W.E.E.P. News
Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution News
http://www.foreign-language-corner.com/121/spanish/why-johnny-cant-learn/
March 9th, 2010 by Tomar
We take the incredible technological advances that have been made in the past 50 years for granted. Technology that was once a distant dream is now a part of the fiber and fabric of our culture. A typical American home is equipped with microwaves, cell phones, cordless phones, PDAs, computers, and a wide assortment of technological gadgetry designed to make life easier.
However, what price are we paying for these advances and, more importantly, what price are our children paying for living in a world filled with these energy emitting devices?
In spite of the occasional debate on safety, most of us have come to regard cellular phones as fairly harmless. After all, if cell phones were in any way hazardous to our health, we would know about it. The sheer accessibility allays any potential fears about their use. Cigarettes are also widely available but we now know without question that not only are they harmful to the user but to those around the user as well. However, widespread tobacco use went on for hundreds of years before the connection between it and the fatalities it causes was made. Until then, the vast majority of people didn't consider cigarettes, pipes, or any other form of tobacco use hazardous. Are we guilty of being lulled into a similarly false sense of security about cell phones?
The answer is an emphatic and resounding "Yes."
Before you dismiss that as an alarmist cry of an anti-technology fringe of society, let's take a closer look. Estimates indicate that we are exposed to 100 million times more radiation per day than in our grandparents' generation.
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) are low levels of radiation which are generated by electronic devices. Initial concerns about radiation were dismissed because of low level of exposure. We learned to live with microwaves because our homes were not filled with other devices. Yet, what is the risk now, when our homes are filled with electronic devices, our cars are powered by micro-computers, we are surrounded by power lines and cell towers, and we spend hours a day with a portable phone held to our ear?
Cellular phones generate a field known as Radio Frequency Radiation (RF). A number of studies have concluded that RF from mobile phones poses significant health risk to users, including headaches, memory loss, autism, brain cancers, leukemia and learning disorders. The Committee on Electromagnetic Energy/Public Health Issues stated in an Australian Government Discussion paper that : "Human exposure of radio frequency radiation is greatest from mobile phone handsets because of the method of use, with the transmitting antenna of the mobile phone handset close to the head. There is evidence that localized hot spots or energy deposition in the brain may occur as a consequence of internal reflections." In another study conducted by leading neurosurgeon, Dr. Leif Salford and colleagues at Lund University in Sweden the data indicated an "unambiguous link between microwave radiation emitted by GSM mobile phones (the most common type worldwide) and brain damage in rats." There are hundreds of studies with correlative data indicating that this is far more than an anti-establishment ploy concocted by paranoid believers who fear technology and little green men.
Just as the information on the dangers of tobacco was hidden in plain sight, one need only scratch beneath the surface to find warnings about cell phone use. Scientists have warned parents to exercise caution in providing cell phones to children younger than eight years of age as there is little known about the effect of radiation on developing brains. Paul Brodeur, a noted science journalist, was one of the first in the medical community to issue a public alert about the dangers of EMF. Brodeur warned that introducing your body to new forces such as EMF created a condition known as "adaptation stress." In this condition the body is sent into chaos as it tries to adapt to the new forces. Brodeur identified symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, lack of concentration and focus, headaches, backaches and increased emotional volatility. Is it a coincidence that many of these symptoms which we have come to associate with and label as learning disorders in children have increased dramatically over the past decade?
In another study, conducted by the Spanish Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute, it was found that a cell phone call lasting only two minutes not only opens the blood-brain barrier (in children and adults) allowing toxins into the blood stream which can attack brain cells, but in children that same two minute exposure could disrupt the natural electrical activity of their brain for up to an hour following the call. So alarming was the data that Dr. Gerald Hyland, mobile phone adviser to the British Government, was quoted as saying "If I were a parent I would now be extremely wary about allowing my children to use a mobile even for a very short period. My advice would be to avoid mobiles."
The cell phone industry is targeting the very profitable children's market. Cell phone makers are marketing "Disney phones" and kid-friendly versions with parental controls. The industry is no longer content to have the adult and teen market, but in nationwide back-to-school campaigns, they aggressively market to tweens and younger.
We may not have all of the answers today, but the information we do have is alarming. How much more evidence do we need before we take the dangers to our children seriously?
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More parents dealing with stonewalling from a school district over Wi-Fi in the school.
Parents raise concerns about microwave technology in school
Posted By Shawn Giilck
http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2483273
A digital divide has sprung up between a parents' group from Mountain View Elementary School and the Simcoe County District School Board over Internet technology.
The group, led in part by Rodney Palmer, a well-known Collingwood environmentalist and activist, is asking the board to either install a different, low-powered wireless Internet system at the school to minimize the students exposure to microwave radiation, or simply to shut off the current system when it's not needed.
A resolution from the school council has asked that seven of the eight transmitters on the system be turned off when they're not needed.
Palmer said the system installed at the school is an "industrial model" that is far more powerful than it needs to be. His own children have been experiencing problems he attributes to the system, which was installed at the end of 2008.
"They could have gone to a Radio Shack and bought a system for $125 that would have done the job," he said. "I don't know how much they paid for the system at the school, but I would be surprised if it was less than $10,000."
Palmer said so far the board is balking at the idea of the system causing any health hazards to the students. He's helped organize a committee that recently sent out an email and a questionaire to parents at the school.
He said they were forced to send the document out by email after being informed by the board they couldn't do it through the school. He said he also wasn't allowed to bring in a device to measure the microwave radiation at the school.
So far three people have answered the questionnaire, said Palmer. They have indicated their children have exhibited some of the problems.
"The school council, which is comprised of elected parents, community members and staff representatives, has recently learned that this system transmits on 2.4 GHz which is the exact same frequency as a microwave oven. It is used to connect a small number of computers to the internet, but is on all day long," the email states. "Canadian and International health experts have issued public warnings that these institutional-strength microwave systems should not be installed in schools as they have not been proven safe for children. Due to their smaller, less-developed bodies children are more likely than adults to have adverse health effects."
The email lists a wide variety of symptoms associated with the alleged health problems. The symptoms include headaches, dizziness, vertigo, fainting, blurred vision, distorted vision, skin rash, racing heart rate (tachycardia), attention deficit, difficulty concentrating, poor short term memory, tingling inside or under skin, sinus problems, asthma, bronchitis, skin rash, itching, burning skin, red flushing face or ears, nausea, insomnia (can't sleep at night), dehydration, unquenchable thirst, among others. The symptoms disappear when the the person affected moves away from the wireless transmitters.
Palmer said some of these symptoms have already been reported by Mountain View parents. In one instance, he said a child has been wearing a heart monitor while in class, but the device isn't necessary when the student is at home.
He said the top expert in Canada on the technology issued a warning to school boards six months ago not to install such system due to their effect on children.
Lakehead University has also banned wireless systems on its campuses to concerns about the health effects of the technology, which Palmer said uses microwave radiation equivalent to that emitted by an microwave oven or equipment "used by the military."
In an email he also said the Vancouver School Board had banned cell phone towers from within 1,000 feet of any schoool and France's public library system has torn out its entire Wi-fi set-up, reportedly due to health problems.
On Feb. 24, Palmer made a presentation to the board about the issue that he said included that information. He accused board officials of a "cover-up" with their continued claims the technology is safe.
He cited research that indicated that microwave radiation penetrates the developing bones of children to a far greater rate that with adults, making them more susceptible to damage from it.
"So now we put this into our kindergartens six hours a day, and there are no computers in 90 per cent of Mountain View school," he said. "This system is ridiculous. The problem is that four-year-olds don't know how to voice these things."
"For some reason they (the school board) sticking their heads in the sand over this and pretending there is no problem."
Palmer said that GQ magazine also looked into the issue.
Local trustee Caroline Smith said she was aware of situation, but cautioned on how it should be reported to the public.
"Could I sincerely ask that you be very careful with this issue," said Smith in an email to the Enterprise-Bulletin. "I don't doubt that Mr. Palmer truly believes what he is saying, however I don't believe there is anything to be concerned about. I absolutely believe the Wi-Fi systems within all our schools, including Mountain View, are completely safe. The wi-fi connections in all our schools are completely safe."
Superintendent John Dance, who heads up the Internet access project, reiterated that he believes the technology is safe. So far, Mountain View is the only school where the concerns have been voiced.
"Everything we've put in the schools has been based on Health Canada standards. Everything we've been given from our authorities, which is Health Canada and Industry Canada, is that it's safe," said Dance.
Palmer said those standards are out-of-date compared to many other countries.
Dance said the board is taking Palmer's delegation under consideration and has sent it to the board's standing committee on facilities for more discussion. It should be dealt with in the next month, he added.
"We'll be looking at it as to where to go from there." said Dance.
All of the board's schools have moved to wireless Internet connections, he said.
"Wireless is the standard, not just for schools but industry and (other) public sector areas. We listen to the concerns, but we also have to listen to the authorities on this," said Dance. "These concerns have been raised but there is no proof there is an issue."
Wiring the schools in the district is not feasible, he explained, due to the age of some of the buildings. Trying to bring in a wired system to such schools, he said, would not be "equitable."
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How Safe Is Your Cell Phone?
By Bryan Walsh Monday, Mar. 15, 2010
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1969732,00.html?xid=rss-topstories
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Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics Eliminates Significant Radiation Exposure During Intramedullary Nail Cases
New TRIGEN(TM) SURESHOT(TM) Distal Targeting System Provides Real-Time Visualization for Guiding Distal Screw Placement Without the Use of Fluoroscopy
MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 9, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics Division today announces the introduction of the TRIGEN(TM) SURESHOT(TM) Distal Targeting System, a small, portable device that can eliminate a significant amount of radiation exposure over the course of the career of an orthopaedic trauma surgeon. The 3-D imaging system replaces the radiation-emitting, fluoroscopic "c-arm," traditionally used during tibial and femoral nail cases to achieve proper distal screw placement.
"We've achieved a real breakthrough with the TRIGEN SURESHOT device," says Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics President Joseph M. DeVivo. "Not only does it eliminate a considerable amount of radiation exposure for the orthopedist, as well as the O.R. staff, but it can contribute to a safer, faster, and more accurate procedure for patients. While successful patient outcomes are paramount, the safety of surgeons and nurses matters, too."
A recent study(1) quantified the impact the TRIGEN SURESHOT has on both radiation levels and case length. It was shown to eliminate 36 seconds of fluoroscopy exposure (0.785 radiation absorbed doses, or rads) during tibial fracture cases and 49 seconds during femoral fracture cases (2.362 rads). For an orthopaedic trauma surgeon who performs one intramedullary nail case per week, this equals more than 6 hours of radiation eliminated over the course of 10 years. As the risk of death from cancer increases 3-percent for every rad of exposure during one's lifetime(2), this typical surgeon would be spared from 810 rads of total radiation exposure.
In the same recent study, the degree of precision TRIGEN SURESHOT delivered contributed to a first-time drilling accuracy rate of 100-percent in tibia cases and 96-percent in femoral cases. This consistency reduced distal locking time by 48-percent during tibial nail cases and by 32-percent during femoral nail cases, resulting in less anesthesia and risk of infection for the patients.
Additionally, because the TRIGEN SURESHOT is a small, portable device, the patient's leg does not require repositioning in order to achieve continuous visualization. This is a common requirement during fluoroscopic c-arm use and it can lead to fracture misalignment and the need to re-reduce the patient's fracture.
The TRIGEN SURESHOT works seamlessly with the TRIGEN META-NAIL(TM) system, part of the TRIGEN nail family--the versatile, fracture-specific nail system with a 10-year clinical history of proven results.
(1) Tornetta P, Patel P, Tseng S, Whitten A, Ricci W. Distal locking using an electromagnetic field guided computer based real time system. Poster presented at: Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association; October 8-10, 2009; San Diego, CA. Results based on a single-center cadaver study of 24 tibial and 24 femoral procedures.
(2) Ashmore JP, Krewski D, Zielinski JM, Jiang H, Semenciw R, Band PR. First analysis of mortality and occupational radiation exposure based on the National Dose Registry of Canada. Am J Epidemiol. 1998;148(6):564-574.
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Maine gov cool to cell phone health warnings bill
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCSEIrK547atzkpTUrs69nOi1foQD9EBAMO00
By GLENN ADAMS (AP) – 7 hours ago
AUGUSTA, Maine — As a proposal to require health warnings on cellular phones got a fresh legislative review Tuesday, Gov. John Baldacci made clear his opposition but stopped short of threatening a veto.
"As it stands the governor doesn't support the bill, and he's based that decision largely on the research by Dr. Dora Anne Mills," said Baldacci spokesman David Farmer. Mills, who is director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, testified against the bill last week.
"At this time, he is reluctant to put new regulations or new requirements on businesses because (of) the recession and national economy, and particularly when the science at best is still unclear" and health risks are undocumented, Farmer said. While Baldacci opposes the bill, he is not threatening a veto, Farmer said.
A week after holding a hearing on the bill, the Health and Human Services Committee took up Sanford Democratic Rep. Andrea Boland's proposal in a less-formal review session Tuesday.
Researchers last week told the committee that studies in Europe show electromagnetic radiation from cell phones poses risks of brain cancer, especially in children. They want consumer warnings on cell phones and their packaging.
An industry group, TechAmerica, says scientific evidence so far does not indicate a public health risk and that warning labels would be misleading and confusing.
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Cell phone discussion continues ringing through Augusta
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=115302&catid=2
AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Legislators continued discussing a bill Tuesday to put warning labels on cell phones.
A group from California is testifying before the Health and Human Services Committee to support a bill to warn cell phone users that their phone could cause brain tumors.
Ellie Marks' husband, Alan has a tumor. She says Alan's doctor believes it is likely his tumor was caused from long-term cell phone use.
But Maine's top health official, Dr. Dora Mills says science and research doesn't support the claim that brain tumors from cell phone use are on the rise.
The Legislative committee voted 8 ought not to pass and 5 ought to pass. The bill now goes before the full House.
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Dr. Charlie Teo – part 1:2 – "explosion" in brain tumours
As well as health concerns, exposure to mobile phone radiation makes people docile & stupid
"Those Bloody Mobile Phones"
See the video -
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=115302&catid=2
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The hottest cellphone? All of 'em
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
http://rotationandbalance.blogspot.com/2010/03/hottest-cellphone-all-of-em.html
Look at the bright side - the good news is now you can cook popcorn and warm coffee with your cellphone. And you don't even need an app to do it.
For years, whenever I talked on my cellphone for any length of time, I'd swear I could feel my brains cooking. People I mentioned this to told me I was just imagining it. But the fact that my head really hurt, the phone battery was roughly the temperature of the sun, and the preliminary results of the multinational Interphone study sponsored by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France make me think I wasn't.
Scientists from thirteen countries participated in the study, although none from the United States. Go figure. The Interphone researchers reported that after a decade of cellphone use, the chance of getting a brain tumor on the side of the head where you use the phone goes up as much as 40% for adults.
Predictably, cell phone companies have invested millions to counter such research. Their findings conclude it's perfectly safe to hold a low-power microwave oven without walls against the side of your head.
The main thing you can do about it is also the most obvious: don't use your cell phone unless you have to. Only accept calls you need to, and keep them short. And if you've replaced your land line with a cell phone, you might want to rethink that decision (providing you have enough brain cells left to rethink it).
Fortunately my cell provider is AT&T. With their free call-dropping, my calls are short whether I want them to be or not.
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PSE Substation controversy continues with claims of unsafe EMF radiation
The Kirkland neighbors of a new Puget Sound Energy (PSE) substation in Juanita continue to make their case to other neighbors, the City Council, the media – anyone who will listen. They have lodged complaints against City Hall, the permitting process and PSE. Their complaints are not just about the process and damages to their homes. Now their concern is for their health. The adjacent property owners claim the substation in their back yards is emitting dangerously high electromagnetic field (EMF) levels and is hazardous to their health. Q13Fox has a story about the EMF levels and how those living next door to the PSE substation claim their health is at risk.
Video and full story at - http://www.kirklandviews.com/archives/14092
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W.E.E.P. – The Canadian initiative to stop Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution
