Saturday, May 09, 2015

Is Wi-Fi making your child ill?

Is Wi-Fi making your child ill? 

As France bans Wi-Fi in nursery and primary schools, a British expert who has given up using wireless gadgets says we should do the same


Invisible threat: children exposed to wireless radiation could be at risk
Invisible threat: children exposed to wireless radiation could be at risk 

Six years ago, Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe moved to the country, stopped carrying a mobile phone and sacrificed a successful career in emergency medicine to focus on a new medical interest – radiation emitted by Wi-Fi, mobiles and other wireless devices. 
She is now one of the country’s few professional advisers on medical conditions related to radiofrequency (RF) radiation and other electromagnetic fields (EMFs). 
“I was using wireless devices before most people I knew – I loved it,” says Mallery-Blythe, who was ahead of the tech trend even in 1985 when she was handed her first mobile phone, aged 10. 
“But as soon as I started digesting the literature on EMFs it was a no-brainer,” she says of her decision to relinquish wireless gadgets. 
“I wasn’t willing to take that kind of risk for something that was purely convenient.” 
Her interest in EMFs started in 2009 after she began noticing increasing trends in certain symptoms – headaches, insomnia, fatigue and palpitations, but also more serious conditions including brain tumours in young people, fertility problems and accelerating neurological diseases such as early onset Alzheimer’s and autism. As yet there is still no scientific proof that relates these diseases to radiation, but Mallery-Blythe is among a not insignificant number of scientists and practitioners concerned by those studies that do highlight cause for more precaution. 
Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe discusses the effects of Wi-Fi radiation with a class of schoolchildren [PHOTO: GEOFF PUGH]
Over the past few years, as Wi-Fi, laptops and iPads have become increasingly prevalent in classrooms, Mallery-Blythe says “hundreds” of families have sought her help with what they believe to be EMF-related diseases and health issues. 
One such case is that of nine-year-old Jessica Lewis’s family. In the autumn term of 2011, Jessica started to complain that she was getting bad headaches at school. She was also feeling overly tired, developed rashes on her legs and her parents said she looked “completely washed out” after school, particularly on Mondays. A quick internet search threw up a forum where parents had written that their children complained of similar symptoms after installing Wi-Fi. 
“I ignored it. We didn’t know anything about Wi-Fi then,” says Jessica’s father, Paul Lewis. “We didn’t think her school had it.” 
Later that term, at a parents’ evening, he noticed a Wi-Fi router near Jessica’s desk in her new form classroom. As it turned out, Monday was the day of the week the whole class worked on laptops. 
When a local GP backed up Lewis’s suspicions about Wi-Fi being the probable cause of Jessica’s headaches, he went to some lengths to try to convince Spotbrough Copley Junior School in Doncaster to use wires instead of Wi-Fi, even offering to pay for the school building to be wired with cables. 
The school pointed out that a government report advised that Wi-Fi exposures were well within internationally accepted standards. Guidelines were reviewed in 2011 and still stand today. “We do not think the balance of available scientific evidence on radiofrequency has shifted and, as such, our position remains that PHE [Public Health England] sees no reason why Wi-Fi should not continue to be used in schools and in other places,” says Dr Simon Mann at PHE, the Department of Health’s agency in charge of health protection. 
Dr Mallery-Blythe tests radiation levels at a school internet router [PHOTO: GEOFF PUGH]
“That just didn’t add up,” says Lewis. Now Jessica is home-schooled, much to her frustration, because symptoms resurface when she’s exposed to Wi-Fi. 
In February, insurance market Lloyd’s of London informed schools that it was excluding liability coverage for injuries “resulting from or contributed to by electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetism, radio waves or noise”, which means that school officials could be personally liable for exposing children and staff to microwave radiation. 
“The Government is expecting head teachers to decide whether risk versus benefit is worthwhile. This seems unfair to me,” says Mallery-Blythe. “Most teachers don’t even know that RF is currently classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B carcinogen, which means it is a possible cause of cancer in humans. There is a vast amount of published literature documenting the harmful effects on every biological system. Most people understandably don’t have time to read and digest it all.” 
As well as founding the Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation and Environment (PHIRE) to inform doctors of the issues and advise on best health practice, Mallery-Blythe gives talks to teachers around the country, in which she presents scientific studies that reveal both short and long-term effects of EMF exposure. One of the talks (below) has had more than 15,000 views on YouTube since last November. It’s an engaging summary of the issues that concerned scientists are discussing. “I try to present the facts the authorities aren’t highlighting,” says Mallery-Blythe. 
I was surprised to find myself glued to it. Particularly eye-opening are the number of widely held misconceptions about radiation safety that Mallery-Blythe sets about busting. Standing a good distance away from a Wi-Fi router may reduce radiation intensity, for example, but low-intensity windows of radiation have been shown to be more harmful in some studies than higher-intensity exposures. 
“At the moment people think their children are safe because the router is far away – or we don’t have to worry about the phone because it’s not near the brain. That’s common sense but unfortunately we now know it’s not quite true,” she says, pointing out that the brain is better protected than some more vulnerable parts of the body. 
Are the Department of Health and PHE doing too little? “My main issue with the PHE’s stance is that it’s contradictory,” says Mallery-Blythe. 
“They’ve issued a caution saying children under 16 shouldn’t be using mobile phones except for essential calls, but they’ve been quite happy to support the one-to-one iPad scheme, though an iPad can have an equivalent or higher SAR (the rate at which energy is absorbed by the human body when exposed to a radio frequency) than a phone.” 
Switch your phone to flight mode or turn it off as often as you can, advises Dr Mallery-Blythe [PHOTO: GEOFF PUGH]
Associate Professor Olle Johansson, a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, compares putting an iPhone near a baby’s head to “putting it next to several electric train engines”, pointing out that working with train engines is Sweden’s highest occupational exposure allowance. 
Johansson has been researching the biological effects of radiofrequency (RF) wireless radiation for more than 30 years, but says it has become “extremely hard to get funding” in this area. “Given the importance of the subject I’d say that’s more than enigmatic.” 
He predicts a “paradigm shift” in attitudes towards EMF. We are currently living in an environment estimated to contain more than 10 billion times more RF radiation than it did in the Sixties. “If this environment is safe we’re talking about in the order of 15,000 to 25,000 papers – in peer-reviewed scientific journals – all being wrong. That has never happened before.” 
“We just want to see some precautionary action put in place, and we’re not seeing it.” 

Wi-Fi at home: Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe’s advice 

Try to keep your mobile switched off and don’t use it unless you need to. Keep it in flight mode when it is on and never carry your mobile close to your body, even on standby. 
Don’t use Wi-Fi for internet. Instead use an Ethernet cable and buy a router with no wireless capacity or disable it. Disable Wi-Fi on your computer or tablet by disabling the wireless card via the control panel or putting it into flight mode. 
Replace cordless landlines with corded ones. Most cordless telephones give off radiation whether they’re in use or not. 

Background 

In February the French government banned Wi-Fi in nursery schoolsand restricted use in primary schools. The German government has recommended that the use of Wi-Fi in the workplace or home should be avoided where possible. LA has reduced student exposure to Wi-Fi radiation to 10,000 times below US government standard. 
In 2000, a report commissioned by the Government concluded that no school should fall within 100 metres of a mobile phone mast; in 2007 a BBC Panorama programme found that the readings next to a classroom laptop showed radiation at double the level only 100 metres from a mobile phone mast. 
A five-year-old absorbs up to 60 per cent more radiation than an adult due largely to their thinner skulls and the high water content of a young body. In Western countries brain tumours have overtaken leukaemia as the most common cause of cancer in children. 
A 2008 study found a fivefold increase in the risk of glioma (a form of brain cancer now recognised by the World Health Organisation as being linked to mobile phone usage) for those starting mobile phone use under 20 years of age, indicating that the age group at first use is highly significant. 
Schools and parents can find out more through ssita.org.uk

Occupational exposures and risk of dementia-related mortality in the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study


Occupational exposures and risk of dementia-related mortality in the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study


Koeman T, Schouten LJ, van den Brandt PA, Slottje P, Huss A, Peters S, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R. Occupational exposures and risk of dementia-related mortality in the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study. Am J Ind Med. 2015 May 5. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22462. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposures may be associated with non-vascular dementia.

METHODS: We analyzed the effects of occupational exposures to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF), electrical shocks, and diesel motor exhaust on non-vascular dementia related mortality in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Exposures were assigned using job-exposure matrices. After 17.3 years of follow-up, 682 male and 870 female cases were available. Analyses were performed using Cox regression.

RESULTS: Occupational exposure to metals, chlorinated solvents and ELF-MF showed positive associations with non-vascular dementia among men, which seemed driven by metals (hazard ratio ever high vs. background exposure: 1.35 [0.98-1.86]). Pesticide exposure showed statistically significant, inverse associations with non-vascular dementia among men. We found no associations for shocks, aromatic solvents, and diesel motor exhaust.

CONCLUSIONS: Consistent positive associations were found between occupational exposure to metals and non-vascular dementia. The finding on pesticides is not supported in the overall literature. 

Excerpts

Correlation analyses between the different occupational exposures among men revealed two main exposure clusters (see Fig. 1). One cluster contained metal, solvent, ELF-MF, and electrical shock exposures. This cluster could be attributed to high exposure levels for subjects working in the metal industry. The other cluster, containing exposure to pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and diesel motor exhaust, could be attributed to high exposure levels among farmers. Correlations between occupational exposures among women were low (see Fig. S1).


We used a prospective study design to analyze the effects of selected occupational exposures on non-vascular dementia risk. We observed a consistent positive association in the ever/never and the cumulative exposure analyses between chlorinated solvents and metals and non-vascular dementia related mortality. The association with metal exposure was corroborated by the observation of an increased risk of non-vascular dementia among women with ever high exposure to metals. The robustness of the metal effect in the bivariate combined exposure models in men further indicates that the positive associations with ELF-MF and chlorinated solvents in the single occupational exposure analysis might be attributable to metals. Unexpectedly, exposure to pesticides showed a significant, negative association with non-vascular dementia related mortality in men, both in the ever/never analyses and in the cumulative exposure analyses, which were retained when combined exposures were considered.

Studies on the association between occupational exposure to ELF-MF and Alzheimer's disease have shown positive associations [Savitz et al., 1998a; Feychting et al., 2003; Håkansson et al., 2003; Roosli et al., 2007]. However, these associations have not been present in all studies [Savitz et al., 1998a; Sorahan and Kheifets, 2007], or were limited to specific subgroups [Park et al., 2005]. A meta-analysis showed an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease with higher levels of ELF-MF exposure, with case-control studies providing a stronger pooled association than cohort studies [Garcia et al., 2008]. In our cohort study we found an association between ever high occupational versus background ELF-MF exposure and non-vascular dementia related mortality in men, but not with cumulative, occupational ELF-MF exposure. Therefore, our study provides only limited support for a possible association between occupational ELF-MF exposure and non-vascular dementia.

Electric shocks have been proposed as an alternative explanation for the possible association between ELF-MF exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Håkansson et al., 2003]. No such proposal has been made for Alzheimer's disease nor has an association between electrical shocks and dementia or Alzheimer's disease been addressed in prior publications. In our study we did find indications for an association between electrical shocks and non-vascular dementia mortality in women. However, because this association was only found among women and not among men, and the number of high exposed female cases was very low (approximately 1% of all female cases), we could not explore cumulative or combined exposures. Hence this observation should be interpreted with caution.


In conclusion, exposure to metals showed a consistent, positive association with non-vascular dementia among men and women.Occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents and to ELF-MF also showed associations with non-vascular dementia in men, but these associations seemed more likely attributable to exposure to metals with which they were highly correlated.

--
Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

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Friday, May 08, 2015

China Eastern Airlines: "No WiFi"

China Eastern Airlines: "No WiFi"


5/4/2015

I flew China Eastern from San Francisco to Shanghai, PRC, and then from Shanghai to Nagoya, Japan. The planes were new and modern. The seats had a wide birth -- i.e. plenty of room. The meals were decent. The airline hosts and hostesses were extremely pleasant. And they had "No WiFi." Yes, "No WiFi." It is not a good idea to turn a plane into a large microwave oven by having a WiFi (or should I say Why Fry) system inside of it. Whenever I have flown on airplanes with WiFi, I have gotten extremely sick and felt I needed at least a week to recover from the stupid ordeal. And now they are putting this shit in cars! Another brilliantly stupid idea!
With China's growth at an all time high, Shanghai is modernising rapidly and is widely recognised as China's commercial capital. China Eastern Airlines is one of the top three airlines in China, and also has flights to a number of other key destinations in Europe, Asia and Australia. So whether you're heading to Shanghai itself, elsewhere in China, or on to other continental destinations, flying with China Eastern makes sense.
China Eastern Airlines together with its franchises and codeshare partners flies to more than 100 destinations worldwide. In co-operation with Delta Air Lines, Air France, British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific, we offer you a network of over 300 destinations. 

In Tasmania, smart meters are optional

In Tasmania, smart meters are optional


Well, its finally out, Tasmania’s Energy Strategy paper. Perhaps due to the number of submissions against the introduction of smart meters, in the final report on page 20, the Tasmanian government states the following:
“The Government will not initiate a mandated roll-out of smart meters (such as occurred in Victoria). The government’s position is that any take up of smart meters must be consumer-led, where consumers may choose to have a smart meter in order to enable their preferred retail product.”

Will this result in a flood of Victorians who have been adversely affected by smart meters moving to Tasmania. Time will tell.

SNIP

Read the post here.

EMR Aware Newsletter May 2015

Welcome to the May 2015 edition of our online Newsletter. Please send a link to this page to as many interested persons as you wish. If any of the external webpages linked herein have been taken down, try to find another source by cutting and pasting the actual title of the article into your search bar. To assist with a fair and balanced discussion, our primary focus is upon the side of the story you may not hear from industry and their obliging government regulators. Be sure to check out all our newsletters. Taken as a whole, they form a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies, scientific findings, safety reform, and the worldwide EMR debate.
EMR Aware is a not-for-profit association based in Byron Shire on the Northcoast of NSW Australia. In addition to relaying the latest news from contacts worldwide, our group provides commentary on local issues, as well as a range of free community-oriented services. The latter include educational literature, audiovisual presentations, and a DVD containing thousands of research studies on the adverse effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

Airline Pilots and Depression


The recent tragic end of Germanwings flight 4U9525, and possibly Malaysian Air MH370, suggests that even trained pilots can be susceptible to depression and self-destructive behaviour. With each new aircraft released for service, flight deck electronics become an increasingly complex source of EMR. Additional to this is microwave radiation from the aircraft's routers, if it is Wi-Fi equipped, and passengers' personal wireless devices. Airports and hotels where pilots spend their off-time are similarly infested. While we do not draw any firm conclusions, it is of interest to note that several scientific studies have linked depression with radiofrequency exposure.
The rate of depressive subjects affected by microwaves (28%) was five times higher compared to that rate in a healthy group (5.6%). Modulated Microwave Effects on Individuals with Depressive Disorder. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10669-007-9068-x
"In cases of depressive disorder the SASI level was positive." EEG Spectral Asymmetry Index Reveals Effect of Microwave Radiation. http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-23508-5_312
"‎Decreased levels of serotonin are associated with depression or anxiety." Would You Put Your Head in a Microwave Oven by Gerald Goldberg. https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=1467076090
"Biological effects due to microwave exposure (are) decision difficulties, insomnia, and depressive hypochondriac tendencies." RF/Microwave Interaction with Biological Tissues. https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0471752045

Electro-stimulation


Professor Allan Snyder, Director of the Centre for the Mind at Sydney University, with his "thinking cap".
If induced electrical current within the brain causes depression and other mental impairments, can it also be applied consciously for reverse effects? Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has a cult following among geeks, online gamers, and students for memory enhancement and clarity. The US Air Force claims it boosts the performance of pilots, who are confined in high EMR environments for extended periods. A basic version, consisting of a small battery and current regulator, can be built for $15 in parts. If nothing else, the disproportionately profound effects of such a minute stimulus demonstrate we do not understand enough about the human body to allow our environment to be saturated with an ever-expanding gamut of EMR. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/amping-up-brain-function/
Here is a related modality based upon applied pulsed magnetic fields. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Brain Science Breakthrough. http://www.sutherlandsurvey.com/Columns_Papers/Transcranial%20Magnetic%20Stimulation-%20Brain%20Science%20Breakthrough-%20Feb%202006.pdf
"The 100% response rate manifested by the study group suggested that the ability to detect low-strength, low-frequency MFs is a common property of the human nervous system." Effect of Low-frequency Magnetic Fields on Brain Electrical Activity in Human Subjects. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15066545

NBN Tower Action

Upon coming into office as Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull declared that in "difficult" rural areas fibre optic cable will not terminate at each premises, but rather at a distribution node. From there, two cost-saving methods are being applied. The difference is how they communicate with the subscriber. Towers do so via a wireless link to a roof-top transceiver on each home, while "fibre-to-node" feeds into existing copper phone lines. The former method, although offering faster internet speeds, has evoked widespread outrage over visual intrusion and microwave bombardment of entire neighbourhoods.
Given the sporadic rate at which NBN wireless is proceeding, will it soon be rendered obsolete by congestion? This article highlights the unpredictable factors involved. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/the-real-reason-iinet-customers-are-facing-internet-speed-slowdowns-after-netflixs-arrival-20150408-1mgvas.html
Damage to the electrical grid by the recent storms in Newcastle NSW revealed another flaw. Over 200,000 residents were left without power. Consequently, those who relied upon the NBN for their telephone service lost their connection. What if they had to call for emergency assistance? This potentially unsafe situation does not occur with hardwired phones since they are powered via a low voltage supply contained within their cable.

Maleny to Meet with NBN 

On Thursday 14 May, a "Community Information Session" with reps from NBN Co. will be held at the Maleny Community Centre Main Hall, 23 Maple Street. While the township itself is receiving a fixed line service, the rural outskirts will get wirelss. In addition to announcing a new tower at the Public Works Depot, NBN Co's letter of invitation to the above event states, "In the rural and hinterland areas of the Sunshine Coast, 19 NBN fixed wireless facilities have been approved and commenced construction, at Eumundi, Browns Creek, Hunchy, Kenilworth, Gheerulla, Kidaman Creek, Mapleton, Bli Bli, Cooloolabin, Tinbeerwah, Kin Kin, Doonan, North Arm, Black Mountain, Boreen Point and the outskirts of Pomona and Nambour. A further facility has been approved at Pinbarren but is yet to commence construction."
    
Changing rural landscape. The new National Broadband Network towers at Carters Ridge and Kenilworth QLD.
Residents considering action against such towers in their locality might benefit from viewing the procedural advice on this excellent website. http://www.nbntowers.com/
Here is the ACMA's official position, in the form of a letter to one activist, on high or low impact designation of towers and their proper approval process. http://www.emraware.com/documents/letter_acma_redacted.pdf
Continuing oppostion to a NBN tower in Woombah NSW has received support from politicians. http://cvreview.com.au/nbn-tower-fails-to-deliver/
Vanessa Ekins, elected member of Lismore Council in NSW, is conducting interviews at Rosebank, and monitoring the levels of EMR from their new NBN tower. Numerous residents opposed it, asking for satellite or copper wire instead. In what appears to be another poorly handled installation, some have reportedly taken to cutting trees to improve the disappointing reception.

Supreme Court Case in Tasmania 

Tasmanian resident Jodie Watkins has been diagnosed as suffering from Electro Hypersensivity (EHS) by three independent doctors, one of whom gave evidence in the successful case of McDonald v Comcare for EMR-related injuries received while working at the CSIRO.

Two EMR experts conducted a survey utilising an operational tower in another area. They reported Jodie suffered adverse health symptoms whilst there, and they stated in their report that a NBN tower emitting EMR next to land would pose a probable hazard to her health.

NBN Co. was advised of her condition and her concerns regarding the emission of EMR before they constructed a tower adjoining Ms Watkin's rural land, and even before they were granted planning approval by Huon Valley Council.

Ms. Watkins is seeking an injunction in the Supreme Court against NBN Co. from turning on the tower and thus emitting EMR onto her land. Her injunction argument is that if the tower is turned on it will result in a nuisance, in that EMR from the tower will pollute Ms. Watkin's land and cause her to be subject to pain and suffering and render her home uninhabitable to her. She claimed that NBN Co. has designed and constructed a device with the clear intent to pollute her land with EMR.
Nuisance places the matter outside of planning laws, decisions by Ministers or Council, the regulatory regime of ARPANSA and the WHO. Simply put, every person has the right not have the use or the enjoyment of their home/land disrupted or interfered with. Section 3 of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act states that EMR is a pollutant and that the emission of a pollutant onto neighbouring land is a nuisance if it interferes with the rightful use and enjoyment of that persons land.

A resident comments on another NBN tower, this one in Ross, Tasmania. "The first thing I knew of it was seeing it hanging off a crane, being bolted into the ground. It was about 300m as the crow flies in front of my front window."
On 17 April 2015, Jodie noticed a crane was placing a NBN tower onto neighbouring land. The Local Government Act states at section 201 that the General Manager of the Council may abate a nuisance if "there is immediate danger to any person or property". Accordingly, she sent a letter of complaint of impending nuisance and its immediate health danger to the Huon Valley Council, and requested that an abatement notice be issued against NBN Co to stop them from potentially polluting and creating a nuisance. Jodie's argument was that the Huon Valley Council had a statutory duty to protect her. The Huon Valley Council decided not to issue an abatement notice.

In desperation Jodie applied for a Quia Timet injunction on an exparte urgent basis in the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Quia Timet literally means "because he or she fears". Exparte means having the matter heard before a judge without the other party (e.g. NBN Co.) being present.

The exparte urgent injunction was filed and heard Monday 27 April, and Jodie was represented pro bono by Barrister Raymond Broomhall. The judge upon hearing the matter stated that Ms. Watkins would need to make an undertaking to pay costs and financial losses to NBN Co. so as to protect them if an injunction was granted and then later overturned. The judge then said that even if Ms Watkin's gave an undertaking she would not have the sufficient funds or assets to enact it. (In response Ms Watkin's sought financial pledges from her supporters as a security to present to the Court. The response from all over the world has been overwhelming with over 96 financial pledges made to date, and this number is continually increasing).

The judge said the matter should be adjourned to Friday 1 May in order to allow NBN Co. to be heard. Mr. Broomhall objected and he argued that to have the matter adjourned was fraught with danger as there is no injunction yet in place to stop NBN Co. turning on the tower before the Friday hearing. The judge ordered an adjournment.

The matter was then heard on Friday, this time NBN Co. was present, and announced to the court that they had turned the tower on the night before. Mr Broomhall made submissions that, due to the immediate health threatening nature of the actions of NBN Co. in turning on the tower, a decision as to an injunction must be made today. The hearing started at 2:25 and concluded at 5:00pm.

At the very last minute NBN Co. made an oral application to have Ms. Watkin's injunction application struck out. They also requested to have their application heard another day as the day was at an end. Mr. Broomhall again objected to an adjournment based upon the urgency of the matter, and the harm that Ms. Watkin's could suffer if the tower was left operational. He made submissions that an injunction should be granted immediately. The judge ordered that NBN Co. had a right to have their application heard and made orders to adjourn the matter to Monday 4 May.

On 4 May Ms. Watkins was unable to attend due to her ill health after being exposed to EMR from the tower. Ironically Mr Broomhall was also unable to attend due to him being admitted to hospital that morning. The matter was adjourned sine die (till further notice) to allow Mr. Broomhall to recover and to receive instructions from Ms. Watkins on how to progress the matter.
Ms. Watkin's is now looking for a new place to live and is considering whether to proceed with the Quia Timet injunction or to file a lawsuit for negligence.

Readers may contact Jodie and her legal team at:  giscreek@gmail.com
An example of a successful Court ruling against a phone tower in France. http://www.emraware.com/documents/france_ruling_tower.pdf 

Telco's Lose Cover


Berkeley Mid-Atlantic group is the latest of several major insurers to add an EMR exclusion to their public liability policies. It reads: "This insurance does not apply to: Electromagnetic Field Emissions and/or Radiation. 1) 'Bodily injury', 'property damage', 'personal and advertising injury', or 'reduction in value' related to any actual, alleged or threatened exposure to, presence of, contact with, release of, escape of, or discharge of electromagnetic field emissions, radiation, or any related physical phenomenon, including, but limited to, the following: a) Any supervision, instructions, recommendations, warnings or advice given or which should have been given in connection with the above ..." Read the full document here. http://wrbmag.com/manuals/General%20Liability%20Forms/BMAG%20FORM%20CL%20CG%2021%2043%2003%2006%20Electromagnetic%20Fields%20Exclusion.pdf

Notice of Unisurability

What are the implictions of non-availablilty of insurance? The following report was received from a member of the group opposing NBN towers in the Maleny area.
"Just to let you know that the Witta Tower is far from finalised. We are delighted that the NBN has been forced to move away from putting the tower on private land because no landowner would sign a contract after receiving a formal legal notice by ourselves. As mentioned the notice we served on all landowners in Witta where a tower could have been housed ensured that they had to declare to the insurance company what the contractual obligations were regarding insurance liability. This request automatically triggers a response form the Insurance company informing the landowner of the exclusion clause in Australia issued by the underwriters for the required cover. This in turn results in the landowner being in breach of the contract and the cost of resolving this exceeds $200 thousand per tower per year according to two brokers we spoke with. We invite any party, including your group, to seek a quotation from a main insurance company to cover the risk that the exclusion clause removes from any policy in Australia to site an NBN tower with the contractual requirements. A few other communities have done so and and received the same response re: the exclusion information concluding that they cannot offer cover. The same will apply to Telstra and we are in the process of preparing a legal notice to the board of Telstra because the same notice will apply to them. This in turn will, under the Corporations Act, require a range of actions that we understand would inhibit them operating the NBN service."

Right to Associate

One of our contacts recently forwarded to us a written reply by the Australian Department of Communications that contained the following statement. "NBN Co. has advised that if there is clear community opposition to the use of fixed wireless technology, then the disputed area would be serviced by a satellite solution." It has been suggested by one of our local activists that such "opposition" would best be demonstrated by forming an incorporated association with which to deal with tower proponents. The process in Australia is straightforward and inexpensive. http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Cooperatives_and_associations/Incorporating_an_association.page

Techno-Babel


In a momentus act of self-depreciation, NBN Co. has reportedly spent $700,000 to affinitise its branding with the common man. Yes, they dropped the "Co"., and are now "more inspiring and aspirational"; or at least the PR company that got the job feels that way. To avoid the obvious, and possibly intended, confusion with the actual NBN project, we now refer to them as "Naughty But Nice". According to this article, the same amount of money could have paid for 162 connections. http://www.misaustralia.com.au/p/technology/connecting_one_premise_to_national_PEpugsmYRESZc9G34M8uTI
Their slightly inflammatory new motto is "bring it on". We hope God and the taxpayers are listening. http://www.smh.com.au/business/nbn-co-spends-700000-to-drop-co-20150425-1msqpx.html

The new NBN logo. We finally deciphered that the dots are meant to look like the Australian continent, not gaps in what was originally intended to be safe, all-fibre-optic coverage.
Needing all the help they can get, NBN enlisted a six year old girl to launch the world's largest surveillance communication satellite. More specifically, she "decorated" the rocket's nosecone. NT Outback Schoolgirl's Stellar Drawing Chosen to Be on NBN Rocket. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-01/bailey-brooks-stellar-drawing-wins-competition-to-be-on-rocket/6438604
“Rogue Agency” - Protesting Peevey’s (ex parte) Party. Bill Morrow, former President of the same PG&E is now CEO of NBN, and presiding, with surprisingly few regulatory checks and balances, over its highly unpopular wireless footprint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2OMCJ5bi0w

Dealing with Smart Meters

Reports from subscribers (unverified) tell of doctors being instructed by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) not to accept Electro Hypersensitivity or smart meter cases. Here is direct quote from one account: "This doctor went totally mad with me, when I mentioned to him, that my pain in the heart came when I did get a smart meter. He jumped out of his chair and shouted at me, like a mad man, 'I do not want to hear that word Smart Meter again. I do not want more trouble with the Government." Looks like another instance of the establishment closing ranks against known collateral damage.
One of our contacts, Chandra Easton of Brisbane, is compiling a list of GP's more sympathetic to EHS patients. If you know of any who are, email  chandraeaston7@gmail.com

An example of the home interface that was one of the idealistic selling points of the smart grid, e.g. to "help customers save money on their electricity bill". Not surprisingly it has yet to see widespread use.

"Smart Meter Nightmare"

The following graphic account of dealings with one electicity supplier was received from a reader; one of many persons who have felt compelled to move interstate from Victoria to escape the mandatory smart meter roll-out. It is offered without comment or verification to illustrate what can possibly happen if you are EHS. "They (the electricity company) admitted that between 5-10% of the population are really sensitive to these radio frequencies, but despite my doctor's certificate, and desperate pleas, they still refused to help." http://www.emraware.com/documents/Smart Meter Nightmare.docx

Damage Control

Once again we find ourselves surveying the carnage of a heartless corporate vision, the purpose of which was only ever to boost profits and get the public to subsidise the means for doing so. The UK’s Smart Meter Rollout Is a Government “IT Disaster Waiting to Happen”. http://diginomica.com/2015/03/30/the-uks-smart-meter-rollout-is-a-government-it-disaster-waiting-to-happen/

Dr. Lamech concludes that smart meters “May have unique characteristics that lower people’s threshold for symptom development”. In other words, you are sick but take longer to realise it. AAEM Supports Research Showing Health Impacts from Smart Meters. http://www.electrosmogprevention.org/smart-meter-resources-links/alert-aaem-supports-research-showing-health-impacts-from-smart-meters-oct-2013/
Here is another report on the above finding and its implications for Australia. First Peer-Reviewed Study of Health Symptoms Associated with Smart Meters Published in US Medical Journal. http://stopsmartmeters.org/2015/02/04/first-peer-reviewed-study-of-health-symptoms-associated-with-smart-meters-published-in-us-medical-journal/
If anyone still believes the smart grid is a noble effort to save humanity and the planet, this cost benefit analysis prepared by Deloitte for the Australian Department of Treasury and Finance provides valuable insight into the underlying mindset. http://www.smartmeters.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/138927/Deloitte-Final-CBA-2-August.pdf
Hundreds of Smart Meters Simultaneously Explode. http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2015/04/01/hundreds-of-smart-meters-simultaneously-explode/
Technology you can trust? www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/ausnet-to-pay-125-each-to-230000-customers-for-smart-meter-it-system-glitch/story-fni0fit3-1227293346539
Due to a successful legal challenge, the Arizona Corporation Committee was forced to reverse a $5 per month fee to be payable by those astute citizens opting out of the smart meter scheme. State Settles Smart Meter Debate. http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/12/12/state-settles-smart-meter-debate/20343257/

Snoopy Street Lights 


In a welcoming gesture to shoppers, the Sunshine Coast Council have announced they will be transfoming the Maroochydore QLD business district into an omniscient "smart hub" by installing smart street lighting that collects all kinds of data on passersby. Here's a short professional video on the concept. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs8upeQymNM
Each system has a microprocessor "essentially the same as iPhone". If this trend continues, it seems there could eventually be more people and resources devoted to "watching" than are involved in doing anything productive. Intellistreets Street Lights Record Conversations and Take Your Picture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF4K62iCyR8

4GX - Telcos' New Baby

One of the reasons world governments saddled free-to-air viewers with digital TV, and its attendant teething problems, was so they could sell off the prized 700MHz spectrum. Telstra purchased a big chunk of it and is now rolling out "4GX", claimed to be twice as fast as 4G. However, this frequency is lower than most currently in use; and the lower the RF frequency the deeper it penetrates the body. This dynamic is reflected in the safety standards set by ARPANSA; about twice as strict as for 2100MHz.

A chart of permitted exposure levels based upon absorption characterisitics.
Complaints from our contacts have already started to roll in. "Are you guys in NSW having problems with Telstra’s upgrade from 4G to 4GX? There are a lot of health problems occurring here since the upgrade. Healthy middle aged people are having heart attacks, some dying. Telstra customers are now feeling a heating sensation when using their mobile phone. Telstra customers got sick the very same day that they know the upgrade occurred." This may be an exaggeration, but, as usual, apart from a couple of obscure papers, there appears to have been no prior safety studies dedicated to this specific new frequency.
This investigation concluded that low intensity RF fields at 700 MHz can alter electrical activity in hippocampal slices from rat brain. The hippocampus is involved in spatial learning and memory processes (see the charts). http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/329/1/012033/pdf/1742-6596_329_1_012033.pdf

A portable 4GX hotspot modem that can simultaneously service up to ten users, thus turning you into a shared mini phone tower. Looks like more radiation for the subscriber, and reduced infrastructure costs for Telstra.
One thing that hasn't changed is that commercial webpages persist in depicting customers in blissful ignorance mode, pressing their phone against their skull. Is it ethical to graphically reinforce a habit that is now explicitly warned against in nearly every phone operating manual? https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/telstra-4gx
According to this research, it seems 4GX customers might be less affected if they hold their phone so its antenna is oriented sideways. Could this be a new kind of street-wise salute? Don't count on anyone recommending it "officially" for safety reasons. Effects of Field Orientation During 700-MHz Radiofrequency Irradiation of Rats. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2694195

Millimeter Waves


In what would be the biggest shakeup in recent history, mobile phone service providers are eyeing 24GHz "millimeter waves" for their forthcoming 5G networks. This frequency is similar to that used in airport body scanning booths. While signals in the currently occupied 300MHz-3GHz "sweetspot" band can spread over many square kilometers and pass through buildings, shorter wavelength mm-wave signals are more confined and prone to bouncing off solid objects. This necessitates a denser deployment of antennae which emit steerable beams to each cluster of users. http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1113259867/wireless-spectrum-boost-for-next-generation-mobile-broadband-fcc-102014/#rBtVpoeZAc856xO3.99
Millimeter Waves May Be the Future of 5G Phones. http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/millimeter-waves-may-be-the-future-of-5g-phones
Smart Antennas Could Open Up New Spectrum for 5G. http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/smart-antennas-could-open-up-new-spectrum-for-5g
Some researchers contend that, for health reasons, this is the part of the spectrum that telecommunications should have employed from the beginning. The higher the frequency, the less it enters organic tissue; only about a millmeter deep for 24GHz. Beamed energy is also easier to avoid, providing you know where it is ... and it is not deliberately trying to target you. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/sending-data-on-twisted-radio-waves
Even though biological absorption may be less, this does not entirely rule out adverse responses triggered by a whole range of new mechanisms. Air Force Research Laboratory Bibliography on the Biological Effects of Millimeter Wave Radiation. http://www.icomw.org/documents/usmarine3.pdf
Millimeter Wave-induced Vibrational Modes in DNA. http://www.ece.rice.edu/~daniel/papers/jappltox.pdf
Impact of Low Intensity Millimetre Waves on Cell Functions. http://thz.caltech.edu/siegelpapers/IET_Dec2010.pdf
Protein Changes in Macrophages Induced by Plasma from Rats Exposed to 35GHz Millimeter Waves. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a533666.pdf

The diagram above suggests individuals can be detected behind certain obstacles using the differentials between reflected millimeter waves. http://www.gizmag.com/nhk-millimeter-wave-tv-camera/15411/

Light Years Ahead


We may have to wait a few years longer for a totally safe, light-based global communications network. Here are a few recent developments.
Li-Fi Gets Ready to Compete with Wi-Fi. http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/internet/lifi-gets-ready-to-compete-with-wifi
Experiment in Vienna Shows That Ground-to-Satellite Communication with Twisted Light Is Possible. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/experiment-in-vienna-shows-that-groundtosatellite-communication-with-twisted-light-is-possible
Fujitsu Forges Li-Fi-like QR Code Replacement. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/fujitsu-forges-lifilike-qr-code

Microwave Backscatter

Below are three examples of emerging technologies that have nothing to do with the consumer marketplace, but maintain a keen interest in seeing loads of RF dumped into our collective living space. They co-opt "backscatter", or the composite illumination (noise) arising from all existing microwave emitters within a given area.

Passive Radar

Celldar was developed early this decade as a joint venture between UK defense firms Roke Manor and BAE Systems. It is indetectable in use since all that is required is the monitored Doppler shift, or time differenced echoes off an object, created by the emissions of two or more mobile phone towers. Moving objects can be picked out from background radiation levels of any geographical area and observed as blips upon a visual display.
Combined Use of Various Passive Radar Range-Doppler Techniques and Angle of Arrival using MUSIC for the Detection of Ground Moving Objects. http://www.ee.washington.edu/research/funlab/imaging/chan_report_8_18.pdf
    
To the right, simulation of a Celldar-equipped drone in operation. Those purple dots are cars, people, sheep, etc.
How Mobile Phones Let Spies See Our Every Move. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/oct/13/humanrights.mobilephones#art
Celldar Radar. http://67.225.133.110/~gbpprorg/mil/radar/celldar.pdf
Here is one commentator's view. "I had a friend who was involved in the security for a big birthday party Nelson Mandela had a few years ago, with Bill Clinton and the like in attendance. They monitored the positions of everyone at the party in real time to within a couple of metres, by using their cellphones. The thing about 'Celldar' is that it uses passive reflections, so they will be able to track any moving object, whether or not it is carrying a cellphone. Now, I am becoming more and more convinced that this is the REAL reason why cellphone radiation levels are being pegged at such high levels."

Parasitic Devices


Will the day come when we all have to wear protective foil suits because every electrical device is powered by ambient microwaves? “We can re-purpose wireless signals that are already around us into both a source of power and a communication medium." Wireless Devices Go Battery Free with New Communication Technique. http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/08/13/wireless-devices-go-battery-free-with-new-communication-technique/

X-ray Vision


This new generation of portable surveillance devices can covertly monitor your movements inside your own home, through walls, employing nothing more than the "safe" radiation emitted by a domestic wireless internet modem. It works because the water content within body tissue absorbs microwaves and thus stands out to sensors against an inert background.
Router Vision. http://physicscentral.com/explore/action/router-vision.cfm

Soiling the Gene Pool


Radio Wave Gene Manipulation

“Some laboratory mice were given specially engineered insulin-producing genes. These genes were then remotely activated using radio waves. This could mean a whole new field of medical procedures in which we turn genes on and off at will." Researchers at New York’s Rockefeller University relied upon injecting the mice with nanoparticles. Not an eddifying thought to keep in mind next time you receive a vaccination.
Similar results have been achieved without injection of nanoparticles by employing mutated cells that produce their own. "However, as Nature magazine explains, this would require growing tumors inside humans to actually get these cell cultures in place, which means the treatment isn’t yet ethically permissible in humans." Switch Mouse Genes Off and On with Radio Waves. http://io9.com/5908065/scientists-switch-mouses-genes-off-and-on-with-radio-waves?tag=genetics
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=19681

Gene Expression

So, what about unaltered genes? Industry protectionists contend that RF at non-thermal levels do not impart enough energy to modify or break DNA structurally. However, there is substantial research indicating it can corrupt the normal pathways by which genes are expressed into biological tissues or processes.
“We used the pulsed RF fields at a frequency of 2.45 GHz that is commonly used in telecommunications to expose cultured human HL-60 cells. We observed that 221 genes altered their expression after a two hour exposure. The number of affected genes increased to 759 after a six hour exposure. These results indicate that the RF fields at 2.45 GHz can alter gene expression through a non-thermal mechanism.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16107253
Effects of 2.4 GHz Radiofrequency Radiation Emitted From Wi-Fi Equipment on MicroRNA Expression in Brain Tissue. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25775055/?ncbi_mmode=std
"Long term exposure of 2.4 GHz RF may lead to adverse effects such as neurodegenerative diseases originated from the alteration of some miRNAs expression and more studies should be devoted to the effects of RF radiation on miRNAs expression levels." After you click the pop-up box, hit the "back" button.
http://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/the-potentially-detrimental-effects-of-wi-fi-20160
DNA is a Fractal Antenna in Electromagnetic Fields. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21457072

School Wi-Fi Woes


It is worth noting that the three genetics studies above all involved 2.4GHz, the same frequency children are exposed to on a daily basis from school Wi-Fi. Yet manufacturers such as ARUBA, which supplies nearly all of Australia, continue to omit a simple switch that would allow wireless access points to be turned "off" when not in use. Next month, parents across Alberta, Canada will debate a resolution demanding this logical feature, as well as giving parents the choice to send their children to a Wi-Fi free school. Wi-Fi In Schools To Be Debated By Alberta Parents.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/03/19/wi-fi-in-school_n_6904662.html
The Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) recommends that school Principals ensure that parents and students abide by the manufacturers' guidelines for use of wireless devices. It is important to note that ARPANSA safety standards are based upon short-term heating of body tissue, and do not take into account biological effects that may occur from cumulative low-level wireless radiation exposure such as exists in a classroom setting. Safe Use of Technology - Your Guide.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ7o1sRjj2A
Healthy Schools: A Call for Best Practice with Wireless Radiation. http://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Schools-and-Wireless-and-Health-EHT-Preliminary-DraftAugust-2014.pdf

Ceiling mounted wireless access point (WAP). Normally one required for every 30 students.
Canadian Medical Association Journal - Scientists Decry Canada's Outdated Wi-Fi Safety Rules. http://www.cmaj.ca/site/earlyreleases/7may15_scientists-decry-canadas-outdated-wi-fi-safety-rules.xhtml
"Canadian Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall has admitted he does not say Wi-Fi is safe." This begs the question, why then has he approved its installation in their schools?
http://parentsforasafeschool.blogspot.ca/2015/03/provincal-health-medical-officer-dr.html
Here is an excellent slideshow-type presentation on Wi-Fi in schools to share with parents or teachers. Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe? http://www.emraware.com/is_wifi_in_schools_safe.pdf
Wi-Fi in Schools: The Facts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcAXZ-o1K4&feature=youtu.be
This letter by a research scientist to the Department of Education and Communities (DEC) NSW contains numerous examples of peer-reviewed research documenting the adverse effects of 2.4GHz. http"//www.emraware.com/documents/Letter to DEC on WiFi in schools_April 2015.pdf
A Ten News presentation by George Negus entitled, The Dangers of Wi-Fi (Wireless Radiation WiFi WLAN Internet Electromagnetic EMF side effects). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avANkBWCDaE

The winning project of the Quebec, Grade 7 School Science Fair, revealed the effects of microwaves on living cells by comparing bacterial growth from cultures of E. coli that were exposed to EM radiation for different periods of time.
http://exposciences.qc.ca/en/awards-winners/winner/record/5321/why-fi
On 29 January 2015, the French National Assembly made history by passing a new national law to reduce certain types of exposure to wireless radiation electromagnetic fields. New National Law Bans WIFI in Nursery School.
http://emfrefugee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/france-new-national-law-bans-wifi-in.html
Byron Shire Council recently rejected a Telstra proposal for a tower close to a public school, and is subsequently formulating policy to exclude them within 500 metres. This figure is taken from the NSW Department of Education's own guidelines which the Mobile Carriers Forum (MCF) is now trying to have abolished. More than just a coincidence? MCF Calls on NSW Education Department to Drop Buffer Zone Policy. http://www.amta.org.au/articles/amta/MCF.Calls.on.NSW.Education.Department.to.Drop.Buffer.Zone.Policy

Electro-hypersensitivity

What It's Like to Be Allergic to Wi-Fi. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/03/what-its-like-to-be-allergic-to-wi-fi.html
The Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled that Wi-Fi in schools need not be banned, but at the same time recommended the Government should provide solutions to the children with EHS, and that if it does not "the doors of the Court are open". Back in 2013, the same Court ordered an investigation into the number of children suffering from EHS. Apparently, they found something worth worrying about. http://www.emfacts.com/2013/07/the-israeli-supreme-court-ordered-the-israeli-government-to-investigate-the-number-of-children-currently-suffering-from-ehs/
The Royal Academy of Belgium will hold a conference on 19 May entitled, "Environmental Idiopathic Intolerance: What Role for EMFs and Multiple Chemicals? Electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)". Scientific experts on these topics are to attend, with the aim of providing arguments for the inclusion of related syndromes in the framework recognized by the WHO. You can register and see the impressive list of speakers here. http://appel-de-paris.com/?page_id=1667&lang=en

Microwave oven on wheels? A bus load of Wi-Fi for the kids.

How Smart is Dumb

"Does The Internet Make You Dumb? Top German Neuroscientist Says 'Yes' - And Forever." http://www.worldcrunch.com/tech-science/does-the-internet-make-you-dumb-top-german-neuroscientist-says-yes-and-forever/digital-dementia-manfred-spitzer-neuropsychiatry/c4s9550/#.VQ9LDuGvR_E
To boost sales, Apple reportedly has done a deal with IBM to put more of their wireless-only tablet PC's into schools. http://www.crn.com.au/News/400970,australian-school-among-worlds-first-ibm-apple-deployments.aspx?eid=61&edate=20150228&utm_source=20150228&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=crnweekly_newsletter
Schools Abandon Textbooks to Go All iPad. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/03/23/schools-textbooks-ipad
Why You May Want to Ditch Your eReader and Go Back to Printed Books. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/08/21/why-you-might-want-to-ditch-your-e-reader-and-go-back-to-printed-books/

School FM Transmitters


Typical FM PA transmitter.
A teacher in Ontario Canada advises that staff are required to wear wireless FM transmitters if there is a student in their class with a hearing impediment. She claims to be aware of several teachers who have had tumors on their chests or abdomens, in the precise location of the transmitter. Here is an example of the type of device described, although we do not infer these are the source of the problem. https://simeoncanada.com/wp-content/uploads/Manual-500WU-Trilingual1.pdf

Enter the "Pseudoskeptics"


Product Defense 101

Whenever there is an eruption in print about "unsafe" wireless technology, a legion of skeptics emerges to apply cosmetic relief. At best, they are easily dismissed techno-addicts parroting industry rhetoric. At worst, they are part of an orchestrated campaign to discredit opposing views at the expense of the truth. Here is a typical example of this occurance. Wireless Empire Strikes Back. http://www.emfanalysis.com/wireless-empire-strikes-back/
Readers may remember Michael Bangay, called upon as an "independent expert" by Byron Shire Council during a roundtable meeting on public Wi-Fi. On the occasion, he stated to the effect, "There are no health effects from EMR". During subsequent months, our group served Mr. Bangay with three Notices of Request that he substantiate this claim. We also felt obliged to advise that it is an offense under the NSW Crimes Act to provide false or misleading information to a public authority. Prior to drawing any conclusions, we are still awaiting his reply. http://www.michaelbangayconsulting.com
Listen to this story on EHS aired by the SBS TV news program "The Feed". It was strangely portrayed as one person's problem, not the rising national issue it is. http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/425757252001/the-feed-april-23
A steady stream of well-funded corporate propaganda helps keep skeptics on their career path. From the publication below, "Exposure limits are set well below the level at which adverse health effects are known to occur ...". Known by who, one might ask. The same refers repeatedly to towers as "low impact" facilites. This glosses over the fact that most over 5 metres tall and standing alone are classified as "high impact", and therefore subject to local government approval, and genuine community input. Maybe they are hoping a few more towers will slip in under the wire without anyone (but us) noticing. http://www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/towers_radiocommunications_facilities_and_eme
http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/WEB-Wi-Fi_and_Health_Brochure_2015.pdf
Follow the money trail. At this critical stage in the debate, it is no surprise several studies have detected that research projects funded by industry are 2 or 3 times more likely to report no adverse effects from EMR. The revealing chart below is from a 2005 paper by Prof. Henry Lai of Washington University.

Another article citing instances of perceived research bias. http://www.emraware.com/documents/brain_cancer_awareness.pdf
If you happen to be in Istanbul Turkey between 26-28 May, the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is holding a conference entitled "Thresholds of Thermal Damage". Its premeditated scope of inquiry yet again fails to address well-documented non-thermal effects. http://www.icnirp.org/en/workshops/article/workshop-thermal-damage.html
A letter to the FCC by Professor Martin Blank, one of many eminent scientists demanding an immediate overhaul of safety standards. http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520940937
This paper deals with EMR from power lines, but explains in detail the recognised precautionary principle of "prudent avoidance". Prudent Avoidance Guidelines for Power Frequency Magnetic Fields. http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/prudent_avoidance_paper.doc

Further Reading - Books

1) Science for Sale: How the US Government Uses Powerful Corporations and Leading Universities to Support Government Policies, Silence Top Scientists, Jeopardize Our Health, and Protect Corporate Profits. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Sale-Government-Corporations-Universities/dp/1626360715
2) Prostituting Science. We have not seen this book, but were notified that it is available from the source below.
Inkling Australia
PO Box 422
Maryborough VIC 3465
$29.95 plus 7.50 for postage and handling.
"You cannot hide the truth forever. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence".

UR the Experiment

Monash University in Newcastle NSW is busy trying to determine what other institutions found out forty years ago, whether or not microwaves are good for people. As with any convincing rescue operation, it is "women and children first". Below are two studies presently underway, no doubt with the best of intentions.
The first embarks upon an exploration of where women carry their mobile phones, and what consequences might attend them for doing so. Persons of the fairer sex, as well as those who want to be, can participate in this survey.  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XHH8BKD#
And why would the academics like to know if it is not already suspected something is wrong? Save the Girls - Make the Bra a No-Phone Zone. http://ehtrust.org/save-the-girls-make-the-bra-a-no-phone-zone/
     
You can buy bras with a built-in mobile phone pouch ... or design your own (neither recommended).
The second study involves children, as in "now that they have been exposed for a while at the most sensitive part of their lives, let's check to see if there are any adverse effects". http://coeh.monash.org/mophos.html
Want to drop out of being a life-long, involuntary test subject? There is a worldwide movement toward EMR sanctuaries. One of our local supporters is seeking persons to help establish one. Preference is for no mobile phones, Wi-Fi, power lines, smart metering, or generators, and to be located in a warm climate. Contact Vyvyan Stott, PO Box 257, Mullumbimby NSW 2482. Phone: 02 66 84 5384.
Here is a networking website dealing with the same. http://electroplague.com/http://electroplague.com/2014/09/21/ehs-refuge-in-australia-people-needed/

Keen to be Green


Everyone will be happy in low emission utopia, especially businesses that will have lots of new products to sell you. But are they safe?
The well-meaning "green" contingent in Byron Council has bouyantly proclaimed our Shire will be the first in Australia to attain zero Carbon emissions. http://www.echo.net.au/2015/03/full-steam-ahead-for-byrons-zero-emissions-future/
We were thus tempted to have a closer look at the "free" advisory body that seems to have latched onto them, Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE). Its classy website gives the impression they are an altruistic, "independent, not-for-profit" promoter of government sanctioned, non-polluting energy solutions. They even accept donations. http://bze.org.au/
At the time of this writing, however, BZE is soliciting an annual payment of up to $25,000 for businesses to appear on their associated site, Energy Freedom. The page linked below attempts to define this mixed relationship, followed by display ads for enterprises that have already signed up. It states, "Energy Freedom is a partnership between Beyond Zero Emissions and successful and reputable organisations which we believe can play a strong part in transforming Australia’s buildings into zero emissions buildings, however, this is not to be taken as an endorsement by Beyond Zero Emissions." http://energyfreedom.com.au/about/
Then there are these pages, directing viewers toward "an energy retailer that supports clean energy", and "great offers". http://energyfreedom.com.au/energyswitch/http://energyfreedom.com.au/rewards/
All this leaves us wondering about the fate of trusting persons who contact BZE assuming they will receive impartial advice, and are then purposely funneled toward this select group of commercial enterprises.
Curious about what also bodes to be a subserviant stance on smart metering, wireless technologies and wind farms, we questioned BZE's head office. Here is their written response, "We appreciate your offer of discussing you concerns with our team, however there have been a number of studies into the technologies you’ve mentioned, particularly wind farms, and no health implications have been found, and we will continue to advocate for their take-up." It goes on to say, "There are a number of health implications from coal mining and burning, and from unconventional gas extraction which have been proven harmful, which I’m sure you’re already aware of."
Very cute of them to put forth not trafficking in coal and gas as their environmentally green credential. However, a genuine solution does not simply shift the targeted problem to another domain, namely human exposure to microwaves; an officially declared class 2B carcinogen.
Disclaimer
- See more at: http://www.emraware.com/newsletter_may_2015.html#sthash.V6JctB7j.dpuf