Newsletter (13 February 2004)

Citizens Group Challenges FCC Refusal to Investigate Health Effects of Broadband Transmissions

Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2004

The EMR Network (EMR) petitioned the FCC 3 years ago to open an inquiry into current environmental impacts of RF radiation. Last August the FCC denied the request, disclaiming any responsibility.  EMR filed its brief seeking to reverse this action late last week.

Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 the FCC has sole jurisdiction to determine acceptable levels of RF radiation in populated areas.  Its present guidelines were developed almost 20 years ago. Citing the increasing number of international studies finding biological effects from RF radiation, EMR asserts that the FCC is obligated to review its obsolete guidelines without further delay.

Whitney North Seymour, Jr. is providing legal counsel for this appeal pro bono. His legal career has included private practice, a term as federal prosecutor for New York, and public interest work with a particular interest in environmental law, having co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council in 1969.

"EMR is requesting the Court to reverse the Commission's dismissal Order and require the FCC to issue a Notice of Inquiry about the need to revise its Rules concerning the environmental effects of RF radiation," states Janet Newton, President of The EMR Policy Institute, who assisted in preparing the appeal brief file last week.  "Given the explosion in the past decade of RF radiation-dependent technologies that are in continuous operation throughout our environment, the FCC must shoulder its statutory responsibility and take a NEPA-compliant "hard look" to protect the public interest in this evolving public health question, especially in light of the fact that other regulatory agencies - EPA and FDA - have been largely defunded in their fiduciary roles".

http://www.emrpolicy.org/litigation/case_law/docs/11feb04background.pdf ]

Janet Newton, The EMR Policy Institute, P.O. Box 117, Marshfield VT  05658

Tel: (802) 426-3035  FAX: (802) 426-3030, Web Site:  www.emrpolicy.org

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New cluster of childhood cancers and leukaemia in UK far worse than Seascale

Low Level Radiation Campaign email briefing

Read under http://www.llrc.org/health/subtopic/menai.htm

Low Level Radiation Campaign, bramhall@llrc.org

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Precaution and the Flat Earth Council of the Netherlands

Precaution is now a dirty word in the Netherlands

It seems that the topic of "Mobile Phones and Children" is where the action is lately with cell phone industry and their fellow travellers.

Back in August of 2003 my paper "Children and Mobile Phones...Is There a Health Risk? The case for extra precautions"  was published in the ACNEM Journal (see http://www.acnem.org

Possibly not to be outdone by an upstart risk entrepreneur from the Antipodes, the Flat Earth Committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands have reacted with their own rather snappy version titled: "Mobile Phones and Children: Is Precaution Warranted?"

Predictably the enlightened experts from the Health Council have put their collective brain together and concluded that:

"The Health Council of the Netherlands approached the problem by considering whether developmental arguments might be found, i.e., asking if there [is] reason to believe that the heads of children are more susceptible to the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones than those of adults. It concluded that no major changes in head development occur after the second year of life that might point at a difference in electromagnetic susceptibility between children and adults. The Health Council therefore sees no reason to recommend limiting the use of mobile phones by children." (published in Bioelectromagnetics 25: 142-144, 2004)

Reading through the HC paper I get the impression that it seems to have been written more to come up with an unqualified all-clear for cell phone use than deal in the many unknowns that would indicate a precautionary action. The authors have assembled a hodge podge of info that they used to attack the IEGMP report's "precautionary approach".

This is in stark contrast to the recent admission by AGNIR that "Little has been published specifically on childhood exposure to RF fields and no new substantial studies on this have been published since the IEGMP report."

Never to let a lack of science get in the way the Health Council's Flat Earth Committee claims to have come up with the goods based on "solid scientific evidence" that gives the okay to cell phone use by kiddies. And when it comes to that dirty word, "Precaution", its just unfounded fear based on ignorance.

A glaring example of the Health Council's inability to deal with precaution when it comes to radiation and health issues is its astonishing ruling on the non dangers of exposure to Depleted Uranium. If this August body of experts can conclude that ingestion of DU is not really a risk to health- only a matter of better "communication to prevent unnecessary anxiety" can they be believed with anything?

Anyone know how to spell "Newspeak" in Dutch?

Message from Don Maisch (excerpt)

Comments from Dr Miguel Muntané:

The mobile telephone is “zero precaution”: to alter the primary line of cellular defense.

Precaution is now a dirty word?.

1. Mobile has “zero fundament”: to study a “bag of sugar-water”.

“The permit limit for microwave radiation has not been determined by doctors and biologists, based on trials on animals and humans, but by technicians and solely from the amount of radiation it takes to warm up a bag of sugar water with 1 degree Celsius.

2. “Extra precaution” is optimistic but wrong: to alter the primary line of cellular defense.

The molecular agitation  by microwaves is “mechanical”. IEEE Spectrum.

Professor Kasevich (August 2002) “Electromagnetic theory and decades of experiments clearly indicate that the electromagnetic fields of radio and microwaves can also affect cells mechanically, without producing significant amounts of heat”.

“The relevant physics starts with the fact that all living things absorb and scatter electromagnetic waves. As they do so, they convert, on a molecular level, the electromagnetic fields of the waves into mechanical forces”.

“Thus electromagnetic fields can physically move, reorient, or even alter molecules or ions-or their distributions-in the body”. “They can affect the rate of chemical reactions and the ability of molecules to pass through a membrane”.

To focus attention on the head alteration of the "Blood-Brain Barrier".

Professor Kasevich (August 2002) “Possible links between molecular or cellular effects and human health are controversial, but a number of experts are focusing their attention on the blood-brain barrier”.

“This physiological complex, which includes as its primary line of defense the cellular lining of capillaries in the brain, shields the brain and central nervous system from foreign and harmful substances”.

3. “After the second year of life”: False conclusion without scientific demonstration?

It concluded that no major changes in head development occur after the second year of life……….

3.1. Summary ambiguous conclusions:

“No major” changes, is ambiguous.

“Head development”, is ambiguous.

”Second year”? … of life?

* MORE INVESTIGATION? : Important to study (in the next COST 281 – or in the tropic) …the ”Second year” of an (alive?) bag of sugar-water.

Sunday Mirror. U.K. (27/12/2001) THE CHILD SCRAMBLER

Dr Michael Klieeisen, who conducted the study, said: "We were able to see in minute detail what was going on in the brain. "We never expected to see this continuing activity in the brain.

"We are worried that delicate balances that exist -- such as the immunity to infection and disease -- could be altered by interference with chemical balances in the brain."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "In children mobile phone use should be restricted to very short periods of time."

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/

* How many aborts (Zero years?) near base stations?

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Idaho court awards family $17.5 million in stray voltage suit

Strayvoltage.org Message Board: In the News: Idaho court awards family $17.5 million in stray voltage suit

By Chris Hardie on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 07:32 pm:

Jury awards dairy $17.5 million

By Twins Falls Times-News

TWIN FALLS

The lead attorney for the dairy said that, to his knowledge, the award is among the largest ever in Twin Falls County and is also a record for so-called "stray voltage" cases in the United States.

Following a 10-week trial, the 12-member jury Tuesday found that antiquated Idaho Power Co. equipment caused cows at the dairy owned by Mike and Susan Vierstra to become sick and reduced milk production over a period of several years.

The jury calculated compensatory damages at $7.49 million and set punitive damages at $10 million. The dairy had sought $8 million in compensatory damages and up to $40 million in punitive damages, said Ken Peterson, a Kansas attorney who represented the Vierstras in the trial. Idaho Power was found to be 85 percent at fault for damages to the dairy, while the jury placed 15 percent of the responsibility on the dairy.

Peterson said Wednesday he was pleased with the verdict but thinks the award would have been larger "if we had done a few things differently." He declined to specify what he would do differently, but he said he learned things from the trial that could be applied in other stray voltage lawsuits.

"This in an important national issue, because the utilities have not taken care of the rural lines like they should," Peterson said. "They're antiquated, they're outdated, they have unbalanced loads on them, and they present a tremendous threat to the agricultural community. The havoc they raise on all kinds of livestock is just unbelievable. Many farmers have gone broke, and they don't know that's the reason why."

Idaho Power indicated that it intends to appeal the verdict.

"We're certainly disappointed by the decision in the Vierstra case and surprised by the jury's verdict," company spokeswoman Anne Alenskis said Wednesday. "We're surprised because along with several independent electricians, we investigated the company's facilities that were in issue ... and through those investigations found the company's facilities to be within normal operating standards."

Informant: Robert Riedlinger

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Come fry with me

Electromagnetic weapons

Source: The Economist (2003): Feb. 1st-7th, 2003, S. 68-69

Jan 30th 2003, From The Economist print edition

Experimental electromagnetic weaponry may soon see combat use

http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1559830

http://www.mikrowellenterror.de/english/comfrywithme.htm

and

E-Bombs future for weaponry

11 February 2004

By Ryan Floersheim, Daily Lobo, University of New Mexico

Media Credit: Courtesy of Edl Schamiloglu

Edl Schamiloglu, right, poses with a group of visiting Russian scientists next to one of UNM´s high-powered microwave sources. Portions of the University´s microwave research have been used for military weapon advancement.

High-powered microwave weapons, capable of winning wars without causing human casualties, just may be the future of warfare. One UNM professor has been working quietly in a laboratory on campus since 1988, trying to work out the kinks in the new microwave technology.

see more under:

http://www.lobolink.com/main.cfm?include=displaystaffbio&authorid=508703"

Informant: kevcross5

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"Seeds of Deception"

by Jeffrey M. Smith

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/

Informant: Hans Karow