W.E.E.P. News
Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution News
2 June 2011
Ontario government to examine possible cellphone link to cancer
TORONTO — The Ontario government will examine a World Health Organization warning about a possible link between cellphones and cancer, but won't take any immediate action to warn consumers, Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best said Wednesday.
The United Nations agency reported Tuesday that the type of electromagnetic radiation emitted by cellphones and other wireless devices could possibly cause cancer.
The New Democrats want warning labels slapped on cellphones and smart phones to caution users about the possible increased risk of cancer, but Best said for now she'll consult more experts.
"I will be speaking with the Ontario chief medical officer of health, as well as Health Canada," she said. "It's a very important issue, and we will monitor and continue to monitor the evidence, the new evidence that has been brought forward."
Scientists with the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic to humans,"' based on a higher risk of glioma, a rare but often deadly form of brain tumour.
Other substances in the same category include pesticides and gasoline engine exhaust. The other categories include carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic and probably not carcinogenic.
The New Democrats said parents should not let their children use cellphones because their thinner skulls make them more vulnerable to the radiation.
"Would you let your kids play in the exhaust coming from a car?" said NDP health critic France Gelinas. "Right now they treat it as low microwaves cooking your brain slowly."
The NDP wants the warnings already printed in the books that come with mobile and smart phones to be placed on the actual phones themselves. The upgraded warning from the UN agency should prompt governments to take action to protect people, added Gelinas.
"How much more evidence do you need before you do as little as letting people know that there might be a risk, and here's how you protect yourself?" she said. "When the World Health Organization bumps it up a step, it is significant, significant enough that a government should act."
The Progressive Conservatives said the WHO report was a "warning flag," but said government should wait until the studies are completed to confirm a link between cellphones and cancer.
The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, which represents most of the cellphone companies, said Tuesday that the WHO report only found a "possible" link between wireless devices and cancer.
"They were very clear that they are not saying there is a proven link between cellphones and cancer," said Marc Choma, the wireless association's director of communications. "There is no reason to put a warning on the cellphones."
A group of parents in the Barrie area who have been fighting to have WiFi turned off in schools said the WHO report gives school boards all the evidence they need to take action to protect teachers and students exposed to wireless radiation for six hours a day.
"If they already have policies in place to deal with anything that legally is called a potential hazard, they are obligated to warn any person who works in the building that the hazard exists and what the hazard is," said Rodney Palmer of the Simcoe County Safe Schools Committee. "Do we put a class 2B carcinogen in a classroom and do we do that without informed consent from the parents?"
The cancer warning isn't just about cellphones, added Palmer.
"It's WiFi, baby monitors and cordless home telephones, which all operate at 2.4(gigahertz)," he said.
The Canadian Press
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Ontario Legislature Question Period today
Please post and forward Hansard from Ontario Legislature Question Period today.
The Minister was scrummed by media afterwards.
She would only say she is monitoring the situation and speaking to experts.
Michael
1 June 2011
Oral Questions
Mme France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Promotion de la santé. Given that the World Health Organization has now classified electro magnetic fields from cellphones as a possible carcinogen, that is, that it could cause cancer, will the government require cellphone companies to put warnings on cellphones sold in Ontario?
Hon. Margarett R. Best: I thank the member for her question. First of all, let me assure you that our government continues to be committed to the health of Ontarians. We have worked diligently to address the dangers associated with cigarette smoking, unhealthy eating and inactivity. We certainly welcome the World Health Organization's report. We will continue to review all evidence, including this report, in consultation with our experts.
Let me just say that the one thing that the member says—and I agree with what she says—they said there is "possible"—and I think that is a very key word for her to keep in mind as I continue to talk with our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Health Canada and all our experts in monitoring the new scientific evidence that has come to—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?
Mme France Gélinas: This is an issue that I have addressed with this minister before in a number of ways. In rejecting our call to inform Ontarians about the health risk cellphones the minister said, "Based on reviews of available scientific evidence by credible public health agencies, such as the World Health Organization, the RF energy from cellphones has not been demonstrated to be causally linked to adverse health effects including cancer." That is what she said. Now, that the World Health Organization has linked cellphones to cancer and is calling for pragmatic measures to reduce exposure, won't the minister support the pragmatic measure by putting warning labels on cellphones, or will she do nothing at all to educate Ontarians about the possible health risks for cellphone use?
Hon. Margarett R. Best: Let me reiterate for the member, in case she didn't hear me he first time: We have worked diligently to address the dangers of cigarette smoking, unhealthy eating and inactivity. ??Wildly enough, Ontarians are certainly something we are committed to as a government. As the member said before, the World Health Organization has said that there is a possible, and I quote, "possible," and underline that. That is why we have experts that we speak to. I do not do this—make decisions on my own—without listening to the experts. What I will do upon reviewing this evidence and talking with our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Health Canada, we will continue to monitor the new scientific evidence—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.
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Washington Post
WHO Group Finds Mobile-Phone Radiation May Cause Cancer
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Cellphone study raises profile on safety lawsuits
A working group of WHO cancer experts suggested on Tuesday that cellphone use should be classified as "possibly carcinogenic" after reviewing of all the available scientific evidence. The classification puts mobile phone use in the same broad cancer ...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/01/us-cellphones-lawsuits-idUSTRE75075L20110601
David
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Proposed Cell Tower Plans Suspended
Earlier this evening, Rogers issued a press release stating that the installation at 1461 Rebecca has been suspended pending further discussions with the Mayor and the Town. Full text of the Rogers press release follows at the end of this email.
We view this development in a positive light. We have spoken to the Mayor, who has been working with us. He is very aware of the concerns that we all share with regard to this installation, including the lack of consultation and wisdom of placing these installations in such close proximity to residential areas.
While we welcome this news, we also recognize that much work remains to be done. It has been your continued vigilance and hard work that has seen us make some progress.
The federal government retains their exclusive authority in this matter, and they are the only level of government with the power to make changes to the legislation governing these installations. If you have not done so already, you can express your concerns to our Oakville Member of Parliament, Terence Young, at young.t@parl.gc.ca
We look forward to continuing to work with you to see a satisfactory resolution to this issue.
Cathy & Pam
FULL TEXT OF ROGERS PRESS RELEASE
Rogers and Town of Oakville to Work Together on Cell Sites
(Toronto, ON) June 1, 2011 – Rogers today announced that it suspended work to erect a cell tower in the Hopedale Mall area of Oakville pending further discussions with Mayor Rob Burton to develop workable alternatives to this site in order to provide Oakville residents with the benefits of world class high quality wireless voice and data services.
Rogers has agreed to participate in developing a new protocol with the Town for future sites. It was acknowledged in the meeting with Mayor Burton that demand for wireless is increasing dramatically and sites are required to fulfill this demand.
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Sleep Deprivation a Chronic Condition
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World Health Org Warns of Cancer from Wireless
... and unlike a wifi router or cell phone, they cannot be turned off. According to Cindy Sage of Sage Associates, co-editor of the Bioinitiative report and author of a study on the health effects of smart meters, "Smart meters can produce RF exposures ...
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/05/31/18680823.php
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From Israel
Ofir Pines: They knew all the time
Ofir Pines, former Knesset member, was interviewed this morning on IARC's decision on the radio. He said- the decision makers knew and they prevented the public from radiation protection. I would take the executives of the Communication Ministry to court for this, not less.
He said people in Israel are dying from tumors caused by the cellular phone. Many people have cancer and they don't make the connection to the radiation.
Prof Sigal Sadezky: I was surprised
Dan Shilon on TV interviewed Prof. Sadezky: what happened that they changed suddenly changed their former decision, which said that there is no link between cellular and cancer. Sadezky: Lately there were published several studies, including mine. And this affected the change of their decision. I am in this subject for 15 years. We are surrounded by non ionizing radiation non stop.
For example Wi-Fi, DECT. I was surprised by IARC's decision. I did not expect they would go so far. The cell phone companies will continue to operate. The question is now whether to adopt 4G, there was no public debate.
Iris
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Cancer Research UK lets the public down over mobile phone safety advice
The World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer have concluded, almost unanimously, that there is enough evidence to classify Radio Frequency energy exposure as a "Possible Human Carcinogen". CRUK virtually dismiss the IARC judgement as being most unlikely and do not offer any advice to the public or users about ways they might use their mobile more safely. We do wonder which team they are playing for.
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/20110601-cancer-research-uk-mobile-advice-condemned.asp
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End of Supporting Story Content
"As far as cellphones and cellphone-like technology is concerned, the relevant electromagnetic radiation has been studied since microwave ovens came on to the scene," he said. "To say that cellphones now are a relatively unstudied phenomenon is simply ...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2009/01/22/f-cellphoneshealth.html
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Mobile phone radiation - Lyn McLean
Lyn is the author of a number of papers and books on EMR or electromagnetic radiation and has been monitoring and writing on the subject for fifteen years. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. ...
http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/06/mobile-phone-radiation-lyn-mclean.html
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WHO agency warns cellphone use 'possibly carcinogenic'
Globe and Mail
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