DEAR READERS: Interoception -- being aware of one's body’s needs and responding appropriately -- is an essential aspect of physical and mental health. How many people are lacking this awareness, I wonder? I further wonder if such a lack runs parallel to the absence of exteroception -- perceiving reality as it is, and being cognitively and empathically open to nature and all sentient beings.

The healthful blossoming of infantile narcissism into mature, empathic consciousness is expressed by living with reverence for all sentient beings. Indeed, some people who might be called hyper-empathic are challenged by living in this world of suffering and chaos. See the study "The hyper-sentient addict: an exteroception model of addiction" by Samuel J. DeWitt et al., published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in 2016.

As a child, other creatures held me in awe and wonder. As I matured, I sensed a part of myself in them -- especially their fear of me and my trepidation with some of them, along with the playful affection and loyalty of my canine companions, whose virtues and company I preferred over my scrappy, snotty schoolmates.

Also, whenever I was in nature, be it around a pond, wetland, meadow or orchard (now all obliterated by suburban housing), I felt I was a visitor; an intruder. I treated all with respect while affirming my curiosity and attention. Nature taught me many things, and set me on this life-path as a veterinarian and bioethicist.

The human spirit, and our innate love for nature, can prevent our extinction and enhance our evolution into a more empathic, creative species. The power of this love -- which the late Harvard entomologist, E.O. Wilson, called "biophilia" -- puts us in alignment with the words attributed to Chief Seattle: “Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

As Oglala Lakota leader and medicine man Black Elk advised, “Nothing will be well unless we learn to live in harmony with the Power of the World as it lives and moves and does its work.” The world-soul is, according to several systems of thought, an intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet. That connection relates to the world in much the same way that the soul connects to the human body. Therefore, we may consequently state that this world is indeed a living being, endowed with a soul and intelligence: a single, visible, living entity, containing all other living entities.

We must realize that we are all related. Only then can we evolve from this Dark Age -- not into some materialistic, technocratic "golden age" for America or any other country, but an age where the golden rule of peaceful co-existence is guaranteed. Where there is love and understanding, there is no hatred for those who are ignorant -- only the desire to help them see the light of their common humanity and kinship with all life.

EAT MORE MEAT, GET MORE HEALTH ISSUES

In a worldwide assessment, higher meat consumption was associated with higher Type 2 diabetes incidence. This was a global, individual participant-based meta-analysis. The current findings support the notion that lowering the consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat could benefit public health by reducing the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. Uncertainty remains regarding the positive association between poultry consumption and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, and this association should be further investigated. See the study "Meat consumption and incident Type 2 diabetes: an individual participant federated meta-analysis," published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology in 2024.

VET WARNS ABOUT HISTOPLASMOSIS RISK TO OUTDOOR CATS

Veterinarian Rebekah Hartfield is warning pet owners about Histoplasma, a fungus found in soil and in droppings from birds and bats. Cats that inhale Histoplasma spores can contract histoplasmosis, which causes lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea and respiratory issues. Hartfield advises regular veterinary checkups, limiting cats’ outdoor time and monitoring cats for signs of illness. (Full story: KOTV-TV, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dec. 19)

This is yet another reason to not allow cats to roam outdoors, or to dig up soil from the yard to use as cat litter indoors.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Please see this abstract from an important study:

"The oil and gas industry has regularly deflected responsibility towards individual consumers. In contrast, here we show that the U.S. animal agriculture industry has not only avoided notions of individual responsibility, but has obstructed even modest efforts to encourage individual dietary change.

"Drawing on records from 1989 to 2023, we document civil society efforts to advocate dietary shifts as a climate change mitigation strategy, including the Greenhouse Crisis Foundation, Diet for a New America, Beyond Beef and Meatless Monday, and the industry’s opposition to these campaigns. The animal agriculture industry hired scientists to produce industry-friendly emissions reports and challenge individual action, influenced public discourse around dietary change, and created a front group, the Food Facts Coalition, with a mission to defend the industry against 'anti-cow' arguments.

"The animal agriculture industry’s response to individual dietary change illustrates a unique form of climate obstruction and suggests that an industry’s approach to personal responsibility is context-dependent and action-specific." For more, see the study "The animal agriculture industry’s obstruction of campaigns promoting individual climate action" by Loredana Loy and Jennifer Jacquet, published in Climate Policy in 2025.

The authors of that study also contributed to "Early U.S. meat industry knowledge and response to global warming," published in Environmental Research Letters in 2025. From that study: "Since at least 1989, the U.S. livestock industry knew of its role in global warming and a newly uncovered industry document makes clear that the industry planned to obstruct efforts to shift U.S. diets to reduce emissions."

RFK JR.'S VACCINE POLICIES: A HOAX ON CITIZENS

In a recent article, medical experts from the One Health initiative debunk vaccine myths promoted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and outline what must be done to protect public health. An excerpt:

“President Trump continues to doggedly support his appointed Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in his bizarre, inexplicable, irrational, dangerous, injurious, unsafe and toxic quest to profane historically proven, longstanding medical practices. ... Serious adverse events are extremely rare for all approved vaccines, and regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conduct rigorous safety monitoring, with the American Committee on Immunization Practices providing fact-based recommendations on the use of vaccines. ...

"Unequivocally, global immunization efforts have been instrumental in improving public health and life expectancy worldwide. This applied to an estimated 154 million lives saved over the past 50 years.” For more, visit impakter.com/rfk-jr-s-vaccine-policies-a-hoax-on-citizens.

In sum, the benefits of vaccinations outweigh the risks, with the precautionary principle being applied to those who are immunocompromised or with a history of prior adverse reactions. It is a social responsibility to protect other children by having one’s own children vaccinated so they do not get measles or some other communicable disease and infect their peers. The same holds true for dogs and puppies who meet other dogs when outdoors, at the groomer’s or at a boarding facility. All should have their core vaccinations, as recommended by a veterinarian. Blood-titer tests should be available to avoid over-vaccination in animals who have been routinely immunized earlier in life.

Frequently reported outbreaks of parvovirus and distemper indicate that many dog owners are not being responsible caregivers, and unvaccinated, free-roaming cats pose a significant public health risk. Recent outbreaks of measles and whooping cough in children are inexcusable.

INDIA’S DOG BITE & RABIES CRISIS

According to the World Health Organization, 18,000 to 20,000 people die each year of rabies, with 99% of rabies cases being transmitted by dogs. In India, someone is bitten by a dog every two seconds. While the Indian government reported just 54 deaths from rabies in 2024, the true number is likely higher.

The government introduced an ambitious rabies plan in 2021 that set a goal of eliminating human deaths from the disease by 2030. A veterinary colleague in India, who has kept me posted on this health crisis, tells me that prior vaccination efforts have been undermined by corruption and fraudulent documentation.

This disgraceful situation calls for more effective spay/neuter and anti-rabies vaccinations on the subcontinent. The book I co-authored with my late wife, Deanna Krantz, “India’s Animals: Helping the Sacred and the Suffering,” provides more insights on the plight of the country's animals, wild and domesticated, and describes what improvements are called for.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The biosphere -- that is, nature -- already damaged by human incursion, pollution, pesticides, and climate change, faces another threat from the technosphere: the sum of all our industries and technologies. Current technologies have become a source of omnipresent electromagnetic pollution. Wireless and radio communications, power transmissions and devices such as smartphones, tablets and portable computers expose people every day to electromagnetic pollution.

All of this will intensify as data centers for cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence products are established in our communities, and are eventually launched into space, where more and more communications satellites encircle the planet. Even if more “green” energy sources are utilized, we still have exposure to anomalous electromagnetic fields and intensities of nonionizing radiation that may be to the detriment of public health and a sustainable economy.

For scientific determinations of the effects of EMFs on living organisms, see the study "The influence of electromagnetic pollution on living organisms: historical trends and forecasting changes" by Grzegorz Redlarski et al., published in Biomed Research International in 2015.

Studies have observed that when a cellphone is actively used near a beehive, it can cause the bees to become agitated, leading to more aggressive behavior. Exposure to EMFs from 5G cellphone towers may cause honeybees to abandon their hives entirely -- a behavior that could have serious ecological and agricultural consequences. See the study "Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees" by Marco A. Molina-Montenegro et al., published in Science Advances in 2023.

One recent study on wildlife and EMFs concludes: “Electromagnetic pollution is a significant threat to wildlife and ecosystems, requiring a shift in our understanding of technological advancements. It can cause bird species to become disoriented, marine life to be threatened ... and soil microbial communities to change. Sustainable technologies like low-emission devices and energy-efficient communication networks can help balance technology and nature. However, responsible governance and regulatory frameworks must be updated to keep up with rapid technological advancements.” See the study "Exposing the Ecological Consequences: Wildlife Affected by Electromagnetic Pollution" by Unnati Shukla, published in the International Journal of Research in Environmental Science in 2025.

As for effects on human health: Scientific bodies like the World Health Organization conclude that current evidence does not definitively link most everyday exposures to EMFs to serious health issues, though specific areas warrant continued research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through its agencies like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Cancer Institute, states that nonionizing EMFs (power lines, cellphones and appliances) lack the energy to directly damage DNA. But some studies link extremely low frequency EMFs (like from power lines) to possible childhood leukemia, leading the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify them as “possibly carcinogenic” (Group 2B). The consensus is that current public exposures are safe, but research continues, focusing on long-term effects and mechanisms, with the CDC emphasizing radiation safety principles like time, distance and shielding.

There is evidence that radiation from wireless 5G networks may have exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic by weakening immunity and increasing SARS-CoV-2 virulence. See the study "Evidence for a connection between coronavirus disease-19 and exposure to radiofrequency radiation from wireless communications, including 5G" by Beverly Rubik and Robert Brown, published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research in 2021.

The probable health risks, especially to children’s immune systems and developing brains, are considerable, as detailed in professor Tom Butler’s review, “On the Clear Evidence of the Risks to Children from Non-Ionizing Radio Frequency Radiation: The Case of Digital Technologies in the Home, Classroom and Society.” To read it, visit: www.cga.ct.gov/2021/etdata/tmy/2021HB-06442-R000309-Lynch,%20Margaret-,%20Exhibit%20X-TMY.pdf.

The technosphere, driven by boundless capitalism and conspicuous consumption, must be tempered by mindfulness and care. We need international regulation of technologies that can be beneficial in bioremediation, conservation, restoration and the evolution of human consciousness, planetary peace and health.

(Note to readers: I include scientific references in my columns because there is so much disinformation and anti-science rhetoric in these challenging times. Concerns over AI, social media, harmful chatbots and cybersecurity issues regrettably overshadow public debate and awareness of the harms of electropollution.)

HUNDREDS OF ORGS CALL FOR DATA CENTER MORATORIUM

In an open letter to U.S. lawmakers, a coalition of more than 200 environmental groups -- including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Food & Water Watch and many local organizations -- call for an end to the construction of new data centers in the United States. The electricity consumption for these energy-hungry projects powering the AI boom is set to almost triple over the next five years. If that growth comes to pass, data centers would consume as much electricity as approximately 30 million households and as much water as 18.5 million, cites the groups’ open letter. The facilities could also add up to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2030 and drive up electricity prices even further.

To read the letter, visit: foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Org-Letter_-National-Data-Center-Moratorium.pdf.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)