Monday, November 30, 2009

Isolated in a Faraday Cage / Are Radioactive Materials Still Affecting Huntington Workers

URGENT SITUATION: Isolated in a Faraday Cage and no longer able to tolerate any clothing


Hello,

I was electrocuted, almost 3 years ago, and develpoed a full-blown case of Environmental Illness, with both Multiple Chemcial and Electrmagnetic Sensitivity overnight as a result.  I have been diagnosed ever since that time in critical condition.

I have been homeless for 8 months as a result of this condition.

I am currently staying at a friend's place, where I am allergic to many things in the environment:  a lot of wireless signal, dust and mold.  I am able to stay here for a short time longer.

What is most challenging about my situation is I am no longer able to wear any clothing because of the degree of my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

I spend my time in a Faraday Cage, (that blocks wireless signals) that is set up over my bed.  There is a lot of wireless in the building where I am, and my Electromagnetic Sensitivities are acute.  I cannot be outside the cage for more than a few minutes without experiencing extreme symptoms, which worsen my condition.  And because I cannot wear clothing, I cannot go out into the world.

It is cold here in Canada, where I live.  especially needing to leave the window open to clear the air of the dust and mold in the apartment.

I do not have alternate accommodation to go to that would not trigger severe reactions.

I need a place that has:

* hardwood floors, that have not recently been refinished, and/or tile floors, (rather than carpet, vinyl or laminate flooring).

* wooden cupboards (rather than press board or malamine).

* electric or hot water heat (rather than gas, wood, oil, forced-air or propane).

* not had pesticides sprayed in it.

* is not near the laundry room or drier vent.

* has not had insecticides sprayed in the garden if there is a garden near the living space.

* has not had incense, glade plug-ins nor any other strong chemicals used in it.

* is not in close proximity to other places that have wireless technology

The usual medical and government organizations have not been able to help me with a housing search, funding for housing appropriate to my needs, any other essential needs, nor medical help, although I do have a diagnosis from my doctor.  My needs do not fit the mandates of the organizations I have approached, so I am appealing to individuals who understand my situation to help me.

I am unable to stay in homeless shelters, because of the pesticides and other chemicals they use there.

Unless i have a place to go soon, I will be in my car, without clothing, in a Canadian winter, unable to go into grocery stores or restaurants to get food.  I suppose drive-thrus could work, but I need to eat or organic or I react!

I urgently need help to find appropriate housing.

And at present, I need food delivered to the palce where I stay in the Faraday Cage, from the few places in town whose food I am able to eat.  I am unable to cook, because I need to remain in the Faraday Cage set up over my bed to avoid severe Electromagnetic Sensitivity reactions.

My bed is made up of pillows and sterile table paper, from my doctor's office.  I am allergic to all sheets and blankets I have tried, and do not have a laundry facility I try to get some clothes and bedding that could work for me, so I am cold.

I have become unable to work, because I cannot wear clothing and so, cannot go out.

i need financial help from people who understand my situation, help looking for accommodation, and help with food delivery and costs, until I am able to get into appropriate accommodation.

I would also like help to produce media stories -- help from people who are familiar with this world would be deeply apprecaited.

I would love to hear from you if you would like to help me or know of someone who might.

My story is perfect for raising awareness about Environmental Illness, how challenging it can be, and about the current lack of services available for people with this illness.

Please contact me by leaving your telephone number on my message service number:  Canada 250-384-3030.   I almost never use the computer, because of my Electromagnetic Sensitivities.

I will be living outdoors in Canada soon, without clothing nor bedding, if I am not able to receive help to find accommodation suitable to my health condition.  This could lead to hospitalization, against my will, which, according to Dr Rea, can kill a person with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or could lead to sleep deprivation and hypothermia.

Friends and family do not seem to understand my circumstances, and so far, none are willing to make the changes in their homes necessary to accommodate me.  It has been difficult for people who do not understand this illness to comprehend the reality and urgency of my situation, and I am in great need of help.

Thank you,

Laxmi
From: laxmi <laxminow@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 11:48 AM

 
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DEMOLISHED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Are Radioactive Materials Still Affecting Huntington Workers Who in 2006 Alleged Cancer Clusters from 2004? 
 
Nov. 30, 2009
During the Cold War, Huntington contained a DOE plant involved in the production of radioactive and/or potentially nuclear materials. After its decommissioning, the remains --- except for the compressor building --- were hauled away and buried in Piketon, Ohio.
 
During a 2006 meeting with union members representatives of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Office of Compensation Analysis and support discussed compensation for health conditions acquired due to working near contaminated materials.
 
After an exhaustive search of the internet, HNN at this time emphasizes the official analysis that current potential radiation exposure --- even at the remaining Compressor Building ---- was/is considered negligible as it results in an annual dose of less than 1 m/rem to the maximally exposure organ. (Based on CDC/OSAS documents)
 
However, worker reports taken from the 2006 meeting create unanswered questions. In fact, the internet search did NOT turn up further documents related to the local USWA and NIOSH.
 
Thus, we have a series of unanswered (or unfound) questions raised by those in attendance.
 
Don Faulkner, then a member of the USWA International Health Safety and Environment Department advised: "There is still radioactive material in the environment here. Timelines should be expanded for those still working in this facility to cover their medical bills for exposure-related illnesses."
 
USWA COMMENTS ON DISPOSITION OF SOLID MATERIAL
 
Faulkner, a member of the USWA since 1974, in 1994 became an instructor/USWA hazardous material education in Cincinnati, Ohio (Center for Worker Health, Safety and Education). During a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Workshop on Controlling the Disposition of Solid Material at Rockville, Md. In 2003, he stated:
 
"…Regarding the unrestricted release of radioactive materials for consumer use or commercial use. We do not believe there is a safe level for radiation or radioactive materials to be released back into consumer goods or products.
 
I am sure that everyone here is aware of the term "NIMBY" (not in my back yard). It is obvious that the government agencies are now taking "not in my back yard" and saying let's move it "to the front porch" or "into the kitchen" with our families.
 
I question the sincerity of the NRC, the DOE, DOD, EPA and other government agencies involved with this group when they say they are concerned with the public's safety. Contaminated material, whether it is concrete or steel from the nuclear weapons industry or from the U.S. Department of Energy from nuclear reactors, has a radioactive pedigree for tracking and controlling this material. After it is recycled the first time and reused, the pedigree will be intact. At some point, it will be reused and recycled a second time - a third time - and a fourth time. That pedigree will likely become lost. The release of radioactive material going into the consumer goods and into the public sector will continually rise. It is a reasonable assumption that when the public goes to purchase products for the office and home, the products should be free of radiation. The agency seems to be hopingthat the public's confusion will perpetuate an acceptance to these proposed higher levels of radiation to be released….
 
… It is obvious through the workshops where we have identified many orphan sources. There have been many instances of steel plants melting the sources. The NRC, DOE, DOD have lost control of the very industries and materials they are supposed to oversee.
 
On June 14th [2003] , a man in Thailand was arrested for selling on the black market what he called plutonium, to be made into a dirty bomb. They found out that the product wasn't plutonium, it was cesium 137, the perfect material for making a dirty bomb. The man was fined $240.00 and will serve one year in prison. The NRC needs to maintain the tightest control to keep this material off the black market. The US Government is quickly loosing the public's confidence when it comes to the field of radiation…. The only acceptable way is to allow disposal in NRC Licensed Radioactive Disposal Sites --- this is where the materials belong."
 
At that meeting Faulkner maintained, "The DOE is absolutely right, steel plant slag has background levels of radiation… Steelworkers are one group who would be deemed reasonably and maximally exposed in the recycling of radioactive materials whether from Federal weapon sites or commercial nuclear reactors… workers should not be forced to choose between radioactive exposure and job security."
 
QUESTIONS FROM HUNTINGTON WORKERS, and USWA International
 
Returning to the statement by Faulkner that "radioactive material" still exists in the environment here [where the former Pilot Plant existed in Huntington at the INCO/Special Metals facility], one worker maintained that in 2004 there were "ten cases of colon cancer diagnosed within a six month period in the same department."
 
Faulkner demanded answers to why "the company removed dump truckloads of records and burned them after the law [for compensation?] went into effect. How can you reconstruct someone's radiation dose when there are no records?" He asserted, "there are [still] places here so 'hot' that snow does not gather on the concrete. How do you explain that if the site is no longer contaminated?
 
Other records remain unaccounted for. For instance, the Site Profile Team found nothing indicating radioactivity monitoring during the period that K-25 scrap nickel was melted. This would have resulted in workers possible exposure to Uranium 234, 235 and 238 in contaminated nickel scrap and uranium dust of 39% enriched uranium.
 
[Editor's Note: Workers at the meeting spoke of a 1983 dismantling of the building where "dust was everywhere" during demolition. "Those workers were badged and DOE checked them periodically with Geiger counters. Sometimes they were sent to take showers or change clothing if the reading got too high."
 
But, DOE and other records stated the decontamination was between November 27, 1978 and May 18, 1979.
 
Jeri Anderson, NIOSH Health Related Energy Research Branch (HERB) and site profile author, said that rather than 1983, in 1980 "fifty-nine dump trucks and two rail car loaded with debris were buried at the Portsmouth site."
 
One worked added, "They buried the trucks too." ]
 
Previously, HNN published statements suggesting scrap from the Pilot Plant was taken to induction furnaces in other part of the facility, as well as used in tubing, scrap in the yard, melted in open hearth furnaces, and a catwalk in the Cold Draw was "moved into another part of the plant" after the 78-79 decontamination timeframe.
 
As a result, one worker in attendance asserted that in surveying working in the Cold Draw area, "twenty two of the employees had cancer, mostly kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers."
 
One structure --- the Compressor Building --- is now used for wastewater treatment. "They took out the floors and sealed the surfaces when they did the remediation," a worker said.
 
And, another worker stated, "I have been diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebra. The symptoms are similar to those of a brain tumor. The doctor is not sure what caused this."
 
Following closure of the "pilot plant" most of the employees went to "salaried positions in other parts of the company," according to the meeting notes.
 
CLEAN SCRAP
 
Based on a profile of the plant, the AEC and Union Carbide also began shipment of what a 1959 letter called "clean scrap." Clean scrap was shipped to INCO during the weeks of February 2 and 9 of 1958 (150,000 pounds) and 'contaminated scrap was shipped the weeks of February 23, March 2 and March 9 (240,000 pounds). A 1960 AEC document states that nine million pounds of scrap barrier materials were processed by INCO.
 
Some of the material came from the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant during fiscal years 1959 through 1961. INCO had stated it could receive "powder" at the rate of 390,000 pounds per month. Between the fiscal years indicated between 1,980,000 and 2,587,000 pounds of starting materials went through the plant.
 
A memorandum indicates the Pilot Plant shut down, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 1962, and Huntington Alloys, Inc. (an INCO subsidiary) kept the plant in 'stand by' status. Meanwhile , All classified material was removed from the facility. Production systems were then purged, drained and lubricated. Equipment instrumentation was removed and put in storage. Routine facility and equipment maintenance as well as security inspections would be performed while the facility was in stand-by condition.
 
Demolition and Decontamination
 
DOE records show that following a preliminary radiological survey it was decontaminated and demolished (classified materials) between November 27, 1978 and May 18, 1979. The materials were taken to the Portsmouth plant in 59 truckloads and four railcar loads. Clean scrap was removed by Cleveland Wrecking Company in 138 truckloads.
 
[Note: Inconsistencies are revealed in the dates, but HNN has not altered or speculated about which statements are correct or most correct.]
 
With so many 'mysteries' surrounding the Huntington Pilot Plant, HNN would like to receive reader response and input that can be submitted WITHOUT revealing any still classified, non sunset references. Contact, Tony Rutherford, trutherford@huntingtonnews.net.)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Wi-Fi hotspot provider fined / Not proper 'Smart Meters' / New laws to target texting / Crash victims seek crackdown / Wind Turbine Syndrome

By Dave Parrack


November 28, 2009

 

Wi-Fi hotspot provider fined for user's illegal downloadingJust a week after it emerged that the U.K. could be on the verge of rolling out free, city-wide wireless Internet connectivity, comes news that could prevent the whole project getting of the ground. A pub landlord has been fined £8,000 ($13,000) because a customer was alleged to have been caught downloading pirated content.

Wi-Fi connectivity in public places is a hot topic right now. Some coffee shops in New York insisted their customers keep buying drinks rather than spend a whole day nursing one to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. But that is a minor irritation compared to what happened to a British pub landlord.

According to ZDNet, Graham Cove, MD of Wi-Fi hotspot provider The Cloud reported the incident though refused to name the pub in question. A customer of the pub was found to have downloaded copyrighted material from the Internet over the wireless network in the pub. Rather than go after the individual, the unnamed rights holder brought a civil case against the owner of the hostelry.

This is reportedly the first time a provider of a Wi-Fi hotspot has been successfully sued for their part in the downloading process. At least in the U.K.

This seems a bizarre use of the law and could have dire effects on the number of businesses providing free Internet connections. Why would they want to risk being sued for something one of their customers may have done on the premises?

This news comes on top of the the Digital Economy bill that the British government is trying to bring into law. This is the controversial law that aims to crack down on the problem of illegal filesharing by bringing in a 'three strikes and you're out' rule for persistent offenders. If this case is anything to go by then it would only take three customers doing anything illegal on a business' premises for it to have its Internet cut off completely.

StatCounter - Free Web Tracker and Counter

Related:

  • Study shows drop in illegal downloads among youth
  • Virgin Media first ISP to trial policing of illegal downloads
  • T-Mobile HotSpot@Home compensates for shoddy coverage
  • Starbucks and Apple love affair ends badly for T-Mobile
  • Illegal video downloading underestimated
  • --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
    Powerwatch News

    Smart Meter announcement

    We suspect that these are just remote reading meters and not proper "smart" meters to help control electricity demand

    Click here for the full news story

     
     
     
     
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    New laws to target texting

    Already, young drivers on graduated licenses are prohibited from using most features associated with cell phones while at the wheel. Adult drivers still will be able to talk on the phone, but texting could land you a $100 fine plus court costs.

    "When you're texting, you have your brain and your hand and your eyes all off the road at the same time," said Arthur Goodwin , a senior research associate with the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. "Texting is about one of the most dangerous things you can do while driving."

    Studies have shown that talking on a cell phone while driving increases the risk of having an accident nearly fourfold because it makes drivers split their concentration between the conversation and the road. Goodwin likened that risk to someone driving drunk.

    Although there hasn't been as much research on texting, Goodwin said, studies have suggested the risk of an accident goes up 32 times for a driver who is texting.

    In one study, Goodwin said, texting drivers not only had slower reaction times to emergencies but also were more likely to cross out of their lanes or cross double-yellow center lines.

    According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, seven states and the District of Columbia ban the use of handheld phones while driving, and 14 states ban texting. New bans are scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1 in four other states.

    In October, President Barack Obama signed an executive order banning federal employees from texting while driving when they are conducting government business. It includes the use of personal and government-provided cars and cell phones.

    Still, Goodwin said, such laws can be difficult to enforce. A police officer might have trouble determining whether drivers are holding mobile devices or what they're doing with them.

    "It seems like it's largely going to be a self-enforcing thing," Goodwin said.

     

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    Crash victims seek crackdown on texting drivers

    By Dan Goldberg/For The Star-Ledger

    http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2009/11/crash_victims_seek_crackdown_o.html
    November 29, 2009, 6:02AM

    DOVER -- David and Linda Kubert remember everything from that September day.

    They'd been out together on their Harley, riding along a winding road in Morris County.

    They can picture the curve ahead, the pickup truck coming toward them. They can see the young driver through the windshield, his elbows on the steering wheel, his face angled down toward what police would later determine was his cell phone.

    "The next minute we were on the ground," Linda Kubert said.

    david-linda-kubert.jpgDavid and Linda Kubert, of Dover, each lost a leg when their motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck driven by a teen driver they say was texting. The couple are pushing for stronger penalties for drivers texting while driving.

    Both she and her husband lost a leg in the crash. The teenage driver received three tickets that could result in a fine.

    Nearly a dozen surgeries later, the Kuberts have begun a campaign to put more teeth into penalties for motorists who flout New Jersey's ban on using cell phones without hands-free equipment.

    The Dover couple, both 56, say they're particularly troubled by what they consider the weak punishment for those who text-message behind the wheel, an activity shown by research to be far more dangerous than driving drunk.

    "You take somebody's life or you hurt someone, I think you should go to jail," Linda Kubert said. "We're in jail, kind of. We're prisoners here, basically."

    The crash that changed the Kuberts' life occurred Sept. 21 in Mine Hill, not far from their home. The Kuberts were on their motorcycle, with David in front. In the seconds afterward, David Kubert knew he was in desperate shape.

    "My leg is off," he recalls crying out to his wife. Then, seeing her sprawled on the pavement, he struggled to crawl toward her.

    They underwent more than six hours of surgery at Morristown Memorial Hospital. Doctors were uncertain whether David Kubert would live.

    The driver of the pickup truck, 18-year-old Kyle Best of Wharton, was issued summonses by a Wharton police officer for using a cell phone without a hands-free device, careless driving, and making an unsafe lane change. Best did not return a call for comment, and the family turned away a reporter who knocked on the door Friday.

    Authorities, saying the case remains under investigation, have not specified whether Best was talking or text-messaging at the time of the crash. Either way, the Kuberts contend, the teen was clearly distracted when he crossed the center line.

    Their hope is that with stronger penalties in place, motorists will think twice before picking up the phone. The fine for texting or talking without a hands-free device now stands at $100. "One hundred dollars doesn't even pay for our medicine," Linda Kubert said, referring to the two dozen pill bottles that sit atop the refrigerator in the couple's home. "What's $100 to somebody these days?"

    david-linda-kubert-motorcycle.jpgDavid and Linda Kubert on their Harley on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

    LAG TIMES

    The Kuberts' campaign, like their recovery, is in its early stages. David Kubert has written a letter to state Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who is expected to become Senate president next year. Kubert said he plans to write to several more legislators, asking them to toughen the law.

    "There have to be stricter penalties," David Kubert said. "That's the only thing that is going to stop it."

    Researchers have long warned about the perils of talking on a cell phone while driving. More recently, attention has turned to texting, a far more immersive activity than speaking.

    One study by the Transport Research Laboratory, a Britain-based group that examines road and vehicle safety, found that a driver's reaction time slowed 35 percent when text-messaging. By contrast, reaction time slowed 12 percent among motorists whose blood alcohol level was at the legal limit.

    A separate study released in July by researchers at Virginia Tech found that motorists who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or a near-crash than drivers who are not distracted.

    New Jersey is one of 19 states banning text-messaging for all drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, but only in Utah do penalties approach the punishment for driving under the influence.

    Under Utah's law, which took effect in May, someone caught texting and driving faces up to three months in jail and a fine up to $750. If an accident causes injury or death, the penalty may be increased to as much as 15 years in prison, with a fine up to $10,000.

    New Jersey law enforcement agencies issue an average of 10,000 citations each month for cell phone violations, said Pam Fischer, director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The problem, Fischer said, is that nearly everyone today uses cell phones in their cars.

    And despite the dangers, many of them are texting. In a survey by the AAA Foundation, one in seven drivers admitted to texting behind the wheel. Another survey, released just last week, found the problem to be even worse among the youngest drivers.

    According to the survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center, a quarter of teenage drivers admitted to texting, and almost half said they'd been passengers when another teen texted behind the wheel.

    READJUSTED LIVES

    The Kuberts recognize the difficulty of forcing change, but they're approaching it with the same determination they've applied to their own recovery.

    They are recuperating at a relatively fast pace, and doctors believe both will be able to walk again with the help of prosthetics. So far they have avoided infection.

    Throughout the grueling process, they've learned how much they miss little pleasures.

    "Taking a shower, you know," Linda Kubert said. "Getting up out of bed at night. You can't just get up out of bed. Chasing around my grandchildren. We can't go to the grocery store."

    They know that time will come. David Kubert, a Verizon employee, said he plans to return to work. He's equally eager to get back on a motorcycle.

    Both he and his wife are members of the North Jersey Legends HOG chapter, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle club. Over the summer, they rode through Maine, New Hampshire and Canada.

    They say they look forward to the day when they can climb on a Harley together, perhaps knowing their advocacy work has prevented a lost limb or a lost life.

    "Nobody thinks it can happen to them," Linda Kubert said. "We don't want to see this happen to someone else."

    Star-Ledger staff writer Mark Mueller contributed to this report.

     
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    *Wind Turbine Syndrome*
     
    *Clinical study of health effects of large wind turbines published*

    -- Press Release --

    Rowe, Mass., Nov. 28, 2009 -- Dr. Nina Pierpont, a pediatrician and
    population biologist in Malone, New York, has announced the publication
    of her book-length study: Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural
    Experiment. [1]

    In interviews with 10 families living 1,000-4,900 feet away from
    recently built industrial-size wind turbines, a "cluster" of symptoms
    was revealed: from sleep disturbance, which affected almost everyone, to
    headache to tinnitus, vertigo, nausea, irritability, memory and
    concentration problems, and panic episodes. Industrial wind turbines
    have a total height of 300-400 feet or more, with blades of 125-150 feet
    that sweep 1.5-2 acres of vertical airspace.

    The book includes supportive reviews and notices by several noted
    physicians in related disciplines. Although primarily directed towards
    medical professionals, it includes an informative and often poetic
    version for the lay audience.

    The individuals affected by Wind Turbine Syndrome noticed that they
    developed symptoms after the turbines near their homes started turning.
    Symptoms were relieved when they left the area and resumed on their
    return. Eight of the ten families eventually moved away from their homes
    because of the severity of the symptoms.

    Although not everyone living near turbines is subject to these symptoms,
    the data Pierpont presents are a concern, considering the current
    political drive to construct more and ever larger industrial wind
    turbines close to people's homes, as well as in the habitats of other
    equally or more sensitive animals.

    Pierpont's sample size was large enough to show that individuals with
    pre-existing migraines, motion sensitivity, or inner ear damage are
    particularly vulnerable. People with anxiety or other mental health
    problems are not particularly susceptible, she says, contradicting the
    common claim of industry developers that "it's all in their head".

    "This report is a public health wake-up call that our elected officials
    and administrators need to take very seriously", said Eric Rosenbloom,
    president of National Wind Watch, a clearinghouse for information about
    the adverse effects of industrial wind energy development.

    Pierpont and other health and noise experts agree that at a minimum,
    large wind turbines should be 2 kilometers (1-1/4 miles) from any
    residence. [2]

    According to Pierpont, low-frequency noise or vibration from the wind
    turbines acts on the balance organs of the inner ear to make the body
    think it is moving. And this misperception of motion affects other brain
    functions, including physical reflexes, spatial processing and memory,
    and physiological fear responses (such as pounding heart and nausea).

    Notes
    1. Santa Fe, NM: K-Selected Books. See http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/

     ###
    National Wind Watch® is a nonprofit corporation established in 2005 by
    campaigners from around the U.S. to promote knowledge and raise
    awareness of the negative environmental and social impacts of industrial
    wind energy development. Information, analysis, and other materials are
    available on its web site: http://www.wind-watch.org


    Saturday, November 28, 2009

    Cell phones for class lessons / How Mobile Phone Towers Work / The Cell-Out / EMF-Omega News

    Cell phones for class lessons
     
     
    Dear Colleagues and Friends,
     
    Pleas read the article, below, entitled: "Teachers begin using cell phones for class lessons" and call your child's school right away. Ask them to enforce a policy of prohibiting the use cell phone and other electronic devices in their schools as the French Senate just ruled to protect students attending French state schools. Teachers who direct students to use cell phones in the classroom as a learning tool are perhaps unwittingly falling prey to the cell phone industry mantra that "there is no credible scientific evidence to show there is harm."  There is a growing body of scientific evidence and concern among neurosurgeons and other health practitioners that the radiation from cell phones can cause health problems.  
     
    In fact, scientific evidence is mounting that there is an association between long term cell phone use and head and neck tumors - brain, ear, eye, salivary gland tumors, both malignant and non-malignant can result. The numbers are small because it takes many years for tumors to form and the U.S. population has only in the past 6 years become habituated to routine use of these devices. 
     
    Expert Scientists in the Scandinavian countries and elsewhere, where cell phones have been popular for a longer time. have done studies showing  links between cell phone use and brain cancers and nonmalignant tumors on the nerve in the inner ear.  Medical doctors are reporting increased rates of brain cancer among their youngest patients, even during their first year of life.  Scientists are deeply concerned about the potential impact on this next generation of young people, many of who are early adaptors and regular users, even at age 8!  Due to smaller head size and thinner skull bones, children's brains and absorb more radiofrequency radiation from cell phones than adult brains do. Young brains are developing into early 20s. Students health can be affected by radiation in the classroom, affecting memory ,concentration and causing depression and can result in iinfertility, neurological problems and other serious health conditions. Scientists warn that these early adaptors are 5 times more likely to develop a brain tumor by the time they turn age 30.  
     
    Society should support education to prepare their young for long, healthy and productive lives. We need good teachers to interact with students and guide them in learning how to read, write, develop critical thinking and other skills to be all they can be. Electronic devices are distracting, time-wasting and have limited value in the classroom as a teaching tool. Training students to become habitual users of cell phones in class seems like a low priority. Remember the cigarette ads? Now, we know smoking is not so cool. Are cell phones the new cigarettes?  
     
    for more information, I refer you to the International commission for Electromagnetic Safety, www.icems.eu. and to the Environmental Health Trust, Inc. www.environmentalhealthtrust.org. There you will find scientific information, resolutions and media presentations on the state of the science on electromagnetic fields issued by prominent scientists and medical doctors. You can view a TV interview Dr. Oz did with Dr. Devra Davis  in mid-November 2009 on cell phones and health, especially the possible health effects on children by going to www.evironmentalhealthtrust.org.  and scrolling down to "cell phones."  Simple safety advice: don't let children use cell phones, don't hold it by your head, text instead, turn it off when not in use and, keep your land lines.   
     
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Elizabeth Kelley
    Managing Secretariat
    International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety
     

    Teachers begin using cell phones for class lessons

    By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
    Associated Press Writer
    November 27, 2009

    Cell phones, the subject of tugs of war between parents, teachers and students across the nation, are taking on a new role in the classroom: learning tool.

    Tech savvy teachers are asking students to use their phones to record foreign language assignments, take photographs for projects and do mini-Internet searches if they have a Web browser.

    That's a stark contrast to the emphasis that has been placed on prohibiting their use, often out of fear students will cheat or take inappropriate pictures then passed on to friends.

    A majority of teens have a cell phone today, and with many schools unable to afford a computer for every student, teachers are starting to see them as a helpful learning device instead.

     

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    How Mobile Phone Towers Work

     
     
    Paul Fitzgerald asked:

    Cell phone towers emit signals in a "flower petal" pattern around the tower. This 360-degree radius around the tower is called a "cell" and this is what the term "cell" in cell phone means. (5) When your phone is in a "cell" you get good reception and when it isn't in a "cell" you get poor reception. So, for a cell phone company to provide complete coverage cell phone towers and antenna towers must be positioned all across the country so that the "cells" overlap. You can begin to see what a huge infrastructure needs to be created to provide complete cell phone coverage. That's why cell phone towers and antenna towers are so prevalent. Furthermore, that's why these antennas are installed in so many places like rooftops, fire stations, schools and churches. This is what is necessary for complete coverage.

    Studies Show Adverse Health Effects From Cell Phone Towers

    If you aren't sure that cell phone towers and masts are harmful the following study summaries should convince you. Below are listed six studies that have shown significant adverse health effects on people living near cell phone towers. According to Dr. Grahame Blackwell "these are the only studies known that specifically consider the effects of masts on people. All six studies show clear and significant ill-health effects. There are no known studies relating to health effects of masts that do not show such ill-health effects." (6)

    1. Santini et al. found significant health problems in people living within 300 meters of a cell phone base station or tower. The recommendation was made from the study that cell phone base stations should not be placed closer than 300 meters to populated areas. Pathol Biol (Paris) 2002; 50: 369-373.

    2. A Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research study entitled, "Effects of Global Communications System Radio-Frequency Fields On Well Being and Cognitive Function of Human Subjects With and Without Subjective Complaints" found significant effects on well being including headaches, muscle fatigue, pain, and dizziness from tower emissions well below the "safety" level.

    3. Gerd, Enrique, Manuel, Ceferino and Claludio conducted a Spanish study called "The Microwave Syndrome" and found adverse health effects from those living near two cell phone base stations. The health effects included fatigue, a tendency toward depression, sleeping disorders, difficulty in concentration and cardiovascular problems.

    4. From an Israeli study published in the International Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 1, No. 2, April 2004, Wolf and Wolf reported a fourfold increase in the incidence of cancer in people living within 350 meters of a cell phone tower as compared to the Israeli general population. They also reported a tenfold increase specifically among women.

    5. In the Naila Study from Germany, November 2004, five medical doctors collaborated to assess the risk to people living near a cell phone tower. The retrospective study was taken from patient case histories between 1994 and 2004 from those who had lived during the past ten years at a distance up to 400 meters from the tower site. The results showed that the proportion of newly developed cancer cases was significantly higher in those patients living within the 400-meter distance and that the patients became ill on average eight years earlier. In the years 1999 to 2004, after five years of operation of the transmitting tower, the relative risk of getting cancer had trebled for residents of the area in the proximity of the installation compared to the inhabitants of Naila outside the area.

    6. An Austrian Study released in May 2005, showed that radiation from a cell phone tower at a distance of 80 meters causes significant changes of the electrical currents in the brains of test subjects. All test subjects indicated they felt unwell during the radiation and some reported being seriously ill. According to the scientists doing the study, this is the first worldwide proof of significant changes of the electrical currents in the brain, as measured by EEG, by a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 meters. Subjects reported symptoms such as buzzing in the head, tinnitus, palpitations of the heart, lightheadedness, anxiety, shortness of breath, nervousness, agitation, headache, heat sensation and depression. According to scientists this is the first proof that electrical circuits in the brain are significantly affected by a cell phone tower. The distance in this study was a mere 80 meters.

    Two-time Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Gerald Hyland, a physicist, had this to say about cell phone towers. "Existing safety guidelines for cell phone towers are completely inadequate. Quite justifiably, the public remains skeptical of attempts by governments and industry to reassure them that all is well, particularly given the unethical way in which they often operate symbiotically so as to promote their own vested interests."

    Dr. Bruce Hocking did a study in Syndey, Australia, of children living near TV and FM broadcast towers, which by the way, are very similar to cell phone towers. He found that these children had more than twice the rate of leukemia as children living more than seven miles away from these towers.

    Results in yet another recent study (7) conducted on inhabitants living near or under a mobile phone base station antenna yielded the following prevalence of neuropsychiatric complaints: headache (23.5%), memory changes (28.2%), dizziness (18.8%), tremors (9.4%), depressive symptoms (21.7%), and sleep disturbances

    (23.5%). In this study the participants were given a neurobehavioral test battery measuring such things as problem solving, visuomotor speed, attention and emory. Symptoms of exposed inhabitants were significantly higher than control groups.

    Furthermore, Europe's top environmental watchdog group, European Environment Agency (EEA), is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to mobile phone masts. EEA suggests action to reduce exposure immediately to vulnerable groups such as children.

    The development of brain tumors in staff members working in a building in Melbourne, Australia, prompted the closing of the top floors of the building. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is housed in the building. Seven staff members were diagnosed with brain tumors and five of the seven worked on the top floor. A cell phone antenna is located on the roof of the building. (8)

    The Orange phone company in England is being forced to remove its mast tower on a building in Bristol, England. The removal is a result of a five-year effort by residents and local authorities to have the mast removed. Cancer rates in the building, which has become known internationally as the "Tower of Doom," have soared to ten times the national average for the 110 residents living there. The two masts sitting on the roof, one owned by Orange and the other by Vodafone, were installed in 1994. Vodafone has refused the remove its mast. (9)

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    Port's Halo of Cell-Towers – The Cell-Out Part 2

    At some point in the near future, Port Washington may be circled by a halo of cell-towers. Their effect would be anything but angelic judging from recent public opinion. Tonight, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m., Manorhaven's village hall should be packed for the second time with angry and concerned citizens. Giovanna Giunta, a Manhasset Isle resident and local organizer, commented, "This battle is about the safety and well being of our community. We will stand united to protect our children, Port Washington and our property values. It's not too late for the tower to be removed and to correct the errors of the past. We're only in Round 2 and will continue fighting."

    "Don't cell us out" say Manorhaven residents, Jeff Losquadro, Carmine Bicchetti, Al Rosen and Marc Lazarovic.

    Currently, a Stop Work order is in effect. Since the last meeting, residents discovered that the tower is placed in the wrong location despite the variances granted by Manorhaven's Board of Zoning Appeals. Mayor Meehan didn't return a call for comment.

    A few blocks away, the Village of Baxter Estates is involved in a similar controversy. A village meeting held last week, attended by residents and representatives from T-Mobile, discussed the proposed cellular antennas for the rooftop at 299 Main Street. Kristin Vonkoff, a Baxter Estates homeowner, succinctly outlined the situation after an hour of discussion. She referred to The Telecommunications Act of 1996 that prohibits municipalities from rejecting tower applications based on health issues, (perceived or otherwise.)

    It's interesting to note that Vonkoff formerly "troubleshooted" for a private satellite network. She said that back in 1991, when she had to service satellite dishes, 23 stories above Lexington Avenue, she was given a stopwatch and told not to spend more than 10 minutes working near the cell phone towers that were adjacent to the dishes. This was five years prior to the legislation and eerily reminiscent of the tobacco industry's knowledge about the dangers of cigarette smoking years prior to public awareness.

    Patti Wood, local environmentalist who heads up Grassroots and is a board member on Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, commented, "Considering the rapidly growing body of scientific data about the harmful health effects of electromagnetic fields, and in particular radiofrequency (RF) radiation, it is irresponsible to say that cell phone towers pose no risk to the public. In fact, contrary to popular belief, wireless technology has not been proven safe by either the FCC or the wireless industry itself."

    Ms. Wood advised that in August 2004, one of the largest labor unions in the U.S., The International Association of Firefighters, decided not to allow antennas near or on top of fire stations because firemen are already "beginning to show symptoms of electromagnetic radiation." Other countries, alerted to the indication of harm, use precautionary principles in regard to the cellular industry, she noted, continuing that some prohibit cell-phone sales to children and began issuing warning labels on packaging.

    Ms. Wood referred to the thousands of people living within the eight block transmitting radius and the number of children (including those playing on the PAL Field, studying in the library or enrolled in the Landmark's facilities and programs) that would be exposed to electronmagnetic radiation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    She said that cellular phone companies continue to use data more than 20 years old and employ the defense that the data found in academic journals doesn't hold up to scientific standards. They also issue comments that relate to the effects of thermal values, meaning no one will be burned by standing or living close to a tower, rather than to the effects of radio frequency waves. However, she adds, international studies continue to report that people are experiencing, and will in increasing numbers, chromosomal damage that leads to specific types of cancers from electromagnetic radiation. These include cancers of the brain and auditory system, she said.

    Unlike the 125-foot tower now standing in Manhasset Isle, T-Mobile designed a rooftop placement west of the "penthouse" utility room for 299 Main Street. Three sets of antennas facing south, east and north, originally designed to be placed on a steel mount, will now stand enclosed approximately 7' high. Although the cell-tower on Manhasset Isle remains visible from Shore Road, T-Mobile was apparently unaware of the FCC's mandate to coordinate cellular locations. The mayor of Baxter Estates, Fred Nicholson commented, "The village is very sensitive to community concerns. We're anxious to hear back from T-Mobile on the aggregate or the compounding effects of having too many antennas in close proximity."

    The building's owner, Convas Holdings LLC, didn't return a call for comment. Jolani Jewelers has nothing to do with the antennas and unfortunately has received too much negative attention about them. Although the building's recent high-end renovation added to the ongoing beautification of lower Main Street, it's been suggested that the antennas will block waterviews, disturb perspectives and erode lovely aesthetics.

    Nancy Curtin, the executive director of the Port Library expressed the library's concern that the site is a dismal one because it disrupts "one of the more historic streetscapes that has been captured in art books and the library's local collections." Currently, the view down Main Street from the library's outdoor balcony is unobstructed much like it might have appeared when Port was originally settled. She said a worse location couldn't have been chosen.

    Most Port residents agree that the preservation, maintenance and renovation of lower Main Street needs to be addressed. Although it's not yet designated as a historical district, the proposed antennas may strike some as visually displeasing and a mar on the landscape. Ms. Vonkoff commented, "We live here because Port is beautiful and how long we stay this way remains to be seen."

    The next meeting for the Village of Baxter Estates is Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall on Shore Road. You can email your questions and concerns to Mayor Frederick Nicholson of Baxter Estates at staff@baxterestates.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Mayor Mike Meehan of Manorhaven at mayormikemeehan@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

    One resident noted, "People who don't live within the 8-block radius of these towers may not care presently, but as cellular companies map out plans for cell towers and antennas for the rest of the Port peninsula without objections, any future concerns may be moot."

     

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    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/3/

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    School Cancer Cluster
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/23/

    Malaga: 43 Cancer Cases Among 350 Residents Living Near a Mobile
    Telephone Relay Antenna
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/39/

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    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/7/
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    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/27/

    An Experiment in Microwave Sickness
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/36/

    Cell phone radiation
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/42/

    Working safely around RF transmitters
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/45/

    Celltower Radiation Needs Independent Review
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/15/

    Wireless Hazards Panel: Columbia University Law School
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/13/

    The Real EMF Junk Science
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    Women's Institute Launch SOS for honeybees
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    Everyday Aucklanders are revolting
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/26/

    People power triumphs over Anvil mast plan
    http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/6052279/

    Furious Fourways residents head to court over iBurst tower
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/17/

    Phone mast torched
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/22/

    Phone mast protesters call in radiation expert
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/30/

    Port's Halo of Cell-Towers: The Cell-Out
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/44/

    High-voltage rally to draw thousands
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/11/

    Crowd at Rexall Place protests power line plan
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    Mass power-line protest
    http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/35/

    Alzheimers' Prevention re H&H's Health 2020
    http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/6061924/

    Next-up News Nr 1111
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    http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/6062604/

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    Friday, November 27, 2009

    43 Cancer cases / Aucklanders are revolting / Mobile phones’ radiation to be measured

     
     
     

    Culpan a una antena de telefonía movil de 43 casos de cáncer entre 350 vecinos

    Los 350 habitantes de la cortijada Los Pérez, en Veléz-Málaga, han denunciado que de los 43 casos, 35 se han saldado con la muerte de los vecinos. Reclaman la retirada de la antena, que ha sido apoyada por UPyD

    efe, Málaga | Actualizado 24.11.2009 - 20:15
     
    Los vecinos de la cortijada Los Pérez, en el municipio de Vélez-Málaga, han denunciado hoy la existencia de 43 casos de casos de cáncer entre los 350 habitantes de esta barriada y culpan de la situación a una antena de telefonía móvil con la que conviven desde hace quince años.

    Antonia Delgado, portavoz de los vecinos, ha manifestado hoy en rueda de prensa que la antena está instalada junto a la antigua carretera N-340, a escasos metros de sus viviendas, en el núcleo de población de Benajarafe.

    Delgado ha señalado que de los 43 casos de cáncer, 35 se han saldado con la muerte de los vecinos, "y en lo que llevamos de año, han fallecido ocho personas".

    Ha precisado que su hermana sufre un cáncer de mama, su padre uno de laringe y un tío, un melanoma.

    Los vecinos han reclamado en numerosas ocasiones al Ayuntamiento de Vélez-Málaga la retirada de la antena "y sólo hemos conseguido que nos digan que algún día se quitará, pero eso no nos vale, porque nuestros familiares y vecinos continúan enfermando".

    "No sé cuántos muertos necesita al Ayuntamiento para retirar la antena", ha añadido Delgado, quien ha dicho que los vecinos están "decepcionados" tras el último encuentro que tuvieron con las autoridades municipales, en el que les mostraron informes sobre las emisiones que no les convencen.

    Otro de los afectados, Antonio Marfil, al que le detectaron el pasado abril un tumor testicular, ha declarado que el carril que da acceso a la cortijada pasa a veinte metros de donde está la antena "y cada vez que entramos nos llevamos las radiaciones".

    La reivindicación de los vecinos ha sido respaldada por UPyD de Vélez-Málaga, cuyos miembros han exigido al Consistorio la retirada de la antena, tanto por sus posibles efectos sobre la salud, como porque, por su ubicación junto a la torre vigía de Benajarafe, "contraviene diversas leyes relativas a la protección del patrimonio histórico".

    El responsable de Política Municipal de UPyD, Javier Sansegundo, ha informado de que si el Ayuntamiento no traslada este equipamiento fuera del casco urbano de Benajarafe, presentarán una denuncia por la contaminación visual que sufra la torre vigía.

    Hace dos semanas, el concejal de Nuevas Tecnologías, Jesús Aranda (PSOE), tranquilizó a los vecinos y aseguró que la antena cumplía los niveles de emisiones establecidos por la ley.

    Sobre el aparato existe un expediente de la Gerencia Municipal de Urbanismo, ya que los vecinos denunciaron que se instaló sin licencia de obras.

    El Ayuntamiento debe resolver ahora el recurso presentado por la operadora contra el citado expediente para verificar la legalidad del equipamiento
     

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    From Green Bay to Waiheke, from Birkenhead to Pakuranga, everyday Aucklanders are revolting.


    Toa Greening links hearing problems to a phone tower near his Pakuranga home. KELLIE BLIZARD

    John Landrigan | 26th November 2009
     

    http://www.banthetower.co.nz/blogs/index.php?itemid=280

    They talk about health risks. They talk about invasions of their human rights. And they talk about their property values. The councils say: Don't blame us. Blame Wellington. The Government and big business pooh-pooh the protest. They may be making a big mistake. John Landrigan has been to the front line.


    They've put the microwave on top of the pole, shouts Nigel Edwards in the background. 
    "They've done it without our knowing.''


    Karen Pilbrow is talking on the phone to me about cellphone antennae sprouting around Auckland when her neighbour yells out the news. Mrs Pilbrow's voice wavers. She is angry and incredulous.


    "We had a group together who were going to stop them. We've stopped them so far ... health risks aside, this is a human rights invasion,'' she cries.


    Literally: she weeps.


    An invasion, health risks, human rights tampered with, suburban mums and dads blocking telecommunications workers. What's going on?


    read more :The Aucklander

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    Mobile phones' radiation to be measured
    28/11/2009

    http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=1038-45

    The electromagnetic radiation from students' mobile phones is going to be measured in fourteen schools in Lisbon, over a three month period, after a protocol was signed between Lisbon Council and the Telecommunications Institute on Tuesday 24th November.

    The Telecommunications Institute will be installing measuring stations to determine the electromagnetic field in fourteen schools and the Town Hall in Lisbon, via a real time monitoring network. Other measurements will also be taking place in other locations, with the results being published on an internet page for the public to access.

    The objective of the protocol is to create public awareness of the possible harmful health effects originated by electromagnetic radiation, emitted by mobile communication antennas.

    It is in the Council's interest to "proceed to monitor the situation of the electromagnetic fields generated by the telecommunication antennas, to verify if the limits of exposure are respected where analysed, as well as supplying the information to all citizens" states the protocol, which was signed by Lisbon's Environment Councillor, José Sá Fernandes, and by the organiser of the Telecommunications Institute project, Luís Sousa Correia, on Tuesday.

    Thursday, November 26, 2009

    Mass power-line protest / No-texting-while-driving law / An Experiment in Microwave Sickness / Fibromyalgia = Microwave Sickness?

    Mass power-line protest
     
    By Hanneke Brooymans, edmontonjournal.comNovember 25, 2009 7:33 AM
     
    The Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans group drew about 2,000 people to Rexall Place on Tuesday.
    Photograph by: Shaughn Butts, edmontonjournalcom
    EDMONTON — More than 2,000 people showed up at Rexall Place on Tuesday to demand the province bury proposed electrical transmission lines.
    The rally was the largest yet organized by a group called Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans or RETA. The group was hoping to demonstrate that it has large public support for its stance.
    There are four potential routes for the double-circuit 500 kilovolt line to connect the Heartland region northeast of Fort Saskatchewan to existing transmission facilities either west of Edmonton or in southern Edmonton.
    Many of the residents living near the four routes are worried about health, safety, environmental, esthetic and property value impacts.
    "We need to tell our elected officials it's time they reflected our wishes, that they did what we want," RETA president Bruce Johnson said to applause.
    Power-line proponents say it could cost four to 20 times more to bury the line than to string it from 20-storey high towers They aren't sure burying it is warranted or possible.
    There are two ongoing studies-- one commissioned by Alberta Energy and one by the Alberta Electric System Operator and the proponents AltaLink and Epcor--to determine if burying the line is feasible. The difficulty is that there aren't many examples of buried double-circuit 500 kV lines to study.
    Stephen Kane of AltaLink provided the meeting an update on their feasibility investigation. He said they visited the existing system in Tokyo and found that it had been in service for nearly 10 years with no major operational problems. It had similar cable technology and operating voltage to what would be required for the Heartland project.
    One of the challenges, though, is that Alberta has extreme winters, Kane said, and no similar 500 kV system worldwide operates under such cold conditions.
    That means prototype testing would be required. The team is collecting prices from major civil contractors with experience in constructing underground facilities to find out how much it might cost here.
    If the AESO does determine that using underground transmission presents a technically feasible option, then the Heartland team will include an underground option in its facility application, Kane said.
    Johnson said their studies indicate it would cost an extra 50 cents per month per household to bury the Heartland line. "You wonder why we're even having a debate."
    He noted that Alberta Energy Minister Mel Knight had suggested that only affected people should pay, not everyone in province. But that's like saying people who don't drive cars shouldn't have to pay for roads, he said. "Society doesn't work like that."
    Brian Gettel, a real estate expert and member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, told the meeting that large transmission-line projects began to affect property values in the late'70s, when a study came out noting that a cancer cluster was located next to a line.
    He said a U.S. court awarded damages to claimants whose property values dropped due to fear about construction of nearby lines. The court said it didn't matter if the basis for the fear was provable or not, Gettel said.
    RETA also brought in Magda Havas, a Trent University associate professor of environmental and resource studies, from Peterborough, Ont., to speak about the effect of electromagnetic energy on health, particularly the health of children.
    If the line is not buried, Havas predicted there would probably be an increase in cancers, primarily in young children, but that there would be more cases of cancer among adults, as well. Others would have trouble working and would feel ill
    She said she's not sure how many would be affected, but added that one-third of the general population is sensitive to electromagnetic fields. The number affected depends partly on how close to homes the lines would run.
    "It's absolutely critical they not be placed near schools," she said.
    That was on the mind of Norm Larsen of Sherwood Park. He said he was at the meeting because he has a daughter at Colchester, an elementary school along one of the proposed routes. "She'd be attending that school and she has the potential of coming into contact with electromagnetic radiation."
    Larsen wants the line buried. "That seems to be a solution. I'm not an expert, but I haven't heard anything indicating it's not a reasonable solution."
    He doubts anyone would want to live next to the lines if they're overhead. "I'd like to know where the people who want this are living. Will they live under the lines?"
    Derek and Stacey Waldie came with their two young children, ages six and four. They, too, were worried about their children "I don't think you can put a price on safety," Stacey said.
    This will likely be the last public meeting held before the Heartland project team announces its preferred and alternate routes for the transmission line.
    RETA says it has a registered membership of close to 4,000 people who live along the potential four routes.
    © Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
     
     
     
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    No-texting-while-driving law goes into effect Dec. 1

    Wednesday, Nov 25th, 2009

    http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/News/2009/nov/25/news-community/no-texting-while-driving-

    Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Don't hold the phone. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, it becomes a crime for a 16- or 17-year-old driver to use any cell phone — handheld or not — in Colorado. And no driver may text while behind the wheel.

    Patrick Sims, a Colorado high school senior, killed a 63-year-old man because Sims was sending a text message while driving. Nine-year-old Erica Forney in Fort Collins was killed by a cell-phone-using distracted driver. A truck driver who was distracted by his cell phone ran his truck off I-76 during rush hour, causing secondary accidents from flying debris. One week after five girls graduated from high school, they were killed in an accident attributed to texting while driving. A young mother lost her leg in Colorado Springs, impaled against her car by a driver on a cell phone.  

    • 66% of drivers 18 to 24 years old are sending or receiving text messages while driving.  
    • Motorists on cell phones exhibit the reaction speed and coordination of drivers with blood alcohol levels exceeding 0.08 — that's like getting behind the wheel after 4 drinks!
    • Drivers on cell phones are four times more likely to be in an accident.
    • A 2002 study showed that talking on a cell phone was the cause of at least 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries annually.

    House Bill 09-1094 was sponsored by State Representatives Claire Levy (D-Boulder), Randy Fischer and John Kefalas and State Senator Bob Bacon (all D-Fort Collins).  

    "It is inherently dangerous to multitask while you drive. This bill is aimed at the most dangerous distraction commonly engaged in: text messaging and e-mailing while driving. If this new law prevents just one more senseless death or injury, HB 1094 will have done its job," said Rep. Levy.

    Rep. Fischer said, "When presented with the sobering evidence documenting the risks of texting while driving, the legislature took decisive action to address this growing public safety issue. I'm pleased to have worked alongside Rep. Levy and others to get this bill enacted into Colorado law. It will save lives!"

    Starting Tuesday, any driver who has been sending text messages, tweets or e-mails while driving can be charged with a secondary offense if pulled over by law enforcement. Because it is not a primary offense, drivers will not be ticketed only for texting but can receive two charges if they have, for example, exceeded the speed limit (primary) and are texting (secondary).

    However, any driver under the age of 18 using a cell phone, even a speakerphone, to talk or text, can be pulled over as a primary offense.
    First offenders will be required to pay a $50 fine, but phone-addicted teens and chronic texters will face a $200 penalty if ticketed again. 

     

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    An Experiment in Microwave Sickness

    http://austanspace.blogspot.com/2009/11/experiment.html
     
    Saturday, November 14, 2009
     
    A friend gave me a subscription to Bottom Line- Personal for Christmas last year. It gives advice on consumer issues, investing and health. Most of the time I read it and wonder why it isn't a well-known publication. Tonight it may have changed my life. The headline on this issue (November 15, vol. 30, number 22) reads, "Don't Stand In Front of the Microwave", written by Magda Havas, PhD, Trent University. Dr. Havas writes that "Radiation levels up to 1,000 times lower than the FCC guidelines have been shown to affect our health".

    A 2007 study reported that cell phone users who spend more than 22 hours per month on their cell were 58% more likely to develop tumors on their salivary glands. Another study determined that 2 types of brain tumors had doubled on the "phone side" of the head after a decade of cell phone use. The studies funded by telecom companies typically lasted 6 years or less, not long enough for tumors to develop; and most of the studies defined "heavy usage" as using a cell a few times a week, far from the ubiquitous times it's come to be used.

    Cordless phones (this is where my mental lightbulb came on) pose the same risks. Cordless phones with DECT are even worse. Dr. Havas' recommendation is to replace your household phones with corded phones.

    So the dots started connecting in my brain. Since 2001 I have had swollen lymph glands on the left side of my head, neck and clavicle. Twice, surgeons have removed and biopsied these abnormally large glands. No cancer, no explanation. My former GP actually said to me, "Maybe you're just a person who gets large glands." For the last four years a gland just above my clavicle has remained swollen and here and there, a gland or two will swell and go down. Always on the left side. I've had a cordless phone since 2000. Being pretty much a social person, and now homebound, I spend more than 22 hours a week on my cordless phone. Much more. And it's always on my left side, often cradled in my neck and shoulder.

    Luckily I own two corded phones and have connected them both tonight. I'm going to go without the cordless for 6 months and see if my glands return to normal.

    As for the microwaves, most ovens leak a fair share of electromagnetic radiation. The Dr. suggests: "Put your cell phone inside the oven and close the door (do not turn on the microwave), call the cellphone number. If you hear the phone ring, the cell signal was able to pass thru the walls of the oven- meaning that microwaves are able to pass out". She has tested the levels inside her home, and detected electromagnetic radiation from 20 feet away. So leave the kitchen when the microwave is on. I also recommend that everyone read this article. It may be available online, but I haven't looked. Consider it homework.

    I will blog on this experiment. It'll be nice to return to the old tethered way of using the phone. I suspect it'll cut my phone time, too, as I won't be doing other things when I'm talking. Like being on the internet. And maybe I'll get my nice neck back...

    And thanks again, Amanda, for such a great gift. :D
     
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    Fibromyalgia = Microwave Sickness (from Cell Phone and Wifi Signals)?

    http://omgili.com/jmp/jHIAmI4hxg_H.WjP9ajOjhrfwq7DVqdR6s8fjp7trtZlrsJIrbHrnoGt5GSpYApxgg0GDDrB4hHFerMq5C380BE0qVvJhbeoKiB4IP4BBd3A1D7nnQRTdLljpIx_2ld6LqZkGKE7cX8._CTo3ndFy8hUF5L2E9afDYyxhS5kKaMNbQjgwHqRLoGzo4S1goQA47nkV6GY.xLzx2QngcHB.DTlNeE9bl8NaiNkPPaPHuJjSjWs6SeqCMOVZsvZqfQTydGaOVjMS_c-
     
    I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and couldn't help but notice that the symptoms of fibromyalgia are identical to those of Microwave Sickness???

    Well, Microwave Sickness or Radiation Sickness is what it used to be called. Today it is referred to as Electrosensitivity, Electro Hypersensitivity, or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. This IS a recognized illness and disability in other countries, such as Sweden, where they are taking this environmental health threat seriously.

    Also, fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome weren't even on the map until the number of cell phone and wi-fi towers and antennas went up exponentially, some time in the mid 90's following the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

    Please check this out and compare the symptoms for yourself. Do you think is possible?

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    Last edited by hb-mod; 10-28-2009 at 09:43 AM. Reason: Please don't post disallowed websites as per Posting Policy. Thanks.