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Daily Politics: Jasper Carrott 10, Alan Duncan MP 0
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- Parent Category: Network Rail
Read more: Daily Politics: Jasper Carrott 10, Alan Duncan MP 0
Letter to (and Reply from) OFCOM CEO : Sitefinder and mobile operator co-operation
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- Parent Category: Home
Dear Ed Richards,
Sitefinder and
mobile operator co-operation
I am writing on
behalf of Mast Sanity which campaigns for the safe siting of phone
and Tetra masts. Sitefinder is the national database for providing
information on where base stations are located. We are very
concerned at press reports that the mobile network operators have
decided not to provide any further information to Ofcom about sites
they build or change.(1, 2).
Ofcom
hosts the Sitefinder database on behalf of the Government. The
mobile phone operators already enjoy extremely favourable planning
laws. They should at the very least be providing information on
where they are placing these base stations or changing them.
It is the responsibility of OFCOM to police the system. Mast Sanity understands that the regulations require the mobile phone operators to reveal this information. I refer you to Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 2553 The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003, Regulation 11 and 12 . (3) A request to each operator under the Regulations say once every month would give Ofcom the required information that could then published for all to see.
The
Operators should supply this information or face punitive fines
and/or the revocation of their operating licenses.
I
look forward to receiving your response on this matter.
Yours
sincerely,
Yasmin Skelt
Trustee, Mast Sanity
Read more: Letter to (and Reply from) OFCOM CEO : Sitefinder and mobile operator co-operation
Who are these Wifi hugging scientists?
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- Parent Category: Wi-fi, DECT and Smart meters
Prof Malcolm Sperrin, Director of medical physics and clinical engineering, Royal Berkshire NHS
Trust. We could not find anything other than this link with the notorious Science Media Centre
( http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/press_releases/07-05-10_bmjctscans.htm)
Prof Will J Stewart UCL and University of Southampton
Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Communication Sector Panel
he is also a member of the IEEE. Previously chief scientist at Marconi - a large Telecoms firm.
here is a link to some of the staff he was working on at Marconi
(http://www.iop.org/activity/policy/Events/Seminars/file_3502.doc)
Dr Paddy Regan, University of Surrey, Guildford Lecturer in nuclear and radiation physics
His expertise is clearly in the ionising part of the spectrum (i.e. NOT microwaves or WiFi). Why they
wheel him out to comment on Wi-Fi is a mystery to us
(http://www.ph.surrey.ac.uk/cnrp/profiles/academics?s_id=21)
Yes, he is the same Prof David Coggan indeed. He is a member of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology. He seems to always be wheeled out when it comes to minimising the potential
health effects of any pollutant. Last year it was antimony in plastic water bottles
ticle_id=379624&in_page_id=1798 )
A few years back, it was pesticides. He was the Chairman of the Independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides: ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1893611.stm )
current members of this body are listed here ( http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/acp.asp?id=2060 )
He ws also involved in at least one study financed by the MTHR in a supervisory role
Press Release - Panorama Warning About WiFi : We Say, Stop it Now! - 21st May 2007
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- Parent Category: Media
Now that the Public have watched the
Panorama[1] programme tonight, it is patently obvious why
the various so-called 'experts' and their fellow travellers were
drawn out of the woodwork to denigrate in today's newspapers the raft
of professional and public concern about WiFi in schools.
They are, of course, doing nothing less
than criticising the stance being taken by Professor Sir William
Stewart, Chairman of the Health Protection Agency[2]
and many more Eminent and Independent Scientists.
It is Sir William Stewart who states
quite categorically that there may well be a problem with WiFi
technology and that an immediate review is called for.
Whatever these 'celebrated' individuals might think, Sir William is a past Chairman of the NRPB (National Radiological Protection Board) and his credentials give him the utmost primacy in this debate.
Let us have no more of this nonsense.
HM
Government must now accept that there is significant cause for
concern and ban WiFi in schools pending a full Independent study of
the technology and the potential adverse health effects in respect of
our children that may result.
Furthermore,
the roll-out of town and city-wide WiFi hotzones around the Country
must also be stopped, since it is not acceptable that the UK
Population in general is treated as human guinea pigs.
Mast
Sanity says that Enough is Enough - STOP the roll-out of WiFi and
STOP using WiFi systems already in use in public areas.
END
Panorama Monday 21/05/2007
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- Parent Category: Wi-fi, DECT and Smart meters
Panorama - Monday 21st May 2007 BBC1 8.30pm"WiFi - A Warning Signal" - Electrosensitivity and Wi-fi Discussed (Repeated on BBC 1 - 25 May - 00:25) Watch online below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch? Panorama - Wi-fi a warning signal part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch? Panorama - Wi-fi a warning signal part 3
Many of us at Mast Sanity watched this episode of Panorama to see the Panorama team informing us of the warnings from Independent Scientists about the very serious health effects from Mobile Telephone Masts, Wi-fi etc. |
Wi-fi, Birds + Bees and Electrosensitivity - All in the National News - Again
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- Parent Category: Home
As people all over the country and the world wake up to the true scale of the problem that Mobile Phone Masts, Wi-fi and other "wireless" microwave technologies have become we welcome the continuing Press coverage.
The Independent on Sunday [06-05-07] contained an article entitled "Town rejects mast to save bees after IoS report" following on from previous reports linking the decline in bee colonies to Mobile Phone Masts - with the interesting addition that "This was supported yesterday by Ferdinand Ruzicka, emeritus professor at the University of Vienna. He revealed that two-thirds of the beekeepers he surveyed who had a mobile phone mast within 300m had suffered "unexplained colony collapse". Professor Ruzicka believes the radiation may increase the insects' vulnerability to disease." One link that wasn't mentioned, but is the subject of other Scientific studies, was another article in the same issue entitled "Britain's maligned moths suffer drastic decline" - (David Attenborough, championing the "Moths Count" campaign might be interested to know that the number of moths in at least one area appears to have dropped substantially in the last 2 years since the introduction of 3G Mobile Phone Masts. The poor creatures initially sat on the ceiling in line with the signals from one mast, obviously disorientated, before being found dead a day or two later. If this is typical it is not surprising they are in decline!). Finally 2 more letters corrected some points from the previous weeks' letters about Wi-fi.
The Independent on Sunday [29-04-07] continued with a piece entitled "Scientists demand inquiry over Wi-fi " quoting Professor Henshaw of Bristol University as saying that "'The research hasn't been done - we cannot assume that wireless networks have no effects'". The BBC had a similar piece "Wi-fi laptop fears for children" this had the bizarre advice from Professor Challis that "we should also discourage children from placing their laptop on their lap when they are using wi-fi". Hmm. Features were also in the Daily Telegraph "Warning on wi-fi health risk to children" and on Sky News "Warning Over School Wi-Fi Systems" in the preceding week.
A second article entitled "Birds and bees are hit by phone waves " highlighted the crucial point that birds and bees both navigate using the Earth's natural electromagnetic field and that so much artificial "electrosmog" from Mobile Phone Masts and Wi-fi etc. are causing birds and bees to get lost [and eventually die exhausted elesewhere].
The Sunday Times also had an article entitled "SPARROWS may be disappearing from British gardens" in similar vein to the Independent on Sunday.
Friday's Daily Mail [27-04-07] focussed on Electrosensitivity sufferer Sarah Dacre and her difficulties in living in electrosmog. Entitled "The woman who needs a veil to protect herself from modern life" .
Press Release - Call to Ban Wi-Fi in Schools - 11th May 2007
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- Parent Category: Media
Mast Sanity is calling for an immediate halt on future Wi-fi installations in schools and the removal of all current school Wi-fi installations with a switch back to wired systems.
We call for the application of the precautionary principle. If Wi-fi is found to be harmful -“ as evidence[0] in many schools suggests - then we will have sacrificed a generation of children who are currently continually subjected to the microwave radiation it emits. Irreversible damage may be done.
Mast Sanity Spokesperson Yasmin Skelt[1], said "The mad clamour for new technology has raced ahead of legislation and public health concerns. As Professor Lawrie Challis, who heads the committee on mobile phone research[2], stated "Children are much more sensitive than adults to a number of other dangers" the law should protect children from unproven technology."
"Professor Alan Preece has stated regarding Wi-fi "No one is really aware of what we are dealing with. The Department of Trade and Industry needs to take the lead and do some investigation"[3]. I absolutely agree but the few regulations are a mess. The DTI, Ofcom[4] and Ruth Kelly should act now"
"Seven years ago the Becta[5] Study which was never published was carried out when wireless systems were first being installed in schools. The report raised health and safety questions and reported that some engineers complained of headaches at the end of the working days. Becta deferred to the Health Protection Agency[6] on health and safety issues. Well seven years have gone by and we are still waiting for the HPA to announce on what it is going to do."[7]
The intensity of radiation received from Wi-fi access points inside a school will be the same or higher than in the main beam from a Mobile Phone Mast situated outside a school.
Both the Stewart Report[8] and the newly discovered German ECOLOG report[10] ( sponsored by T-Mobile) recommended that the beam of maximum intensity of base stations ( Mobile Phone Masts) should not fall on ANY part of a school. This was reiterated in the DfES guidelines[9]. And in the case of the ECOLOG report that emission levels should be 1000 times lower than currently allowed " especially in areas of sensitivity such as schools.
Yasmin went on to say, "It is a diabolical situation where the Government will put in guidelines to protect the outside of a school but refuses to even acknowledge a potential but marked risk and positively encourages the mass roll-out of an unnecessary system. Blair might be going but Brown is inheriting a potential public health nightmare."
Thus Wi-fi should be banned in schools.
END
*** Late Addition ***
Dr. Andrew Goldworthy of Imperial College London is inviting concerned people to contact their MPs - "Who was responsible for the decision not to warn education authorities of the possible dangers of genetic damage from Wi-Fi radiation?"
Notes and References ....
Read more: Press Release - Call to Ban Wi-Fi in Schools - 11th May 2007
Front Page News in the National Press
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- Parent Category: Home
For years the Government and local Councils have been warned by many eminent Independent Scientists (and very many campaigners) about Cancer Clusters around and by mobile phone masts. As usual these warnings have been ignored by the Industry, most Councils and Government. At last they have been reported in the mainstream media - the Sunday Times on 22/04/2007. [Read the article here ]
Wi-fi Fears
Wi-fi (or WLAN or wireless networking) carries the same health risks as Mobile Telephone Masts. It uses the same microwave technology that Mobile Telephone Masts do. The health risks have also been ignored by Industry and Government. At last it too has been prominently reported in the mainstream media in this case The Independent on Sunday of 22/04/2007. [Read the article here ]
Wi-fi for All - Whether you want it or Not!
Powerwatch - Expelling the Wireless Myths
Powerwatch have put up a page to deal with the "Backlash" against the News Stories, as follows. "With all of the recent coverage of WiFi networks and mobile phone
base stations, it seems appropriate to address some of the common
microwave radiation exposure myths that get frequently promulgated by
the pseudo-scientific, pseudo-intellectual technical community online".[Read the article here ]
T-Mobile "Bury" ECOLOG 2000 Report
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- Parent Category: Home
To Bee or not to Be - That is the Mobile Phone Question
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- Parent Category: Home
This is less of a surprise for some German Scientists who have been investigating the effects that Mobile Phone Masts and similar wireless technologies have upon the navigation skills and overall well being of bees for some time.
The USA has noted the phenomena of "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD) where bee colonies die out since the late 1990s. It is striking to see that states affected by CCD are almost all States which include large population centres or border on to large population centres. Large population centres do tend to have more mobile phone masts (in the US they are called "cell towers") and higher emissions i.e. "coverage" as the Mobile Phone Companies would call it.
One particular US location of CCD we have seen mentioned is where the hives were situated to the South-East of Portland, Oregon. In this specific case there are particularly large masts / Cell Towers in proximity, with a high mobile phone signal intensity (i.e. best coverage from one of the US operators' own map) present in the area. The signal intensity could well be significant in the area of the hives and could therefore be responsible for the mysterious disappearance of the bees.
Dr. George Carlo of the "Safe Wireless Initiative" and former head of the WTR Mobile Phone Research organisation in the late 1990s was on "Good Morning America" yesterday morning [16/04/2007] discussing the possible link.
The best and clearest Scientific information so far is German (another due is from Switzerland), mainly using DECT (digital cordless) phones. (DECT phones use hand sets and "base stations". These base stations are the equivalent of mobile phone masts. They operate using microwaves at a frequency of 1.9 GHz and transmit up to 100m away. Mobile Phone Masts use microwave frequencies of 0.9 / 1.8 GHz for GSM "2G" and 2.4 GHz for "3G" over several hundred metres).
There is an English translation of the study which may be downloaded from here .
In Summary the study found the following:-
* 2 beehives were unexposed and 2 beehives were exposed to a DECT base station (i.e. the equivalent of a mobile phone mast).
* 25 bees were selected from each beehive and released 800 meters away.
* Unexposed beehives: 16 and 17 bees returned after respectively 28 and 32 minutes.
* DECT-exposed ones: 6 bees returned after 38 minutes to one hive. The other hive remained deserted.
* In the exposed beehives, there were 21 per cent fewer honeycomb cells constructed in the hive frames after 9 days.
Basically the majority of bees whose hives were in proximity to the microwave radiation from the base stations just abandoned their hive and were not seen again. The few bees that eventually returned were less able to produce honey.
It is the use of DECT in the study coupled with the fact that DECT is thought of by most people as cordless phones which explains why the newspaper articles have mentioned "Mobile Phones" and "handsets" instead of their "base stations" and masts. It is the masts and base stations which affect the wider area which are likely causing the problems with the bees, not specific peoples' phones.
Obviously the situation is potentially extremely serious.
It may or may not have been Einstein who said "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination ... no more men!" but whoever it was could well be correct.