from my inbox

Random mail in my inbox this morning: a certain unnamed CLE sponsor is presenting an entire day on "The Mold Challenge in Washington."

This is a subject about which I have discovered I am terribly out-of-date. I had no idea. There is clearly no time to lose.

I can earn six hours of CLE credit, and, should I want it, credit for something called "industrial hygiene," which sounds suspiciously like scrubbing factory toilets, but isn't. Snacks (blue cheese, perhaps?) and refreshments will be provided during discussion of the science behind the mold problem, the different causes and types of mold and their health ramifications, the types of claims that can be brought as a result of mold infestations, the present state of mold litigation, and devising an "action plan" for handling a water intrusion and mold infestation scenario.

But where's the controversy? After all, "some health effects from mold exposure remain controversial because of the potentially significant consequences; yet crucial and legitimate scientific questions remain unanswered. Our incomplete knowledge of noninfectious health effects related to mold exposure is due to limited research support and lack of documented health effects in the context of well-defined exposures. "

Yeah. Let's debate mold, or at least vote for more funding for it.