W.E.E.P. News
Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution News
23 April 2010
Stratford
Ontario
22 April 2010
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health
The health effects of Electro Magnetic Radiation
Attn Christine Holke David
Dear Committee members
Please accept this letter and its attachment as my submission.
The document that I have attached (1973 NRC Canada Microwave threat) was written for, and provided to the Canadian Government thirty seven years ago. It is warning about the serious health effects that were already known at that time from exposure to microwave radiation.
9.0 CONCLUSIONS (of the 1973 report)
In view of the expected proliferation of MW devices in many different applications, a substantial increase in MW background activity is feared that may endanger human health. On this basis strict control of the use of these devices must be introduced while present safety standards are revised and extensive research is conducted into long term effects of exposure to low intensity MW radiation. In particular, a study of possible accumulative effects of MW radiation (directly or indirectly) through sensitization must be conducted .
The inadequacy of power density as an index of radiation hazard has been discussed.
Meaningful parameters are energy densities (electric and magnetic), electric and magnetic field vectors and their squared magnitudes. We suggest the field vectors to be better quantitative measures to relate to biological effects (thermal or athermal) than their squared amplitudes or energy densities.
Systematic investigations of the weak interactions of MW fields with complex biological systems must be conducted together with exploratory experiments to determine the importance of the magnetic field associated with the EM wave.
Even before the NRC report, in 1971, Lt. Zorach R. Glaser of the United States Navy had collected over two thousand reports of biological effects attributed to microwave and radio-frequency radiation. He provided that information in a report to the Naval Medical Research Institute.
Since the time of the NRC report, microwave radiation has invaded our environment in the form of cell phones, cell phone antenna towers, cordless telephones, Wi Fi systems, other wireless devices and broadcasting systems. Even more troubling about this exposure is the use of DECT baby monitors which envelop innocent babies with strong microwave exposure for all the hours they spend in their cribs and cradles, or near to DECT devices.
The magnitude of this increase of radiation is thousands of times higher than just a few years previously. Scientific research now indicates that the harm from this great increase of microwave radiation has profound dangers to the population of Canada and the full effects may not be known for several years. By that time it may be too late to turn the clock back and avoid dangerous exposure. We then risk a plague of cancer and other serious illnesses which could seriously erode our health systems and may destabilise our country.
The idiotic way that Health Canada and Industry Canada has miss-regulated and have allowed this dangerous technology to spread, must not continue. The public must be warned about the dangers they face from wireless devices in their homes and businesses, which they were told and thought, were safe.
The reason that I am aware of these dangers, is that I moved into a home that was exposed to strong microwave radiation after I retired from the Toronto Police Service. My health declined rapidly over many months and I developed aggressive prostate cancer which was operated on. I became electrically hyper-sensitive and had to move away from my home for a considerable amount of time, for my own health and safety. I have studied the effects of electro magnetic radiation for six years and I am a co Director of a not for profit environmental organisation - The Canadian initiative to stop Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution (WEEP). I am aware of a great many people who have suffered and are still suffering, serious harm from exposure to electro magnetic radiation in Canada and around the world.
Wireless microwave technology is not sustainable and will mainly become obsolete as more people become ill from its effects and others become electro hypersensitive. If this happens in a short time period, the demise of the wireless industry could trigger another financial crisis. A reasonable government response to correct this problem, would be to put plans and systems in place that will gets us out of this microwave mess and provide safe alternatives for the future. Fibre optics and cables are very safe to use and usually provide faster and safer transmission of communications. Australia has already announced a massive plan to provide safe fibre optic systems throughout the entire country. This is the type of intelligent planning that is needed in Canada.
I rely upon and refer you to, the scientific information provided by the Bio Initiative Report - www.bioinitiative.org , for information about the health effects of electro magnetic radiation. If your committee or any member would like to talk with me by telephone, I will gladly make myself available.
Yours sincerely
Martin Weatherall
www.weepinitiative.org
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House of Commons Standing Committee on Health
HESA is having two days of meetings on the health effects of radio frequency radiation, in Ottawa, April 27 and 29.
If you are a victim of electro magnetic radiation or a concerned member of the public, here is your opportunity to get your message to Members of Parliament who are sitting on the HESA committee. It is important that they hear from you and they understand your pain and concerns. Please send your letters directly to the MPs listed below, as soon as possible and copy either Magda Havas or myself.
Note - this committee acts as an overseer of Health Canada and can make a big difference to EMR safety.
Who's on the committee -
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeMembership.aspx?Cmte=HESA&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3
(The website is excellent. Browse around and see what's available.)Their contact info is below, in no special order(don't forget your
own riding MPs).
Joyce Murray
Liberal
Vancouver Quadra
(613) 992-2430
Fax: (613) 995-0770
EMail: MurraJ@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* joycemurray.ca
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
2111 West 38th Avenue (Main Office)
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6M 1R8
Telephone: (604) 664-9220
Fax: (604) 664-9221
.....................................
Judy Wasylycia-Leis
NDP
Telephone: (613) 996-6417
Fax: (613) 996-9713
EMail: WasylJ@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* judywl.ca/
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
1082 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2W 5J3
Telephone: (204) 984-1767
Fax: (204) 984-1766
..........................
Dr. Carolyn Bennett
Lib.
Telephone: (613) 995-9666
Fax: (613) 947-4622
EMail: BenneC@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.carolynbennettmp.ca
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
1650 Yonge St., Suite 103,
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2A2
Telephone: (416) 952-3990
Fax: (416) 952-3995
...............................Patricia Davidson
Con.
Telephone: (613) 957-2649
Fax: (613) 957-2655
EMail: DavidP@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.patriciadavidson.ca/
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
1000 Finch Drive, Unit 2 (Main Office)
Sarnia, Ontario
N7S 6G5
Telephone: (519) 383-6600
Fax: (519) 383-0609
......................
Luc Malo
Caucus:* Bloc Québécois
Verchères—Les Patriotes
Telephone: (613) 996-2998
Fax: (613) 995-1062
EMail: MaloL@parl.gc.ca
Preferred Language: French
Constituency Offices
1085 Lionel Boulet Blvd, Suite A (Main Office)
Varennes, Québec
J3X 1P7
Telephone: (450) 652-4442
Fax: (450) 652-4447
************************************
Patrick Brown
Caucus:* Conservative
Barrie
Telephone: (613) 992-3394
Fax: (613) 996-7923
EMail: BrownPa@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.servingbarrie.com/
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
299 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 302 (Main Office)
Barrie, Ontario
L4N 7Y9
Telephone: (705) 726-5959
Fax: (705) 726-3340
..................................
Nicolas Dufour
Caucus:* Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Repentigny
Telephone: (613) 992-5257
Fax: (613) 996-4338
EMail: DufouN@parl.gc.ca
Preferred Language: French
Constituency Offices
184 Notre-Dame Street, Suite 201
Repentigny, Québec
J6A 2P9
Telephone: (450) 581-3896
Fax: (450) 581-9958
.........................................Cathy McLeod
Cons.
Caucus:* Conservative
Constituency: Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo
Telephone: (613) 995-6931
Fax: (613) 995-9897
EMail: McLeod.C@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.cathymcleod.com
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
979 Victoria Street
Kamloops, British Columbia
V2C 2C1
Telephone: (250) 851-4991
Fax: (250) 851-4994
.................................
Colin Carrie
Cons.
Caucus:* Conservative
Constituency: Oshawa
Telephone: (613) 996-4756
Fax: (613) 992-1357
EMail: CarriCo@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.colincarriemp.ca/
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
57 Simcoe Street South Unit 2B (Main Office)
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 4G4
Telephone: (905) 440-4868
Fax: (905) 440-4872
.................
Kirsty Duncan
Federal Political Experience
Caucus:* Liberal
Constituency: Etobicoke North
Telephone: (613) 995-4702
Fax: (613) 995-8359
EMail: Duncan.K@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* kirstyduncan.liberal.ca/default_e.aspx
Preferred Language: English
Constituency Offices
815 Albion Rd,
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9V 1A3
Telephone: (416) 747-6003
Fax: (416) 747-8295
..........................................................Tim Uppal
Federal Political Experience
Caucus:* Conservative
Constituency: Edmonton—Sherwood Park
Telephone: (613) 995-3611
Fax: (613) 995-3612
EMail: Uppal.T@parl.gc.ca(Information provided by Daryl)
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"The BRAG™ Antenna Ranking of Schools" Grades School Children's Exposure to Cell Antennas in U.S. State Capitols & Washington, D.C. — Report recommends a setback of 1,500 feet for wireless infrastructure near schools
Read Full 7-page Media Advisory on the BRAG™ Report:
http://electromagnetichealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Media_Advisory-Final-4-19.pdf
April 21, 2010, Washington, D.C. A new report, "The BRAG™ Antenna Ranking of Schools" ('BRAG™ Ranking'), will be unveiled next Wednesday by Professor Magda Havas, PhD of Trent University, Canada, along with Jim Turner, Esq., Chairman of Citizens for Health, Camilla Rees, Founder of ElectromagneticHealth.org, Janet Newton, President of the EMR Policy Institute, The ElectroSensitive Society, and Christine Hoch, Executive Director of Moms for Safe Wireless. The BRAG™ Antenna Ranking of Schools report will be introduced in a Media Teleconference on Wednesday, April 28th at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. RSVP to Emily@electromagnetichealth.org for dial-in instructions.
The BRAG™ Ranking is the result of a multi-year study of school children's potential exposure to cell phone antennas and base stations in U.S. state capitols prepared by Dr. Havas and students at Trent University, Canada. Exposure metrics for approximately 6,000 public and private schools were assessed. A composite grade was generated for each school based on 1) how close the nearest antenna was to the school, 2) how many antennas were located within 0.25 miles or approximately 400 meters (the distance within which scientific research documents mental, emotional and physical symptoms in adults), and 3) within 0.6 miles, or approximately 1 kilometer, from the school.
Grades, and rankings, for individual schools, as well as a comparative ranking of state capitols, and the full 173-page BRAG™ Antenna Ranking of Schools report, are available on an embargoed basis at
http://files.me.com/magda.havas/jz62ck.
The embargo will lift on Wednesday, April 28th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. E-mail Emily@ElectromagneticHealth.org for a password to view the BRAG ™ report.
Read More....
_____________________________
Dr. Magda Havas, B.Sc. Ph.D.
Environmental & Resource Studies,
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
phone: 705 748-1011 x 7882 fax: 705 748-1569
www.magdahavas.com (general)
www.magdahavas.org (academic)
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Safety is focus of cell tower debate
Thursday, April 22, 2010
http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/other_health/91788609_Safety_focus_of_cell_tower_debate_.html
Town News
MANAGING EDITOR
E-mail: harbord@northjersey.com
With a proposal for three new cell towers at Borough Hall on the table, several concerned residents hired Dr. Martin Blank, associate professor of physiology and cellular physics at Columbia University, to speak on the potential health risks caused by cell phones and cell towers earlier this month at the Reformed Church of Oradell. Last week, the Oradell Council continued the discussion.
The proposed cell towers would be located on the left side of Borough Hall between the building and Church of the Annunciation. Concealment poles are suggested to house the antennas inside the poles. Two of the poles will feature a 3-by-12 foot banner; the third pole may have a 12-by-18 foot American flag attached to it.
Blank said he has studied the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the cellular level.
Cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation and put out a power frequency between that of a radio/television and microwave, Blank said. A radio gives off about 300 GHz while a microwave emits close to 2,400 MHz.
"Cell phones have a history of being considered non-biology active because they are non-ionizing and don't heat cells up," Blank said. "But the further you go up the scale, the more effect they have of some sort. Electromagnetic fields have a greater impact."
During his presentation, Blank cited several studies that had explored the risk associated with the long-term use of cell phones. In 2006, there was a Danish study focusing on 420,000 "users" that have had a cell phone for a few years.
"When you look at the data, it shows that cell phones have a protective effect," Blank said. "But it's not a balanced coverage. Part of the problem is that the public is not getting a detailed analysis."
Blank also focused on a 2008 study out of Sweden by Lennart Hardell, who focused on the long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumors as an increased risk associated with the use of cell phones for a 10-year latency period.
Hardell's study found that there was an increased risk, about 2 to 3 percent, of a malignant brain tumor regardless of whether the person was using a mobile or cordless phone. The study, according to Blank's presentation, stated that the percentage doubled if cell phone use began during a person's teenage years.
According to Blank, children are the most susceptible to harmful radiation from cell phones and cell towers.
"Cells stimulate DNA to synthesize stress proteins in reaction to potentially harmful stimuli, with changes in temperature, acidity or basicity, and alcohol levels in the body," Blank said. "EMF initiates the stress response by interacting with electrons moving within DNA. It's an SOS call to the cells that there is potential damage."
Council discussion
The council subsequently met on April 13 to continue its discussion on the cell towers. Council members Joseph Murray, Michael Harte and Donna Alonso attended Blank's presentation.
"My opinion of that meeting is that [Professor] Blank was a very informative and gentle man, but I was not convinced in any shape or form that these fields, unlike the Wi-Fi at the library or fire department walkie talkies, pose a health hazard," Harte said. "Other than a study done X number of years ago, he did not present anything from the American Cancer Society (ACS), the federal government or American law that these poles are a health hazard."
Alonso countered that Blank had mentioned research regarding how EMF can change DNA composition.
"In his discussion he did say that there is proof that DNA strands have changed," Alonso said. "If there is a possibility that someone could get sick and have employees in Borough Hall who already have issues of illness, then why put a cell tower so close to the employees, nursery school and elementary students? Why do that if there is a possibility of a DNA change and subject someone to cancer?"
Several neighboring towns either have a cell tower or will be constructing one in the coming months:
* During the winter, River Edge approved a 165-foot tower to be located at the borough's Department of Public Works site.
* Dumont passed an ordinance so that no cell towers could be constructed on borough property, but Verizon erected a cell tower near St. Mary's School following a 2007 application process.
* New Milford recently lost its February court case in Superior Court in Hackensack regarding a 90-foot cell tower to be located at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.
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Concern in LS over excessive use of mobile phones
STAFF WRITER 13:50 HRS IST
http://www.ptinews.com/news/620854_Concern-in-LS-over-excessive-use-of-mobile-phones
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) A BJP member expressed concern in the Lok Sabha over excessive use of mobile phones and setting up of towers in residential areas claiming it led to several diseases, including brain cancer.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Jaishriben Patel said scientific studies have shown that excess use of cellphones causes diseases of the heart, eyes, skin and joints and in children can cause also lead to brain cancer.
Making a strong plea for evolving a proper policy on cellphones, she said setting up of cellphone towers in residential areas should not be allowed as its radiation was harmful for health.
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From: Enrico Grani
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 5:57 PM
Subject: Win for Bardon's mobile phone tower protest group -- (AUSTRALIA) -- 22 April 2010
Win for Bardon's mobile phone tower protest group
22 April 2010 , 9:42 AM by Spencer Howson
Opponents of plans to install a mobile phone near Ranworth State School have scored a win. Kate Watson is a spokesperson for No Towers Near Schools:
612 ABC Brisbane - Radio interview:
Iris
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Study to probe mobile health risk
By Matt McGrath
Science reporter, BBC World Service
The world's largest study on the safety of using mobile phones has been launched by researchers in London.
The project will recruit 250,000 phone users across five different European countries including the UK.
It will last between 20 and 30 years and aims to provide definitive answers on the health impacts of mobile phones.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8637466.stm
(Note - Of course, in twenty or thirty years it will be too late!)
Web site www.weepinitiative.org
e-mail contactweep@weepinitiative.org
To sign up for WEEP News: newssignup@weepinitiative.org (provide name and e-mail address)
W.E.E.P. – The Canadian initiative to stop Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution
