July 2005
Politics, Pesticides, and Canker
Four years ago, as Florida labored to eradicate citrus canker by destroying trees, officials were cited as rejecting other disease-fighting techniques, saying unproven methods would waste precious time and resources. But for more than six months, the state, at the behest of then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris, did pursue one alternative method. Researchers worked with a rabbi and a cardiologist to test "Celestial Drops," promoted as a canker inhibitor because of its “improved fractal design,” “infinite levels of order” and “high energy and low entropy.” But the cure proved useless against canker. That's because it was water - possibly, mystically blessed water.
Wayne Dixon, Florida's chief of entomology, nematology and plant pathology, was quoted as writing to agriculture officials and fellow scientists after testing Celestial Drops in October 2001 that the “product is a hoax and not based on any credible known science,” and that the state should break off its relationship with the promoters of Celestial Drops, adding, “We have expended considerable effort in trying to responsibly deal with this group and their products. I wish to maintain our standing in the scientific community and not allow these individuals to use our hard-earned credibility for further name-dropping." A memo written more than a year earlier by one of the state's chief plant pathologists was quoted as saying, "The presentation of Celestial Drops as a citrus canker treatment was . . . largely unintelligible. In general, the proposal comes across as unscientific and not worth pursuing."
So why did Florida spend months discussing and developing test protocols for Celestial Drops? The initial push came from Harris, now a U.S. House representative and candidate for U.S. Senate. Harris, the granddaughter of legendary citrus baron Ben Hill Griffin Jr., was cited as saying she was introduced to one of the product's promoters, New York Rabbi Abe Hardoon, in 2000. Hardoon did not want to discuss Celestial Drops when contacted by the Orlando Sentinel. Harris was cited as saying Hardoon told her he was working with Israeli scientists who had developed a compound that made plants resistant to canker. Harris acted as intermediary and urged state agriculture officials to work with Hardoon and his associates. Harris was quoted as saying as recently as July 1 that, "I met with those [Israeli] scientists. They were confident they had a cure for canker." Harris said she then stepped back and allowed Hardoon and the state to work out the details. Agriculture Department officials insist she applied no political pressure. However, state records suggest Harris had a keen interest in the project, and that she was repeatedly sent copies of the letters and memos bouncing between Florida canker officials and Hardoon.
In the past ten years, Florida has been swamped by companies claiming to have a cure for canker. In virtually all cases, the state has thanked the companies for their interest and delivered the same message: “Test the product using accepted scientific principles and then show us the results.” But though the state told other companies it could not test their products, it made an exception for Celestial Drops. After months of correspondence, researchers took the unusual step of testing the product for Hardoon and his partner, a New York cardiologist. In a two-day test in October 2001, they soaked canker cultures in Celestial Drops - which by then had been renamed - and determined it had no effect. The results weren't a surprise to researchers. After all, one bit of promotional material said the liquid they were testing was so pure the company had been allowed “to distribute this material as drinking water.” Department officials say they agreed to test the product to finally prove it was useless against canker - not because of Hardoon's association with Harris.
Meanwhile, some scientists were wondering what role an ancient branch of Jewish mysticism played in the development of the solution. One document in the state's files indicates an official had searched the Internet for information on Hardoon and his partner and discovered both practiced Kabbalah, a religious movement whose followers include celebrities such as Madonna. Hardoon also teaches Kabbalah. Mystically blessed water is a vital part of the faith and is sold for $3.80 a bottle at Kabbalah centers throughout the country. Believers maintain the blessings performed over the water change its molecular structure and imbue it with supernatural healing powers. The traits attributed to so-called Kabbalah water - “elegant crystalline structures” and “high energy and low entropy” - are virtually identical to those of Celestial Drops. Hardoon said he did not want to discuss any possible connection between the two. (Orlando Sentinel, 7/5/05).
