2012 shortly after Tiffany, who was 21 at the time, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer began as tumors directly under where she stored her cell phone in her bra as a young teen. The tumors advanced into her liver, brain, and bones. With no family history and no genetic risk factors for the disease, doctors were convinced that keeping her cell phone next to her skin had caused this highly unusual disease. Traci and Tiffany shared their travails with millions on television appearances, some of which can still be found on YouTube. Within two years, we had the names of more than 30 other cases with similar stories — some of which can be seen in videos on our website. We have shared Tiffany’s story, along with scientific studies corroborating the risk to the breast from microwave radiating antennas, as the foundation for multi-media interactive educational materials developed with the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition aimed at informing young women to not keep phones on the body. We plan to work with athletic and other clothing manufacturers so that they make clothing with pockets for phones to include warnings that phones should be kept off when next to the body, as radiation is tested at a distance off the body and brain. Sadly, Tiffany died in 2021 at age 31, having spent a third of her short life in and out of hospitals and surgeries.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
EDUCATE; MOTIVATE; ACTIVATE
EDUCATE
EHT provides excellent resources, some of which are included in the new, updated and expanded edition of Disconnect, that explain why and how to reduce exposures to wireless radiation of all kinds, including print materials that can easily be copied. There are also instructional videos.
Our basic message is that distance is your friend, so whenever possible keep distance between yourself and your devices, with particular attention to the well-being of children.
Multimedia materials are available for parents and teachers, as well as local and national politicians.
MOTIVATE
Once individuals are educated about the reasons behind minimizing wireless radiation exposure, a wealth of guidance becomes available on how to effectively motivate and inspire others to adopt practices that reduce such exposures. This includes fostering awareness about the potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to wireless radiation, sharing success stories of individuals or communities that have implemented protective measures, and promoting the benefits of adopting safer technology practices for overall well-being. Additionally, emphasizing the collective impact of small changes and the potential long-term benefits can serve as powerful motivational factors for people to actively engage in reducing wireless radiation in their daily lives.
ACTIVATE
Activating measures to reduce wireless radiation exposure is crucial for promoting overall well-being and minimizing potential health risks. Individuals can take proactive steps, such as keeping a safe distance from electronic devices, especially during extended use. Implementing practical measures, like using wired connections instead of wireless whenever possible, and opting for speakerphone or hands-free options, can further reduce direct exposure. Additionally, staying informed about the latest research and recommendations from organizations like Environmental Health Trust empowers individuals to make informed choices and advocate for safer technology practices in their communities. Theodora Scarato contributes a chapter in Disconnect that includes practical advice explaining why and how to use technology more safely and effectively.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
A twentieth century expression advised: those who say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those that are doing it.
In late December 2019, the FCC released its determination that it had concluded there was no need to revise the then-24-year-old safety standards for testing cell phones and other wireless radiating devices. Working with retired attorney Edward Myers, we challenged this outdated agency decision. As a result, our small, determined group took the FCC to court. In 2021, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in our favor that the FCC had failed to show that it had reviewed the substantial scientific materials that we and many others had submitted over the past several years. I’m proud of the legal team that we put together and the tremendous effort it took to win this case known as EHT et al. v the FCC.
The court ordered the FCC to update its outdated guidelines on exposures to wireless radiation taking particular account of impacts on wildlife and young children. More than two years later, our group is continuing to take strategic legal actions to compel responses from the FCC, working with members of Congress and growing numbers of concerned professionals and other citizens sharing our concerns.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1. Know your audience, especially when crossing languages and cultures.
When I was a new Executive Director at the National Academy of Sciences, I was invited to present some of our work to a meeting in Paris of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. I purchased what I thought was a very smart black suit that I wore with my grandmother’s pearls. During the meeting a man came up to me and began speaking rapidly. I first thought, “Oh wonderful! He wants to know about our study recommending that smoking not be allowed on airplanes.”
Since I was dressed exactly like the only other women at the meeting — all of whom were waitstaff, he was simply asking me to fetch him coffee. So, I learned that appearances are important, and you need to know your audience. Although my main motto is “Dress British, think Yiddish,” sometimes that’s not sufficient!
2. Break barriers
As part of my duties at the National Academy of Sciences, I supervised the work of more than 60 scientists who were members of highly sought-after committee assignments at the academy. I was in charge of putting together rosters of people to serve on committees and proposing everything from agendas for the meetings and key scientific documents to the menus for the dinners. As no money was ever paid for this work, committee members got paid effectively in Chablis and Brie. Determined to improve the position of women at the academy, in 1983, I presented one of my first rosters to my boss; it included seven women out of ten people.
My boss looked at it and said, “Aren’t there a lot of women on this proposed committee?”
I replied, “I think they’re actually have been a lot of men on all the others”.
He was not amused, but years later admitted that I had been correct.
3. Secure your funding and know the power structure
I had received the promise from the president of a major Pittsburgh foundation to fund the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute for three years for several million dollars that would have covered three laboratories and an outreach and public education program. I had no idea that the dean of the medical school would be able to divert those funds out from under the promised program of activities, which would have included a major effort to educate and motivate people about safer technology. I only learned this when the president of that foundation called me to say he was flabbergasted and so sorry but wanted to let me know that he was not able to deliver the funding he had committed to our program.
4. Lead by example and listen more than you speak
Learning to live with technology so that it does not dictate one’s life and radiation exposures are reduced to the lowest level remains a major challenge. There are simple things that I do and urge others to do to reduce direct wireless exposure to our children and ourselves. It’s important to know what those things are and communicate them clearly. For example, cell phones are tested for radiation at a distance off the body, so I use my cell phone on speaker or with a wired headset. I take technology breaks and prioritize time with my family and friends. I turn off antennas I am not using, such as Bluetooth, cellular, hotspot, data, 4G, 5G, etc. For example, if I need to make and receive calls and get messages, I use Wi-Fi calling, with airplane mode on, but not the cellular. These practices reduce exposure as well as battery drain. I highly recommend reading the last chapter of Disconnect, written by Theodora Scarato, titled “How to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Community,” which provides practical how-tos on reducing wireless radiation exposure.
5. The perfect is the enemy of the good
At NAS, we prepared to issue one of the most important reports in decades — recommending no smoking on airplanes. The Committee working on the topic labored for nearly two years writing, editing, revising and revising again and again. Debates among members of that committee involved minutiae that did not in any way alter the bottom line finding that there was no space on an airplane for nonsmokers. A member of the committee took it upon himself to publish the basic finding that living with a non-smoker yielded the lung cancer risk of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, basically scooping the entire committee’s effort. Because the committee insisted on perfecting its accounts, we missed the opportunity to be the first out of the gate with this finding. Fortunately, today around the world there’s no commercial airplane where you can legally smoke, and smoke has been banned from the environments of most public places.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Women wield a tremendous amount of economic power as the primary purchasers of household goods and services. While a boycott means “no,” a girlcott means “yes.” I would like to see women organize their purchasing power to demand the right to buy safer, healthier products, whether for personal care, household cleaning or wireless radiation and technology. If we vote with our collective purchasing power and create organized market demand for environmentally preferable items, this should have a huge effect. Several groups are moving in this direction including Moms Across America that have highlighted the need for healthy food in schools and public places.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Women will change the nature of power, rather than power changing the nature of women — Bella Abzug
Former congresswoman Bella Abzug was a force of nature, and I was privileged to work with her. Concerned that so many of her friends were succumbing to breast cancer and convinced that there had to be something going on in the environment to explain the unexplained increases in this disease, she commanded me to identify the environmental causes. She and I traveled around the country speaking with scientists and others about the matter. While I was skeptical that much could be done, with her strategic leadership and ability to reach into the power structure she once occupied, we ended up getting the federal government to provide close to half a billion dollars in funding for research to detect and prevent breast cancer including pioneering studies on endocrine disruptors and xenoestrogens, a term that my research group coined.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
Michelle Obama. I admire her efforts to maintain good health by walking the talk — something that is more important now that I am a nearly 78-year-old downhill and cross country skier. Staying fit and physically strong is critical in order to contend with the numerous challenges of working on identifying and reducing environmental health threats. I also appreciate the dignity and compassion she brought to the White House and now to her efforts to promote constructive public dialogues on critical issues through film. As a role model to millions who already understand the dark side of social media, she could become a superb ambassador to promote safer tech practices, especially for young children, their parents, and teachers.
Her movie “Leave the World Behind” includes a powerful message about a digital world gone amok where things are so out of control that the “best one can hope for is a heads up.”
I am hoping that Michelle Obama can use the power of her many different platforms to explain to harried parents, teachers and students that we need to take a step back from the digitization of daily life. I believe she and the former President share my growing concerns about technoference — the capacity of technology to disrupt and undermine basic human interactions. We have seen the dangers of remote learning for elementary school children who lost a year during the pandemic shutdowns that shuttled millions of young children onto screens where they were unable to learn.
We have to ensure that AI continues to work for us and remains a tool at our disposal, rather than presuming it will take over. To ensure our emotional and physical health, we need to be able to unplug and truly disconnect from blue light that interferes with the production of sleep-inducing melatonin at night in order to refresh ourselves and our humanity.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I recommend visiting our website www.ehtrust.org and following us on social media at @ehtrust (Instagram), @saferphones (X), and @Environmental Health Trust (Facebook and YouTube) and @DevraLeeDavis. Please read the new updated and expanded edition of Disconnect: A Scientist’s Solutions for Safer Technology, 2024.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Dr Devra Davis of Environmental Health Trust Is Helping To Change… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.