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Vodafone phone mast would ‘destroy’ landscape
Wales Created: 9 May 2022
A PROPOSAL for a phone mast in south Ceredigion has received a slew of objections from local communities and branded a “scar” on the area.

Telecommunications company Vodafone have submitted a planning proposal to build a 30-metre lattice tower on the Clywedog Plantation, near Ffarmers and Llanfair Clydogau.

A slew of objections have been submitted. The deadline for objections has now been extended, with members of the public being given until 20 May.

Steven Holmes, who is standing for councillor in the Cilycwm Ward for Carmarthenshire County Council, said the mast would be an “eyesore and potential health risk”.

He added: “The main objections deal with its siting in a Special Landscape Area, being a scar on the incredible and beautiful views in this part of West Wales, disruption to wildlife, of which there are examples of protected species, and potential economic damage to the many B&Bs and self-catering businesses in the area.”

Cadw said proposal would be “located in an archaeologically sensitive landscape”, pointing to “several significant sites recorded within one kilometre”. The tower would sit between three Bronze Age monuments, Carn Fawr, Carn Fachn and Garn Wen, and would “have an adverse impact on their settings”.

Dyfed Archaeological Trust recommended “an archaeological desk-based assessment of the potential impacts of the development on the historic environment”.

Steven added: “The recent roll-out of high speed Fibre Broadband to local communities with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), as well as existing mobile reception improvements, removes the need for installation of major new mobile technology infrastructure in rural Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, especially where this is particularly obtrusive.”

Cambrian Mountains Society said the site is the North Eastern Uplands Special Landscape Area: “As this would be visible over a great distance, CMS contends that it would have a disastrous visual impact on an area of great natural beauty.

“CMS also contends that such an intrusive development would discourage people from visiting this area, and hence would have an adverse effect on local businesses.”

Cellan resident Richard Onslow called the proposal “unjustifiable”, with Carol Guest suggesting it would be a “blott on what is such a beautiful landscape”.

Llanybydder resident James Orme said: “We have no need for the technology provided through this proposed mast, nor do we want it. There is an abundance of evidence for the harm of wireless technology, including but not limited to 5G technology.”

The UK Government said “a large amount” of scientific evidence has been published in recent years, addressing concerns about “rapidly proliferating modern communications technologies”. They stated expert groups support the “view that health effects are unlikely to occur if exposures are below ICNIRP’s internationally agreed guideline levels”.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Cambrian News, Alexandra Bánfi, 05 May 2022

Welsh Conservatives call for overhaul of mobile mast law
Wales Created: 14 Aug 2018
WELSH law around the heights of mobile masts should be brought in line with English law in an effort to battle poor signal in rural areas of the country, the Welsh Conservatives have said.

Currently, the maximum height restriction for communication masts in Wales is 50ft, whereas in England the maximum permitted height is 82ft. The Welsh Conservatives have said Welsh law should be brought in line with English law to improve mobile coverage.

The group's interim leader Paul Davies said: “Wales continues to lag behind the rest of the United Kingdom when it comes to the quality of mobile signal, and particularly so in our rural communities.

“Historically, the focus has been predominantly on improving the speed of connections but many hardworking people in Welsh communities are being held back by the issue of reliability.

“The Welsh Government need to take urgent action to adjust current planning laws in order to enable the building of masts that can help change the game in relation to 4G and 5G coverage across the country.

“Without much needed action in this area, Wales will continue to drastically lag behind other parts of the UK and Welsh businesses and communities will continue to miss out on the service provision that they desperately need.”
Click here to view the source article.
Source: South Wales Argus, Ian Craig, 23 Jul 2018

We need to protect Wales from the harmful effects of modern wireless technologies
Wales Created: 22 Feb 2018
The pioneering Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is an ambitious piece of legislation which aims to improve the quality of life for people in Wales.

The Act requires public bodies in Wales to carry out sustainable development in order to achieve the seven well-being goals it sets out.

The WFG Act seeks to prevent short-sighted policy-making, “where things done to meet short-term needs may have detrimental long-term effects.”

The environmental issue at the heart of the WFG Act is climate change. However, the terms of the legislation mean that public bodies in Wales must now take action on another environmental issue: anthropogenic radiofrequency radiation (RFR).

Man-made RFR is a growing yet invisible form of environmental pollution.

Its main sources are modern wireless technologies: mobile phones and masts, cordless phones, WiFi routers, baby monitors, smart meters, 5G, etc.

The rapid proliferation of wireless technology ignores the impacts on health and well-being of chronic, cumulative and overlapping exposures to the low levels of man-made RF electromagnetic fields (EMFs) it generates.

Warnings from around the world

There is now a substantial body of scientific evidence that exposure to man-made RF-EMFs at levels well below currently permitted limits is detrimental to health.

In 2015 over 200 scientists from 41 nations, all specialists in the biological effects of EMFs, signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal.

The effects of low-intensity EMF noted by these scientists included increased cancer risk, cellular stress, free radical formation, increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and genetic damage.

Genetic damage is clearly not good news for future generations. Other potential effects include learning and memory deficits, neurologic/neurotransmitter disorders, reproductive effects, and negative impacts on general well-being.

Most people are unaware that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RFR as a 2B ‘possible’ carcinogen in May 2011.

This decision was strengthened in May 2016 when the preliminary findings of a $25m study into the carcinogenicity of RFR by the US National Toxicology Program were given early release.

The researchers thought the findings warranted immediate precautionary recommendations from governments and health agencies.

Exposure to RFR was associated with a statistically significant increase in rare tumours in the brains and hearts of rats.

Failing public health

Regarding RFR, leading scientists from around the world have underlined “the critical need to face difficult questions, make mid-course corrections, and try to repair the damage already done to this generation, and to think about protecting future generations.”

At present nothing is being done in Wales to address the issue of increasing anthropogenic RF pollution and its potential impacts on the health of the nation.

Public Health Wales currently offers no recommendations on mobile phone use or exposure to other sources of RFR in the modern environment. This stance misleads the people of Wales into believing that the technology poses no risks.

It also discourages them from taking simple steps to limit their exposure: the small print of most mobile devices stipulates that a distance should be maintained at all times between the device and one’s body.

PHW also fails to mention that the NHS Choices website advises that children should only use a mobile phone for essential purposes and keep all calls short. How many parents in Wales are aware of this?

The people of Wales need to be informed about the potential adverse health impacts of chronic exposure to RFR and encouraged to reduce their personal exposure in their homes and everyday lives. Public bodies in Wales must also act to reduce the exposure of their staff and users to RFR.

Wales trails other nations

Wales lags far behind other countries in implementing precautionary measures on RFR exposure.

France, for example, legislated in 2015 in favour of ‘sobriety’: measures include banning WiFi from nurseries for children aged 3 and under, and stipulating that WiFi must be disabled in primary schools when not in use.

Last year, the French equivalent of Public Health Wales (ANSES) noted a possible effect of exposure to RFR on the well-being of children and on their cognitive functions (memory, executive functions and attention) and recommended reducing children’s RFR exposure.

Elsewhere too, action is being taken. Many other countries—Argentina, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Israel, Poland—are advising caution or seeking to reduce public exposure to RFR.

While the WFG Act should put Wales at the forefront of initiating policies to reduce public exposure to RFR, in reality, Wales has a lot of catching up to do.

An opportunity for Wales

Taking action to reduce RF pollution presents Wales with the opportunity to draw on the talent in our universities, our industry and business communities to pioneer the development of new bio-friendly telecommunications technologies which put the health of people and the environment first.

Olle Johansson, Professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and one of the world’s leading specialists on the health impacts of RFR, told me: “In Norway they see this [EMF-related] crisis as a potential platform to build tomorrow’s green, human- and environmentally-friendly technology. That’s smart and will probably make Norway richer than Japan ever was.” What is stopping Wales from showing similar ambition?

Besides helping to breathe new life into Wales’s economy and skills base, developing clean, non-toxic and sustainable alternatives to today’s wireless technologies would help Wales fulfill its goal of global responsibility in a way which would complement its transition to a low-carbon economy: a low-EMF economy.

Wales must dare to be different

Devolution means that we do not have to toe the line adopted by other parts of the UK when it comes to health and environmental issues.

Recent legislation shows how the ground-breaking WFG Act is helping to shape Wales’s commitment to sustainable practices, long-term thinking and prevention: the Environment Act 2016 committed Wales to substantially reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to managing our natural resources sustainably, while the Public Health Act 2017 placed further restrictions on smoking in public places.

The roadmap for action on RFR is set out in the Council of Europe’s Resolution 1815 (2011). Measures include substantially reducing permitted exposure levels, preferring wired internet access over wireless in schools, hospitals and other public places, and running public health campaigns to inform the people of Wales of the risks from prolonged and ill-considered use of wireless technology.

Wales must take action

RF pollution is set to increase enormously if the roll-out of 5G goes ahead. This recently prompted an international appeal by scientists for a moratorium on 5G in the EU (13th September 2017).

The 180 signatories note: “5G technology is effective only over short distances. It is poorly transmitted through solid material. Many new antennas will be required and full-scale implementation will result in antennas every 10 to 12 houses in urban areas, thus massively increasing mandatory exposure.”

Rolling out more large-scale wireless infrastructure like smart meters and 5G is a short-sighted and wrong-headed policy which contravenes the WFG Act.

As is the case with climate change, remedial action in the future is likely to prove far more costly in human, environmental and economic terms than sensible decisions made now in the light of the substantial amount of scientific evidence of harmful impacts already available.

Wales must have the ambition to take up the challenges of developing bio-compatible alternatives to today’s wireless technologies. In conformity with the WFG Act, RF pollution in Wales must also be reduced. This will help make our ecosystems and our economy more resilient and ensure a healthier future for the people of Wales.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Nation Cymru, Annelie Fitzgerald, 20 Feb 2018

Denbigh mobile mast bid sparks health fears
Wales Created: 6 Apr 2017
Health could be put at risk if plans to erect a 15 metre high mobile telephone mast in the middle of a built up area are given the go ahead.

That is the claim made by a county councillor and local residents opposed to the scheme to allow a mast to be put up on local authority owned land in Denbigh.

Upper Denbigh county councillor, Colin Hughes, is opposed to the plan to site the structure at the junction of Smithfield Road and Lon Llewelyn because he and a number of local residents say it is too close to their homes when the effects of their health could be “harmful”.

Denbighshire Council said it is currently consulting on the pland and has referred the health concerns raised by residents to Public Health Wales to see if there is a risk from the mast.

Cllr Hughes however insisted people had genuine fears about the potential impact of the masts: “Everybody relies on their mobile phones and want a good signal but the science behind the antennas is inconclusive.

“The evidence does not tell us if it is harmful or it isn’t. A lot of people here are worried. And why does it have to be so close to houses when there is plenty of room just up the road.”

The mast will be on Denbighshire property with the council making an income from it if the pylon is built, he added.

Cllr Hughes argued that this could cause a conflict of interest for the council.

“The amount of money they’ll make is minimal but is it ethical for them to make any money out of a mobile phone company when residents are so close to this. They have a duty of care to their residents before anybody else.

“I would be OK with it if somebody came to me and said it is safe. But nobody can do that so I think it is unethical. There is that duty of care from the council to the residents and to the staff and maybe they should be suggesting to the phone company stick it up the road, if you still get the same performance, what’s the issue?”

Samantha Taylor, a resident of Bryn Stanley just yards from the site of the proposed mast, said: “I don’t want it here, I assumed that they would be putting it up on one of the hills away from people, the way the letter was worded it sounded like we were getting this mast whether we wanted it or not. If we have to have it then we have to have it, but put it somewhere out of the way somewhere we won’t get any ill-effects on our health.”

A report by Cancer Research UK on the possible side-effects of mobile masts say the evidence is inconclusive: “So far, the scientific evidence shows it is unlikely that mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours, or any other type of cancer. But we do not know enough to completely rule out a risk.”

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: “The council’s public protection department have contacted Public Health Wales as they are the relevant public body on issues pertaining to human health.

“The Council have asked Public Health Wales to provide information on potential risks to human health from telecommunications masts and we are currently awaiting a formal response from them.”

“We are currently consulting on the application. It will be assessed on its own merits having regard to national and local planning policies, and any material planning considerations.”

Any financial gain the council could make from the mast would not be part of the considerations on granting planning permission, the spokesperson added.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Daily Post, Shane Brennan, 05 Apr 2017

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity means Peter Lloyd can't leave his house or enjoy any modern pleasures inside
Wales Created: 19 Oct 2014
The 42-year-old says he is desperate to be housed in an isolated wooden hut because virtually every aspect of modern life causes him pain.

He can’t use mains electricity for heating or lighting and washes with water heated on a gas cooker.

He has no electric gadgets, cannot watch TV, listen to a CD, access the internet or use a telephone.

Visitors have to leave mobile phones and watches outside because they would cause a severe reaction.

And he is unable to go out because of the likelihood of encountering someone with a mobile phone, a passing car, a power drill or a wifi zone.

These extraordinary living conditions are because Peter Lloyd, 42, suffers from a rare and cruel condition called electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

In his case, it has progressed to the unbearable point where he is confined to a reclining sofa in his kitchen, unable to walk.

The 42-year-old man living on the outskirts of Cardiff now says he wants to be rehoused in an isolated wooden hut because he suffers serious pain whenever he comes into contact with electricity.

When Mr Lloyd moved to his current home in St Fagans in 2009, he had to be wheeled up the Taff Trail at night to minimise the chance of contact with electricity sources.

To pass the time, he reads around 100 books a year by the light of organic candles when it gets dark.

When we went to photograph Mr Lloyd, we couldn’t take an electronic camera near him.

We bought a disposable camera from a supermarket in order to be able to photograph him.

But we had to capture video footage, which features his dog Iggy Pop, from the other side of the road.

At present, Mr Lloyd is suffering from extra stress because next Tuesday he is due to be evicted from his home.

His landlady, who lives in London, is unhappy that the house isn’t being heated and has got a possession order against him.

So far, Cardiff council, which will have a legal responsibility to rehouse him, has not come up with an offer of accommodation he and his lawyers and medical advisers regard as suitable.

He is likely to end up in hospital – an outcome that fills him with dread because of the severe ill-effects he knows he will suffer from proximity to medical machines.

An articulate and intelligent man who worked as a personal fitness and nutrition trainer before he became too ill, Mr Lloyd said: “I first began to experience what I now know were early symptoms when I was in my mid twenties. I would get a foggy feeling in the head after looking at a computer screen, and had an inability to think straight. I had difficulty in talking – what I called ‘thought block’.

“One day I remember being in the St David’s Centre in Cardiff and messing up six cheques at a nutrition shop.

“I had an early brick-type mobile phone linked to a network called GSM that affected me.

“As time went on I realised I was becoming sensitised to more and different frequencies and devices. My natural reaction was to believe I could cope, but the situation just got worse. I would get intense headaches in the front of my head.”

As a keen reader, he regularly looked at magazines like New Scientist and Scientific American.

“I came across some articles that described my symptoms and I found out as much as I could about electromagnetic hypersensitivity,” he said.

After a three-year spell living in Spain, Mr Lloyd returned to Cardiff, where he eventually lost the ability to walk.

He is supported by his brother, Stephen, who together with Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan has been helping his campaign to be rehoused in a purpose-built hut in an isolated location.

We have seen a medical report that confirms Mr Lloyd’s diagnosis.

Cardiff council said it did not discuss individual cases.

What is electromagnetic hypersensitivity?

The term "electrical hypersensitivity" was first used in 1989, while "electromagnetic hypersensitivity" - EHS for short - was coined in 1994 to reflect sufferers' sensitivity to magnetic as well as electric fields.

As early as the 1930s, however, EHS symptoms were observed in people working with radio and electricity, and with military radar in the 1940s.

Environmental EHS appeared in the general population from the 1970s with computers.

It increased in the 1980s with mobile and cordless phones, and with wifi from 2000.

Thousands of people are now linked with EHS support groups in 30 countries.

The first started in Sweden in 1989; the UK group began in 2003.

Sweden recognised EHS as a functional disability in 2002. The Canadian Human Rights Commission did likewise in 2007.

In 2009, the European Parliament voted for persons with EHS to be recognised as disabled.

Despite having official recognition, many doctors still know little or nothing about the condition.

Peter Lloyd has an extreme form of it.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Wales Online, Martin Shipton, 16 Oct 2014

Plans for Caldy Valley phone mast scrapped as Welsh Water withdraws permission
Wales Created: 26 Apr 2012
Plans for Caldy Valley phone mast scrapped as Welsh Water withdraws permission
NATURE lovers are celebrating after landowner Welsh Water pulled the plug on plans for a 15m phone mast on the edge of Caldy Valley Park.
Councillors and residents from Great Boughton and Huntington joined ranks in January to fight the proposal for a Vodafone antenna on Butterbache water pumping station.
Protestors celebrated in February after initial plans for an 18m pole were scrapped – but the mobile phone giant submitted another proposal last month.
The two applications drew almost 500 objections, citing proximity to homes, schools and the 30-acre park.
And the plans have now been scrapped after Welsh Water – which received objections from homeowners, councillors and Great Boughton Parish Council – withdrew its permission.
Great Boughton Cllr Pamela Hall said: “I am delighted that the hard work to object to the mast by local residents has paid off as almost 500 objections were made to both applications which shows the strength of feeling against it
“I would also like to thank Welsh Water for withdrawing their permission to allow it to happen.
“There are many alternative places for phone masts in the area and whilst we all want phone coverage and faster broadband – they must not be intrusive for residents and blight our precious green spaces.”
Cllr Keith Board called the withdrawal a ‘great success’ for those who had objected.
He said: “We do need a new mast so that we can benefit from the new 3G technology, but the mast must located at a site acceptable to the local residents.”
Cllr Mark Williams added: “Many local people were against the mast application and we will be waiting with interest to see if Vodafone chooses to put in a planning application on another nearby site.”
Apr 25 2012 by Katie Bamber, Chester Chronicle
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Margaret White/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Scientists hit out at Welsh Government's mobile phone advice to children
Wales Created: 16 Mar 2012
The Welsh Government has been accused by 20 scientists of giving children inaccurate information about using mobile phones.

According to the scientists, an official information leaflet adopts an inappropriate tone and plays down the potential health threats posed to youngsters by mobile phone use.

Last night, however, the Welsh Government said it stood by its advice, which was based on peer-reviewed scientific literature.

A leaflet distributed in primary schools for children aged seven to 11 also appears in the Welsh Government’s website. Headed “Mobile Phones and Your Health”, it starts: “Mobile phones are great for keeping in touch with friends and family, and millions of people all over the world use them everyday (sic). At the moment it seems that using a mobile phone won’t cause health problems.”

It goes on to say: “Even so, we don’t know for definite that problems will not be found in the future, so we suggest that you follow some easy steps now to keep yourself safe.”

A cartoon shows a boy asking his father whether he should use a mobile phone, and getting the answer: “Most phones don’t seem to cause health problems. But it’s a good idea to keep calls short just in case we find health problems in the future.”

Later in the leaflet a series of bullet point “top tips” include:

:: Send text messages instead of making calls;

:: Keep your mobile phone calls short;

:: Use a hands-free kit; and

:: Use the speaker phone feature.

Health campaigner Judith Davies, who lives near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, has been in contact with 20 international scientists who have written critical comments about the leaflet for primary school children and another for older pupils.

Greek cell biology experts Dr Adamantia Fragopoulou and Professor Lukas Margaritis said the suggestion in the leaflet that there was no positive evidence that exposure to mobile phones caused health problems: “This is totally wrong based on epidemiological and clinical data, both based on humans, not to mention the numerous lab animal experiments. Every answer given within the Welsh leaflet is scientifically wrong.”

Dr Olle Johansson, Associate Professor at the Department of Neuroscience in the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, said: “The type of radiation emitted by these gadgets has been linked to cancer, neurological diseases, impairments to immune function and neurological function... We also know that this kind of radiation impacts DNA, leading to possible mutations and cancer development, as well as affecting fertility and reproduction, causing a dramatic decline in sperm count.”

Dr Gerd Oberfeld, public health officer in Salzburg, said: “There is strong evidence for an increased risk of brain tumours after at least 10 years use [of mobile phones].”

Ms Davies has been supported by her MP Jonathan Edwards, who said: “The Welsh Government should be pursuing a precautionary principle which is based on facts.

“The current position of the Welsh Government smacks of the same failed public health approach to smoking – that while there’s no current evidence of harmful effects, there is nothing wrong with it.

“In my view, unless it can be scientifically proven, it is irresponsible for the Welsh Government to issue guidance to children and parents stating there are no dangers in the use of mobile phones.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Our advice in the mobile phone leaflets for children is based on an evaluation of the available evidence by experts at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and peer-reviewed scientific literature. We stand by our advice and information in the leaflets which were endorsed by the HPA.

“While current research indicates that using mobile phones do not currently appear to cause health problems, we recognise more work still needs to be done. Therefore we have said as a precaution parents make sure their children take some simple steps to protect their health for the future, including keeping conversations short, using texts instead, and using the speaker facility rather than the phone, where possible.

“The leaflets also include the precautionary advice of the UK Chief Medical Officers, but we must be realistic and recognise that a large proportion of children now regularly use mobile phones.”
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Wales Online, Martin Shipton, 16 Mar 2012

The MOA have today published their Powys site roll-out plans for next year.
Wales Created: 28 Oct 2010
Dear Agnes,

The MOA have today published their Powys site roll-out plans for next year.
Attached is a tidied version sorted by postcode, eastings & northings.

You might like to encourage people to contact their local planning departments and ask for copies of the MOA data which should be received throughout the UK by the end of October for the following calendar year. It would be useful to create a central on-line depository for this information as many local authorities are unaware that the MOA are obliged to provide this information to all local authority planning departments and it should thus be publicly available and not subject to copyright. Some local authorities are unaware they receive this information and do nothing with it.

If a local authority denies any knowledge, the MOA have been most helpful in the past in providing details of the individual within the council who receives it along with confirmation of when the email was sent to them.

Get the spreadsheet via the source link below...
Click here to view the source article.
Source: RM/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Why we must protect our children from mobile phones
Wales Created: 24 Aug 2010
Shadow health minister Andrew RT Davies calls for better information about the potential health impact of using mobile phones.

MOBILE phones have become a regular feature in our lives and an essential communication tool.

They offer obvious attractions for personal security and staying in touch with others. Indeed, for many, the latest mobile phone has become a fashion accessory and status symbol.

But, as with many great technological advances, there are certain risks and I feel parents and young people should make their own informed choices about the use of mobile phones.

There is a body of evidence that suggests mobile phone use has a damaging effect on our health, especially that of children.

The problem is illnesses take years, even decades, to emerge, by which time it will be too late to do anything. The warning signs are present now and we owe it to our children to encourage responsible mobile phone use.

Our children’s brains are still developing, making them more susceptible to the effects of radiation emitted from the devices. Until their nervous and immune systems have fully developed, we would be remiss if we did not encourage children to only use mobile phones in essential situations.

Because children are exposed to microwave radiation from a younger age than adults, they will have a longer exposure over the course of their lives.

With around half of all children between five to nine and 75% of seven to 15-year-olds owning a mobile phone, it is more important than ever for parents to set boundaries on their use.

Although the chief medical officer strongly advises that children and teenagers under 16 should not use mobile phones except for essential, short calls, other countries have gone further.

In France, legislation has been introduced to ban the advertising of mobile phones to children under 14. The French Senate has also banned the use of mobile phones in primary schools and colleges.

The German government recommends the public reduces its exposure to high frequency radiation to minimise health risks and the Indian Ministry of Telecommunications states that children under 16 should be discouraged from using mobile phones.

The Israeli Ministry of Health has recommended avoiding mobile phone communication in enclosed places, such as lifts and trains.

While the precise effects of mobile phones on our long- term health are still unclear, the immediate social effects are all too apparent.

Russia is one of a number of countries which has associated such effects as memory loss, a decline in attention, diminished learning abilities, increased irritability, sleep problems and increasing stress levels with mobile phone use.

This supports a developing trend in our children’s overdependence on mobiles.

A well-publicised case in Spain saw two children, 12 and 13, admitted to a clinic for an addiction to phones. Their parents had noticed their children were doing badly at school and were lying to get money to spend on their phones.

This is undoubtedly an extreme case, but it highlights the need for parents to be aware of how their children are using mobile phones.

Indeed, with many mobile phone games and ringtones being marketed to children as downloads, unsuspecting parents can be left with a hefty phone bill to foot.

The Welsh Conservatives have consistently argued prevention is better than cure and, while I would not suggest that legislation is the only answer, I believe greater public awareness and better information is needed to protect ourselves and our children from this potential health time bomb.

I would urge the Health Minister to ensure children in Wales and their parents get the best possible information.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: WalesOnline, Andrew RT Davies, 23 Aug 2010

Drones should be tested in desert not here! (With comments!)
Wales Created: 2 Feb 2010
SAFETY fears were raised this week after controversial plans to create a test zone for unmanned military and civilian drones in the county moved a step closer to going ahead.
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced proposals for a 499-square-nautical-mile testing zone for unmanned aircraft or ‘drones’ in the skies above south Ceredigion.
The plans will be formally submitted for approval by the Civil Aviation Authority in March this year.
The scheme is part of the Assembly’s bid to secure ParcAberporth as the pioneering centre for the development of the technology and bring “a thriving local economy and greater prosperity” for the area.

But the fly-zone has been criticised after two UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) were involved in crash landings. One pilot-less plane plummeted from the air and smashed into a parked vehicle in Blaenannerch in November last year and there was an earlier crash in September when a smaller hand-launched drone fell to ground near the western end of West Wales Airport.
http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/i/4507/

I (JD) refused to take it seriously, until i saw the paper today.... http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/i/4507/
and finally found a link to it on the Welsh Assembly Government website:
http://www.new.wales.gov.uk/consultations/businessandeconomy/090505uas/?lang=en&status=closed

Consultation on an airspace change to establish segregated airspace for the Wales Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) environment
The Welsh Assembly Government is consulting on a proposal change to the airspace in West Wales in support of the unmanned systems sector at ParcAberporth (West Wales Airport).
Click here to view the source article.
Source: J.D./Agnes Ingvarsdottir

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