DEAR READERS: Satellite telecommunications devices send nonionizing radiation to receivers around the planet. Now it has been reported that Elon Musk and other investors are planning a nearly $1 trillion venture to put data centers into orbit that would be solar-powered and would not need water for cooling. That might sound sensible, but it would mean more life forms on Earth being exposed to nonionizing radiation frequencies, to which they are not biologically adapted -- and which can be fatal, especially for insects.

It could also exacerbate electromagnetic hypersensitivity in humans, which is a medical condition linked to exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiation. The rising incidence of brain tumors (glioblastomas) in children may also be related to such exposure. For additional information and extensive documentation, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/electropollution-existential-threat-to-public-health-and-life-on-earth.

The insect kingdom is already being decimated by habitat loss, climate change and pesticides, which does not bode well for the future of life on Earth for many other species, including us. An increase in electromagnetic exposure is likely to make the situation worse. See these two studies for more: "Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on cancer in laboratory animal studies" by Meike Mevissen et al., published in Environment International in 2025; and "Electromagnetic Fields Act Similarly in Plants as in Animals" by M.L. Pall, published in Current Chemical Biology in 2016.

A few decades ago, it was discovered that we were destroying the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere by releasing various chemicals, most notably chlorofluorocarbons. Now we have this new man-made threat from wireless radiation, and the ozone layer will not protect us.

The environmental and public health impacts of this technology need to be addressed. We are fortunate to at least have the nonprofit Environmental Health Trust, which is attempting to hold congressional oversight committee members (as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr) to account.

Please see this recent post from the EHT:

"On Jan. 14, 2026, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held an oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission. Although committee members questioned the FCC about its plans for removing obstacles to broadband expansion, not one member asked why the FCC has not yet acted on the court mandate requiring the FCC to address scientific evidence of damage to human health and the environment caused by wireless radiation. ... Why is the U.S. so far behind other countries in protecting its citizens from excessive wireless radiation? This is a question (the subcommittee) needs to ask as part of its oversight of the agency." For more details, visit ehtrust.org.

In an act of solidarity with EHT's petition to the FCC, Children's Health Defense has filed a motion urging the FCC to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set wireless radiation exposure limits that protect public health.

According to professor Olle Johansson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, "It must be concluded that the existing public safety limits are inadequate to protect public health, and that new public safety limits, as well as limits on further deployment of untested technologies, are warranted." See his scientific analysis, "Disturbance of the immune system by electromagnetic fields," published in Pathophysiology in 2009.

Another study exposed mice to electromagnetic fields. Researchers found that "EMF exposure not only led to depression-like neurobehavioral disorders, but also to gut microbiota imbalance." See the study "Electromagnetic field exposure-induced depression features could be alleviated by heat acclimation" by Xue Luo et al., published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety in 2021.

While there is inconclusive evidence that exposure to EMFs and nonionizing radiation can increase aggressive behavior, media content does. (See the study "The impact of electronic media violence" by L.R. Huesmann et al., published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in 2007.) Some studies suggest EMFs (like microwaves) can disrupt learning and memory by affecting neurotransmitters, but this does not directly translate to human aggression.

Studies do link increased screen time (which involves EMFs) in children to externalizing problems like aggression and hyperactivity, but also to internalizing issues like anxiety, suggesting a broader behavioral impact, according to the American Psychological Association. For more, visit apa.org/news/press/releases/2025/06/screen-time-problems-children.

(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: Our dietary choices affect much more than our individual health. Please see this Jan. 30 write-up from Nature.com:

"Debates over what to eat -- more protein, say, or less ultra-processed food -- often neglect any mention of how our food systems affect the biosphere that keeps us alive. But nutrition doesn't exist in a vacuum, notes Earth-systems scientist Johan Rockstrom. He co-chaired the latest update to the Planetary Health Diet, which aims to optimize human health globally and reduce environmental and social harms. (The update) notes that 'global greenhouse-gas emissions could be cut by 20% by 2050 by eating healthily, reducing food waste and adopting sustainable production practices. ... If diets remain unchanged, however, emissions will increase by 33%.'"

Read more at Nature.com, or search online for the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable and just food systems.

One recent analysis shows that, contrary to popular opinion, plant-based diets (PBDs) are often less expensive than the alternatives. "Cost reductions are primarily driven by eliminating expensive animal products, with savings often exceeding increased spending on fruits, vegetables and legumes," reads the study's abstract. "Global modeling incorporating health and environmental externalities further demonstrates that PBDs are more cost-effective than current omnivorous diets when external costs are considered." (See the study "Cost and affordability of plant-based diets: global evidence from 2000 to 2025" by David Goldman and Matthew Nagra, published in Academia Nutrition and Dietetics, 2026.)

Animal-derived foods such as eggs and red meat are the richest dietary sources of choline, an essential nutrient. But increased consumption of these foods is associated with elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, fatty liver disease and other chronic conditions. There are plant-based sources of choline, including soy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, cruciferous vegetables and some whole grains.

These options are discussed in another study by Goldman and Nagra: "Choline adequacy and health outcomes in vegetarian and vegan diets," also published in Academia Nutrition and Dietetics, 2025. The authors write that "animal sources are often accompanied by saturated fat, cholesterol, heme iron and other pro-inflammatory or atherogenic compounds. In contrast, plant-based sources provide fiber, phytochemicals and unsaturated fats, which can confer benefits."

NEW BOOKS ON REFORMING AGRICULTURE

It has now been 40 years since I wrote the book "Agricide: The Hidden Crisis That Affects Us All," and since that time, harmful agricultural practices have increased -- along with the suffering of billions of animals. Now, a new generation of writers are addressing this urgent issue, calling for a total revision of our food production systems and eating habits. Check out the following books:

-- Paul Shapiro's "Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World"

-- Michael Grunwald's "We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate"

-- Bruce Freidrich's "Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favorite Food -- and Our Future."

Young people may feel despair in these critical times of social and climatic upheaval. Transitioning to plant-based diets is one way that they -- and the rest of us! -- can help make a difference, and improve their own health in the process.

MULTIPLE PATHOGENS FOUND IN RAW CAT FOODS

From the abstract of a recent study: "Microbiota sharing between people and their companion animals is a concern for development of antimicrobial resistance. To assess the risks associated with feeding raw products to cats, with an emphasis on previously understudied freeze-dried products, a collection of 112 conventional and raw products was purchased and investigated."

Pathogens were found in frozen, freeze-dried and refrigerated products; most had no warnings on their labels, and some salmonella strains genetically matched those associated with human salmonellosis cases. "Parasite genes were exclusively detected in raw foods," the report reads. "The presence of pathogenic species and high load of resistance genes in raw commercial food products, particularly those sold on shelves at room temperature, suggests a considerable health risk to cats and the families who care for them."

See the study "Analysis of the microbiota of raw commercial feline diets to prioritize food safety investigations" by Guillaume Reboul et al., published in Communications Biology, 2025.

As I have stressed repeatedly, cats and dogs should never be fed raw meats or fish.

(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: See the following post from pet food safety advocate Susan Thixton:

"A new white paper, 'Raw Safety: Mitigating the 20x FDA Recall Risk of Fresh Pet Food,' was recently published in an industry website, written by a food irradiation company. Due to the many misleading statements made in the paper, we assume it was published to scare pet owners so badly they would be open to having a raw pet food treated with irradiation.

"The most concerning statement in the white paper is this: 'Raw Pet Foods Are 20x More Likely To Be Recalled.' ... (However, based on) FDA recall data -- number of recall incidents, specific to pathogenic bacteria recalls from 2018 through 2025 -- non-raw recalls (counted for) 42%. Raw recalls (counted for) 58%. Definitely NOT 20x more." (Read the full article here: truthaboutpetfood.com/they-want-to-irradiate-your-raw-pet-food.)

Dr. Fox here: Food irradiation can destroy essential nutrients and create radiolytic breakdown products that may put human and animal consumers at risk.

According to the Center for Food Safety, "These irradiation byproducts include a variety of mutagens -- substances that can cause gene mutations, polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome aberrations (often associated with cancerous cells) and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells. Making matters worse, many mutagens are also carcinogens.

"Research also shows that irradiation forms volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene, chemicals known, or suspected, to cause cancer and birth defects. Irradiation also causes stunted growth in lab animals fed irradiated foods. ... The FDA has never tested the safety of these byproducts. Irradiation has also been shown to cause the low-level production of furans (similar to cancer-causing dioxins) in fruit juice." (Read more here: centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/1039/food-irradiation/about-food-irradiation.)

I am opposed to feeding raw animal products to companion animals because of bacterial risks, especially to those animals who may be immunocompromised. The so-called BARF (bones and raw food) diet for dogs, promoted by a veterinarian in the U.K. years ago, ignores the reality of extensive bacterial contamination of meat and poultry products from factory farms, many strains of which have evolved antibiotic resistance. Gamma irradiation will kill these bacteria, but the simple, safe alternative is light cooking.

The only raw foods dogs should be given are fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, carrots and broccoli. Dogs can even thrive on well-formulated vegan diets. Read more here: sites.tufts.edu/petfoodology/2025/10/27/raw-pet-food-research-update.

DOG FOOD ADVISORY FROM FDA

The FDA has issued an advisory on eight lots of Raaw Energy dog foods that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, salmonella or multiple pathogens. The products were tested by authorities in Connecticut and New Jersey after Connecticut officials received a report about a dog illness. The FDA has recommended a recall, but the manufacturer has not complied. For more, visit FDA.gov.

FREEZE-DRIED PET FOODS: A SAFETY ISSUE?

Harmful bacteria, many now resistant to antibiotics, are prevalent in meat and poultry products from inhumane factories, and many fish are contaminated with mercury, heavy metals, "forever chemicals" and microplastics. For these reasons, I advise against feeding raw and freeze-dried ingredients of animal origin to cats and dogs.

With air-dried pet foods, the drying process removes the moisture so that microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts and molds are less likely to grow. However, it does not effectively destroy any such substances that are already present.

The same is true with freeze-drying. According to the Pennsylvania State Extension Service, "Raw and cooked meat and eggs can be freeze-dried. However, the freeze-drying process does not kill harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Therefore, it is important to carefully label raw meat and handle it appropriately before and after freeze-drying." Read more here: extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-freeze-drying.

An additional concern are bacterial endotoxins: toxic components from the outer membrane of dead gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella. Also, toxins from molds -- such as aflatoxin, especially found in contaminated kibble -- frequently sicken pets. These heat-stable toxins survive cooking, enter the bloodstream and can cause systemic inflammation. They are primarily found in meat, dairy and high-fat products. As biologically adapted scavengers, dogs may be somewhat adapted to deal with endotoxins in carrion and contaminated pet foods, but in cases of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs, the food source must always be suspected.

For more details, see this review by veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve: littlebigcat.com/pet-food-contaminants. And for more insights about pet foods, plus recipes to make your own, read the book that I co-authored with two other veterinarians: "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food."

(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.)