Links between chemical companies and institutions like the WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are depriving consumers of independent information on cancer risks, film maker Emmanuelle Schick Garcia has claimed. In an exclusive interview with The Ecologist, Schick Garcia, director of ‘The Idiot Cycle’ – a major expose on the chemical industry – said ‘subtle’ conflicts of interest, such as a Bayer Cropscience consultant sitting on an IARC advisory group while also chairing one on benzene research for the American Petroleum Institute, made it difficult for people to trust their advice. The petroleum sector is one of the largest emitters of benzene, a known carcinogen.