Newsletter (16 January 2004)

Creating illusions: Base stations “safer than phones” - Mobile phones 'appear to be safe'

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But mobile phones and base stations are “not safe”: mobilize chromosomes

REMEMBER:

Non-effectual information will likely result in a regulatory and consumer backlash.

Base stations are “not safe” but Professor Lawrie Challis (University of Nottingham) expressed surprise

1. Mobile phones: can be more cellular killer than base stations

“Exposure from base stations was at least 1,000 times less than from mobile phones”

Dr. Neil Cherry (27 Oct. 2000) “Leif Salford’s research on microwaves and the Blood Brain Barrier is probably very relevant. The BBB protects the brain from toxins and viruses. About 2 minutes on a cell phone can open the BBB and allow toxins, including prions, into the brain”.

2. Base stations: Is Professor Lawrie Challis house direct radiated from a base station 5 metres distance?

“Professor Lawrie Challis, from the University of Nottingham, expressed surprise at the strength of public concern about the stations”.

Expressed surprise?:

Microwave bombardment is well known since more than 30 years ago.

Dr. George Carlo, (October 1999). "I am concerned that the wireless industry is missing a valuable opportunity by dealing with these public health concerns through politics, creating illusions that more research over the next several years helps consumers today, and false claims that regulatory compliance means safety. The better choice by the wireless industry would be to implement measured steps aimed at true consumer protection."

3. Repetitive false conclusion and repetitive health fraud (with judicial myopia?):

· Mobile phones 'appear to be safe'

Dr. Neil Cherry. (May 2000). "Electromagnetic Radiation is damaging to Brains, Hearts, Embryos, Hormones and Cells. It is therefore a threat to Intelligent Hearty Life. Electromagnetic radiation resonantly interacts with bodies and cells, Interfering with cell-to-cell communication, cell growth and regulation, and is damaging the genetic basis of life."

Dr. George Carlo. (October 1999). "I am especially concerned about what appear to be actions by a segment of the industry to conscript the FCC, the FDA and The World Health Organization with them in following a non-effectual course that will likely result in a regulatory and consumer backlash."

* One cannot be absolutely sure what we will find in the future?

BBC NEWS

Last Updated: Wednesday, 14 January, 2004, 12:54 GMT

Base stations 'safer than phones

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A physics professor who advised the government on mobile phone radiation says the public has little to fear from base stations. Professor Lawrie Challis, from the University of Nottingham, expressed surprise at the strength of public concern about the stations. He said radiation levels from base stations were so small that a few seconds speaking on a mobile phone was equivalent to standing in the direct beam of a base station for 24 hours. Exposure from base stations was at least 1,000 times less than from mobile phones, he said. Professor Challis said: "As a scientist I think it's surprising that someone who uses a mobile phone and gets far more exposure from that should be concerned about base stations." He thought psychological factors probably affected people's thinking because base stations were so large and visible. There was also the fear they could affect property prices. But in reality radiation from base stations was not that different from radiation from TV transmission masts, he said.

Professor Challis was a member of the government's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation. It has reported there is no evidence that mobile phones and masts can harm health.

However, the scientists said more research is needed before they can be absolutely certain there is no risk.

BBC NEWS

Last Updated: Wednesday, 14 January, 2004, 18:27 GMT

Mobile phones 'appear to be safe'

UK government scientists have given a cautious thumbs up to mobile phones and transmission masts.

A report from the Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation says there is no evidence they harm health.

However, the scientists said more research is needed before they can be absolutely certain there is no risk.

Informant: Dr Miguel Muntané

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Residents win radio mast victory

The Tetra police radio masts should be removed by Friday

A telecommunications company has agreed to remove two radio masts that were put up without planning permission.

Residents in the village of Rogate, West Sussex, had been holding a vigil at Forge Farm since Saturday, when O2 Airwave installed a mast at 0200 GMT.

Another phone mast was also put up during the weekend at Bowhill Farm, east Marden, near Chichester. Chichester District Council had given the company until 1300 GMT on Wednesday to remove both Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) masts. O2 Airwave agreed to take them down following discussions.

A new deadline of 1700 GMT on Friday has now been set and the council will consider seeking High Court injunctions to secure removal of the masts if this agreement is broken.

The Tetra radio network, which is being installed for 29 police forces in the UK, offers better coverage than mobile phones as well as secure high-quality transmissions.

Residents had campaigned against the masts as they believe the technology used in them can cause cancer and interfere with the body's natural internal communication mechanisms, leading to ill health.

Paul Jessop, chairman of Rogate Parish Council, said: "This is a great victory for people power. It shows that when people stand up for things, big businesses have to give in.

"We would like to see the whole Tetra network scrapped and we wish other people well in their campaigns against these masts and this shows what can be done.

Campaign continues

"We will continue to campaign against these masts and wait to hear what comes of the planning process."

A spokeswoman for O2 Airwave said the masts were put up despite the lack of planning permission to meet the company's installation deadline.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3397909.stm

Informant: Robert Riedlinger

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"The mobile phone was burning in my hand"

Dalia Masori

Maariv 14.1.2004

Is the cellular communication becoming dangerous?

"The phone smelled bad when I put it in the pocket, but I didn't attribute importance to this". Half an hour later, Liron took the phone out of her pocket, to check if she had received any calls. "When I took it out, it had a strong smell of a fire. The device was really burning in my hand, and I got a little burn in my finger. I saw that in the center of the devices was a hole, and I was pressured very much because of that". Liron called her mother from her friend's mobile phone.

Cellcom: "The company contacted the family. The cell phone didn't explode, and no harm was done to the child. A company representative was talking with the customer and she expressed her satisfaction from the service". 

Liron infomed yesterday that she will continue using the mobile phone. "I must be in contact with my parents, so that they won't be worried about me".

Message from Iris Atzmon

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Errant email shames RFID backer

Wired News

"The companies and organizations behind radio-frequency identification tags are scrambling to improve their image by promising to protect the privacy rights of consumers, after they were caught trying to dig up dirt about one of their most effective critics.

The companies also said they are developing devices to disable RFID tags, which they are placing on everything from shampoo bottles to suit jackets in the United States and Europe .... And now the GMA says it wants [CASPIAN founder Katherine] Albrecht's advice. This represents an about-face by many RFID backers, who have often played down their plans to tag individual items and accused Albrecht of exaggerating the threat the tags pose to consumer privacy." (01/12/04)

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,61868,00.html

 

Wanna go where everybody knows your name?

Reason

by Brian Doherty

http://www.reason.com/links/links011304.shtml

 

Fly, fly away

Civil Liberties Watch

by Elaine Cassel

"Now that Big Brother has a way to create a dossier on each and every one of us, flying a commercial airliner puts us at risk of being 'persons of interest.' Buy a ticket and there is a file with your name on it, to be used by our government, we are assured, only to 'track terrorists.' The information soon to be demanded of airlines will allow Big Brother to aggregate all other computer-based information about us." (01/13/04)

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/ecassel/2004/01/13

 

Big Brother Britain, 2004

Independent [UK]

by Maxine Frith

"More than four million surveillance cameras monitor our every move, making Britain the most-watched nation in the world, research has revealed. The number of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras has quadrupled in the past three years, and there is now one for every 14 people in the UK. The increase is happening at twice the predicted rate, and it is believed that Britain accounts for one-fifth of all CCTV cameras worldwide." (01/12/04)

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=480364

 

Peace IS possible

No Force, No Fraud

by Bob Smith

"One of the strong reasons we have for interacting peacefully with each other is that we work together, or play together, and trade with many others. It is self-serving to avoid conflict, because even personal conflict is time-consuming and costly. We learn to work together in ways that prevent conflict, because it is to each of our advantages. ... Powerful governments are the major destroyers of peace. How can we keep our government from being warlike?" (01/14/04)

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/bsmith/2004/01/14

Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

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Global Warming: Not Just Another Issue

by Ted Glick

This is not just another issue. It is an absolutely central one. There is widespread agreement in the world scientific community that unless we dramatically shift from the use of fossil fuels to the use of clean and renewable energy, we are facing a truly apocalyptic future. Among the likely consequence .

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Jan04/Glick0113.htm