BECTA Wi-fi Report "Suppressed"

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Parent Category: Wi-fi, DECT and Smart meters

Press Release – Mobile Drama - 20th March 2007

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MAST SANITY BRIEFING - PRESENTATION BY DR GEORGE CARLO – LONDON - 22 FEBRUARY 2007

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1.   The presentation took place in the Attlee Suite of Portcullis House, a relatively new annexe to the Houses of Parliament.  The Suite seats some 150 people and was pretty well full with standing room only by the start time of 3.00 pm.  Although notice of the event had been widely circulated to Members of Parliament, only 3-4 bothered to grace the occasion with their presence - a very poor show.   Apart from the presentation’s sponsors, the Radiation Research Trust, like groups including Mast Sanity, HESE-UK, Powerwatch, ElectroSensitivity-UK were well represented together with many individuals concerned about the effect of EMFs on health.  Also in attendance was Professor Lawrie Challis, Head of the Mobile Telecommunications Health Research Programme (and former vice-chairman of Professor Sir William Stewart’s IEGMP) together with representatives from the Health Protection Agency.  Finally, Mike Dolan of the Mobile Phone Operators’ Association and several employees of the mobile phone companies were espied at the back of the room.  The media appeared to have taken a keen interest with 4 video cameras constantly recording and an undefined number of the press seated in the audience. 

2.   Dr Carlo delivered a very impressive presentation (30 minutes without pause and without a note in sight).  He began by describing the Wireless Technology Research programme and the subsequent foundation of the Safe Wireless Initiative (SWI), the principal mission of which, he emphasised, is not to engage in scientific debate per se but rather to offer immediate practical solutions to the problem of electro-hypersensitivity.  He went on to cover a range of conclusions emanating from the Initiative:

a.   After listing and describing the disease mechanisms in the three effect windows of the electro-magnetic spectrum he focused on the mid-range radiation where waves are modulated to carry information.  It is this area which presents by far the greatest risk to health – particularly so given the proliferation of telecommunications installations.

 
b.   In explanation of the mechanism that ensues, information-carrying waves trigger the protein receptors on the cell membrane.  The receptors identify such radiation as foreign invasion and a series of biochemical reactions takes place (within 30 seconds).  The cell membrane becomes less permeable which leads to a loss of communication between cells.  Nutrients cannot get in, waste cannot get out.  Free radical levels within the cell rise.  This increase in free radicals creates disruption of DNA repair (micronuclei) and mitochondrial dysfunction – and thus cell malfunction.  The next time the cell undergoes division (mitosis), the compromised DNA is replicated and the new cells act as if under stress even if the original stressor is no longer present (which could well be a basis for electro-hypersensitivity).  When affected cells undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death), which is nature’s way of eliminating damaged cells, the micronuclei formed from the disrupted DNA repair are released into nutrient-rich intracellular fluid and are free to clone and proliferate.  This is the most likely cancer mechanism.  The loss of communication between cells cause by compromised cell membrane in turn damages tissue, organ and organism function; this is the basis for the acute and chronic symptoms associated with electro-sensitive patients.  There is no threshold below which these mechanisms do not occur.

3.   The solution to the above is three-fold intervention: 

The need for safe deployment technologies based on the use of fibre optic spines with an associated reduction in wireless signalling was also emphasised.. 

4.   The SWI has established a register of many thousands of cases of electro-hypersensitivity together with a programme to communicate associated clinical data to the medical profession. 

5.   Research with autistic children indicated that their condition improved significantly when purged of mercury via chelationin an EMF-free environment.  It was discovered that genetic susceptibility and heavy metals (mercury) in brain cells   combined with exposure to electro-magnetic radiation, especially from mobile phones and masts, can lead to autistic spectrum disorders.  The mechanism is linked to the cell damage explained earlier (the disruption of cell communication with high levels of heavy metals trapped in the nutrient deficient cell).   Dr Carlo announced that a study is to be published inside the next two months outlining the link between EMFs, mercury poisoning and autism.   He raised the issue of Wifi, particularly its use in schools, and was at pains to express his disgust that children should be the subject of, what he called, a 'mass experiment'. 

6.   There was no shortage of questions during the ensuing question and answer period.  Unfortunately, several individuals in the audience used the invitation to make a statement or, on a couple of occasion, ‘make a speech’ – thus, Dr Carlo’s valuable time was not optimised to the benefit of the majority.  Moreover, others fell into the trap of berating a perceived lack of causal research study in the UK (or the unwillingness of the HPA and researchers such as Professor Challis to recognise a link between ill-health/health risks and mobile phone technology) rather than focusing on Dr Carlo’s words and his call for a programme of clinical intervention research.

7.   In his summary, Dr Carlo stressed that whilst he respected the 'research studies' being undertaken in the UK into EMFs, and in particular mobile phone technology, and health risks, there is an essential need for a clinical intervention research programme involving the medical profession to be conducted in parallel with causal research.  The medical profession needs to be alerted to electro-magnetic sensitivity and trained to recognise its symptoms.  And this is the point that many of us would wish to emphasise.  People with electro-sensitivity in this country are suffering debilitating ill effects, the symptoms often extreme, with the Government, Health Protection Agency and both primary and secondary medical care practitioners turning a blind eye.

Please see http://www.safewireless.org/. 

Dr. Carlo Press Release - 26th February 2007

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There were only 5 MPs present at the presentation by Dr Carlo of the Safe Wireless Initiative, USA on mobile phone health risks at Westminster on Thursday 22nd February.  There has been a virtual news blackout on his presentation in the UK media. 

Mobile phones have been sold in the US and UK without any pre-market testing or post-market surveillance.  US Congressional Hearings gave rise to a US$ 28 million research program by Dr Carlo and his team at Harvard to investigate any health effects of the technology.   In 1999 the team released their findings 1. that there was leakage in the blood brain barrier 2 genetic damage from non-thermal radiation 3. there was a doubling of risk for a certain type of cancer.   During 1999 and 2001 there was a split between the scientists and the mobile phone industry.  

Asked a question about wireless computers being installed in British schools, Dr Carlo said 'the government should not be conducting this experiment' on children. 

Although there are studies and research for and against health effects, the latest Interphone study does show an increase in brain tumours and acoustic neuromas.  Because of that the German and Swedish Agencies for Radiation Protection have issued warnings for people to keep their radiation exposure low.  

He identified a lack of and urgent need for a postmarked surveillance system to be established to collect clinical data.  Robert Flello MP (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent) stated at the meeting that his constituents are concerned by a cancer cluster and he has been trying to get data about the illnesses and deaths but he has been sent from one agency to another and back again. No one is collecting the data. 

Dr Carlo said that primary care givers need to be alerted to the situation and trained to recognise and treat the symptoms of EMF radiation.   

Yasmin Skelt, a volunteer with Mast Sanity and who was at the meeting at Westminster said  “The British Government need to urgently establish a Mobile Phone Telephony Surveillance Unit based on the lines of the vCJD Surveillance Unit (www.cjd.ed.ac.uk).  If it can be done for vCJD then it can be done for mobile phone and mast ill health reports.  Despite years of reports of cancer clusters near masts or a rise the incidence in brain tumours in the UK, no authority is taking data.  Monitoring the health of workers in the mobile phone industry would be useful also, as they would have high exposure levels.  Some early cases of vCJD were also mis-diagnosed and the sufferers given the wrong treatment, and clusters of vCJD were identified.” 

Brian Stein, who suffers from electrical hyper sensitivity (a condition now recognised by the World Health Organisation) asked who would be responsible when the campaigners were all proved right.  There was a deafening silence.  

Easy Money or Fools Gold?

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Before landlords rush to cash in on the idea of placing a Mast or Mobile Phone Antenna on the top of their block of flats, as Bernard Slade in Wimbledon Park intends to do, they might like to consider a few points. 

Firstly, more and more evidence of negative health effects and cancer clusters are being linked to Mobile Telephone Masts in residential areas. If, or more likely, when these health effects are proven to be directly linked to the masts in court, compensation will be forthcoming from land owners, since Telecommunications operators are unlikely to fully indemnify land owners against legal action. In the recent TV drama  Judge John  Deed, (an episode entitled “Silent Killer”), the landlord of a Block of Flats was taken to court by a sick resident who lived below a Mast – albeit a TETRA/Airwave (Police) antenna rather than a similar 3G Mobile Telephone Mast. This may be fiction at the moment, but in the near future many such cases are no doubt inevitable. 

Secondly, once the initial contract period is up, you may not be able to have the mast removed, since the Operator can claim the right to stay – even if the owner may wish to sell or redevelop the site. The text below recently arrived at mast Sanity from the owner of a Water Tower, who wanted to terminate his contract with T-Mobile:- 

“I have given 12 months notice to T Mobile under the terms of the original 10 year lease I have with them requiring them to remove the aerials from the top of my house in order that we can sell it in 12 months time without the aerials on top. They have responded under the Telecomms Act serving a “Code Notice” saying basically they are a utility provider and are entitled to stay. In a without prejudice side letter they have said they do not want to inhibit the sale of the house but will need to find an alternative site. This will be very difficult in the area where I live. In discussions they have said they recognise that they will be liable to pay compensation if they stay beyond the end of the notice period.” 

Question: “Does anyone have any help or advice to help us bring pressure to bear to ensure they vacate the site at the end of the notice period?” 

The Reply: “Presumably you have taken fairly profitable payments from them in the past to have their antennas on your building. Nothing comes for free. Now comes the payback time. 

Maybe you will have to accept that it has discounted the current value of your building and sell it for less than you had hoped - just like many of your neighbours may have lost value on their houses and found them harder to sell because you had the antennas on your house.  You could try asking around to see if any of your neighbours would be prepared to take them. 

I suspect you will be in for a long hard fight with T-Mobile - they became much harder to deal reasonably with after they had been bought by Deutsch Telecom.”

Thirdly, Is it morally right for the Owners of Blocks of Flats to take money in exchange for putting residents' lives and health at risk, purely for financial gain? Don't they have a “Duty of Care” toward their residents? If we were discussing the storage of Toxic waste or the installation of Asbestos sheeting on the roof nobody would rush to take the companys' cash – the only difference is the Official and Corporate mis-information and ignorance which surround Mobile Telephone Masts i.e. the very real and serious health effects from the microwaves emitted from them, incidentally including the residents living directly below the antennae. Surely it is completely wrong for anyone to impose such risks on people living within their care, when those people will have no choice about being bombarded with microwave radiation from those masts, purely to satisfy the landlord's desire for ever more money. 

So, to recap, with the moral dilemma and the future serious problems that any Flat Owner may have with agreeing to host a Mast,  is it sensible to take the Operator's money, or is it really Fools' Gold?

Barrie Trower's address to the Welsh Assembly

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Read more: Barrie Trower's address to the Welsh Assembly