Towards Better Health: March 2017

31 March 2017

Award-Winning Investigative Journalist Reveals Popular Cell Phones Violate Radiation Exposure Guidelines when Realistically Tested

Award-Winning Investigative Journalist Reveals Popular Cell Phones Violate Radiation Exposure Guidelines when Realistically Tested
Environmental Health Trust, 28 March 2017

CBC investigation films standard cell phone testing showing high radiation exposures when phones are simulated in positions like pocket, bra or lap.

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Teton Village, WY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2017 -- An independently commissioned investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) found that when cell phones were radiation tested in the ways devices are commonly used—such as in the pocket, bra or lap—the radiation detected inside the user's body surpassed the government allowable maximum level. In this week's CBC award-winning Marketplace program entitled "The secret inside your cellphone," acclaimed reporter Wendy Mesley announced results from a US government certified testing laboratory. The investigation found that three popular phone models—iPhone, Galaxy, and Samsung—are below regulated maximums for radiation when they are tested at a specified distance away from the body and head. However, the CBC program revealed that when phones are tested directly against the body, the radiation is multiplied by three to four times and exceeds government limits.

The CBC found most people are unaware that all cell phone manufacturers' instructions specify that there should be a distance between the phone and the user's body in order not to be exposed to untested levels of radiation. CBC conducted an independent survey of more than 11,000 Canadians to determine if the public knew about these instructions to distance phones from their bodies. The survey found more than 80 percent "had no clue" and 67 percent admitted they carry their phones against their bodies.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The 265 members of Congress who sold you out to ISPs, and how much it cost to buy them
by T.C. Sottek, theverge.com, 29 March 2017

They betrayed you for chump change

Republicans in Congress just voted to reverse a landmark FCC privacy rule that opens the door for ISPs to sell customer data. Lawmakers provided no credible reason for this being in the interest of Americans, except for vague platitudes about “consumer choice” and “free markets,” as if consumers at the mercy of their local internet monopoly are craving to have their web history quietly sold to marketers and any other third party willing to pay.

The only people who seem to want this are the people who are going to make lots of money from it. (Hint: they work for companies like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T.) Incidentally, these people and their companies routinely give lots of money to members of Congress.

Meeting with WHO on Electromagnetic Fields, 3 March 2017
ECERI Newsletter no.5, March 2017, www.eceri-institute.org
(European Cancer and Environment Research Institute)

EDITO

The meeting with WHO’s representatives and a delegation from the ECERI this month stands as a major turning point for our Institute. This opens a new opportunity for scientific collaboration on EMFs wthin the ECERI, aiming at having non-thermal effects recognized once for all by the international scientific and political community. This will require a global and collective effort from all of our members. But in the context of the fast development of more powerful and detrimental wireless technologies, particularly 5G, this has become a high priority. Christine Campagnac, General Secretary.

Meeting with WHO on electromagnetic fields, 3rd of March, 2017

Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and the Environment Department, World Health Organisation and Emilie van Deventer, Team Leader of the Radiation Programme at the WHO received on March the 3 rd , in Geneva, a scientific delegation of the ECERI, composed of Dominique Belpomme (F), Igor Belyaev (SKA), Ernesto Burgio (I), Christine Campagnac (F), David Carpenter (US), Tarmo Koppel (EE) and Lennart Hardell (SE) to discuss the health effects of EMFs.

David Carpenter introduced the talk, reminding that there are numerous significant human health hazards of concern, due to non-thermal effects of EMFs. He expressed the particular concern of the ECERI Group that a new WHO Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) document on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs) is scheduled to be released in 2017, and that the members of the EHC Core Group are in denial of serious non-thermal effects of RF EMFs in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Regarding the particular vulnerability of children and their high exposure, the scientific group urges WHO to address the hazards of RF EMF.

A new report suggests that baby monitors have little
proven benefit for healthy infants and can potentially
cause more harm than good.

(UPDATE 31 March 2017: The message that these products may cause more harm than good is not getting across to mothers. Baby tech is now a billion-dollar industry.)

Smartphone-integrated baby monitors may do more harm than good
by Ana Sandoiu, medicalnewstoday.com,

24 January 2017

In our increasingly technological world, more and more of us choose to monitor our heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep patterns. We may even be more vigilant of our babies' well-being, as smartphone-integrated physiological baby monitors take over the market and promise to offer parents some much-needed peace of mind. But could it be that baby monitors actually do more harm than good? A new report investigates.

A new article, published in the journal JAMA, investigates the pros and cons of using a smartphone-integrated physiological baby monitor.

Phonegate* : Interlocutory Hearing Against l'ANFR 19 April 2017
by Marc Arazi Publié: arazi.fr, 30 March 2017

Since 8 July 2016, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) has obstinately refused to communicate the detailed results of measurements made in 2015 on 95 cell phones. Eighty-nine percent of these phones exceeded the threshold levels authorized when tested in contact with the skin**, and several, more than four times the norm, creating a very real health risk to users, particularly the youngest ones.

As the results came from ANFR, it is impossible for the agency to refute them. Moreover, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) mentioned the results in its report on Exposure to Radiofrequencies and the Health of Children. The results contributed to the issue of precautionary recommendations by ANSES, particularly: "to ensure the respect of limit values of exposure standards in all circumstances, regardless of the mobile transmitting devices used and their conditions of use (contact with the body)."

United Kingdom: Petition to Prime Minister Theresa May: We Do Not Consent to the Roll-out of Smart Meters

As of 29 March 2017, 15,927 persons have signed this petition to British Prime Minister, Theresa May.

To: Theresa May
WE DO NOT CONSENT TO THE ROLL OUT OF SMART METERS IN THE UK
Campaign created by JV Tolentino

Dear Theresa May, We, the undersigned request that you STOP THE ROLL-OUT OF SMART METERS IN THE UK with immediate effect.

Why is this important?

We are told that 'Smart' Meters will replace our existing water, gas and electricity metering systems and that the UK as a whole could benefit from saving up to 2% of our energy IF we change our behaviour.

What are we NOT being told..

1. There are major health concerns

Takahama nuclear power plant. Two reactors were shut
down over resident's concerns about water contamination.
Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Victory for Japanese nuclear industry as high court quashes injunctionby Daniel Hurst in Tokyo, The Guardian,

28 March 2017

Takahama reactors to restart within a month despite Greenpeace saying they have serious unresolved safety issues

Japan’s struggling nuclear power industry has won a victory against a landmark legal injunction that halted the running of two reactors.

Six years on from the triple meltdown at Fukushima, the industry faces concerted opposition from residents and some officials due to lingering concerns about safety.

In an illustration of the damage to the industry’s reputation after the Fukushima disaster, just three of Japan’s 42 usable reactors are running at present, according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum.

[Our comment: When we wrote to one of Switzerland's major sickness insurance companies which was promoting cell phone subscriptions for families, including children, on their Web site, drawing the company's attention, as here, to the fact that it encourages children to be more exposed to RF-EMF radiation, they called us "alarmist". The ignorance of most businesses regarding this issue is beyond belief!]

The strangest ASA complaint we have ever seen
Staff Writer, mybroadband.co.za, 29 March 2017

MyBroadband regularly reports on Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) complaints, which often contain valuable rulings that guide the way the tech industry promotes its products.

The latest complaint, however, which takes aim at Standard Bank’s “Kidz Banking” mobile app, is unlike anything we have seen before.

The Kidz Banking app is an educational app that teaches children how to save and manage their pocket money.

Standard Bank has promoted the Kidz Banking app on its website, on the KFM website, and through radio advertisements on KFM.

While most people would welcome the initiative by Standard Bank, one consumer saw it as encouraging children to be unnecessarily exposed to RF-EMF radiation.

Children have an increased risk of adverse health effects
from cell phone radiation, as cell phone radiation penetrates
much deeper into the heads of children than adults.

Ounce Of Prevention | Beware Of Cell-Phone Use
jamaica-gleaner.com, 28 March 2017

A cultural revolution called the Wireless Age has exploded worldwide. No other technology has grown on us like the mobile phone. Within three decades, this device has moved from zero to over 7.3 billion units worldwide. By 2014, there were more cell phones than people on planet Earth. Everyone seems to use one.

Question: are cell phones safe?

Cell phones - like cordless home phones, television, radio, laptops, and tablet computers - produce radiofrequency (RF) radiation. But cell phones are placed closest to the body for longer periods of time every day.

In 1993, Dr George Carlo, a public health scientist, wrote a book, Cell Phones - Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age. His studies revealed worrying trends that others dismissed. But due to the relatively recent adoption of cell phones, the long-term safety of the technology cannot be determined conclusively and caution is warranted.

We are told that the latest report from this brain tumor research charity does NOT include any mention of non-ionizing radiation and worse, not one mention of the word "prevention"!

We understand the power of statistics.
braintumourresearch.org, posted on "Towards Better Health" March 2017

That's why we leave no stone unturned when it comes to the latest analyses surrounding the devastating impact of brain tumours in the UK.

The statistics we have unearthed speak for themselves. Something has to be done.

Too many people are being faced with the devastating diagnosis each year – every two hours, someone is diagnosed with a brain tumour in England.

Twenty New Papers on Electromagnetic Fields and Biology or Health (27 March 2017)

Twenty new papers on electromagnetic fields and biology or health, courtesy of Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director, Center for Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety, March 27, 2017

We are posting here only the titles of the studies, the authors, and links to the abstracts.

Newly Published Book

Corporate Ties That Bind: An Examination of Corporate Manipulation and Vested Interest in Public Health.
Martin J. Walker (Ed.). New York: Skyhorse Publishing. Mar 28, 2017. 24 chapters; 592 pp.

In the 21st century, corporations have worked their way into government and, as they become increasingly more powerful, arguments about their involvement with public health have become increasingly black and white. With corporations at the center of public health and environmental issues, everything chemical or technological is good, everything natural is bad; scientists who are funded by corporations are right and those who are independent are invariably wrong. There is diminishing common ground between the two opposed sides in these arguments.

Corporate Ties that Bind is a collection of essays written by influential academic scholars, activists, and epidemiologists from around the world that scrutinize the corporate reasoning, false science and trickery involving those, like in-house epidemiologists, who mediate the scientific message of organizations who attack and censure independent voices. This book addresses how the growth of corporatism is destroying liberal democracy and personal choice.

Whether addressing asbestos, radiation, PCBs, or vaccine regulation, the essays here address the dangers of trusting corporations and uncover the lengths to which corporations put profits before health.

Foreward: David O. Carpenter

Chapter 3: Lennart Hardell. A Battleground--From Phenoxyacetic Acids, Chlorphenyls and Dioxins to Mobile Phones--Cancer Risks, Greenwashing and Vested Interests

Chapter 10: Christian Blom. Escaping Electrosensitivity.

Cellphones, Wi-Fi and Cancer: Will Trump's Budget Cuts Zap Vital 'Electrosmog' Research?

High levels of 'electrosmog' detected in downtown
Manhattan, New York City. Photo:
Martinez Zea via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA)

Cellphones, wifi and cancer: Will Trump's budget cuts zap vital ‘electrosmog' research?by Paul Mobbs, The Ecologist, 27 March 2017

Just as long term research into the health impacts of the 'electrosmog' created by wifi and mobile phones is yielding its first results, it's at risk of sudden termination from President Trump's budget cuts, writes Paul Mobbs. But the cuts have little to do with saving money - and a lot to do with protecting corporate profit and economic growth from harsh truths, including evidence that electrosmog causes cancer in laboratory rats, and maybe humans too.
Amidst concern over President Trump's emasculation of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and cuts to the USA's climate research, other ground-breaking areas of environmental research are being ignored.

For well-over a decade, at a cost of $25 million, a US National Toxicology Program study has been assessing the links between the use of mobile phones and rare, though increasing forms of cancer.

Unfortunately, before the results of this study are published, it may be 'lost' in the coming cuts.

Maryland lawmakers vote to ban fracking
by Devin Henry, The Hill, 28 March 2017

The Maryland General Assembly has passed a bill to ban hydraulic fracturing in the state, sending the bill to Gov. Larry Hogan for his signature.

Hogan, a Republican, supports the fracking the ban and has promised to sign it, despite opposition from others in the GOP who say drilling could help the economy in western Maryland.

The state Senate approved the bill on a 35-10 vote on Monday night. The House of Delegates approved the same bill earlier on a 97-40 vote.

Changes in the vascular system may trigger Alzheimer's disease
medicalxpress.com, 21 March 2017

(Image): The brain of a mouse with Alzheimer's disease is infiltrated with inflammatory cells, which light up in red when activated (left). These cells become less active when Factor XII is removed (right). Credit: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics at The Rockefeller University/Blood

As the average age of Americans increases, so too does the problem of Alzheimer's, one of the world's most common neurological diseases. In recent years, scientists have explored many new approaches to clear the plaques and tangles in the brain that characterize the condition, but the new drugs have largely turned out to be disappointing.

A team of Rockefeller scientists is now using a fresh approach to look at biological processes that occur in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Somewhat unexpectedly, they have found that a plasma component normally involved in blood clotting and inflammation may also be part of the problem in some patients.

A butcher cuts beef at a market in Buenos Aires. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC)
work classifying things like bacon, plutonium and wood
dust as carcinogens relies most heavily onNIH funding.
Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

"IARC’s priorities until 2019 include reviewing the potential carcinogenicity of bisphenol A (used in plastics), the sweetener aspartame, indium tin oxide (widely used in displays, laptop screens and mobile phones) and e-cigarettes — all of which generate a lot of business."

Bad news for the bad-news agencyby Natalie Huet, politico.eu, 17 March 2017,

Updated 20 March 2017

Global cancer research agency says industry is on a drive to disparage its findings as fake news amid uncertainty about crucial US funding.

LYON, France — As President Donald Trump raises the axe on U.S. medical research funding, scientists across the Atlantic are trembling, too.

The World Health Organization’s cancer agency, the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has long been a prime purveyor of bad news. Now, with big business blasting it as fake news and Republicans in total control, U.S. funding crucial for IARC’s work is under threat.

A Carniolan honey bee (Apis Mellifera carnica) is
collecting nectar at a yellow rapeseed blossom. Bees and
other vital food crop pollinators have been declining for
decades. Photo: Frank Bienewald/LightRocket/
Getty Images

Europe poised for total ban on bee-harming pesticides
by Damian Carrington, The Guardian,

23 March 2017

Exclusive: Draft regulations seen by the Guardian reveal the European commission wants to prohibit the insecticides that cause ‘acute risks to bees’

The world’s most widely used insecticides would be banned from all fields across Europe under draft regulations from the European commission, seen by the Guardian.

The documents are the first indication that the powerful commission wants a complete ban and cite “high acute risks to bees”. A ban could be in place this year if the proposals are approved by a majority of EU member states.

2.45 GHz Wi-Fi Microwave Radiation Induces DNA Damage in Ovaries and Testes of Rats

"These results give an indication of possible long term effects that may be expected on the reproductive organs in humans when exposed at similar microwave radiation for a considerable period of time."

2.45 GHz Wi-Fi Microwave Radiation Induces DNA Damage in Ovaries and Testes of Rats

Short-duration exposure to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation induces DNA damage in Sprague Dawley rat’s reproductive systems
Usikalu, M. R.1 , Obembe, O. O.2 *, Akinyemi, M. L.1 and Zhu, J.3

This published paper is about 2.45 GHZ, the same radiation frequency used in Wi-Fi.

Download the full paper here.

Frasier, Frasier and Hickman and cell phone litigation
nexusnewsfeed.com / EMFacts Consultancy, 28 March 2017

The legal firm Frasier, Frasier and Hickman is seeking clients who claim that their illness is caused by cell phone use.

For over 50 years of legal practice, Frasier, Frasier & Hickman had defended the rights of working people. We have a passionate belief in our clients and their causes, and never stop fighting for them…

Read more here

Excerpt from their website:

There is a concern with rising cell phone use–safety–whether cell phone use is associated with cancer. The concern is especially pointed with regard to the rise in cell phone use by children. Children have thinner bone structures and a less stable system….

For more than 60 years our firm has stood up for victims of all kinds of personal injuries and the families of wrongful death victims. Today we have dedicated a practice to focus on a helping a specific kind of victim – those who may have contracted cancer or any other health issues that may be linked to cell phone use.

Nokia Threat Intelligence Report: Malware at all time high, IoT devices vulnerable as well
by tech2 News Staff , 27 March 2017

The latest Threat Intelligence Report released by Nokia says that mobile device malware infections are at an all-time high. Issued twice per year, the report also mentions that there has been a sharp increase in compromised smartphones and major IoT device security vulnerabilities.

There was an increase in mobile device infections through 2016 with 1.35 percent of all mobile devices in October struck by malware. There was also a surge of nearly 400 percent in smartphone malware attacks in 2016.

Considering all mobile devices, smartphones were the biggest targets in the second half of last year with 85 percent of total mobile device infections.

Australia: Councils are Rolling Out Wheelie Bins Bugged with RFID Chips

[Our comment: Just to demonstrate how motivated THEY are to spy on us. Similar situation in Geneva. The health minister refuses to include information on ways to reduce exposure to wireless technology in his health promotion and prevention strategy. We believe one reasons is that the more these devices are used, the more info is picked up by the police and other information-gathering bodies. The Geneva State Councillor in charge of security was one of only three persons from Switzerland invited to Bilderberg in 2015 where one of the major topics was security. Geneva is home to hundreds of international organizations, NGOs, the United Nations European Headquarters... We wouldn't be surprised if OUR rubbish bins were microchipped ! Correct disposal of rubbish is also a contentious issue - and dirty disposal habits are rife.]

Councils are rolling out wheelie bins bugged with RFID chips
by Benedict Brook news.com.au, 26 March 2017

YOUR rubbish could be spying on you. As well as guarding your grime it might be disclosing your dirty habits. Your wheelie could be revealing all.

Residents in Sydney's inner west were surprised this month when the local council began replacing municipal bins, many of which in perfect working order.

They were even more surprised when it was revealed there was a hidden addition to their shiny new bin. And it was telling council about all their filthy habits.

Sydney's Inner West council has begun rolling out 35,000 new wheelie bins. Just under the rim in the new bins, away from prying eyes, is a small circular device - a Radio Frequency Identification Device, or RFID, tag.

Excellent Program on Cellphones from CBC News

The secret inside your cellphone (CBC Marketplace) - CBC News - 24 March 2017 - 22 mn.

Excellent documentary from Canada. All three popular phones exceeded the safety limit when tested next to the body. Featuring Berkeley's Right-To-Know ordinance, Devra Davis and former Microsoft Canada CEO Frank Clegg.

As new science fuels the debate about cellphone safety, we take a closer look at a little known message inside your cellphone's settings and manual telling you to keep the device 5 to 15 mm away from your body. We ask why this message exists, why it's so hidden, and whether Health Canada is doing enough to protect us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm69ik_Qdb8

The Role of Industry in Childhood Cancers

London smog. 'The unborn child can be 1,000 times more
vulnerable than a grown man to environmental
pollutants', writes Caroline McManus.
Photo: Guy Bell/Alamy Stock Photo

The role of industry in childhood cancers
Letters, The Guardian, 20 March 2017

With childhood cancer being a controlling factor in tackling daily life, and having been forced to defy a very poor prognosis myself, I feel a need to respond to your letter about Brexit’s impact on children with cancer (14 March). Glenis Wilmott MEP states that 1,700 children are diagnosed with cancer, of which over 250 die, annually in the UK, and that their only chance of survival may lie with being on a clinical trial, due to lack of treatments.

Cancer treatment is dreaded by adults, but is much worse for a child, with the consequences of treatment often casting a shadow for the rest of their lives. With a 40% increase in child cancer in less than 20 years, surely we have to refocus and ask politicians at all levels to take responsibility for their decisions in allowing industries which increase risks and known causes of cancer, such as air pollution. The unborn child can be 1,000 times more vulnerable than a grown man to environmental pollutants, and yet recently activists against fracking have been deemed irresponsible.

A Saudi man explores social media on his mobile device as
he sits at a cafe in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 24, 2016.
Reuters/ Faisal Al Nasser

Most feel compelled to constantly check email, texts and social media
by Ronnie Cohen, reuters.com, 22 March 2017

(Reuters Health) - - Did your date check his email just as you were about to deliver a punch line? Did your friend reply to a text while you were describing your boss’ broadside? Is your child so engrossed in whatever she’s doing on her iPhone that you must ask her multiple times to please pass the salt?

And do you find yourself incapable of controlling an incessant urge to look at your smart phone or other electronic device?

You’ve got company.

Nearly nine out of 10 Americans report being so tethered to their digital gadgets that they constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts, a new poll shows.

Inviting Discussion About Safer Tech Use in Schools
by Katie Singer,

www.electronicsilentspring.com, Originally posted 7 February 2017

A list of educators, physicians and researchers who join Katie Singer and the EMRadiation Policy Institute in calling for safer use of technology in education is posted after the Endnotes.

In one generation, use of electronic technologies has exploded, creating dramatic environmental and cultural changes, including in classrooms. As we read, write, research, meet and express ourselves, electronics offer extraordinary possibilities. Meanwhile, to develop self-respect, empathy, humor, awareness of themselves and others and social skills, children still depend on human contact in a real (not virtual) world.

Electronics are tools, not substitutes for human teachers or peers. Every community still needs children who are familiar with the real world around them; who learn (from other people) to think critically and ethically; who are well versed in biology, chemistry, physics, literature, music and art. Students need to create and imagine from their own minds, not to follow a computer programmer’s choices or direction. For healthy development, children need time without electronics, in nature, socializing with each other and contributing to their communities. Youth need purpose. They need to participate in person-to-person conversation about real world problems and solutions.

Parents Had Wi-Fi Switches Installed in a Finnish School

Parents had Wifi switches installed in a Finnish school
News release, 23 March 2017

In the Fiskars primary school located in Raasepori in Southern Finland parents have long struggled against Ipad and Wifi based learning. They couldn't prevent the installation of Wifi hot spots, but their struggle had results: now in every class room there is a switch by which the radiation emitting hot spot can be turned off.

Most parents and teacher of the Fiskars school opposed the plan of Raasepori city administration to use tablets and microwave based wireless network in the school. Their critical stand was based on the recommendations of the Council of Europe*, health risks**, pedagogy, the limitations of tablets as computers, and the desire to keep children's screen time reasonable. In spring 2016 names were collected to a petition demanding postponement of the Wifi and tablet school project. The petition was signed by 90 parents whose children are in Fiskars school now or will be in the near future. In the school there are only 60 pupils.

Electric car
Alternative Energy News

We know electrosensitive persons who suffer from exposure to radiofrequency radiation in their cars. Below, are extracts from excellent information on the subject:

Radiofrequency Pollution a Serious Safety Issue in Cars
www.electricalpollution.com

Cardiac Arrest
A number of studies show that electromagnetic radiation, including radiofrequency radiation, alters heart rate variability, blood pressure (including inducing hypertension with microwave exposure) and increases risk of arrhythmia related heart disease and heart attack. (Mahra et al 1971) (Cherry 2000) (Havas et al 2010) (Havas and Marrongelle 2013) (Havas 2013).

U.S. Scientists Launch World's Biggest Solar Geoengineering Study

Scientists say the planet could be covered with a solar
shield for as little as $10bn a year. Photo: ISS/Nasa

Poisoning of the planet from the sky in the name of geoengineering... Of course, this has already been taking place for a number of years and may explain the rise in respiratory and other diseases, the massive die-offs of fish, birds, bees... Has anyone asked us, the public, for permission to conduct such a deadly experiment?

Future tests could involve seeding the sky with aluminium oxide.

US scientists launch world's biggest solar geoengineering study

by Arthur Neslen, The Guardian,

24 March 2017

Research programme will send aerosol injections into the earth’s upper atmosphere to study the risks and benefits of a future solar tech-fix for climate change

US scientists are set to send aerosol injections 20km up into the earth’s stratosphere in the world’s biggest solar geoengineering programme to date, to study the potential of a future tech-fix for global warming.

The $20m (£16m) Harvard University project will launch within weeks and aims to establish whether the technology can safely simulate the atmospheric cooling effects of a volcanic eruption, if a last ditch bid to halt climate change is one day needed.

"IoT apps and devices, for instance, are projected to soar to $1.3 billion by 2020 with the fastest growth industries being healthcare, insurance, consumer and retail."

Digital transformation - including wearables, IoT - a $20 trillion market, says IDC
by Tom Sullivan, mobihealthnews.com,

23 March 2017

DX: Hospital executives and IT pros might as well get used to those initials, which analyst house IDC and some others use to refer to "digital transformation."

While DX is not an entirely new concept, IDC just projected that the overall DX market will blast off toward $20 trillion in short order, representing more than 20 percent of GDP. Global GDP, that is.

IoT and the world’s first trillionaire
Opinion, nationmultimedia.com, 25 March 2017

Virtually all of the billionaires on Forbes list have one thing in common.

One way or another they are involved with the recent electronic phenomenon called METME (Maximum Efficient Transfer of Electronic Energy) and better known as the IoT (Internet of Things). The IoT has been identified as “the greatest commercial event in world history”. It is dramatically changing world commerce – and also politics. For example, all Thailand banks are reducing staff and facilities by 30 to 35 per cent as new IoT procedures take over. The same shifts can be seen in virtually all other fields, from automotives to food to construction, etc.

Bill Gates ($85.6 billion) is currently the world’s wealthiest person. But not for long! Some new guys are in town.

Jacksonville, Florida's most populous city has opted to
ditch a pilot smart lighting installation by GE.

"It is not clear exactly what discouraged Jacksonville from proceeding and the spokesperson declined to elaborate when asked if costs or operability stymied the project. It is possible that Jacksonville authorities were concerned with things like data protection, data ownership, privacy, and security issues associated with IoT projects, which are sometimes prone to hacking."

Major US city abandons IoT project citing ‘other priorities’
luxreview.com, 23 March 2017

A major US city has dropped an Internet of Things based lighting system, saying that they have more important things to work on.

Jacksonville, Florida’s most populous city, opted to ditch a pilot installation by GE that was set to involve equipping some of its street lights with chips and sensors that would eventually do everything from improving lighting controls and efficiency to detecting free parking spaces for motorists.

The lights would also be able to alert the public about hurricanes, weather events that are common in Florida.

Pocket Dialling to Danger

That phone in your pocket could be dangerous, according to
Marketplace. Getty

MARKETPLACE: Pocket dialling to danger
vancouver.24hrs.ca,

24 March 2017

Should you carry your phone in your pocket? The answer is right there, inside your phone, in a government-mandated message that says you should hold your phone 5mm to 15mm away from your body to limit exposure to radiation. It varies from phone to phone.

But a survey from CBC's Marketplace reveals that most people have never seen the message and don't use their phones that way.

So if you slip your phone in your pocket, or tuck it into your bra, you're not following the guidelines. And here's the problem: The government test cellphone makers use to assess the safety of their products are based on the assumption that you are.

Laptops should never be used on one's lap, especially
when connected to Wi-Fi.

Wifi in Md. schools may put your kid at risk for cancer
by Devra Lee Davis, Opinion, The Baltimore Sun, 24 March 2017

Thank you, Gov. Larry Hogan, for appointing thoughtful, brave medical experts to Maryland's Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council (CEHPAC). Your next challenge is to get the Maryland school superintendents to heed the council's well-founded advice: reduce and restrict children's wireless radiation (wifi). With distinguished experts in child health, neurodevelopment and pediatrics, the council draws on the well-established public health principle that stopping harm now is always better and cheaper than trying to fix damage later.

Monsanto Faces Hundreds of New Cancer Lawsuits as Debate Over Glyphosate Rages On

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at a press conference with
Baum Hedlund clients outside of the courthouse in
Fresno, California in January.
Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman

"Monsanto's newly released documents expose a culture corrupt enough to shock the company's most jaded critics," Kennedy said in a statement. "Those papers show sociopathic company officials ghostwriting scientific studies to conceal Roundup's risks from Monsanto's regulators and customers, including food consumers, farmers and the public."

Monsanto Faces Hundreds of New Cancer Lawsuits as Debate Over Glyphosate Rages On
by Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, 22 March 2017

Monsanto has been slapped with another slew of cancer lawsuits over its most popular pesticide as the debate over the health risks of glyphosate rages on.

5G and IoT: Total Technological Control Grid Being Rolled Out Fast
by Makia Freeman, Contributor, Waking Times, 23 March 2017

5G is being rolled out fast right now, with Verizon testing it out in 11 US cities and ATT also conducting experiments. For those who don’t know, 5G is the latest wireless system that telecommunications companies are trying to implement to service wireless communication. It’s designed to allow faster downloads of more data. It uses the 28, 37 and 39 GHz bands, also known as millimetre wave (mmW) spectrum. 5G, which comes from the term 5th generation, is designed to work in conjunction with what former CIA head David Petraeus called the Internet of Things or IoT. The agenda is to hook every single material thing on the planet, as well as humans themselves, onto a vast planet-wide web where everything and everyone become nodes on the network – connected by microchips which are nano-size and can be inhaled (like smart dust).

We have checked with the person responsible for this study, Dr. Pamela Gibson, who says people from any country may participate.

Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Study Subjects Needed By University Research Team
by Catherine J. Frompovich, activistpost.com,

20 March 2017

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) or idiopathy environmental intolerance (IEI) results from exposure to electromagnetic waves (EMF/RF/ELF) due to the overwhelming explosion of ‘smart’ technology appliances and gadgets which use either microwaves or some other wave on the electromagnetic spectrum.

EHS Research Study

James Madison University Environmental Sensitivities Research Team is conducting research surveys in chemical and/or electrical sensitivities. Below is the request for participants to reply and participate, which will be extremely helpful in establishing data to document what’s called non-thermal radiation adverse health effects from EMF/RF/ELF.

Map of Japan's nuclear plants. Photo: Japan
Atomic Industries Forum Inc, 2016

A more comprehensive article on the liability ruling on the Fukushima accident.

Japan court shocks nuclear industry with liability ruling
by Shaun Burnie, atimes.com, 20 March 2017

Court sends a shockwave through Japan's nuclear establishment with ruling on Fukushima accident.

Japan’s atomic power establishment is in shock following the court ruling on Friday that found the state and the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant liable for failing to take preventive measures against the tsunami that crippled the facility.

The reason for the shock is the ruling has wide-ranging implications for Japan’s entire nuclear power industry and the efforts to restart reactors throughout the country.

Is 'Junk Journalism' Complaining about 'Junk Science' in The Baltimore Sun?

Is ‘junk journalism’ complaining about ‘junk science’ in The Baltimore Sun?

by Dariusz Leszczynski, betweenrockandhardplace.wordpress.com, 12 March 2017

this post is open for comments

(see original article)

The most efficient way to mislead an inexperienced reader is to write a story with a pinch of truth, a pinch of ambiguity and a dose of falsehoods or misrepresentations.

This is the way how Alex Berezow and Josh Bloom, of the ‘American Council on Science and Health’, wrote a recent story for The Baltimore Sun: Recommendation to limit Md. School Wi-Fi based on ‘junk science’.

The story was written in context of the recent developments in the area of the use of wi-fi in schools:

“…The Children’s Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council (CEHPAC), an agency within Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has recommended that schools reduce or eliminate students’ exposure to Wi-Fi because it believes wireless signals might cause cancer…”.

Expert Testimony on Smart Meters/Grid: “Retain analog systems to the extent possible.”
by K.T. Weaver, SkyVision Solutions,

smartgridawareness.org, 12 March 2017

Cynthia Ayers is a national security threat analyst, currently working as an independent consultant within the Mission Control and Cyber Division of the Center for Strategic Leadership, U.S. Army War College. She is also serving as Deputy to the Executive Director of the Congressionally sponsored Task Force on National and Homeland Security.

On March 7, 2017, Ayers presented testimony before the Michigan House Committee on Energy Policy. Her testimony included an analysis of how smart meters introduce safety and security threats to the electric grid and to civilization itself. Excerpts from the written testimony [1] include the following:

“My testimony will concentrate on the possibility of a catastrophic cyber attack to the systems we depend on for the delivery of electricity – the lifeblood of our modern civilization. …

"I am concerned, not only for my own child, but for all children, especially those who may suffer from a variety of pre-existing stressors – socioeconomic, racial, nutritional, environmental, etc. – thus making them more prone to adverse health reactions and consequent learning disorders, due to the toxic effects of radio-frequency radiation."

Letter to Seattle Public Schools Superintendent, Doctor Larry Nyland on WiFi in Public Schools
Posted by Jordan, communichi.org, 13 March 2017

Dear Dr. Nyland,

I am excited that my daughter will be attending a Seattle public school next year. I was particularly impressed by Principal Wiley’s introduction at a recent open house at Franklin High School. I am a strong believer in public education.

However, I am concerned about the health effects of WiFi, particularly for children whose cellular metabolism is more rapid than adults, and who are thus more vulnerable to molecular and DNA damage due to the intense and continuous exposure that radio-frequency radiation presents.

Japan Court Rules Government Liable Over Fukushima

A Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) logo is seen on a
uniform of an employee at the company's Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima,
Japan. February 23, 2017,
Reuters/ Tomohiro Ohsumi/ Pool

Japan court rules government liable over Fukushima: media
Reuters, 17 March 2017

A court in Japan on Friday ruled that Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) and the government are liable for negligence in a case involving compensation for the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the first time the judiciary has ruled the state has liability, Japanese media reported.

The district court in Maebashi, north of Tokyo, ruled in favor of 137 evacuees seeking damages for the emotional distress of fleeing their homes as radiation spread from the meltdowns at Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant after an earthquake and tsunami six years ago, the Mainichi newspaper and other media reported.

While courts have ruled in favor of plaintiffs and awarded damages arising from the disaster, it was the first time a court has recognized that the government was liable, the Mainichi said.

Robots: How They'll Disrupt Different Careers

Robots: How they'll disrupt different careers
by Alexander Panetta, Canadian Press/ msn.com, 20 March 2017

WASHINGTON - A wrecking ball is coming for the labour market, analysts warn. As computer-processing power doubles each year and machines learn from their mistakes, sources say the upcoming federal budget will examine the potential of artificial intelligence to disrupt — industries, politics, and entire societies.

It's been mostly blue-collar workers hit so far, but white-collar jobs are next, a research project at Oxford University concluded in 2013. It said 47 per cent of jobs risk being automated.

NTP Paper on DNA Breaks Delayed, Will Be Included in Final RF Report
microwavenews.com, 21 March 2017

Peer Reviewers Had Sought More Information;
Cell Phone-Cancer Report Due in December

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has changed course and will not —at least for the time being— publish its findings of increased DNA breaks among rats exposed to cell phone radiation as a stand-alone paper.

The DNA study, which is part of NTP’s landmark experiment showing that RF radiation can lead to tumors in the brains and hearts of laboratory animals, will now be incorporated in NTP’s Technical Report on the $25 million project, the NTP has told Microwave News.

Twenty Questions to the Maryland State Department of Education About the Unsafe Use of Digital Devices in Classrooms

Example of inappropriate position using laptop/tablet.
For one, this child is too young to be using it. It should
never be held next to the body, but instead, upright on a
table with the head - and eyes - some distance from the
screen.

Following are the 20 questions asked by a Maryland parent in a letter sent to the Maryland Department of Education Superintendent on unsafe use of digital devices. View the entire text on Scribd - it contains information on this issue from all over the world.

Twenty Questions to the Maryland State Department of Education About the Unsafe Use of Digital Devices in Classrooms
Sunday, March 19, 2017

Letter to Maryland Department o fEducation Superintendent on Unsafe Use of Digital Devices by Safe Tech For Schools on Scribd

1.Why are you not taking immediate action to ensure safety in classrooms by instructing students and teachers as to keep all electronics off laps?

2.Why are not acting to remove wireless transmitters and wireless devices from the classrooms as the Advisory Council has recommended schools use wired networks.

3.Parents should not be waiting for a Bill to pass before children are protected. Why are you not taking immediate action to ensure safety in classrooms by consulting with medical doctors and developing health and safety guidelines for screen use in a transparent process whereby the science on which such guidance is based on is shared?

Researchers have devised a new method that relies on
central "light antennas" to beam ray of different wave-
lengths to wireless devices. Other research teams, including
one at Boston University, have revealed similar plans
in recent months.

The end of wifi woes? Researchers reveal 'li-fi' system 100 times faster that never becomes overloaded
by Cheyenne MacDonald for Dailymail.com,

17 March 2017

Method relies on central ‘light antennas’ to beam rays of different wavelengths
This means networks won’t get jammed by several competing devices
Researchers say it's 100 times faster than current systems, with bigger capacity

Wireless networks crafted from rays of infrared light could soon allow you to connect to the internet 100 times faster than current systems.

Researchers have devised a new method that relies on central ‘light antennas’ to beam rays of different wavelengths to wireless devices – meaning networks won’t get jammed by several competing devices.

A light-based system, also known as ‘Li-Fi,’ could make wireless networks much more secure, and researchers now say it could hit the stores in just five years.

UCB’s Joel Moskowitz springs suppressed cell phone health guidance prepared by Cal Dept of Public Health
Submitted by sglantz, tobacco.ucsf.edu,
19 March 2017

I have been following the evidence that cell phone radiation can have adverse health effects for several years and think that the evidence for adverse health effects of cell phones is about where it was in the early 1960s for cigarettes. (I use several studies showing damage to sperm as examples in my textbook Primer of Biostatistics.) I have also been impressed at how, like Big Tobacco and global warming deniers, the cell phone industry has tried to keep people in the dark about the emerging evidence.

I have also worked for decades with the California Department of Public Health and come to respect the high quality of the work they do. So I was interested to read in the newspaper a few weeks ago that in 2010 they had prepared a “guidance document” on the health effects of cell phone radiation that had been buried. The 2010 CDPH document summarized the science regarding health risks from cell phone radiation, and offered consumers precautionary recommendations.

It took seven years and a lawsuit in Superior Court brought by my colleague Joel Moskowitz from UC Berkeley (who used to work on tobacco) to force its release.

Addiction to Cell Phones: Are There Neurophysiological Mechanisms Involved? (2007 Paper)

Our attention has been drawn to a 2007 paper "Addiction to cell phones: are there neurophysiological mechanisms involved?". This paper was written 10 years ago. Why only now are there so many articles in the press about the issue of behavioral addiction to screens and cell phones?

Addiction to cell phones: are there neurophysiological mechanisms involved?

Maria Paz de la Puente, Afonso Balmori, published in Proyecto, Vol. 61: pp. 8-12, March 2007 Acknowledgments: Claudio Gómez Perretta and Paqui Bonet Translation from Spanish: Patricia Garcia

Extracts

At first glance we could consider the addiction to cell phones as belonging to those addictions that are substance-free, also called psychological addictions. Yet, unlike these, cell phones emit microwaves that reach the brain, making investigators wonder if there could be a physiological base for such addictions.

The following article gives a brief overview of the studies made that analyze the effects that these radiation produce and that bring us closer to the possible addictive effect, similar to those provoked by conventional drugs. In them, the authors dare to sound the alarm of the abuse that young people, whose brains are still in the process of maturing, could be prey to the risks derived from their improper use, and consider that there should be specific education of the responsible use of cell phones.
...

Neurophysiological bases for addiction

We've Brought These Stupid 'Internet Of Things' Hacks Upon Ourselves

Art by Angelica Alzona

We've Brought These Stupid 'Internet Of Things' Hacks Upon Ourselves
by Thorin Klosowsk i, lifehacker.com.au,

17 March 2017

Whether it's poorly reported stories of hacked Samsung TVs, sadly hilarious tales of hacked teddy bears, or even more bizarre claims about wiretapped microwaves, real, fake and overblown accounts of all the things that can happen with the devices we choose to connect to the internet dominate the news. We've brought this stupid future on ourselves.

Over the last few years, we've been connecting anything and everything we can to the internet under the guise of simplicity. You can connect light bulbs, refrigerators, sex toys, pet feeders and a ton more. These devices are usually referred to as Internet of Things (IoT). How poorly thought out they are is already a running joke, but that isn't stopping them from coming out at an increased pace.

There are a lot of potential problems with IoT devices, but the two most prevalent and worth talking about issues are security and usability.

Recent News from ARTAC

News from ARTAC (Association for Research on Treatment Against Cancer)

- Preparation of the insertion into the Statute of Rome of an amendment considering degradation of the environment and pollution as health crimes.
- Aerotoxic syndrome

Extracts from ARTAC Bulletin
no. 83, March 2017

Meeting at the European Parliament

Image: Joseph Xu, Michigan Engineering

Researchers use $5 speaker to hack IoT devices, smartphones, automobiles

by Conner Forrest, techrepublic.com,

15 March 2017

Cybersecurity researchers from the University of Michigan used sound waves to trick accelerometers and gain backdoor access into systems.

University of Michigan researchers were able to successfully hack into sensors in smartphones, automobiles, medical devices, and IoT products, the university announced Tuesday. Using only a simple $5 speaker, the researchers were able to outwit accelerometers and gain additional access to the system, a press release said.

Older Women on Statins at Greatly Increased Risk of Diabetes

Maybe time to think about de-prescribing statins for
older women supplied

Older women on statins at greatly increased risk of diabetes

by Jill Margo, afr.com, 16 March 2017

Older Australian women who take statins to control their cholesterol are putting themselves at significantly higher risk of developing diabetes type 2.

A new Queensland study shows they have a 33 to 50 per cent increased chance of developing diabetes, depending on the dose.

The authors say the "dose effect" is most concerning and these women should not be exposed to high doses.

Statins have been in wide use for more than 25 years but in 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration advised their use may increase the risk of diabetes type 2.

Wireless Wise Kids book available - wireless safety education in a nutshell
Wireless Education, March 2017

Lyn McLean knows microwave radiation. She also knows children and the importance of keeping them safe from it. McLean was the former Deputy Chair of two committees that developed and updated the telecommunications code for Australia’s mobile phone base stations, and was a long-term member of the Australian Government’s Electromagnetic Energy Reference Group. She is also a former teacher and as such wrote a book to teach children and their families to use today’s technologies more safely.

Wireless Wise Kids: Safer ways to use mobile and wireless technology is an engaging paperback with cheerful illustrations by Janet Selby. With lots of white space and large print, children, teachers and parents alike will find it easy to read.

McLean shows how information travels through the air between wireless devices, routers and cell towers using microwave radiation. She explains that since this radiation goes through buildings, it also goes through our bodies.

California Tries to Cover Up Cellphone Hazards
by Dr. Mercola, 15 March 2017

Cellphones have become commonplace. Users are able to call, text and use the Internet, all from the convenience of a piece of equipment that fits in a pocket. According to Pew Research Center, 91 percent of adults in the U.S. have one.1

Pew found the number of people embracing the use of cellphones have made this device the most quickly accepted consumer technology in history. The latest survey found those over 65, living in rural areas and women, are less likely to own a cellphone, although this pattern has not been evident in previous surveys.

Pew attributes the quick rise in popularity of the device to the development of smartphones. Unfortunately, this connection to technology places you in danger of disconnecting from what's real and really important. Use and overuse may lead to addiction. The New York Times observes:2

"The near-universal access to digital technology, starting at ever younger ages, is transforming modern society in ways that can have negative effects on physical and mental health, neurological development and personal relationships, not to mention safety on our roads and sidewalks.

"A sad and discouraging commentary on our inability to control corporate greed."

Monsanto Isn’t Feeding the World—It’s Killing Our Children
by Katherine Paul, Organic Consumers Association, 9 March 2017

“How could we have ever believed that it is a good idea to grow our food with poisons?” – Dr. Jane Goodall

Two new reports published in recent weeks add to the already large and convincing body of evidence, accumulated over more than half a century, that agricultural pesticides and other toxic chemicals are poisoning us.

Both reports issue scathing indictments of U.S. and global regulatory systems that collude with chemical companies to hide the truth from the public, while they fill their coffers with ill-gotten profits.

According to the World Health Organization, whose report focused on a range of environmental risks, the cost of a polluted environment adds up to the deaths of 1.7 million children every year.

A report by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council, focused more narrowly on agricultural chemicals. The UN report states unequivocally that the storyline perpetuated by companies like Monsanto—the one that says we need pesticides to feed the world—is a myth. And a catastrophic one at that.

World Health Organization: Smart Meters Are Making People Ill

by Baxter Dmitry, yournewswire.com,

14 March 2017

Smart meters cause a “cornucopia of health issues” for occupants of the 57 million American homes equipped with the new technology, according to the World Health Organization and Cancer.org.

The news comes after a major university study into the “smart meter scam” revealed that the new meters regularly “overcharge consumers by up to 582%” while at the same time collecting owner’s data which is then sold to third parties for further profit.

Electric utilities have embraced smart meters, pushing aggressively for the mass rollout of the wireless technology. Roughly 65 million of the devices have been installed in the United States over the last few years, with 57 million in consumer homes.

Disturbingly, the government plans to have a smart meter in every home by 2020, despite the World Health Organization and Cancer.org’s dire warnings about the meter’s negative impact on health.

Smart meters health problems

EMF Studies

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