The Microwave Factor

The SAR (cell phone radiation) safety warning your cell phone’s manufacturer doesn’t want you to see

2012-02-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

The SAR (cell phone radiation) safety warning your cell phone’s manufacturer doesn’t want you to see

Posted on February 15, 2011

The FCC requires all cell phone manufacturers to warn consumers to never carry their cell phone in their pocket or they will be exposed to radiation emission that exceeds federal safety guidelines.

The entire cell phone industry knows this dirty little secret and they are hiding it from consumers!! Nope, it’s not some wild conspiracy theory – it’s the ugly truth they don’t want you to know about! Skeptical?! I don’t blame you…. I couldn’t believe it myself. But, here are the facts:

I discovered that the BlackBerry cell phone I purchased for my 16 year old daughter had an FCC-required consumer safety warning to never carry the phone closer than 1” from the body or radiation would exceed the FCC safety limit of 1.6 SAR (the measurement of heat absorbed during exposure to cell phone radiation). She had been carrying it for 8 months in her pocket (as do most children, teens and young adults) receiving thousands of texts and phone calls each month with the phone directly against her body. Because that particular phone had the highest radiation of any cell phone on the market, the amount of radiation emitted when closer than 1” from the body most certainly exceeded the 1.6 SAR safety limit. The required safety warning which would have warned her to never carry the phone in her pocket was not in the user guide so we might have seen it; it was located on the CD that came with the phone which we had no hope of seeing as it was located in the bottom of the box; once I heard about the CD and found the silly thing, the safety warning which was supposedly on the CD could not be read on my MAC! It required a PC to even be read. Also, the elusive .pdf file which contained the safety warning was not referenced anywhere in the product literature.

FCC requires ALL cell phone manufacturers to warn users that the radiation level can be dangerous if carried in the pocket. Were you warned?

After a bit of research, I discovered that ALL cell phone manufacturers are required to inform consumers of this warning although few consumers ever see it since the FCC allows this warning to be buried in fine print in an obscure place in the user guide within technical radio frequency emission jargon. If you check every word of the user manual that came with your cell phone, you might see it. Get out a magnifying glass, as it will be in incredibly small type font. And, it will be buried in some FCC “compliance” section about radio frequency emissions or “separation distance”. Go on, see if you can find it.

The FCC does little, if any oversight of cell phone manufacturers, so this industry-wide deception continues without consequence. The CTIA (powerful cell phone industry lobbying agency) is aware of this industry-wide practice, and has done nothing to stop it.

Well… even if you did find the safety warning, you might not recognize what it implies. Manufacturers have become really tricky about wording the warning in a way that makes no sense. Instead of just writing,

“Don’t carry the phone in your pocket or you’ll be exposed to radiation levels that exceed the FCC-established safety limit,”

they write bizarre, misleading “suggestions”, like, “Always maintain a minimum separation distance of 1″ OR better yet… “Refer to body-worn configuration requirement”.

You are now warned. Spread the word to children, teens and others who carry cell phones in their pockets!

Don’t let your kids carry cell phones in their pockets. Be informed. Find the safety warning for your phone and call your service provider and complain that the FCC-required safety warning needs to be in a prominent location in language a consumer would understand. Better yet, write to the president of your cell phone service provider or file a formal complaint with the FCC.

Demand that the cell phone industry stop hiding the consumer safety warning!! We have a right to know!! What are they REALLY hiding?

“We’re all lab rats in the cell phone industry’s global experiment to prove that their products really DON’T have the negative health impacts that physicians and scientists throughout the world are warning us about. Who do YOU believe?” Cynthia Franklin, Consumers for Safe Cell Phones

http://consumers4safephones.com/?p=70

National Physicians Group Weighs in on Risks to Health from Wireless Technology

2012-02-02T14:12:00.002-05:00

National Physicians Group Weighs in on Risks to Health from Wireless Technology

by Cindy Sage

In a landmark statement adopted January 19, 2012, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine adopted a resolution calling for a halt to further implementation of the new wireless utility meters (smart meters). It was directed at the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency that has approved the program for California ratepayers. The CPUC is deliberating now on changes to this smart meter program that will allow customers to keep their analog electric meters (which are not wireless, and do not pose health risks).

This represents the first national physician's group to look in-depth at wireless health risks; and to advise the public and decision-makers about preventative public health actions that are necessary.

The classification of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) as a Possible Human Carcinogen by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (May, 2011) was a milestone. The AAEM Resolution

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine was founded in 1965, and is an international association of physicians and other professionals interested in the clinical aspects of humans and their environment. The Academy is interested in expanding the knowledge of interactions between human individuals and their environment, as these may be demonstrated to be reflected in their total health. The AAEM provides research and education in the recognition, treatment and prevention of illnesses induced by exposures to biological and chemical agents encountered in air, food and water.

Decision Proposed Decision of Commissioner Peevey (Mailed 1/22/2012) BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, On the proposed decision 11-03-014
Dear Commissioners:

The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine opposes the installation of wireless "smart meters" in homes and schools based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature (references available on request). Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action.

As representatives of physician specialists in the field of environmental medicine, we have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which can potentially affect large populations. The literature raises serious concern regarding the levels of radio frequency (RF - 3 KHz - 300 GHz) or extremely low frequency (ELF - o- 300 Hz) exposures produced by "smart meters" to warrant an immediate and complete moratorium on their use and deployment until further study can be performed. The board of the American Board of Environmental Medicine wishes to point out that existing FCC guidelines for RF safety that have been used to justify installation of "smart meters" only look at thermal tissue damage and are obsolete, since many modern studies show metabolic and genomic damage from RF and ELF exposures below the level of intensity which heats tissues. The FCC guidelines are therefore inadequate for use in establishing public health standards. More modern literature shows medically and biologically significant effects of RF and ELF at lower energy densities. These effects accumulate over time, which is an important consideration given the chronic nature of exposure from "smart meters". The current medical literature raises credible questions about genetic and cellular effects, hormonal effects, male fertility, blood/brain barrier damage and increased risk of certain types of cancers from RF or ELF levels similar to those emitted from "smart meters". Children are placed at particular risk for altered brain development, and impaired learning and behavior. Further EMF/RF adds synergistic effects to the damage observed from a range of toxic chemicals. Given the widespread, chronic and essentially inescapable ELF/RF exposure of everyone living near a "smart meter", the Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine finds it unacceptable from a public health standpoint to implement this technology until these serious medical concerns are resolved. We consider a moratorium on installation of wireless "smart meters" to be an issue of the highest importance.

The Board of the American Academy of EnvironmentalMedicine also wises to note that the US NIEHS National Toxicology Program in 1999 cited radiofrequency radiation as a potential carcinogen. Existing safety limits for pulsed RF were termed "not protective of public health" by the Radiofrequency Interagency Working Group (a federal interagency working group including the FDA, FCC, OSHA, the EPA and others). Emissions given off by "smart meters" have been classified by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Possible Human Carcinogen.
Hence, we call for:

An immediate moratorium on "smart meter" installation until these serious public health issues are resolved. Continuing with their installation would be extremely irresponsible.
Modify the revised proposed decision to include hearings on health impact in the second proceedings, along with cost evaluation and community wide opt-out.
Provide immediate relief to those requesting it and restore the analog meters.
Members of the Board
American Academy of Environmental Medicine
The full text of the resolution on letterhead may be downloaded at the AAEM website, American Academy of Environmental Medicine, 6505 E Central • Ste 296 • Wichita, KS 67206 Tel: (316) 684-5500 • Fax: (316) 684-5709

Contact Sage Associates
Great Horned Owl Image on Banner by Cleve Nash

http://slocoastjournal.com/docs/news/wireless_risks.html

Is Your Cell Phone Funding Human Rights Abuses?

2012-02-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

Is Your Cell Phone Funding Human Rights Abuses?

Workers dig at a gold mine in north eastern Congo. (Photo LIONEL HEALING/AFP/Getty Images)

From jewelry to cell phones, global consumers are inadvertently supporting a trade in minerals that perpetuates horrific human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding areas. But we have a chance to break this link – by using transparency as a tool to promote and protect human rights.

Last year, President Obama signed into law theDodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Within this landmark law is a provision that addresses an ongoing activity at the intersection of business and human rights: the trade and mining of minerals from Africa.

Section 1502, or the Conflict Minerals provision, essentially requires publicly traded companies to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether their products contain minerals from Congo or adjacent countries. If so, these companies must explain the actions taken to trace the origin of the minerals and whether they come from mines or trading routes that help fund armed conflict.

Profits that fund armed groups from the conflict minerals trade contributes to a dire humanitarian situation in the east of Congo. Human rights abuses, including gender-based violence such as rape and sexual slavery, have reached catastrophic proportions.

The SEC was initially expected to release a final rule giving life to the provision in April 2011, but to date, the SEC has failed to issue a final rule. Failure to release a strong final rule soon harms companies, taxpayers, investors, and the Congolese people by threatening to undermine progress on the ground in preventing minerals from fueling conflict.

Delays create uncertainty and remove incentives for companies to develop due diligence processes and systems that can enable them to source minerals from the DRC responsibly. Moreover, US taxpayers continue to pay US $500-600 million per year in aid and peacekeeping costs aimed at making Congo a more stable place. For investors, the right to know what activities their investments or purchases may be directly or indirectly supporting is compromised.

But most critically, for the Congolese people, further delays mean armed groups can continue to prey upon and draw financing from the minerals sector, while fueling instability and committing human rights abuses against civilian populations.

This is not what Congress intended by enacting Section 1502, and the SEC and the Chairman and Commissioners risk undermining the intent behind the law by delaying the issuance of the final rule and by weakening its scope.

Take action to urge the SEC to issue strong and final rules on conflict minerals. It’s time we start asking companies who we invest in or purchase from to do more to ensure that the minerals in our products are not contributing to human rights abuses. Tell the SEC Commissioners and the Chairman to not cave to industry pressure, and to issue rules that give life to the intent behind the statute.

http://blog.amnestyusa.org/business/is-your-cell-phone-funding-human-rights-abuses/

Delhi to gauge impact of mobile radiation

2012-02-02T06:19:00.001-05:00

Delhi to gauge impact of mobile radiation

1 FEB, 2012, 09.44PM IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Worried about periodic reports about possible link between serious ailments and radiation emanating from mobile towers, Delhi Government is likely to launch a study to gauge the impact of such radiation.

Health department officials said the issue was discussed at a meeting presided over by Health Minister A K Walia. They said government may procure ceratin equipment to asses the level of radiation in the city in a scientific way so that a clear view can be taken on the issue.

"We will launch a study to gauge whether there is any adverse effect of radiation on health of people," the officials said adding electro magnatic radiation takes place not only from mobile towers but from a number of other equipment. He said Delhi Government would also consult the Centre on the issue.

The Union government in August 2010 had set up an inter- ministerial group to evaluate the evidence and re-visit radiation guidelines for mobile towers and adopt guidelines for radiation emission by cell phones.

The group had made it mandatory for cellphone manufacturers to declare the radiation level of each mobile handset on the packet itself.

For mobile towers also, the group had suggested certain radiation norms.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11717065.cms

New Report Calls for Tighter Regulations on Cellular Technologies to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

2012-02-02T06:17:00.000-05:00

New Report Calls for Tighter Regulations on Cellular Technologies to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

01.02.2012 by emily Category Electromagnetic Health Blog

Press Release by Environment & Human Health, Inc.

Cell Phone Report Calls for More Responsible Management to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) today released a new report calling for tougher standards to regulate cellular technologies—especially for children and pregnant women.

North Haven, Conn. (PRWEB) February 01, 2012

Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) is releasing a new report calling for tougher standards to regulate cellular technologies—especially for children and pregnant women. This report is the first part of a project researching the health effects of cell phone use. EHHI has reviewed hundreds of peer-reviewed studies that have examined the potential health threats associated with cellular device use, along with the regulatory standards that have been adopted by the U.S. and other nations. This report provides the context for the second section of the project: an animal study designed to investigate the health effects on offspring of cell phone exposures during pregnancy.

John Wargo, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Risk and Policy at Yale University and lead author of the report, said, “The scientific evidence is sufficiently robust showing that cellular devices pose significant health risks to children and pregnant women. The weight of the evidence supports stronger precautionary regulation by the federal government. The cellular industry should take immediate steps to reduce emission of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from phones and avoid marketing their products to children.”

EHHI President Nancy Alderman explained how pervasive cell phones are in the United States. “There are nearly 276 million cell phone subscribers in the nation today, up from 97 million subscribers in 2000,” she said. “More than 75 percent of teens own cell phones, and one third of them text more than 100 messages per day. Children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day—nearly half their hours while awake—on smart phones, computers, televisions or other electronic devices. Exposures to electromagnetic radiation are increasing most rapidly among the youngest in our society, as service providers focus their advertising on children and educational markets.”

Hugh Taylor, M.D., coauthor of the report, summarized his concerns regarding neurological effects from cell phone radiation. “The human brain is especially susceptible to numerous environmental insults that can produce irreversible damage during critical periods of nervous system development between conception and full maturity. A number of peer-reviewed studies reported changes in the nervous systems of rats, mice and humans following exposure to cell phone radiation. These include diminished learning, diminished reaction time, decreased motor function, reduced memory accuracy, hyperactivity and diminished cognition.”

Taylor explained differences in exposure between children and adults, “The thinner skulls of young children permit cell phone radiation to penetrate brain tissues more deeply than occurs in adults. Devices stored in pants pockets while in standby mode can expose rapidly developing reproductive organs to radiofrequency energy. Storage in shirt pockets will increase exposure to breast tissues. Children’s and fetuses’ rapidly developing nervous systems, more rapid rates of cell division, longer potential lifetime exposure, and longer average use per day all heighten their risks of adverse health effects.”

Wargo cautioned, “Cell phones have enjoyed exceptional freedom from government oversight and control to protect against health and environmental hazards before cell phone devices are marketed. There are no enforceable standards to limit human exposure to cell phone radiation. While the U.S. does not require any regulations to restrict advertising or warnings against use of cellular devices by pregnant women or children, many other nations do.”

Cell phones emit non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation that varies in intensity by model of phone, antenna configuration, and signal strength. Most users are unaware that new phones include warnings about the need to hold devices a safe distance from the body, often five-eighths to one inch. Since intensity of exposure falls exponentially as distance between the phone and body increases, users can limit their exposure dramatically by using speakerphones.

The World Health Organization in 2011 classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use. Yet some types of tumors take a decade or longer to develop, and if caused by cellular devices, would only be discovered by epidemiological studies that often take a decade to resolve. Since the average useful life of any device is now two years, these findings would be irrelevant to guide management of current technologies or patterns of use.

Summarizing a growing literature in the field of psychology, Wargo explained, “Cellular devices can create feelings of psychological dependency. Common effects reported in the literature include distraction, isolation, hyperactivity, inability to focus on complex and long term tasks, and a heightened sense of anxiety.”

The most immediate threat to public health is the increasing rate of highway fatalities and injury associated with use of cellular devices while driving. The federal government reports that at any one time, approximately 11 percent of all drivers are using their cell phones. Cellular device use while driving poses a serious and avoidable threat to public health and safety. The National Safety Council attributes 23 percent of all traffic accidents to cell phone use—at least 1.3 million crashes per year. Nearly 1.2 million of these are associated with phone calls, while 100,000 are associated with texting. The authors state this loss of life is fully avoidable.

The recycling of cell phones is also a serious concern to the authors. In 2012 nearly 220 million cell phones will be discarded in the U.S., and fewer than 10 percent of these will be recycled. This waste is especially hazardous when burned because of the release of dioxins from some plastic polymers, and diverse metals that do not break down.

Nancy Alderman, president of EHHI, summarized the group’s recommendations. “The government must take greater responsibility for testing cellular technologies before they are marketed to assure their safety, their proper disposal and to educate the public about safe patterns of use.”

To download the full report, visit http://www.ehhi.org.
http://electromagnetichealth.org/electromagnetic-health-blog/env-hum-health-release/

Vitamin C Prevents Radiation Damage: Nutritional Medicine in Japan

2012-02-01T18:19:00.000-05:00

Vitamin C Prevents Radiation Damage: Nutritional Medicine in Japan

orthomolecular.org - Today, 11:17 AM

Workers with severe radiation exposure at the Fukushima nuclear plant had major reduction in cancer risk when supplemented with vitamin C and other anti-oxidative nutrients. Sixteen men aged between 32 and 59 years worked 5 to 6 weeks in a radiation contaminated area, collecting contaminated water, measuring radiation levels, operating heavy machinery, and removing debris. Blood samples were obtained to measure whole blood counts and blood chemistry, plasma levels of free DNA, and 47 cancer related gene expressions.

Four workers who took intravenous vitamin C (25,000 mg) therapy before they went in, and continuously took anti-oxidative supplements during the working period, had no significant change in both free DNA and overall cancer risk.

Three workers that did not have preventive intravenous vitamin C had an increase in calculated cancer risk. After 2 months of intervention with intravenous vitamin C and oral anti-oxidative nutritional supplements, free DNA returned to normal level and cancer risk score was significantly decreased.

http://www.scoop.it/t/health-supreme/p/1098551890/vitamin-c-prevents-radiation-damage-nutritional-medicine-in-japan

Cell Phone Report Calls for More Responsible Management to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

2012-02-01T18:13:00.004-05:00

CellPhone Report Calls for More Responsible Management to Protect Children andPregnant Women

Environmentand Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) today released a new report calling for tougherstandards to regulate cellular technologies—especially for children andpregnant women.

"The scientific evidence issufficiently robust showing that cellular devices pose significant health risksto children and pregnant women," said Yale University Professor JohnWargo, Ph.D., lead author of EHHI's report."

NorthHaven, Conn. (PRWEB) February 01, 2012

Environment and HumanHealth, Inc. (EHHI) is releasing a new report calling for tougher standards toregulate cellular technologies—especially for children and pregnant women. Thisreport is the first part of a project researching the health effects of cellphone use. EHHI has reviewed hundreds of peer-reviewed studies that haveexamined the potential health threats associated with cellular device use,along with the regulatory standards that have been adopted by the U.S. andother nations. This report provides the context for the second section of theproject: an animal study designed to investigate the health effects onoffspring of cell phone exposures during pregnancy.

John Wargo, Ph.D.,professor of Environmental Risk and Policy at Yale University and lead authorof the report, said, “The scientific evidence is sufficiently robust showingthat cellular devices pose significant health risks to children and pregnantwomen. The weight of the evidence supports stronger precautionary regulation bythe federal government. The cellular industry should take immediate steps toreduce emission of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from phones and avoidmarketing their products to children.”

EHHI President NancyAlderman explained how pervasive cell phones are in the United States. “Thereare nearly 276 million cell phone subscribers in the nation today, up from 97million subscribers in 2000,” she said. “More than 75 percent of teens own cellphones, and one third of them text more than 100 messages per day. Childrenbetween the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day—nearly halftheir hours while awake—on smart phones, computers, televisions or otherelectronic devices. Exposures to electromagnetic radiation are increasing mostrapidly among the youngest in our society, as service providers focus theiradvertising on children and educational markets.”

Hugh Taylor, M.D.,coauthor of the report, summarized his concerns regarding neurological effectsfrom cell phone radiation. “The human brain is especially susceptible tonumerous environmental insults that can produce irreversible damage duringcritical periods of nervous system development between conception and fullmaturity. A number of peer-reviewed studies reported changes in the nervoussystems of rats, mice and humans following exposure to cell phone radiation.These include diminished learning, diminished reaction time, decreased motorfunction, reduced memory accuracy, hyperactivity and diminished cognition.”

Taylor explaineddifferences in exposure between children and adults, “The thinner skulls ofyoung children permit cell phone radiation to penetrate brain tissues moredeeply than occurs in adults. Devices stored in pants pockets while in standbymode can expose rapidly developing reproductive organs to radiofrequencyenergy. Storage in shirt pockets will increase exposure to breast tissues.Children’s and fetuses’ rapidly developing nervous systems, more rapid rates ofcell division, longer potential lifetime exposure, and longer average use perday all heighten their risks of adverse health effects.”

Wargo cautioned, “Cellphones have enjoyed exceptional freedom from government oversight and controlto protect against health and environmental hazards before cell phone devicesare marketed. There are no enforceable standards to limit human exposure tocell phone radiation. While the U.S. does not require any regulations to restrictadvertising or warnings against use of cellular devices by pregnant women orchildren, many other nations do.”

Cell phones emitnon-ionizing electromagnetic radiation that varies in intensity by model ofphone, antenna configuration, and signal strength. Most users are unaware thatnew phones include warnings about the need to hold devices a safe distance fromthe body, often five-eighths to one inch. Since intensity of exposure fallsexponentially as distance between the phone and body increases, users can limittheir exposure dramatically by using speakerphones.

The World HealthOrganization in 2011 classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as“possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on an increased risk for glioma, amalignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use. Yet sometypes of tumors take a decade or longer to develop, and if caused by cellulardevices, would only be discovered by epidemiological studies that often take adecade to resolve. Since the average useful life of any device is now twoyears, these findings would be irrelevant to guide management of currenttechnologies or patterns of use.

Summarizing a growingliterature in the field of psychology, Wargo explained, “Cellular devices cancreate feelings of psychological dependency. Common effects reported in theliterature include distraction, isolation, hyperactivity, inability to focus oncomplex and long term tasks, and a heightened sense of anxiety.”

The most immediate threatto public health is the increasing rate of highway fatalities and injuryassociated with use of cellular devices while driving. The federal governmentreports that at any one time, approximately 11 percent of all drivers are usingtheir cell phones.

Cellular device use while driving poses a serious andavoidable threat to public health and safety. The National Safety Councilattributes 23 percent of all traffic accidents to cell phone use—at least 1.3million crashes per year. Nearly 1.2 million of these are associated with phonecalls, while 100,000 are associated with texting. The authors state this lossof life is fully avoidable.

The recycling of cellphones is also a serious concern to the authors. In 2012 nearly 220 millioncell phones will be discarded in the U.S., and fewer than 10 percent of thesewill be recycled. This waste is especially hazardous when burned because of therelease of dioxins from some plastic polymers, and diverse metals that do notbreak down.

Nancy Alderman, presidentof EHHI, summarized the group’s recommendations. “The government must takegreater responsibility for testing cellular technologies before they aremarketed to assure their safety, their proper disposal and to educate thepublic about safe patterns of use.”

To download the fullreport, visit http://www.ehhi.org.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9153096.htm

"No Fee for Opt-Out!" - PG&E Protest - 1-27-12

2012-02-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

Cell Phone Towers A Possible Cause for Cancer?

2012-02-01T18:07:00.002-05:00

Telecom towers pose risk of radiation

2012-02-01T05:53:00.004-05:00

Telecom towers pose risk of radiation

G Manjusainath Bangalore, Jan 28, 2012, DHNS

A radiation bomb is ticking away in the City with thousands of unauthorised telecom towers coming up over the past few years, say environment activists.

In the last one decade more than 10,000 towers have come up in the City, but none of the telecom companies sought permission from the BBMP to erect them.

“Our estimate says that there are more than 10,000 towers, but it won’t be a
surprise if the number is far higher. All these towers were erected illegally without seeking permission from the BBMP,” said Deputy Mayor S Harish. The telecom firms do not bother to inform the local body before setting up towers at places of their choice, taking refuge under a letter from the telecom ministry which authorises them to set up as many towers as they want in the areas of their choice, without seeking consent of the local governing body or the state government.

Social activist and engineer Thelapanda Shivakumar Nanaiah, who is fighting a
battle in the City and elsewhere in the State against the mobile towers, says, “The telecom firms show a letter from the Government of India to bypass the local body while setting up mobile towers, but they do not know that the letter itself is illegal as it is in violation of the Constitution of India.”

To substantiate his claim, Shivakumar Nanaiah said that the Constitution says that the consent of the local body, which can either be municipal or panchayat, must be sought before setting up anything. Nanaiah said the International Commission for Non-ionising Protection Act-1998, a UN body, has set guidelines regarding the mobile towers as well.

“The mushrooming of towers is also in violation of the UN Act. Another UN agency, the WHO has also been critical about overlooking the health hazard these mobile towers pose through the electro-pollution,” said Nanaiah.

He added that as per the international standards, the non-ionic radiation should be limited between (-)14 Decibel Per Milliwatt (DBM) and (-)24 DBM. “But tragically, in Bangalore it is 20 times to 30 times higher than the permissible level.

Such high levels of electromagnetic radiation heats up the cells in the body, causes cancer, tumour, kidney-related disorder and many neurological problems,” said Nanaiah.
Deputy Mayor S Harish said the Palike is mulling some mechanism to rein in the mushrooming of towers.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/222861/telecom-towers-pose-risk-radiation.html

Police Officer Develops Brain Tumor from Mobile Communications Radiation

2012-02-01T05:53:00.000-05:00

Police Officer Develops Brain Tumor from Mobile Communications Radiation

http://www.trelleborgsallehanda.se/trelleborg/article1601947/Polis-blev-sjuk-av-att-anvanda-Rakel.html

Author: Magnus Aspegren
Published January 28, 2012 1:30 Updated January 31, 2012 13:35

Trelleborg. Trelleborg Police Roger Carlstrom became ill when he was working with the communications ‘Rachel’ [wireless equipment]in the service. Now he wants the Police Union to take hold of the issue.

Roger Carlstrom has been a policeman since 1987. When communications ‘Rachel’ was introduced in Scania in 2007, he had a single service, but when he went back to the external service problems started.

“I noticed it almost immediately. I got a red rash on my face,” says Roger Carlstrom.

He went to a dermatologist who said that it was rosacea, a skin disease that gives a rash, mainly on the face, and that it was hard to pinpoint its cause. In the years that followed, Roger Carlstrom maintained careful track of when and where the rash flared up. After a few hundred flare-ups in the police car he thought that the connection was obvious.

“The more traffic I was managing with Rachel, the redder I was in the face.”

The symptoms became worse when Roger Carlstrom participated in major operations in connection with football matches or demonstrations.

“When you sat in a bus with eight colleagues and everyone was wearing a portable station. This resulted in even more redness.”

At one point, he first worked alone in the car during a session. Then he had Rachel with the power off and experienced no problems at all with the rash. The last hours, Roger Carlstrom worked with a colleague who had his unit up and running. Roger Carlstrom’s skin became bright red in the face right on the side that his colleague was sitting.

Originally, Carlstrom only reacted when he used ‘Rachel,’ but his hypersensitivity became wider. He began to feel the same trouble at home and discovered that it was due to a wireless network that was running.

Last summer Roger Carlstrom substituted at the police station on Toftanäs and when he started, he had no problems with the rash. But after just a few hours, he developed severe redness of his face. He was then able to work at a distance from the police premises in Trelleborg and became better. But in autumn his discomfort returned. Roger Carlstrom discovered that there were wireless networks in the building and went around the house until he found a room where there was no network.

“Then I was fine again,” says Carlstrom.

Just before Christmas, Roger Carlstrom felt worse. Doctors discovered he had a brain tumor and he received the required surgery.

“I am 100 percent sure the skin rashes are due to radiation from ‘Rachel’ (wireless communications equipment) and I strongly suspect that it caused the tumor as well.”

Roger Carlstrom has done work injury reports because of the illnesses he suffered and now want to first of all, to help bring about a change in how portable Rachel stations are used.

“I think that the radio system that works with pulsed microwaves should be banned until it is considered how dangerous they might be.”

The fact that the radio system is mainly used in vehicles is what worries Roger Carlstrom.

“The waves bounce off the roof and back at the user with an effect that is perhaps ten times more powerful than a GSM phone,” says Roger Carlstrom.

About Rachel

The expansion of ‘Rachel,’ Radio Communication for Effective Leadership, started in 2005. In late 2010, the system was fully developed. The common system would replace more than 200 analog systems and tie together various agencies and organizations in the country who work with public policy, public security or public health.

Today, it is used by around 260 affiliated organizations, especially governments, municipalities, county councils and county councils. Rachel is based on so-called TETRA standard, Terrestrial Trunked Radio, which is a standard for mobile radio systems. The difference from the regular mobile network is in the signal time-sharing. Systems based on the same technology used by police and rescue services in several countries in Europe.

http://whyfry.org/police-officer-develops-brain-tumor-from-mobile-communications-radiation/

Killer Cell Phones: Why Honeybees Are Dying Worldwide

2012-01-31T17:51:00.000-05:00

Killer Cell Phones: Why Honeybees Are Dying Worldwide

October 4, 2011 at 09:22:41

By Justin Soutar (about the author)

Have you heard the news? In just the last ten years or so, the world's honeybee population has taken a huge dive--and nobody seems to know why. I found this out myself recently by reading an article called "Bees Feel the Sting: The buzz on the worldwide decline in honeybee populations," which appeared as the lead story in the September/October 2011 issue ofScience Illustrated. According to this article, a group of French biologists is attaching tiny microchips to honeybees to track their daily behavior patterns in an effort to learn what's killing them. Suspected causes of the unprecedented global honeybee dieoff include pests, predators, disease, pesticide sprays, climate change, and mobile phones. One single factor can be enough to do the bees in, as researcher Cedric Alaux of the Laboratoire Biologie et Protection de l'abeille admitted toScience Illustrated: "We cannot rule out that there is one single factor behind it all that influences the bees in a negative way."

To identify that factor, the key question we should ask is: What on earth has changed so drastically in the last ten years that would cause billions of honeybees to perish? There has been no drastic change in nature or the global environment that can adequately explain this occurrence. Honeybee pests and predators have been around for centuries, and although their numbers have fluctuated, their populations have not exploded recently as far as I know. Diseases have similarly come and gone. Our climate has been changing recently, but not so drastically or in such a short time period as to explain the mass disappearance of a single insect species.

Thus we can reasonably rule out any natural causes for the world's honeybee population plunge, and it makes sense to look for the culprit among possible artificial (i.e. manmade) causes. Although pesticide sprays have been in use for decades, their worldwide use has not increased dramatically in recent years; if anything, it has declined as the popularity of organic farming continues to grow.

The only other suspected manmade cause of the honeybees' death is mobile phones (i.e. cell phones)--or, more precisely, the radio waves emitted by cell phones. Here we're on to something, because in the last ten years the world's use of cell phones has exploded dramatically, and an ever-growing global network of cell phone transmitter towers established to meet this demand now continuously fills much of the Earth's air with a thick invisible web of electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, the negative effects of this artificial radiation on living organisms are already well known and documented by scientists. (Take, for example, the well-established link between increased cell phone use and increased rates of human brain cancer.) Furthermore, the steepest declines in honeybee populations have been observed in the United States and Europe--where cell phone use is greater than anywhere else in the world.

Nothing matches the worldwide decline in honeybee population like the worldwide increase in cell phone transmissions during the same time frame. Thus, it is reasonable to draw a link between the two and theorize that the former is the main cause of the latter.

But, some might say, the basis for this supposed theory is rather circumstantial. Is there any real, convincing evidence for it? Yes, there is. In a study conducted last year, researchers at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India fitted cell phones to a beehive and activated them twice a day for 15 minutes each. Within three months, honey production had ceased, the queen laid half as many eggs, and the hive population had fallen significantly. (See "Study links bee decline to cell phones," at http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-30/world/bee.decline.mobile.phones_1_bee-populations-cell-phone-radiation-ofcom?_s=PM:WORLD)

But the effect of cell phone towers on bees is even more drastic than that of individual phones. Barbara Hughes, a columnist for theCatholic Virginian who has been visiting the Franciscan monastery at Mission San Luis Rey in California, recently visited a Benedictine abbey near the mission. She related the following in the August 22, 2011 edition of the paper:

One of the monks, who has been a bee keeper at the Abbey for 40 years, explained how until numerous cell phone towers were constructed on the back of their property, he had been collecting 100 gallons of honey a week.

But as the use of cell phones expanded, all of his bees died within a few weeks until he discovered a small area near the base of the hill where he could not get cell phone service. Once he moved his hives to that particular area, the bees once again began to thrive and reproduce.

This anecdote is a graphic example of the danger that cell phone radiation poses to honeybees. The radiation may be interfering with the bees' built-in navigational systems, disorienting them and preventing them from finding their way back to their hives, as some researchers think. Or it may be killing them in a more direct fashion. However it works, it's clear that radio waves from cell phones are lethal to bees. Additional future studies will continue to confirm and bear this out.

The typical cell phone transmitter tower is a veritable beehive of electromagnetic activity. At any given moment it can be sending and receiving the radio transmissions of 10 to 25 different phone calls. A whole row of cell phone towers can process thousands of calls simultaneously. Try to imagine what all the radio waves from all the towers just in your local area would look like, filling the air all around you. If we had the capability to see radio waves, we would be blown away. Thus cell phone towers pose a much more serious threat to living organisms than individual cell phones because they emit much more concentrated doses of radiation. When we consider that the radiation of a single cell phone can cause brain cancer in a human being at an early age, it's not difficult to imagine the deadly effect that thousands of times that radiation would have on a much smaller living creature.

In fact, the gradual, slight decline in world honeybee populations observed over the course of the twentieth century (which preceded the current precipitous decline) was probably due to the gradual establishment of radio stations and transmitters all over the world. Moreover, it is possible that radio waves crisscrossing our atmosphere from Earth-orbiting communications satellites as well as from more recently developed GPS satellites, satellite radio systems, and especially wireless Internet systems, all play minor contributing roles in the current honeybee population crisis. The lesson to be learned from this is that radio waves kill bees--and the world's more than five billion cell phones combined generate more artificial radio emissions by far than all other currently operating high-tech inventions on Earth put together. (See "List of countries by number of cell phones in use,"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use)

The modern handheld cell phone is a staple of globalized twenty-first century life--and it's not hard to understand why. It's a technological wonder, a marvel of electronic miniaturization and digital engineering, and a powerful tool of communication and entertainment whose convenience can't be beat. With a typical cell phone we can not only send and receive calls but also text messages and emails; we can take pictures, make audio recordings, store textual information, listen to music, access the Internet (and all that that entails), watch videos, read e-books, play games--the capabilities are endless. Cell phones allow us to stay connected like nothing else. Who ever thought this nifty little multi-purpose gadget would pose a threat to the environment?
It's unfortunate, but true: Within just the last ten years, the increasingly widespread and heavy global use of cell phones has placed the world's honeybee population at risk. We are literally buzzing the bees out of existence. Meanwhile, the global pace of construction of new cell phone towers continues unabated, and worldwide cell phone transmissions continue increasing by the day, filling the Earth's atmosphere with more and more artificial radio waves. If this trend continues into the next few years, we can expect further drastic reductions in the global honeybee population.

What would happen if honeybees became extinct? We would lose a lot more than just good-tasting natural honey. Honeybees play a critical role in the world's food chain: they pollinate 75 percent of all the crops consumed by humans, many of which are also consumed by animals. Thus the extinction of honeybees would precipitate a global food crisis of almost unthinkable proportions. I don't think any of us want to see that happen! Human survival is dependent on the survival of honeybees.

Given the enormity of the stakes involved, it is imperative that we take decisive measures soon to protect the endangered honeybees. This is not like trying to save the Pyrenean Ibex, the Golden Toad, the Javan Tiger, or the Alaotra Grebe (a bird of Madagascar that was officially declared extinct last year). All of these animal species have become extinct since the conservation movement began, but due to their isolated habitats and limited distribution, their extinction had little if any impact on the overall global food chain. The extinction of the honeybee would be an entirely different matter. Because of its worldwide distribution and the key role this little insect plays in crop growth, its demise would be catastrophic for a large percentage of life on earth.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Killer-Cell-Phones-Why-Ho-by-Justin-Soutar-110930-811.html

2012-01-31T17:40:00.004-05:00

Markham eyes tougher cell tower rules

By L.H. Tiffany Hsieh
|
Jan 30, 2012 - 11:24 AM
|

Markham’s new guidelines aimed to minimize the impact of cellphone towers on the community provides only “nominal” protection, says one councillor.

“It should send a message that we are not interested in adding more poles,” said Thornhhill Councillor Howard Shore.
Adopted by town council last Tuesday, the revised policy for the establishment of telecommunication facilities in Markham added mostly minor revisions to the town’s existing policy.

Most of them are inconsistent with guidelines set out by Industry Canada, which has exclusive jurisdiction over cell towers.

For example, while Industry Canada exempts new antenna systems and structures less than 15 metres tall, municipal review is required by the Town of Markham.

Towers located in industrial, institutional and commercial zones are exempt from public consultation, but a policy revision states that should only be the case in Markham, provided the tower is a minimum of 120 meters, or a distance three times the tower height (whichever is greater), away from homes, schools and day cares.

Mr. Shore believes that’s not enough.

He made several proposals, including towers of any height within 300 meters of homes being deemed by the town as having potential impacts on the community, the environment or the existing urban fabric of the town.

“I’m not afraid of technology,” Mr. Shore said, adding cell towers are an eyesore and pose “legitimate” health concerns.
He described the replacement Bell tower in the Longos plaza at Bayview Avenue and Laureleaf Road as “a rocket ship” with a diameter larger than the original tower.

He suggested telecommunications companies consider using existing traffic light poles and light standards instead.
“We are already accustomed to seeing them,” Mr. Shore said.

With cell towers falling under federal jurisdiction, “They can say, ‘Screw you’ anyway, but you gotta try,” Mr. Shore said. “Otherwise, you sit on your hands and do nothing.”

He said the idea is for Markham to set a standard of rules and to get other municipalities to collectively write to Industry Canada to implement more strict conditions.

Thornhill resident Evelin Ellison went further to say that 500 meters should be the minimum requirement for cell tower set-back near schools and residential areas, even though she’d prefer a 1,000-meter restriction.

Ms Ellison told councillors she counted 13 Rogers cell towers in Thornhill.

“It’s a lot,” she said.

Ms Ellison applauded the town for taking a “proactive initiative” to lead the way on cell towers.

“I know there’s a magnetic field,” she said.

However, not everyone can say that for certain.

Resident Brian Gordon expressed concerns that added restrictions from Markham, albeit minor, will prevent cellular companies from providing him with “a five-bar service”.

Mr. Gordon pointed out that Markham is the high-tech capital of Canada and said he’d like to see faster Internet speed and fewer calls being dropped.

He said while public health seems to be the driving motivation behind the revision of the policy, there is still no conclusive scientific evidence on health risks associated with cell towers.

In addition to adopting the revised policy, Markham council also voted to have town staff consider the proposed additional changes from Mr. Shore and report back.

According to Mr. Shore’s website, residents will have the opportunity to comment on Bell Mobility’s application at 7 Harlech Crt., likely toward the end of February.

http://www.yorkregion.com/news/article/1288513--markham-eyes-tougher-cell-tower-rules

January 30, 2012 Press Release – SEMO (Quebec)

2012-01-31T17:37:00.004-05:00

January 30, 2012 Press Release – SEMO (Quebec)

by Sauvons nos Enfants des Micro-Ondes (Save our children from micro-wave dangers)

The ongoing debate in Canada regarding health consequences of involuntary and unremitting exposure to microwave emissions coming from “smart” meters, cell phone base station antennas, wifi, etc., has elicited many personal reports from those suffering electrosensitivity. Many citizen groups and associations, having received such reports, hope that these will not have been in vain and will contribute to ongoing follow-up on these matters in Ottawa. We are very pleased at the setting up by the federal NDP of anELECTROSENSITIVITY REGISTRY

Registry of persons whose health has been affected by devices using wireless microwave technologies

Creation of this Registry is a concrete response to one of 5 recommendations contained in the Report of the Standing Committee on Health, which examined the impact of microwaves on health (Report submitted December 2010).

Excerpt from the Health Committee Report (1):

5. Health Canada ensure that it has a process in place to receive and respond to reports of adverse reactions to electromagnetic radiation emitting devices.

Charmaine Borg, MP, designated by the NDP caucus as responsible for this dossier in Ottawa, has agreed to receive submissions from people suffering from this condition.

Anyone desiring to attest to his/her situation is invited to mail or email to the following addresses:

Email : Charmaine.Borg@parl.gc.ca

Constituency office:

ELECTROSENSITIVITY REGISTRY

Charmaine Borg

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON

K1A 0A6

(No postage required!)

It is recommended to specify the microwave source(s) suspected of producing these problems: wireless “smart” meters, wifi routers, cell phone base station antennae, cell phones, cordless phones, wireless computers, Bluetooth device, Wii and XBOX virtual game devices, etc.

The federal government has until now ignored this majority Report recommendation by MPs (from all parties except Conservative) on the Standing Committee on Health. This recommendation was based on the Committee’s having noted that indeed there are people affected in such a way by microwave exposures (including self-report by one Committee Member, Serge Cardin, at both hearings of April 27 & 29, 2010), in contrast to Health Canada’s negation of such a possibility, there thus being nowhere in Canada to receive such citizen complaints.

Health Canada maintains that according to some forty studies recognized by its experts, this is a psychiatric matter. It was in the context of this denialist approach that the Registry was recommended. It should allow accumulation of evidence to confront the official Health Canada denial of much other existing scientific study.

This type of evidence, demonstrating a clear relationship between health effects and microwave sources, has in Europe led to many appeals by physicians in various countries, demanding application of the Precautionary Principle (2). These appeals have led the European Environment Agency, the European Parliament and now the Council of Europe, to recommend safer public microwave exposure levels at thousands of times lower than Canadian norms (3).

François Therrien

Electrical studies teacher SEMO Spokesperson

ftherrien@aei.ca www.dangersemo.com

450 471 8371

NB: The Committee’s third recommendation has also not been heeded:

“3. [...] develop a comprehensive risk awareness program for exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation [...] as well as the provision of information promoting the safe use of wireless technologies.”

(1) http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4834477&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&File=48#concl

(2) http://web.archive.org/web/20070930041008/http://www.emrnetwork.org/news/IGUMED_english.pdf

(3) http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc11/ edoc12608.htm

François Therrien
SEMO

Headaches, Migranes, and Sleeplessness from Phone Masts

2012-01-31T17:37:00.001-05:00

Headaches, Migranes, and Sleeplessness from Phone Masts

A mobile phone mast has been erected within 100 metres of where I live, which is a built up area. Fellow residents and myself have been experiencing headaches, migranes, and sleeplessness ever since, and thus I have decided to start a campaign to rid my area of such masts.

However, I have now noticed three similar masks within a one square mile area, and realise it will be a big job to take on such organisations. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The masts are made to look like normal poles, and stand on the pavement which makes people assume they are not what they really are. This seems to be a new tactic by Vodafone etc, as this is a direct, blatant attack upon the health of the public.

I live in Glasgow and have already spoken to a local councillor, who could only confirm that it was Vodafone who had setup the mast without any public consultation.

http://forum.davidicke.com/showthread.php?t=198895

Robert

Study probes ailments attacking beehives

2012-01-31T17:36:00.001-05:00

Study probes ailments attacking beehives
To find out, they gave 20 hives protein food (a substitute for pollen, which is fed to developing larvae) that had been spiked with imidacloprid (insecticide). In 10 cases the dose was five parts per billion; in the other 10 it was 20 parts per billion.Previous experiments have shown that neither dose perceptibly harms bees.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/world/56449-study-probes-ailments-attacking-beehives

http://www.economist.com/node/21543469

Note - If this insecticide previously did not harm bees, what is it that is now harming their immune systems?

Are Cell Phones The New Cigarettes?

2012-01-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

Are Cell Phones The New Cigarettes?

JINI on January-26-12

How many kids do you know aged 11 and older that have their own cell phone? In my son’s class of 11 year olds, all but 5 have their own cellphone. And in spite of the school policy being no cell phones allowed on school grounds, they text each other back and forth in class and many of them keep their cell phone in their front pocket all day, turned on. Needless to say, in spite of knowing the data on cell phone risks, my son is really pressuring me to let him buy himself a cell phone!
Infertility
He knows that an adult male who has a cell phone in his front pocket for one hour has a drastic reduction in sperm count… yes, you can get that sperm count back up, but still, what’s the cell phone doing to a child who has not even reached puberty, or one who is going through puberty? His response: Who cares? I probably don’t want to have kids anyway.
Of course you don’t. You’re 11. Come talk to me when you’re 30. Ooops, too late. Would that be an example of good mothering?
Nevertheless, I do feel his pain. There’s an entire culture now around texting. And he is excluded from the circle, he cannot participate in the conversation and he is outside the community. That’s pretty heavy and pretty nasty for him.
So… if most of his peers smoked, would I buy him cigarettes so that he could join in the group and not feel excluded?
Cigarettes vs. Cellphones Cancer Risk
Some people have said to me that this is not a fair analogy. Hmmm, I thought, well what is the statistical comparison of these two carcinogens (the W.H.O. has classified microwave RF radiation – WiFi, cellphones, iPads, etc. – as a Class 2b carcinogen)? So I went looking…
The increased lung cancer risk for smokers is:
10% increase at age 30
40% increase at age 50
The increased risk of a brain tumor from a cell phone after 10 years of use is:
420% increase for children who start using a cellphone before the age of 20
And then, funnily enough, I found this video by Magda Havas PhD that directly compares cellphones to cigarettes! She looks at the marketing, the industry CYA, and the health effects…

Still, as I said, I feel my son’s pain and I really don’t want to isolate him or make him feel like an outcast. So I go looking for a different kind of stat that just might allow me to justify him having a cellphone. Because I remember my brother saying to me, “Sure the stats may show a 500% increased risk, but if the normal rate of brain tumors in kids is 1 in 10 million, then even a 500% increase is only going to be 5 kids in 10 million – which is actually a very minute risk.”
Brain Tumor Risk
So I go looking for these stats: If the increased risk of a brain tumor to my child is 420%, then what does this mean in terms of real numbers? How many kids out of 100 will actually get a tumor? AND how does that compare to the number of kids who got tumors before cellphones existed? I figure that will give me a really good picture of the ACTUAL risk to my son (and my daughter, who will likely want one next!). Here’s what I find:
In 1970, before cellphones existed, but when there was still plenty of electropollution from power lines etc., the incidence rate of brain tumors in children were:
10.7 brain tumors per 100,000 children
In 2001, there were:
15.2 brain tumors per 100,000 children
so in 2012, after 10 years of use, a 420% increase would be:
64 brain tumors per 100,000 children (or .00064% risk to children of developing a brain tumor)
Well that’s a relief! That actual risk is miniscule. Yay, I’m off the hook and I can let my son have a cell phone, because really, the risk of him getting a brain tumor from using that cell phone is SO low – only .00064%!!
But then I have another thought: I remember my Mum and I talking about why people didn’t care about the radiation risk from these devices and she theorized it was because they just didn’t believe it would ever happen to them. “Look at car accidents,” she said, “More people have died in car accidents than in every war in the 20th century put together, but people get in their cars without a second thought, every single day, and we would not be wiling to go without them.”
Risk of Brain Tumor vs. Risk of Car Accident Death
So this line of thought makes me wonder… If the risk of brain tumors to children is so low that people obviously don’t think it will happen to their child, so they’re safe… then what is the risk of their child dying in a car accident?
Well blow me if I wasn’t in for another HUGE surprise – brace yourself for this one – the actual incidence of child deaths from not just car accidents, but falls, fire and drowning all combined is…
12 deaths per 100,000 children
Say what??
Look at those stats again, side by side:
12 deaths per 100,000 children from car accidents, falls, fire and drowning
64 brain tumors per 100,000 children
Are you kidding me? We are mandated by law to strap our kids in with a seatbelt every time we get in a car, to protect them. We have to strap a helmet on their heads when riding a bike, scooter, skateboard etc. to protect them. We have lifeguards at every swimming pool, lake and ocean and kids under age 6 are not even allowed in the pool unless their parent is with them. These are the safety measures society and all us good parents carry out to prevent 12 death per 100,000 children – a risk of .00012%.
Yet the brain tumor rate in those same children is FIVE times higher – 64 kids per 100,000 and we do NOTHING. In fact, we buy them the carcinogenic device, encourage them to use it to keep in touch with us, and send them happily on their way.
And that’s just looking at brain tumors. We haven’t even looked at leukemia, fertility, genetic damage (DNA double-strand breaks), effects on learning, quality of sleep, and all the other documented effects of this type of radiation. Nor have we looked at the cumulative effect of using cellphones, iPads, WiFi computers, baby monitors, Wii, Xbox, Playstation, cordless phones, smart meters and every other wireless device that uses this same microwave RF radiation.
If we look at these same actual incidence numbers for deaths from lung cancer (age adjusted for white people in the U.S.) from the National Cancer Institute, then they are:
25 deaths per 100,000 for women
80 deaths per 100,000 for men
So, you might as well buy your daughter cigarettes, since they’re much safer than a cell phone!
Great. I’m right back where I started.
The logic then follows that if I’m not concerned about radiation to my children’s heads from cellhphones, WiFi, etc. then I also shouldn’t bother strapping them in with a seatbelt, or getting them to wear a helmet. What’s the point? The risk is so small.
And yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find a caring mother who didn’t make her child wear a seatbelt in the car. Yet that same mother will hand her child a cellphone, have WiFi internet in the house and buy her kids Xbox, Wii and Playstation all with wireless controllers. WHY?
Why Mothers Don’t Take Action
I think there are 3 reasons: Firstly, we just don’t know. We don’t have the data, and like cigarettes, the mainstream media is publishing story after story about how there’s no risk from these devices. Secondly, everyone around you thinks it’s safe and is buying their kids these devices, so there is massive peer pressure to disregard the data – or not even ask the questions in the first place. It’s the “world is flat” syndrome. Thirdly, because we cannot see, hear, smell or feel this radiation, it doesn’t feel real to us and because it takes a long time for the consequences to manifest, we look around at everyone we know using these devices all day, every day, and everyone’s fine – the risk just doesn’t seem real.
Which just makes it that much harder for those of us who are saying no to our kids. My son feels his strongest argument is, “I’m the only one in my class who doesn’t have a cell phone.” He’s sick of hearing the research, he says it doesn’t feel “real” to him when he is surrounded by people using wireless devices. And he views me as cruel and uncaring that I would subject him to such ostracism from his peers. I’m reminded of this article written by a university student, Vices: Smoking Cigarettes To Make Friends where the author writes:

“While countless parents, teachers, and those guilt-tripping Truth commercials have warned me about the dangers of smoking, I really just don’t give a f**k. Sure, I could save myself the health damages and money if I stop now. On the other hand, I’m young and will probably live forever.”

And when my son is in university, well really, by the time he’s 15 or 16 (or knowing him, even younger), I won’t have much control over what he does outside the house anyway.
In all honesty, after all my research, I still don’t know what to do with all this. In a perfect world, the government wouldn’t take industry payoffs and would force industry to make this technology safer and reduce children’s exposure – like what is happening in Switzerland.
Is that too much to ask? Or, like cigarettes, will we have to wait 40 years for that to happen?
P.S. In case you want to know what the increased risk of ipsilateral tumor is for adults who use a cell phone for more than 10 years:
Adults glioma (brain): 90%
Adults acoustic neuroma (ear): 60%
Adults uveal melanoma (eye): 320%
NOTE: This post is not meant to be an exhaustive analysis of each of the risks highlighted. For example, of course cigarettes don’t just cause lung cancer, they cause heart disease, stroke, emphysema, mouth cancer, etc. Likewise, as pointed out, cell phones and WiFi radiation doesn’t just cause brain tumors. I was simply trying to cherry-pick a few things that people tend to agree are threats (and so implement safeguards against) and compare those to the risk/incidence of the most well-known facet of microwave RF radiation damage (brain tumors). The other aspect I’d like to point out is that I’m well aware I’m comparing the occurence of brain tumors, not deaths from brain tumors. This is because for me, personally, my child getting a brain tumor would be something I’d want to avoid as strongly as I’d want to avoid something that might kill them.
ShareThis
http://www.listen2yourgut.com/blog/are-cell-phones-the-new-cigarettes/

WALMER UPROAR OVER CELL PHONE TOWER

2012-01-31T17:33:00.003-05:00

WALMER UPROAR OVER CELL PHONE TOWER

By CLARISSA VENTER

photo

2012-01-18 01:00

WALMER residents, businesses, schools and a church are rallying in a bid to stop the Cell C cellular company from erecting a signal tower in this prestige neighbourhood.

The proposed tower will be erected in Water Road, behind the Walmer Town Hall, adjacent to the Library and opposite the St John the Baptist Anglican Church on the Walmer Bowling Club grounds.

This past Monday an urgent public meeting was held in the Clarendon Park Primary School hall so that Walmer residents and business owners could raise their concerns. A petition has also been drawn up.

One of the campaigners against the erection of the tower is Tanya Wyatt, a nutrition and lifestyle coach, whose children go to school in Walmer.

“The metro should seriously look at changing the policy around this situation. They are following outdated regulations.”

Wyatt said these towers have a huge impact on a person’s health. “There are massive health implications regarding the towers.”

She said the municipality is obliged to protect residents of the metro. “They are responsible for keeping the environment safe.”

Wyatt added that the World Health organisation had retracted its previous “no harm to human health” statement and declared electromagnetic fields (EMF’s), produced by cell towers, are a “possible carcinogen” and have been categorised alongside DDT and lead. “It means EMFs are a possible cause of cancer. Apparently children are harder hit than adults by the radiation produced, due to thinner skulls,” said Wyatt.

Prof Reinhardt Botha, a Professor of Information Technology at the Institute for ICT Advancement & School of ICT, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, warned against such "comments without a comprehensive study of the evidence".

"Studies like this can easily be flawed as the variables are difficult to control, making hard and fast conclusions very difficult. As far as I can see from media statements from the WHO, they did not make such an announcement, at least not with the exact claim.

"What they did do is state that 'the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans' and that the WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment in 2012," Botha explained.

He further pointed out that there are also many studies that claim to find no relationship (that cell phone towers may cause cancer). "Making a claim just on selected evidence is cherry-picking the evidence and extremely unscientific," he said.

In the meantime, Brian Meyer, chairman of the Walmer Bowling Club, said no lease has been signed yet. “It is now all in the hands of Cell C. They are in the process of following all the necessary regulations.”
Meyer said the initial lease will be for 10 years.

Earlier the PE Express learned that an Environment Impact Study of the ground was done and given the green light. The metro is now busy with the permit process.

Apparently the Cell C tower will eventually be camouflaged as a yellow-wood tree.

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Monday’s meeting was well attended (about 300 attended) and positively received. The concerns of erecting the Cell C tower were raised during the meeting. According to Wyatt their greatest defence to use against this move, is to use the precautionary principle.

“The precautionary principle applies where scientific evidence is insufficient, inconclusive or uncertain and preliminary scientific evaluation indicates that there are reasonable grounds for concern that the potentially dangerous effects on the environment, human, animal or plant health may be inconsistent with the high level of protection chosen.”

Essentially, the municipality will receive all the objections and forward them to Cell C, who will be required to answer every one. “Robert Martindale, our attorney, has asked the municipality for an extension on the deadline for objections. They had originally set it for December 19, but of course almost no-one got their objections in on time for this,” Wyatt said.

“In addition, we only know of about three residents who were notified via the municipality of this proposal. He (their attorney) made it very, very clear that we have total control over the environment in which we live...that our destiny is firmly in our hands with this sort of issue and he strongly encouraged every single person present to send in a letter of objection (no matter what the reason – aesthetics, health concerns, devaluation of property, etc.).”

They also discussed the possibility of attempting to change national policy regarding cell masts. “We can’t, with good conscience, make this a localised fight and then watch as Cell C (and others) go and put their masts in other less economically ‘healthy’ areas."

http://www.pe-express.co.za/12330/news/article/walmer-uproar-over-cell-phone-tower

Italian Electro-Smog Concerns

2012-01-31T17:31:00.003-05:00

Italian Electro-Smog Concerns

The AgenParl, Parliamentary Information Agency political and economic, is the oldest news agency parliamentary Italy.
http://www.agenparl.it/articoli/news/regionali/20120120-fvg-picco-lnp-misure-di-prevenzione-contro-sindrome-da-elettrosmog

Venerdì 20 Gennaio 2012 12:00

FVG: PICCO (LNP), MISURE DI PREVENZIONE CONTRO SINDROME DA ELETTROSMOG

Friday, January 20, 2012 24:00
FVG PEAK (LNP), PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST ELECTROMAGNETIC SYNDROME
Written by com / bat

(AGENPARL) - Trieste, Jan. 20 - "Electro-smog is insidious. Underrated, and therefore even moredangerous. And the region has a duty to be vigilant to protect the health of citizens of Friuli VeneziaGiulia." To say this is the regional director of the Northern League in Friuli Venezia Giulia EnorePeak, in a question that asks what the government is doing and especially what will. "The question is further to urge the junta Round - explaining that the peak stresses electro syndrome is a disease that causes debilitating damage to the central nervous system. It is difficult to diagnose despite beingwidespread in the territory, even in our mountain . debilitates its victims to force them to marginalization. prevents any contact with computers, telephones and all the accessories which are now indispensable tools. the region needs to address this problem urgently, even considering the factthat Information and magnetic waves are increasingly present in our daily lives - the director insiststhe League, adding that there is no cure against this disease. the EHS people can not work and have no social contact, unless they are far away from the artificial magnetic sources. and with the prospect of impacting new construction, we should take the necessary precautions. it is urgent toidentify and certify areas free from electromagnetic fields. Any development project must be compatible with the protection of public health. Prevention is the only solution, since care does not exist - is the conclusion of Peak. "

Sylvie

Venerdì 20 Gennaio 2012 12:00

FVG: PICCO (LNP), MISURE DI PREVENZIONE CONTRO SINDROME DA ELETTROSMOG

Scritto da com/bat

Dimensione carattere
Stampa
E-mail

Valuta questo articolo

(AGENPARL) - Trieste, 20 gen - "L'elettrosmog è un male subdolo. Sottovalutato, e quindi ancora più pericoloso. E la Regione ha il dovere di vigilare per tutelare la salute dei cittadini del Friuli Venezia Giulia." A dirlo è il consigliere regionale della Lega Nord in Friuli Venezia Giulia Enore Picco, che in un'interrogazione chiede cosa l'esecutivo stia facendo e soprattutto cosa farà. "L'interrogazione è l'ennesima, per incalzare la Giunta Tondo - sottolinea Picco spiegando che la sindrome da elettrosmog è una malattia invalidante che causa danni al sistema nervoso centrale. È difficile da diagnosticare malgrado sia molto diffusa sul territorio, anche nella nostra montagna. Debilita le sue vittime fino a costringerle all'emarginazione. Impedisce qualunque contatto con computer, telefoni e tutti gli accessori che ormai sono diventati strumenti indispensabili. La Regione deve occuparsi di questo problema con urgenza, anche in considerazione del fatto che l'informatica e le onde magnetiche sono sempre più presenti nella nostra quotidianità - insiste il consigliere leghista aggiungendo che non c'è cura contro questa malattia. Le persone elettrosensibili non possono lavorare e avere alcun contatto sociale, salvo che non si svolga lontano dalle fonti magnetiche artificiali. E con la prospettiva di nuove costruzioni impattanti, è doveroso prendere le necessarie precauzioni. È urgente individuare e certificare le zone libere da campi elettromagnetici. Qualunque progetto di sviluppo deve essere compatibile con la tutela della salute pubblica. Prevenire è l'unica soluzione, visto che le cure non esistono - è la conclusione di Picco".

http://www.agenparl.it/articoli/news/regionali/20120120-fvg-picco-lnp-misure-di-prevenzione-contro-sindrome-da-elettrosmog

Report #2: Review of relevant associated literatures

2012-01-31T17:29:00.003-05:00

Report #2: Review of relevant associated literatures

Report Prepared for the Landlord and Tenant Board Hearing, File Number TWL-03388-10.

Oshawa mayor visit's electrifying apartment unit

2012-01-31T17:27:00.003-05:00

Oshawa mayor visit's electrifying apartment unit

January 27, 2012

Oshawa's mayor paid a visit Friday to the apartment of Katherine Loader and her husband who allege faulty or mislaid wiring has caused unhealthy electromagnetic radiation in their apartment.

http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/video/183619

Is his apartment making Oshawa man sick?

2012-01-31T17:26:00.001-05:00

Is his apartment making Oshawa man sick?

Matter before the court, as residents claim wiring under floors caused sores, arthritis

How Cell Phones are Causing Health Complications -- Protect Yourself

2012-01-31T17:24:00.002-05:00

How Cell Phones are Causing Health Complications -- Protect Yourself

Andre Evans
Activist Post

Experts in EMF and wireless technologies are saying that cell phones and similar devices are capable of causing a number of health defects, including depression, body irregularities, infertility and even damaging your DNA.

How Cell Phones are Causing Health Complications, Protect Yourself

A number of foreign countries are attempting to adopt precautionary protocols to limit cell phone use in an attempt to mitigate the number of adverse effects they have on human health.

In 2011, the WHO/IARC released a report stating that cell phone radiation may have a carcinogenic effect on humans. In fact, the World Health Organization actually said that cell phones are in the same cancer-causing category as lead, engine exhaust, and chloroform.

Though known, there is a growing contingent of researchers and scientists coming to terms with the fact that cell phone radiation is having a large effect on human health, causing physical deterioration, mental disorders and infertility.

The nature of our society in this day and age leaves little breathing room, however. In a country where cell phone subscriptions actually outnumber the amount of people, you are basically guaranteed to be exposed to cellphone microwaves whenever you enter a social setting.

People rationalize that it’s a ‘necessary evil’, and it may be, but the acceptance leads to increased health risk overall. It is for this reason that we recognize the issues and develop a wide-scale solution.

Studies on cellphones indicate that the brain is highly affected by any level of exposure, altering its normal function and causing mental disorders. Younger people are more susceptible to damage from cellphone radiation because their bodies are still underdeveloped.

Research also shows its carcinogenic effect on the body can produce metabolism problems, affect organs, and cause cancer. These devices are also having an impact on our ecosystem, causing the bee population to become confused, disoriented, and soon die from the signals emitted.

Taking steps to avoid exposure to cellphone radiation is important, but it is very hard to completely eliminate the radiation. Simply by talking on your cell phone less will result in less radiation exposure. Even placing your cell phone far away from you instead of in your pocket at all times limits exposure. Although it is a small amount, it is a very simple solution.

Another solution for limiting exposure would be to invest in an EMF protector or other similar and very available technologies that reduce exposure.

Explore More:

Please visit Natural Society for more great health news and vaccine information.

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/how-cell-phones-are-causing-health.html

Electrical hypersensitivity triggers and treatment.

2012-01-31T17:22:00.001-05:00

Electrical hypersensitivity triggers and treatment.
EMF expert Melody Chan Graves to give us an update on the latest research regarding electrohypersensitivity and what cutting edge environmental docs like Dr. Bill Rea of the Environmental Health Center in Dallas, TX are really seeing with their patients.
By the way, Melody Chan Graves herself overcame a debilitating case of fibromyalgia with the help of alternative treatments and building biology. Because of her remarkable recovery after eliminating electromagnetic radiation exposure in her home, she became not only passionate about spreading awareness for electrical hypersensitivity syndrome, but now specializes in electromagnetic radiation detection and mitigation in clients’ homes (www.ecodynamicliving.com).
Here’s Melody’s report:
Dr. William Rea shared insights about electrical hypersensitivity gleaned from nearly thirty years of working with environmentally ill patients.
Rea opened by saying that human beings are all antennas with different levels of sensitivity, and finding safe places for sensitive people is like trying to “reinvent the cave.”
He has observed a high correlation with sensitivity to metals like zinc, copper, stainless steel, titanium, molybdenum, manganese, and magnesium. Metal implants like dental fillings, metal jaws, shoulder joints, etc. will contribute to electrical sensitivity, because they act as antennas.
Underscoring the synergistic relationship between different types of environmental exposures, Dr. Rea remarked that 80-90% of ES is preceded by multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and pesticide exposure is the initiator in 80% of patients seen.
A growing area of concern is chemical exposure from fracking associated with natural gas wells. Dr. Rea is convinced that whatever is in the gas line is present in the air around the gas well and is being inhaled by occupants inside the fracking zone. He attributes this to the use of hydrochloric acid in conjunction with toxic chemicals in the fracking fluid. This can be confirmed through a breath analysis that he performs on patients at the clinic. In other words, he can detect specific fracking chemicals in the exhaled breath of patients living in fracking zones,ranked natural gas drilling as the second most prevalent trigger to electrical sensitivity in the patients he has seen in his clinic. The four major triggers are listed below:
Four Major Triggers to Electrical Sensitivity

Exposure to Pesticides, Molds, and Mycotoxins
Fracking from natural gas drilling
Formaldehyde
Technology, such as occupational exposure to high levels of electromagnetic fields

He also shared the methods of treating electromagnetic sensitivity he had developed over his many years in practice.
Treatment of Electromagnetic Sensitivity

Live away from electrical and pesticidal areas in regions like West Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.
Live in areas where it is difficult to pick up Wi-Fi, television, cellular service, etc.
Live in areas where grounding is feasible, and avoid underground wires, cables, metal, pipes, etc. ES patients must be grounded.

Inside, decrease your toxic load.
- Pay attention to your building materials and design. Build with wood, ground rods, a floor raised off the ground, not situated over iron veins or old railroad tracks. Choose low-terpene woods.
- Shield the computers and TV.
- Shield building wiring, and try to have some walls in each room with no interior wiring.
- Place the bed in the middle of the room. This aids in reducing exposure to any electromagnetic fields coming from your existing house wiring.
- Choose a hardwood or ceramic floor. These are the materials least likely to trigger chemical sensitivities.
- Sleep on a wooden bed frame made of hardwood, not pine or cedar. Pine and cedar are high in natural terpenes, which often trigger reactions in sensitive people.
- Use cotton or silk bedding (no wool). Most commercial wool and some eco-wool is still treated with toxic fire retardants.
- Sleep on a “metal-free” bed. Dr. Rea’s clinic uses rawhide springs in the box springs of their beds.
- Eat organic foods and adhere to a rotary diet to minimize food sensitivities.
- Drink spring, distilled, or filtered water. Some ES patients can tolerate distilled water better because of its lack of minerals.
- The best spring waters are as follows:
  - Mountain Valley Springs Water (Hot Springs, AR)
  - Evian
  - Some German waters
  - Some British waters
- Various treatments he uses at his clinic include:
  - Neurotransmitter supplementation
  - Magnesium, multivitamin, multimineral, and lipid/oil supplementation
  - Oxygen and hyperbaric therapy
  - Immune modulators
    - Gammaglobulin replacement
    - Autogenous Lymphocytic Factor (ALF) for improved T-cell function
  - Traditional sauna treatment with wood and glass or ceramic sauna

When asked to describe the end result of ES, Dr. Rea said the syndrome most definitely telescopes into a fatal disease. He stated that ES has a genetic component waiting for a trigger, and that Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dead nerves in the brain, and heart arrhythmias are all examples of end results of ES patients left untreated.
Despite the rather gloomy news about ES, he expressed hope at the continued growth of the environmental medicine field. Currently, there are three physician’s organizations dedicated to environmental medicine, and there are about 5,000 complementary doctors worldwide. Please visit www.buildingbiology.net for more information.
Further Reading:

Full text copy of Dr. Rea’s 1989 study http://www.aehf.com/articles/em_sensitive.html
More documentation on ES from Britain’s Powerwatch.org http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/health/sensitivity.asp
Kathy.

Critique on recent Greek study on cell phone effects on mice brains

2012-01-31T15:03:00.000-05:00

Critique on recent Greek study on cell phone effects on mice brains

January 31, 2012 in -Mailing List, Cell phone news by EMFacts

On the 21st of January I posted a press release on the recent study by researchers from the University of Athens and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens that reported finding a large number of changes in major brain proteins after exposure to cell phone radiation. The authors speculated that these changes may play a role in effects reported as a consequence of mobile phone exposure, including memory deficits, headaches, sleep disorders, brain tumors. Dariusz Leszczynski has posted his critique of this study and it is available, with comments, on his blog post at: http://betweenrockandhardplace.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/•greek-proteomics-study-on-effect-of-cell-phone-radiation-on-mice-brain/

http://www.emfacts.com/2012/01/critique-on-recent-greek-study-on-cell-phone-effects-on-mice-brains/

Jake Reilly's 'Amish Project:' 90 Days Without a Cell Phone, Email and Social Media

2012-01-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

Jake Reilly's 'Amish Project:' 90 Days Without a Cell Phone, Email and Social Media

College Student Drops Social Media, Reconnects with Romance

By Brad Sylvester | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 16 hrs ago

From October to December, he unplugged from social media, email, texts, and cell phones because he felt that we spend more quality time with gadgets and keyboards than we do with the people we really care about.

During his social experiment, he found that some people he counted among his close friends really weren't that close after all. He also discovered that taking a break from his relationship with social media and really paying attention to the people around him can revive real-life romance.

I spoke with Reilly over the phone this weekend about his 90-day project, what he learned from living without electronic leashes and how it changed his life.

Before we get to the interview, take a few minutes to watch Reilly's video:

You say you spent three months completely cut-off from the virtual world. What steps did you take to do that?

Reilly: I called Verizon and suspended service for my cell phone. I deactivated Facebook. I deactivated Twitter, deactivated Linked-In, deactivated Spotify, and anything where there was a social component. I put up an out-of-office on both of my email accounts, like, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I won't receive this until the end of the year."

Did you ever cheat and check to see what messages came in?

Reilly: I never went back on any of the social stuff. There were a few times when the bank would send me an email verification. My roommates would see me checking something like that, and they'd see me with my hands up to shield my eyes from the bulk of the screen, like a girl would do when she's watching a horror movie that she doesn't want to see. I genuinely didn't want to see what was there, because once you look you've got an urge to read it.

Before what you called "The Amish Project," how much time would you typically spend on social media sites, texting, and so forth every day?

Reilly: It was pretty bad. I was reading every single Tweet and I follow 250 people. Then, I would waste a good hour and a half on Facebook. I was sending more than 1,500 texts a month. I never really counted minutes on the phone, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 600 to 900.

What about now, has it changed?

Reilly: I mean, I struggle with that because everyone wants to know about it, and wants to know how different it is. It's hard, because I was just going to turn off my phone at first. That was the thing that bothered me most, but I realized that if I turned off the phone, people were just going to email me all the time or send me a million Facebook messages. It's kind of a hard thing, because we're getting to the point where if you're not responding to people's text messages within an hour of when they send them, or within a day for emails, it's just socially unacceptable. It's been hard for me since I've been back. I've been bad with my phone and people are, like, "What the hell? I text messaged you…" So I haven't been up to social standards in terms of responding and people don't really understand that, I guess.

In the opening of your "Going Amish" presentation, you say that you had friends over and realized what was going on. Describe what you noticed and your feelings right at that moment.

Reilly: I live with three guys and we had two of our best friends in visiting from New York City. We only see these guys once a year, maybe every six months. We were at the University of Wisconsin watching a Badgers basketball game or something like that. Every single person had either a laptop or a cell phone. That's just kind of funny to begin with, then, I was like, "What are we all doing?" I asked everyone what they were doing and somebody's playing Words with Friends, somebody's playing Angry Birds, somebody's playing online trivia. Nobody's really doing anything, just sitting quiet. It's like this was what we were all looking forward to and we're just sitting here numbing our minds.

That's the thing that drives me crazy. People go out to dinner with a crowd and everyone's on their phone. I mean, what else are you looking for?

How did you communicate with family, friends and business associates during your "Amish" period?

Reilly: Ha! Not well, to say the least.

Do you have a landline?

Reilly: At first, we didn't, but my mom started freaking out a little bit and we got a landline. For the first three weeks, there was a hospital right next to my apartment. I went into their waiting room where there's a courtesy phone for their patients. I was using that to call people. I had written a little address book with all the important people that I needed to have their phone numbers, but, you know, most people don't answer their phones. Most people just use them to see who called. Then, they'll text you, or they'll call you back when they have time. So, I'd either sit at the hospital waiting for people to call back or I'd go home. I was in and out of this stupid hospital waiting room all the time for the first couple of weeks.

Then, we started to have more fun with it. I started to carry chalk around with me. I ride my bike a lot, so, I'd ride my bike over to people's houses and leave them messages in chalk on their sidewalk. I set up a couple of systems with people where, when they got home, they would put something in the window, like a stuffed dog, or put a pumpkin up on the ledge that meant "Hey, I'm here. Come talk." I started having fun trying to dream up different ways to get people's attention.

Were there people who said, "I'm just not going to participate in this. If you can't answer my texts, I don't need to talk to you."

Reilly: Yeah, I mean, I definitely just lost complete contact with people that normally would have been part of my life. I mean it's also an interesting metric for your life to see who some of your closest friends are, you know, and who's willing to take the time. I started to feel bad for them, too, because it definitely became a nuisance, but, yeah, it definitely changed the level of, or the number of friends that I had and the level of contact that I had with them.

So, with some people it clearly decreased your level of interaction, but were there others with whom your contact increased in either quality or quantity while you were disconnected from the virtual social society?

Reilly: That was my other favorite part. I had so much free time on my hands. I also wasn't watching TV, because that felt sort of counter-productive. I would go to school, and then there was really nothing for me to do at home, so I would just ride my bike to people's houses, all these people that I would usually text or just see on the weekends or whatever. I would just ride by and chat with them, face to face. So, that was really cool, reconnecting, doing things you'd never normally do like having breakfast with someone's parents.

You posted several of the notes you received from friends during your isolation. One note read "Jake, I'm pregnant. Call me." What was that about?

Reilly: Ha! At the school, there's an elevator. No matter where you're going, everyone has to use the elevator on the ground floor. So, for the people that I went to school with, that was the first place we'd post projects or memes. I didn't say this is my message board, but one of the girls just started leaving messages, like, "Hey. I'm on the fourth floor. Come find me," or "Jake, where are you?" It's a very public forum, so everybody can read it. It became my message spot.

Then, people almost treated it like a Facebook wall. It evolved from leaving messages for each other, to joking around, like, "Jake, your mother called. She said she doesn't love you anymore," and "Jake, the cops are looking for you," and all this stuff. It turned into a funny thing.

At one point there was a Christmas greeting trampled in the snow? What were the circumstances around that?

Reilly: Yeah, that was mine for my long-term girlfriend who I had kind of stopped seeing, but then this whole thing kind of, I think, helped us get back together because whenever we were together there was no pressure. It was, OK, we're just going to enjoy each other right now, because I don't know when I'm going to see you again. There was no drunken text messaging and jealousy from Facebook. It was just her and I.

So we started seeing each other again, and I did a lot of cheesy stuff like writing a big chalk message on the street in front of her office building and sending her a cookie with a message written in frosting and stuff like that. On the last week that she was in Colorado I went out and wrote Merry Christmas to her -- that picture was taken from the roof of the apartment we were staying at.

Do you think that those who rely so heavily on social media to interact with others are training themselves to communicate only at the most superficial level?

Reilly: Yeah, for sure. I think that Facebook is the biggest waste of time, because everyone is just presenting such a filtered picture of themselves. You only put up your best pictures. People only check in when they are at the fanciest restaurant in the city. They only keep things up there that are flattering to themselves. I just think it's like keeping up with the Joneses, but for life. You're never going to get on top of it. Someone's always going to have a better job than you, go on better vacations than you, have a better looking wife than you, or whatever it is. So, it's superficiality on top of superficiality. You never get to see the real parts of people.

Did you have to relearn skills to function without electronic communications? Writing letters, for example. I know my son has nearly illegible penmanship because he has been typing everything instead of handwriting since he was very little.

Reilly: I really don't have good penmanship at all. The funny thing is that I had written like 15 or 20 letters, and I just held them for two weeks until one time I dropped my pack and realized that I had lost the letters. I had taken all the time to write the letters and then lost them, because I didn't take the time to go mail them. You know, when's the last time I sent a letter? Never. So, I had to remember to stamp it right away and get it in. Then, it's going to take a week to get there. So when you need to say something to someone, you need to get it right in on time.

You said that you had much more free time when you stayed off Facebook and social media sites. Did this extra time translate into higher productivity or better grades at school?

Reilly: Yeah, a hundred times over. Like I said, there wasn't really much to do at the house, so I stayed at school most nights until 10 when everyone else leaves around 6, without a doubt. I think what's so hard for people and so distracting for people is that where they work, there are social media distractions on the same machine that they are supposed to be using to do their work. I'm sure every office in the country suffers from these things. I couldn't go to these sites, and when you can't distract yourself, all you can do is work.

How did you fill all this extra time? What's one thing you would have never accomplished if you hadn't taken this break in your relationship with social media?

Reilly: I did a lot of things that I don't know […] other people would say they want to do. But I think, if they actually did them, they'd be of incredible value. I started meditating. People give you a lot of books that you can take time for, like "The Power of Now."

The best part for me was just the difference between riding your bike to work and going for a bike ride just for the fun of it. I would sit in the park a lot, throw the football with my friends, go ice-skating, and all that kind of silly stuff that you take for granted. It's all around you. I think that was the best part and most people really overlook that.

So you ended up not only with more time for work, but more time for play as well.

Reilly: Yes, absolutely. It was weird, because you had to think of how to play. Most people think more time for play means let's watch a whole series of video clips or tag some pictures, but when you don't have all that stuff, you expand your mind about what you want to do with your free time.

There's a real difference in the quality of that time. If I sit and play Angry Birds for an hour a day, I don't look back and say "You know, I had a really great Angry Birds session three weeks ago. That was a really great time," but if I share a sunset walk on the beach with someone, that's a memory that I can treasure forever.

Reilly: Yeah, sometimes you just sit on the internet and four hours goes by, and you're, like, I really didn't do one single thing. Maybe I looked at an article, looked at pictures, watched some dumb videos and got stuck in a YouTube black hole for an hour, just looking, looking, looking. I think you'd have a hard time finding anyone who thought that was really enriching your life.

I mentioned your story to my father-in-law the other day, he said "You want to interview somebody, talk to me. I've been doing that for 69 years!"

Reilly: Ha! I think that's what's so much fun about it. I've had a lot of action on Twitter for the last few days and a lot of people send me emails saying exactly that. I think adults really relate to it and think it's cool that someone from my generation is choosing to do it. They all say, "That's how we lived for 40 years. Can you imagine our whole life is like that?" That was interesting to me. I asked my grandparents, "How did you guys find each other when you wanted to go out or something?" They said stuff like throwing window pebbles and just driving by people's houses, and having a diner that you would go and turn up at where people were always there. I mean, they obviously managed just fine, and I was anxious about it and didn't like it for the first few weeks. Then, I didn't even think about my phone or miss it at all. You just find new ways.

I understand your father, ESPN sportswriter Rick Reilly, had a suggestion about your experience?

Reilly: Yeah, he's tweeted it out on his account and he's gotten a lot of reaction to it, too. He's been talking about trying to do a romantic comedy about it. There were so many missed connections. I mean, at first, I would meet girls out at the bar, and they'd be, like, "Here, take my phone number." I would have to explain that I didn't have an email address or Facebook…

…but if they'll give you their address you'll stop by sometime?

Reilly: Yeah, and they were, like, "Screw you. If you don't want to call me just say so." I'd say "No, no. Tell me where your office is, and I'll send you a bike courier message or whatever." I think there's a lot of funny stuff like that. I keep telling people the hardest part was having to send all of my sexts by USPS. I mean, I didn't actually send pictures…

In the end, having finished this whole thing, is your life different now or did you fall right back into old habits?

Reilly: It's definitely different, but I catch myself doing exactly what I hated. Someone is talking to me and I'm half-listening and reading a text under the table. For me, it's trying to be more aware of it. It kind of evolved from being about technology to more of just living in the moment. I think that's what my biggest thing is: There's not so much chasing for me now. I'm here now, and let's just enjoy this. You can be comfortable with yourself and not have to go to the crutch of your phone. For me, that's more what I will take away from this.

Do you have future projects planned?

Reilly: I keep telling everyone I should do another 90 days where I don't speak to anyone in person and only communicate by internet or through technology, but that's just a joke. It's really changed my life. Like I said, I'm back with this girl. Everything's a lot simpler. I'm more than happy that I did it.

What else did you learn?

Reilly: I think the letters were the coolest part and how people were really into it. I think I wrote 75 letters and nearly, I'd say, 85 percent came back with responses. Now all these people are responding to the video online. All the appreciation, I think the coolest part is that all these people really see this in themselves and wish that there was a different way and we weren't so tied to all that stuff.

Let me ask you one more question about the letters. What's the difference in the level of thought and feeling that you put into writing a letter compared to typing 140 characters?

Reilly: What we do now, on e-chat, is people just flying off with whatever comes to mind. It's so much different to have it really thought-out. I'm a writer, so it's time consuming. I think it takes 20 minutes or half an hour to write a letter and really get it the way I want it. I think it's a better, purer way to communicate. People appreciate it so much more when you send them a handwritten letter or even a thank-you note showing that you're taking the time to think about them.

Conclusion:

With modern technology, texts and Facebook wall posts can serve as an attractive veneer making relationships seem more genuine than they really are. Conversely, social media can interfere with our most intimate real-life relationships. How many of your closest relationships would suffer if people had to invest more effort than sending a text to stay in touch? How much better could your relationship with your significant other be if you could give your partner your full attention whenever you're together? There's one way to find out, if you dare.

http://news.yahoo.com/90-days-without-cell-phone-email-social-media-015300257.html

Yes, Your Cell Phone Is That Bad For You

2012-01-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

Yes, Your Cell Phone Is That Bad For You [INFOGRAPHIC]

8:30 am, January 30th | by Amy Tennery

Yup, your work Blackberry (or iPhone, or Droid, or…) actually may be shooting horrid deathrays straight into your face… at least according to a new infographic from the Infographic List blog.

Because there’s no better way to start your week than in utter terror, check out this freaky list of reasons that your cell phone might be killing you.

http://www.thejanedough.com/cell-phone-dangers/

The Microwave Factor

The SAR (cell phone radiation) safety warning your cell phone’s manufacturer doesn’t want you to see

The SAR (cell phone radiation) safety warning your cell phone’s manufacturer doesn’t want you to see

FCC requires ALL cell phone manufacturers to warn users that the radiation level can be dangerous if carried in the pocket. Were you warned?

You are now warned. Spread the word to children, teens and others who carry cell phones in their pockets!

Demand that the cell phone industry stop hiding the consumer safety warning!! We have a right to know!! What are they REALLY hiding?

National Physicians Group Weighs in on Risks to Health from Wireless Technology

National Physicians Group Weighs in on Risks to Health from Wireless Technology

by Cindy Sage

Contact Sage AssociatesGreat Horned Owl Image on Banner by Cleve Nash

Is Your Cell Phone Funding Human Rights Abuses?

Delhi to gauge impact of mobile radiation

Delhi to gauge impact of mobile radiation

New Report Calls for Tighter Regulations on Cellular Technologies to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

New Report Calls for Tighter Regulations on Cellular Technologies to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

Cell Phone Report Calls for More Responsible Management to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

Vitamin C Prevents Radiation Damage: Nutritional Medicine in Japan

Cell Phone Report Calls for More Responsible Management to Protect Children and Pregnant Women

"No Fee for Opt-Out!" - PG&E Protest - 1-27-12

Cell Phone Towers A Possible Cause for Cancer?

Telecom towers pose risk of radiation

Telecom towers pose risk of radiation

Police Officer Develops Brain Tumor from Mobile Communications Radiation

Police Officer Develops Brain Tumor from Mobile Communications Radiation

Killer Cell Phones: Why Honeybees Are Dying Worldwide

Killer Cell Phones: Why Honeybees Are Dying Worldwide

January 30, 2012 Press Release – SEMO (Quebec)

Headaches, Migranes, and Sleeplessness from Phone Masts

Study probes ailments attacking beehives

Are Cell Phones The New Cigarettes?

Are Cell Phones The New Cigarettes?

WALMER UPROAR OVER CELL PHONE TOWER

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Monday’s meeting was well attended (about 300 attended) and positively received. The concerns of erecting the Cell C tower were raised during the meeting. According to Wyatt their greatest defence to use against this move, is to use the precautionary principle.

They also discussed the possibility of attempting to change national policy regarding cell masts. “We can’t, with good conscience, make this a localised fight and then watch as Cell C (and others) go and put their masts in other less economically ‘healthy’ areas."

Italian Electro-Smog Concerns

FVG: PICCO (LNP), MISURE DI PREVENZIONE CONTRO SINDROME DA ELETTROSMOG

FVG: PICCO (LNP), MISURE DI PREVENZIONE CONTRO SINDROME DA ELETTROSMOG

Report #2: Review of relevant associated literatures

Report #2: Review of relevant associated literatures

Report Prepared for the Landlord and Tenant Board Hearing, File Number TWL-03388-10.

Oshawa mayor visit's electrifying apartment unit

Is his apartment making Oshawa man sick?

Is his apartment making Oshawa man sick?

Matter before the court, as residents claim wiring under floors caused sores, arthritis

How Cell Phones are Causing Health Complications -- Protect Yourself

How Cell Phones are Causing Health Complications -- Protect Yourself

Electrical hypersensitivity triggers and treatment.

Critique on recent Greek study on cell phone effects on mice brains

Critique on recent Greek study on cell phone effects on mice brains

Jake Reilly's 'Amish Project:' 90 Days Without a Cell Phone, Email and Social Media

Jake Reilly's 'Amish Project:' 90 Days Without a Cell Phone, Email and Social Media

College Student Drops Social Media, Reconnects with Romance

Yes, Your Cell Phone Is That Bad For You

Yes, Your Cell Phone Is That Bad For You [INFOGRAPHIC]

Contact Sage Associates
Great Horned Owl Image on Banner by Cleve Nash