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Cellphones and health: Panel chair accused of conflict
Canada	Created: 19 Jun 2013
Canadian Medical Association Journal says professor on panel had been hired to work for Industry Canada. The chair of a panel tasked with reviewing guidelines around the potential health risks of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from wireless technology may be replaced for not declaring a conflict of interest. On Tuesday, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published findings that University of Ottawa professor Daniel Krewski had been hired to work for Industry Canada in 2008, to help develop a “Communication Strategy for Radiofrequency Fields Risk.” Krewski is the chair of a Royal Society of Canada panel tasked with conducting an independent expert assessment of Health Canada’s standards around radiofrequency emissions, known as Safety Code 6. The panel, made up of eight experts in the field, will assess whether Health Canada guidelines for human exposure to RF emissions should be updated. The report is due out this fall. But according to the http://www.merx.com/English/supplier_menu.asp?WCE=Show&TAB=1&PORTAL=MERX&State=7&id=161051&FED_ONLY=0&hcode=cG7aiTXYNXDrY4Sa%2FSDKmw%3D%3D the professor was paid $126,000 to help to create communication strategies to ease the health concerns of the public around Safety Code 6. That work included developing a handbook on wireless telecommunications and health and a writing a report on the public perception of the potential risks associated with wireless telecommunications. “The report will include suggestions as to how this understanding of public perception of risk can be exploited when communicating with the public on this issue,” says the job requirement, which appears to be sole-sourced to a firm called Risk Sciences International. Krewski did not respond to the Star’s questions, but he told the CMAJ that he had not “specifically disclosed it to the society.” According to the CMAJ, the conflict of interest will be reported to the panel, which will have a chance to reconsider Krewski’s position as chair. The Royal Society did not respond to requests for comment. But a release on its website said it has received a number of complaints regarding conflicts of interests. It says the society was aware of many of the conflicts when the panel was put together. “It is almost inevitable that experts in a field will have expressed conclusions based on existing evidence. But these views are not immutable,” the statement says. “We are confident that the existing panel, working with a wide variety of inputs and benefitting from comments made by the peer reviewers of its report, will make a balanced and fair assessment of SC6 and make sensible recommendations for changes wherever it feels these are needed.” There are more than 2,400 cellphone towers in the GTA, with the bulk of them in Toronto. But across the GTA, municipalities and residents are increasingly opposed to their presence, despite the growing demand for wireless technology. Municipalities want more say as to where a tower can be built, and many residents say the safety standards to be updated. Currently, Industry Canada is responsible for approving towers, which must comply with the Health Canada guidelines known as Safety Code 6.
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Source: Toronto Star, Noor Javed, 18 Jun 2013

Replication of heart rate variability provocation study with 2.4-GHz cordless phone confirms original findings
Canada	Created: 18 Jun 2013
This is a replication of a study that we previously conducted in Colorado with 25 subjects designed to test the effect of electromagnetic radiation generated by the base station of a cordless phone on heart rate variability (HRV). In this study, we analyzed the response of 69 subjects between the ages of 26 and 80 in both Canada and the USA. Subjects were exposed to radiation for 3-min intervals generated by a 2.4-GHz cordless phone base station (3–8 μW/cm2). A few participants had a severe reaction to the radiation with an increase in heart rate and altered HRV indicative of an alarm response to stress. Based on the HRV analyses of the 69 subjects, 7% were classified as being “moderately to very” sensitive, 29% were “little to moderately” sensitive, 30% were “not to little” sensitive and 6% were “unknown”. These results are not psychosomatic and are not due to electromagnetic interference. Twenty-five percent of the subjects' self-proclaimed sensitivity corresponded to that based on the HRV analysis, while 32% overestimated their sensitivity and 42% did not know whether or not they were electrically sensitive. Of the 39 participants who claimed to experience some electrical hypersensitivity, 36% claimed they also reacted to a cordless phone and experienced heart symptoms and, of these, 64% were classified as having some degree of electrohypersensitivity (EHS) based on their HRV response. Novel findings include documentation of a delayed response to radiation. Orthostatic HRV testing combined with provocation testing may provide a diagnostic tool for some sufferers of EHS when they are exposed to electromagnetic emitting devices. The protocol used underestimates reaction to electromagnetic radiation for those who have a delayed autonomic nervous system reaction and it may under diagnose those who have adrenal exhaustion as their ability to mount a response to a stressor is diminished. June 2013, Vol. 32, No. 2 , Pages 253-266 (doi:10.3109/15368378.2013.776437)
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Source: InformaHealthcare, Magda Havas / Jeffrey Marrongelle, Jun 2013

STOP SMART METERS! (UK) Join us @ Get Wired - An event to open minds + inspire action!
United Kingdom	Created: 18 Jun 2013
STOP SMART METERS! (UK) Join us @ Get Wired - An event to open minds + inspire action! DETAILS: www.StopSmartMeters.org.uk/GetWired2013-news BOOKING: www.GetWired.eventbrite.co.uk Website: www.StopSmartMeters.org.uk If you are interested in how the roll out of mandatory smart meters will affect your life at home, your health and that of your family and pets then do consider joining us for: Get Wired in Alfriston on Sunday, 23rd June. Details are available at:www.StopSmartMeters.org.uk/GetWired2013-news The Stop Smart Meters team recently took their case to the House of Commons, when they were invited to present their evidence at the; ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE SMART METER ROLL-OUT take a look at the transcript of the proceedings. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenergy/uc1114-i/uc1114i.pdf DECC has already slowed down the roll out by one year and we want to Stop Smart Meters for a wide number of reasons including the health and vitality of you, your family and all animal species. Let me know if you need anything further? Kind regards Sarah Dacre sarah.dacre@gmail.com STOP SMART METERS! (UK) Join us @ Get Wired - An event to open minds + inspire action!DETAILS: www.StopSmartMeters.org.uk/GetWired2013-news BOOKING: www.GetWired.eventbrite.co.ukWebsite: www.StopSmartMeters.org.uk
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Source: Sarah Dacre/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

The Dangers of WiFi Radiation: See It Measured
United Kingdom	Created: 18 Jun 2013
This video provides a simple, yet profound lesson. The radio frequency radiation being transmitted from your wireless router or modem is extremely toxic and detrimental to your health. Notice how high the measurements are on the RF meter! Most of us are living and working in this type of RF radiation exposure every single day and night. The fix, or remediation is simple: Plug your modem or router into your computer using an Ethernet connection (hardwire), and "disable" the wireless function on your modem or router. This is very important for the health and safety of all those in your home or office. If you need to use the wireless function, then turn it on for a short time, do your task or watch your movie, then disable it once again. Never leave your wireless Internet on all night as it will cause sleep disturbances, which lead to even worse health issues. The fix is simple! Ethernet cord and disable the wireless function. Video (about 7 mins): The Dangers of WiFi Radiation: See It Measured http://www.ForbiddenKnowledgeTV.com/page/23529.html http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/technology/the-dangers-of-wifi-radiation-see-it-measured.html - Alexandra P.S. Please share Forbidden Knowledge TV e-mails and videos with your friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Thanks.
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Source: Alexandra Bruce/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Radiation intensity in Kolkata poses high health risk: Professors
India	Created: 17 Jun 2013
KOLKATA: The alarmingly high intensity of cellphone tower radiation detected on Kolkata's roads by researchers from the electronics & telecommunication engineering department of Jadavpur University is similar to Mumbai and Delhi. Speaking to TOI, IIT Mumbai electrical engineering department professor Girish Kumar who studied the scenario in two metros said street-level radiation of 100-10,000 microwatt per square meter (W/m 2) carried potentially high health risk for citizens. "The high radiation from cellphone towers detected in Kolkata should trigger health concerns. There are more than 1,000 papers by various scientists, who have reported cumulative effect over a few years is significant at levels of 100-1,000 W/m 2," he said. The radio frequency (RF) standard that the cellphone industry had adopted prior to September 1, 2012-9.2 watt per square metre (W/m 2) at 1,800 MHz-was considered safe for short-term exposure of around 6 minutes. The revised standard-0.92 W/m 2at 1,800 Mhz and 0.47 W/m 2at 900 MHz-is valid for maximum one hour exposure in a day. "For people, especially the elderly, housewives and children who live near towers and are exposed to this radiation 24 hours a day, it just isn't safe," Kumar said. Cellular Operators Association of India director general Rajan S Mathews had claimed that cellphone tower emissions do not cause any health concerns, citing World Health Organization (WHO) reports based on a study done in the West. No long-term health impact studies have yet been done in India. While department of science & technology is planning to conduct studies with other departments to understand the health effect of radiation from cell towers and have invited proposals, these studies will take several years. "Should we continue to be exposed to high radiation level till then?" questioned Kumar. IIT Kharagpur chemical engineering professor Sudarsan Neogi, member of the mobile tower radiation committee set up by state environment department, felt the telecom industry needed to tread on the path of caution, citing WHO's precautionary principle. "Faced with a situation where scientific questions on the effect of EM radiation from cell phone towers and phones are being debated for and against under the backdrop of public concern, it will be a prudent policy to be circumspect with some cautionary steps. One such immediate step will be to tighten the radiation norm by reducing the transmitted power in urban areas. This may lead to more number of cell towers, but the power density in the busy residential areas will become less and the marginal cost increase may be justified by addressing concern on the possible ill-effects of EM radiation," said Neogi. Reacting to the COAI chief's attempt to malign the report by alleging that it used wrong benchmarks and questioning the equipment used to measure radiation, professor Iti Saha Misra of JU's ETCE department who led the study said the readings had been repeatedly taken over a period and the average had been used as the base for the ground-level readings that were published in the TOI article. "The instrument that was used for the measurement is industry grade equipment made in Germany, the model number of which is HF 35C. It is used in many developed countries including Norway, Sweden, US, Canada, Japan, France and Australia for taking radiation level readings," she said. The professor also pointed out that there is a difference between radiation at source that is close to the antenna, and radiation exposure that is felt at the location away from source. The benchmark used to determine different concern levels from radiation was based on guideline limits for sleeping area prescribed by radio frequency/microwave exposure guidelines in Building Biology Precautionary Guidelines (SBM-2008). The research team of JU wants to share the observation that at a sufficient distance from the radiating cell towers (approximately 300 m), received power density has been observed as high as 3,000 W/m 2, much beyond the safe limit. The research team also found that cellphone communication was possible when received power density was as low as 1.52 W/m 2(equivalent to -39 dBm), validating a report by Girish Kumar that a cellphone transmitter could provide adequate signal to mobile users for making successful communication at -80dBm to -100 dBm.
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Source: Times of India, Subhro Niyogi, 17 Jun 2013

SPECIAL REPORT: Keeping cell phone in bra may lead to breast cancer
USA	Created: 17 Jun 2013
From Joel Moskowitz TV news report, “Keeping cell phone in bra may lead to breast cancer,” wins award. Last night this news report by KTVU News (Oakland, CA) won a Northern California Emmy Award in the Special Assignment category. The producer and reporter who won this award have done several stories on cell phone radiation health effects. Congratulations to Sharon Navratil and John Fowler! http://bit.ly/137agrz – Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D. Director, Center for Family and Community Health School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley Center: http://cfch.berkeley.edu
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Source: EMFacts, Don Maisch / Joel M. Moskowitz, 17 Jun 2013

NL Health Board inconclusive about mobile radiation effects
Netherlands	Created: 16 Jun 2013
More and more long term research is needed to investigate the link between electromagnetic fields and the occurrence of certain brain tumors, the Health Advisory Board wrote on 3 June, when submitting their conclusions to the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and the environment. The board has looked into the matter, with the participation of professors and researchers. A meta study of available epidemiological studies have yielded no clear evidence of an actual link. Very weak and inconsistent evidence was found only for gliomas (malignant brain tumors), in association with the prolonged use of a mobile phone. But no correlation was found when looking at data covering the Dutch population. At present, data only covers a usage period of up to 13 years. Tumors can have a longer latency period. The Health Board will publish more on a literature study looking at the effects of electromagnetic radiation in animals.
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Source: Sylvie/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Media Advisory: LANDMARK LAWSUIT LAUNCHED AGAINST EDISON AND PG@E OVER HEALTH EFFECTS FROM SMART METERS/SMART GRID...
USA	Created: 12 Jun 2013
Press Release Customers Sue Edison and PG@E Over Health Effects From Smart Meters/Smart grid The law firms of David Kyle and Paul Overett have filed suit against SCE Edison and PG@E for health effects from smart meters/smart grid and will host a press conference on: Wed. June 12th, 12:00 PM at 5150 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90804. A total of 16 plaintiffs, 10 SCE Edison and 6 PG@E with health effects ranging from headaches, loss of energy and ringing in the ears to cancer, heart attacks and medical implant interference/defibrillator shut offs, are holding those responsible for the new wireless digital meters accountable. Also named in the lawsuit are smart meter distribution companies, Corix and Wellington and smart meter manufacturers, Itron and Landis and Gyr, with possibly more defendants to be added as the suit progresses. Health effects associated with smart meters and smart grid have been reported all over the country, but because of the 3.4 billion dollars in federal stimulus grants offered utility companies in exchange for smart meter installation, these complaints have largely been ignored. Also ignoring the complaints of health effects was CPUC president Michael Peevey, who served as president of Edison for over a decade. The smart meter roll out has been plagued with controversy ever since the WHO came out with its statement on the radiation associated with the meters being a possible human carcinogen. Despite these warnings, the Federal government persisted in its funding of the potentially carcinogenic metering and infrastructure which also serves the dual function of spying on American citizens. Other problems with the meters consist of over billing, fire hazard, invasion of privacy and multiple Constitutional violations. But none of these have received as much public backlash as the issue of health effects from smart meters and smart grid. Customers from other utilities in the state of CA, including municipally run utilities such as LADWP, BWP, GWP, SMUD and others who’s health has been compromised by smart meters or smart grid may also join the suit by contacting organizer, Elizabeth Barris at 310-281-9639 or contact@thepeoplesinitiative.org. Copies of the filed complaints can be found at: http://www.citizensforaradiationfreecommunity.org For a video on the lawsuits please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vln-uuu_aI For more info on this issue go to: http://www.ThePeoplesInitiative.org Special thanks to ElectroSmogPrevention.org, EMFSafetyNetwork.org, FreedomTaker.com, SmartMeterHealthAlert.org, StopOCSmartMeters.org, StopSmartMeters.org, for their continued support.
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Source: Elisabeth Barris/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

WHO International Stakeholder Seminar on RF Policies
France	Created: 11 Jun 2013
Associated with mobile phones and masts, wifi, smart meters and wireless technology. On 5th June, 2013 evidence was exchanged at the WHO seminar at the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) in Paris followed by dinner at La Coupole Brasserie. Over 100 stakeholders from 40 countries attended the event including policymakers, EU Commission, telecom, local authorities, regulating bodies, lawyers, environmental activists and health and safety professionals. Board members from the International EMF Alliance Eileen O’Connor, Sissel Halmøy and Kerstin Stenberg attended the meeting. Stenberg representing the Swedish Association for the Electrohypersensitives said, “We are deeply concerned about the increased prevalence of precursory symptoms of electrohypersensitivity in society such as insomnia, concentration and behaviour disorders, depression and tinnitus. We need to reduce the knowledge gap in order to allow an early diagnosis and reduce the incidence of severe electrohypersensitivity.” Much discussion centered around the precautionary principle which advocates erring on the side of caution until wireless technologies can be proven safe. Deep concern has been raised that the profit-driven telecommunications industry is trying to do away with this precautionary approach, with the proliferation of phone masts throughout the world and growing use of mobile phones by all members of society including children and pregnant women, without any prior warnings of the dangers associated with untested and unregulated technology, thus endangering untold millions. Halmoy representing the Citizens´ Radiation Protection in Norway added “Uncertainties for health and the environment exist regarding the introduction of RF fields and increasing use of mobile phones, wifi, phone masts and smart meters which now carry a 2B "possibly human" carcinogenic label as officially classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The public, especially our children and people suffering with Electrosensitive[ES] symptoms deserve respect and protection.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) called for the views of stakeholders and interested parties in the process of preparing an Environmental Health Criteria monograph on radiofrequency (RF) fields. The monograph will include a scientific review of all studied health outcomes and it will provide an overview of risk management policies and practices around the world. The purpose of the seminar provided an opportunity for stakeholders to present their views on specific questions to be addressed during the course of this project. The discussions at the seminar and their conclusions will be considered carefully in the development of the WHO monograph. O’Connor, representing the UK Radiation Research Trust said , “Many doctors and scientists worldwide believe there is a very real and significant risk to the general health of the public, wildlife and the environment. It is an infringement of human rights and may possibly be in contravention of the Nuremberg treaty to subject unsuspecting members of the public to RF/EMF emissions when they have not been shown to be safe, and indeed much research and observation suggest that there are significant risks. Because the public has clearly not given permission or approval or been given proper advice or words of caution to allow them to make informed decisions, we are therefore calling on the WHO to lead the world and to follow the precautionary principle when carrying out this review in order to prevent what could turn out to be a catastrophic disaster.”
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Source: Radiation Research Trust, Eileen O'Connor, 05 Jun 2013

BioEM2013: therapeutic applications prove​ the ​existence of non​-thermal effects
Greece	Created: 10 Jun 2013
The first plenary session presented some of the therapeutic applications of electromagnetic fields. Some of the presented data indicated that not only it is possible to use low-level radiofrequency exposures to heal cancer but also confirmed that non-thermal effects exist. (--snip--) Read the entire post at Prof .Leszczynski's blog via the source link below:
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Source: Between Rock and Hard Place Blog, Dariusz Leszczynski PhD, 10 Jun 2013

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