Raise awareness of environmental health issues in order to better protect our children and future generations.

30 April 2019

Study Finds 9 Out of 10 Smartphones Violate Radiation Safety Limits

Study finds 9 of 10 smartphones violate radiation safety limits
State Newskttn.com (Trenton, Missouri), April 30, 2019

Public health groups are calling for a nationwide recall on some cellular phones after a new study showed some units when pressed up against the body, emit 11 times more radiation than Federal Communications Commission safety limits allows.

A study done by a professor emeritus of electrical engineering from the University of Utah analyzed data from the French government, which tested 450 phones, and found that 9 out of 10 violated safety limits when they touch the body.

Dr. Devra Davis, president of the Environmental Health Trust, said she thinks the U.S. government guidelines themselves are old and need to be updated. “The United States is far behind in testing phones, and we believe the reasons for that have to do with the fact that the FCC is currently being run by former heads of the cellphone industry,” Davis said. “Cell phones would be illegal if they were tested in the way that they are used.”

Wi-Fi at Home Harms Children, Expert Warns

(A laptop should never be used on the lap.)
Wi-Fi at home harms children, expert warns
By Naturalist Activist, 30th April 2019

Legal action to force a school to remove a cell tower has highlighted the dangers to children of Wi-Fi at home.

Parents of children at a primary school in Kifissia, a wealthy suburb of Athens in Greece, say the cell tower, which is 80 meters from classrooms, is damaging the health of pupils. The school is refusing to remove the tower so the parents are taking it to court.

Dr. Theodore Metsis, an engineer and a wireless radiation specialist, is advising the parents and their lawyers. He says: “Talking with the mothers I learned that one third of the pupils have various problems, including attention deficient and hyperactivity disorder; learning and concentration difficulties; diabetes and thyroid problems.”

Italy: Health Risks Arising from Mobile Phone Misuse: Government Ordered to Launch Information Campaign

In their arguments used to win the case, the Italian lawyers relied, among other things, on the data from the test results of ANFR on more than 500 mobile phones, published as part of the Phonegate affair

Health risks arising from mobile phone misuse: government ordered to launch information campaign

by Christian di Mauro, internationallawoffice.com, 01 May 2019

The debate regarding the health risks connected to the incorrect use of mobile phones has recently been rekindled in Italy. With a 15 January 2019 decision, the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR Lazio) ordered the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research to launch an information campaign to advise the public about the potential health and environmental risks arising from the misuse of mobile and cordless phones.

Facts

United States: Another Congressperson Seeks Answers From The FCC And FDA On 5G Radio-Frequency Health Impacts

Yet Another Member Of Congress Seeks Answers From The FCC And FDA On 5G Radio-Frequency Health Impacts
Environmental Health Trust, 30 April 2019

On April 15, Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Pai and acting FDA Commissioner Sharpless inquiring about the status of the government’s research into the potential health effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation and its relation to the FCC’s guidelines for safe human RF exposure levels, in light of the Commission push to rollout 5G technology and over 800,000 new antenna installations in the United States.

Rep. DeFazio pointed out that although the Commission sought comment on whether its RF safety guidelines should be reassessed in 2013, no further action has been taken and the guidelines have not been updated since their implementation in 1996.

The letter asks for details on the health-related studies conducted and what efforts have been taken by the agencies to educate and inform the public about its RF/5G technology research.

From the National Law Review, April 30, 2019

27 April 2019

Bangladesh: High Court Issues Directive to Cut Cell Phone Tower Radiation

The 11-point directive is posted at the end of this article.

HC issues directive to cut cell phone tower radiation
STAFF REPORTER, Dhaka, theindependentbd.com, 26 April 2019

The High Court (HC) yesterday (Thursday) issued an 11-point directive to protect public health and environment from mobile phone tower radiation. An HC bench also directed the Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to submit a feasibility study report before it within four months, on the impact of radiation from mobile-phone towers on people and environment. In a final verdict on a seven-year-old writ petition, the HC bench, comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir, came up with the directive.

Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction

Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction
By Jack Nicas, The New York Times, 27 April 2019

SAN FRANCISCO — They all tell a similar story: They ran apps that helped people limit the time they and their children spent on iPhones. Then Apple created its own screen-time tracker. And then Apple made staying in business very, very difficult.

Over the past year, Apple has removed or restricted at least 11 of the 17 most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps, according to an analysis by The New York Times and Sensor Tower, an app-data firm. Apple has also clamped down on a number of lesser-known apps.

In some cases, Apple forced companies to remove features that allowed parents to control their children’s devices or that blocked children’s access to certain apps and adult content. In other cases, it simply pulled the apps from its App Store.

Fake Cancerous Nodes in CT Scans, Created by Malware, Trick Radiologists

Hospital viruses: Fake cancerous nodes in CT scans, created by malware, trick radiologists
by Kim Zetter, The Washington Post, 3 April 2019

Researchers in Israel created malware to draw attention to serious security weaknesses in medical imaging equipment and networks.

(iStock) (JohnnyGreig/(iStock)
When Hillary Clinton stumbled and coughed through public appearances during her 2016 presidential run, she faced critics who said that she might not be well enough to perform the top job in the country. To quell rumors about her medical condition, her doctor revealed that a CT scan of her lungs showed that she just had pneumonia.

But what if the scan had shown faked cancerous nodules, placed there by malware exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used CT and MRI scanning equipment? Researchers in Israel say they have developed such malware to draw attention to serious security weaknesses in critical medical imaging equipment used for diagnosing conditions and the networks that transmit those images — vulnerabilities that could have potentially life-altering consequences if unaddressed.

Switzerland: Programmed Obsolescence - NoOPS Association Files Lawsuit Against Apple

Programmed Obsolescence - NoOPS files lawsuit against Apple 
konsum.ch, 23 April 23, 2019i

In October 2017, Apple released an update that severely impacted the performance of its phones, although some still ran under warranty. The reduced battery life was one of the most controversial topics. As a result of several lawsuits around the world, Apple had to admit that the performance of some phones was deliberately reduced.

This controversial act is called programmed obsolescence and is currently not recognized as a crime in Switzerland. Nevertheless, Thomas Putallaz, President of the No Obsolescence Switzerland Association (NoOPS.ch) *, filed a lawsuit against Apple in the hope of abolishing this practice. The introduction of the procedure costs CHF 3'000.-, who wants to support the association via crowdfunding, click here .

French Farmers Sue the State Over Mystery Cow Deaths They Blame on Electromagnetic Fields

French farmers sue the state over mystery cow deaths they blame on electromagnetic fields
by Henry Samueltelegraph.co.uk, 26 April 2019

Several studies have shown that livestock, particularly
cattle, are affected by even low level electromagnetic
fields. 
CREDIT: Sebastian Gollnow / AFP
A group of French cattle farmers is suing the state over the mysterious death of hundreds of cows, which they believe are the victims of harmful electromagnetic fields.

Local vets are at a loss to explain the deaths.

Stéphane Le Béchec, 51, a Breton farmer in Allneuc, has lost 200 cows who died of unknown causes in the past three years and is closing his business.

He has identified several potentially harmful sources, including a transformer, mobile transmission towers and wind farms whose electric currents he says blight his land. “I noted that the voltmetre reacted strongly when I stuck it in the ground or in water,” he told Le Parisien.`

He has filed a legal complaint against “persons unknown” with the local prosecutor.

New Study: Cell Phones Could Exceed 11 Times US Radiation Limit at Body Contact

25 April 2019
Most cell phones emit radiation exceeding safety guidelines when held against the body, according to new analyses of French government data published online in IEEE Access, a peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).  

The analysis by Professor Om Gandhi examined data from 450 cell phone models from the French government agency, ANFR and found that phones can emit 11 times over the US FCC limit and 3 times over European limits.

New Study: Cell Phones Exceed Safety Limits When Phones Touch The Body
Environmental Health Trust, Press Release, 25 April 2019

Full text of study:

Most cell phones emit radiation exceeding safety guidelines when held against the body, according to new analyses of French government data published online in IEEE Access, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The analysis by Professor Om Gandhi examined data from 450 cell phone models from the French government agency, ANFR–the national radiation assessment bureau– indicating that phones can emit 11 times over the US FCC limit and 3 times over French limits in 9 out of 10 phones tested.

26 April 2019

W.H.O. Says Limited or No Screen Time for Children Under 5

W.H.O. Says Limited or No Screen Time for Children Under 5
By Emily S. Ruebnytimes.com, 24 April 2019

In a new set of guidelines, the World Health Organization said that infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day.

(Photo): “Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains,” said an official with the World Health Organization in a statement regarding new “screen time” guidelines.CreditCreditDavid Bagnall/Alamy

Limiting, and in some cases eliminating, screen time for children under the age of 5 will result in healthier adults, the organization, a United Nations health agency, announced on Wednesday.

23 April 2019

Radiofrequency Waves Are Among the Agents Proposed for IARC to Reassess with High Priority

[Press release] Radio frequency waves are among the agents proposed for IARC to reassess with high priority
Equipe Phonegate 23 April 2019

An article in the renowned scientific journal, The Lancet, dated 17 April 2019, published the list of agents whose carcinogenicity is proposed to be assessed or reassessed during the period 2020-2024 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). A panel of 29 experts from 18 countries, meeting in March 2019, reviewed and analysed the latest scientific data and studies and classified the agents into two tables: Table 1 for high priorities and Table 2 for medium and low priorities.

Already classified as a possible carcinogen

18 April 2019

Switzerland: Swisscom Deploys 5G and Creates Controversy

Betrayal by the president of the Geneva cantonal government which had voted a moratorium on 5G.  Betrayal by the Confederation.  Profit reigns over health.  The Swiss Confederation owns the majority of shares in Swisscom. No one is listening to the voice of the people.  Democracy has died.  

Swisscom deploys 5G and creates controversy
by Sami Zaïbi, ABO+, Tribune de Genève, 18 April 2019 - translation

Geneva: The operator is launching its 5G network in Geneva. Antonio Hodgers had nevertheless assured that the Canton would "not rush" this controversial technology

5G antennas in Geneva in operation
Swisscom has taken everyone by surprise. While a national debate is underway on the usefulness and health impacts of 5G, the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud have passed a moratorium on technology, and anti-5G collectives have formed, with great fanfare, the operator today launched its national 5G network, the first to cover major cities, including the City of Calvin. Sunrise had launched the technology in March in small towns and cities.

Political scam

Swisscom's announcement is particularly surprising in Geneva: last week, the President of the Council of State Antonio Hodgers made it clear that the technology would not be coming to the canton any time soon. While he urged the Grand Council to refer the moratorium on 5G (which was finally adopted by 58 votes to 28) to the committee, he had insisted on reassuring elected officials about the progress of the implementation of the technology: "In any case, we are not going to rush to install these antennas. It is a process that first requires public inquiries, all of which must be subject to a weighing of interests, particularly for health, development or heritage. We're certainly not going to rush, that's for sure. I don't have a request on my desk for a 5G antenna yet, to be very clear. When there are, we will treat them with due attention."

16 April 2019

Streaming Is the New Way of Flying - How Digital Consumption Affects the Climate

If you think digital technology is "green", think again.  The ICT sector could already account for 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2025.

Streaming is the new way of flying - how digital consumption affects the climate
by Thomas Fuster, nzz.ch, 16 April 2019 - translation

What is digital is nowhere near green. The environmental costs of information and communication technology (ICT) are mostly underestimated. An important driver for a rapidly increasing power consumption is the streaming of videos.

Watching a video on the go for 10 minutes needs the same
amount of power as an electric oven for 5 minutes in full
operation.
(Image: Matt Cardy / Getty)
In the climate discussion, the roles are clearly divided: on the side of the "bad guys" are heavy industry, transport and agriculture. By contrast, most service providers are among the "good guys" because their products - such as insurance or loans - are more of an intangible nature. Information and communication technology (ICT) is usually assigned to the good side in this classification. Digitization is considered part of the solution and not part of the climate problem. After all, the electronic gadgets are getting smaller and smaller. And the services used on displays somehow seem virtual - and therefore low in pollutants.

More harmful than aviation

13 April 2019

French Court Rules Monsanto Liable for Farmer's Health Problems

French Court Rules Monsanto Liable for Farmer's Health Problems
by Olivia Rosaneecowatch.com, 12 April 2019

French farmer Paul François outside a courthouse 
before a 2015 appeal of his case against Monsanto.
Jeff Pachoud / APF / Getty Images
A French appeals court ruled Thursday in favor of a farmer who has been in a decade-long fight with Monsanto since he fell ill after inhaling a now-banned weedkiller.

Paul Francois, 55, said he suffered neurological damage after inhaling Monsanto's Lasso in 2004. He sued the company arguing that the labeling on the product had been inadequate. Courts ruled in his favor in 2012 and 2015, but France's top court overturned those rulings and ordered a new hearing.

"We are all happy to have won but it came at a heavy price," Francois told reporters, according to Reuters. "It's a big sigh of relief. It's been 12 years of fighting, 12 years during which I had to put my whole life on hold."

12 April 2019

Press Conference: Phonegate: First Criminal Action: Paris, 15 April 2019

[Press Conference] Phonegate: first criminal actionEquipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org 12 April 2019

After several months of work and reflection, we are launching the first criminal action in the context of the Phonegate health and industrial scandal. A press conference will be held in Paris on Monday, April 15, 2019 at 10:30 am in the presence of attorney Elizabeth Guélot, Co-founder of Platform V for Verdict, attorney Elias Bourran, member of the Phonegate lawyers’ consortium and Dr Marc Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert. The meeting will be broadcast live on Facebook video on our Phonegate Alert page. Thank you in advance for your support.

06 April 2019

The Government, 5G/Wireless Industry Perpetuate Scientific Fraud

The government, 5G/wireless industry perpetuate scientific fraud
By Peter Tocci CONTRIBUTING WRITER, trendsresearch.com, March 2019

Criminal instigated. Terminally pathological. 5G ups the ante.

This article begins to make the case that information carrying microwave radiation (ICMR) from wireless systems, 5G included, is one of the most devastating environmental and health threats ever created.

(Photo):  Wireless telecommunications, As with so many technological conveniences we all depend on, started out as a military project. Though an important distinction to be made is that wireless technologies were initially designed as a weapon.

While the preponderance of danger warnings concern human health and well being, the greater threat by orders of magnitude is to the environment.

A public and scientific wave of resistance may be building against 5G, but much of it is out of critical context and consequently ill-advised. The obvious context, of course, is wireless technology in general, the ultimate context of which includes the very nature of being. Life is affected by artificial electromagnetic fields (EMFs) because electromagnetism is the foundation of life.

" 'Phonegate' Will Spatter Everyone in the Telecommunications Industry"

This was published 7 April 2019 on the site of the Phonegate Alert Association
Interview with Dr. Marc Arazi, president of the Phonegate Alert Association.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE WAVES
" 'Phonegate' will spatter everyone in the telecommunications industry"
by Ana Montes, Barcelona, elperiodico.com/es, 2 April 2019  - translation

Marc Arazi, president of the PhoneGate Alert association, predicts that the arrival of 5G will end up spreading the scandal

Marc Arazi unveiled 'Phonegate' in 2016, according to his words, the great "scam of the manufacturers of mobile phones on the consumers", that since then approaches judicial level, requesting the withdrawal of the infringing models. They exceed the maximum levels of SAR, the specific rate of radiation absorbed by head and body, according to the model, which in Europe is 2 W/kg of weight in 10 grams of tissue. This reveals that we have been subject to more radiation than allowed for more than 20 years, "a risk for everyone and a public health fraud". According to the French doctor, this generalized bad practice when it comes to labeling the SAR, has the consent of industry and governments. In his opinion, 'Phonegate', which bases its complaint on official documents, will be 10 times more important than 'Dieselgate'.

- Why are you leading this battle?

05 April 2019

Phonegate: New smartphone in SAR excess, the Nokia 5

[Last minute] New smartphone in SAR excess, the Nokia 5
Phonegate Teamphonegatealert.org, 5 April 2019

In a new press release published on 5 April 2019, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) announced that, as part of its monitoring of the radio equipment market and the control of public exposure to electromagnetic waves, it had sanctioned the Nokia 5 telephone for exceeding the trunk Specific Absorption Rate (SAR).

The big loser customer

The Finnish company HMD GLOBAL OY, manufacturer of the NOKIA 5 mobile phone, had to carry out, at the request of ANFR, an update in order to comply with the SAR limit value located “trunk”. Once again, it is up to the user to ensure that his phone is effectively updated, in a total lack of transparency on the part of both the manufacturer and ANFR.

04 April 2019

Phonegate Scandal: Swiss Deputies on the Front Lines

Phonegate scandal: Swiss deputies on the front lines
Phonegate Team, phonegatealert.org, 4 April 2019

For the past year, many Swiss deputies have been asking the Federal Council for information and explanations regarding the Phonegate industrial and health scandal. Most recently, on 20 March 2019, National Councilor Silva Semadeni (Socialist group) and 26 other deputies* tabled another interpellation, 193180:

“Phonegate”: Properly inform mobile phone users:


https://www.parlament.ch/fr/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20193180

“…smartphones are often worn close to the body, in the pants pocket, or directly glued to the ear during a call. In 2018, in France, it was made public that many models of mobile phones sold exceeded the specific absorption rate (SAR) values declared by the manufacturer. For years, users have been deceived…”

02 April 2019

Mounting Resistance Against 5G in Switzerland

(Revised 3 April 2019:) 
Roger Federer is advertising in favor of 5G for the Swiss
telecoms company, Sunrise.
There is a well-organized resistance against 5G taking place in French-speaking Switzerland: frequent lectures, petitions, demonstrations, letters to deputies in Parliament and at local level, parliamentary and local deputies introducing interpellations, motions..., increasing opposition against installation of cell phone antennas, Green Parties in 5 cantons requesting their communes to declare a moratorium or apply the precautionary principle, favorable mainstream media coverage, including Swiss national TV (RTS), sprouting of groups against 5G on Facebook (more than 2,500 members).

The growing resistance against 5G is commendable.  However, we are neglecting the fact that this will encourage us to make greater use of our radiating devices.  What is missing in most of the media articles on 5G opposition is the mention of the particular vulnerabilities of children and pregnant women to radio frequencies emitted by these technologies and wireless devices.  It is now more than urgent to launch an information campaign on the use of these gadgets in order to reduce exposure to this radiation.  We see too many young mothers walking with their babies in strollers, using their mobile phones near the baby's head and body and even placing a radiating cell phone or tablet in their tiny hands. 

Here is a glance at the Suisse Romande media:

The People of Geneva are fighting against 5G antennas
Tribune de Genève , 01 April 2019

01 April 2019

'Telecom Industry Did No Research on Health Impacts of 5G'

Prof. Paul Héroux
‘Telecom industry did no research on health impacts of 5G’
By Akshit Sangomladowntoearth.org.in, 27 March 2019

India plans to begin 5G trials by 2020, but experts and industry stand at odds over its impact on human health and environment. The fifth generation wireless network promises to be 50 times faster than its predecessor — 4G. Down To Earth talked to a series of experts on the issue

Paul Héroux, professor of toxicology and health effects of electromagnetism at Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Canada, speaks with Down To Earth about adoption of 5G will be detrimental towards people’s health.

Q: What are the primary health impacts of using 5G mobile network and is there enough scientific evidence to prove that these impacts will take place?