Special Issue on Ecopsychology and Environmental Sensitivities: Chemical, Electrical, and Beyond

Special Issue on Ecopsychology and Environmental Sensitivities:
Chemical, Electrical, and Beyond

Links to all articles:  http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/eco/9/2
(free until September 2017)

Introduction

Introduction to the Special Issue on Environmental Sensitivities: Living on the Margins with Access Denied - Pamela Reed Gibson
Ecopsychology. Jun 2017, 9(2): 53-59.First Page | Full Text PDF or HTML | Reprints | Permissions |Download Metadata

Original Articles

The Many Faces of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity - Alison Johnson
Ecopsychology. Jun 2017, 9(2): 60-64.First Page | Full Text PDF or HTML | Reprints | Permissions |Download Metadata

French 'PhoneGate' -- Cellphone Users Say They Are Misled on Dangers

French 'PhoneGate' -- Cellphone Users Say They Are Misled on Dangers
by Jack O'Dwyer, odwyerpr.com, 

26 June 2017

Charges are flying in France that government safety tests on cellphone radiation failed to check where phones are mostly carried—in pants and shirt pockets. Nine of ten phones exceed safe levels in those places.

The French National Frequency Agency released the results this month as the result of a court order obtained by health advocates.

Dr. Marc Arazi, a medical doctor and radiation health activist, said “I am deeply concerned about what this means for our health and especially the health of our children. People have a right to know that when cellphones are tested in ways people commonly use them—such as in direct contact with the body—the radiation values exceed regulatory limits. This is a first victory for transparency in this industry scandal.”

Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Nokia were among the brands tested. When held close to the body, some phones emitted radiation three hundred percent as high as the manufacturers’ reported levels.

Arazi, Devra Davis, Ph.D., founder of the Environmental Health Trust, and other health advocates have coined the phrase “PhoneGate” and are comparing it to diesel emission tests that were conducted in laboratories rather than on the road.

PhoneGate, Explained

Although this site sells products to protect people from exposure to electromagnetic radiation, we are posting it because it is about Phonegate.

PhoneGate, Explained
shieldyourbody.com, 27 June 2017

Between 2012 and 2016, France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) tested 379 different models of cell phones for their radiation emissions. Earlier this month, compelled by a court order, ANFR released the data they had collected. The result is now being called ‘PhoneGate’ and is gaining an increasing amount of attention.

Why?

What the Report Found

The French government found that 89% of the tested phones exceeded their reported radiation emission levels— some by up to 300%. That means these phones emitted up to four times the radiation the manufacturers claimed.

The Environmental Health Trust has summarized the data thusly:

French government tests on hundreds of cell phones reveal that in 2015, 9 out of 10 phones exceed the manufacturer’s reported radiation test levels when re-tested in positions where the phone is in contact with the body. The government had refused to disclose these test results until the court order.

Screentime Colorado: An Expert Forum On Children, Screens, Privacy And Health: Lectures and Videos

Screentime Colorado: An Expert Forum On Children, Screens, Privacy And Health
Environmental Health Trust, June 2017

“Screen Time in Schools: Why Parents Should Care”

“Screen use and the electromagnetic radiation emitted from these devices have been associated with health risks such as myopia, retinal damage, sleeplessness, addiction and behavioral issues. Screen use at school also brings with it information sharing and privacy issues.”

Please go to the Screentime Colorado YouTube link where you can see all the lectures and videos with highlights for each lecture.

The Screen Time Colorado event was created as a platform to inform parents, educators, lawmakers and anyone else concerned with the wellbeing of children, about the need for best practice and safety guidelines for one-to-one devices being used by children in schools. Examples of these devices include Chrome-books, laptops, virtual reality headsets, and iPads. Screen use and the electromagnetic radiation emitted from these devices has been associated with myriad health risks including myopia, retinal damage, sleeplessness, addiction and behavioral issues to name a few. The use of screens in schools also brings with it information sharing and privacy issues associated with online curricula, online assessments, and student data collection. The Screen Time Colorado event showcased five national experts in these new field of public health and information sharing.

Radiation Exposure Warning for Pregnant Women and Babies

Keep mobile devices away from your baby's body

Radiation exposure warning for pregnant women and babies

familiesonline.co.uk, 4 April 2017

Experts warn of risks in the home from baby monitors and mobile phones

Although you can’t see it, electromagnetic radiation is all around your baby. Not everyone is aware that, for example, a cordless baby monitor emits radiation or that a cordless phone is effectively a mast in your own home acting as a transmitter.

Ever thought about the levels of radiation your baby is exposed to?

Wi-Fi Embrace by FCC's O’Rielly Alarms Health Advocates

Wi-Fi Embrace by FCC's O’Rielly Alarms Health Advocates
by Jack O'Dwyer, odwyerpr.com, 22 June 2017

Ecstatic remarks by FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly on the first “World Wi-Fi Day” June 20 have caused a bout of head shaking and alarm in the Wi-Fi health community.

O’Rielly pulled out all the stops in singing the praises of the observance, saying it “acknowledges the wonderful technology” that has been developed.

He sees a world literally bathed in wireless transmission of information.

“It’s more than likely than not that internet traffic will continue to shift to Wi-Fi for the foreseeable future and security enhancements will reverse threats of exposed consumer experiences,” he said.

“Moreover, ubiquitous Wi-Fi voice calling and a truly mesh network seem not far away. Wi-Fi incorporation into location technologies seems a guarantee especially for hard to reach areas such as building interiors,” he added.

Data Indicates Cell Phones Expose Consumers To Radiation Levels Higher Than Manufacturers Claim, Says The French Government

"Thank you, courageous and committed, Dr. Marc Arazi!  May you always be held safe from microwave and cell phone industry harms. You had the courage of heart and professional commitment to go where no one would go and, thank God, you prevailed in a court of common sense, and not like the courts, FCC and public utility commissions in the USA when it comes to vested-interest microwave technology pseudoscience! Wake up, USA!" 

- Catherine Frompovich, author of this article.

Data Indicates Cell Phones Expose Consumers To Radiation Levels Higher Than Manufacturers Claim, Says The French Government

by Catherine J. Frompovich, Activistpost.com, 20 June 2017

The Environmental Health Trust published “Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: More Exposure Than Manufacturers Claim ‘PhoneGate’ In France, government data release reveals 9 out of 10 phones tested exceed regulatory limits” [1].

The French ANFR published online on June 1, 2017, a listing of cell phone data “details of make, model and test results for each cell phone that was tested, after months of legal action by French physician Dr. Marc Arazi.”

According to Environmental Health Trust,

Popular brands such as Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Nokia were among the cell phone models tested. When tested in contact with the body, some phones have test results as high as triple the manufacturer’s previously reported radiation levels. [1] [CJF emphasis]

Are “Wi-Fi Allergies” an Impairment Covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Are “Wi-Fi Allergies” an Impairment Covered by the ADA?

by Lindsey D'Agnolo, natlawreview.com, 21 June 2017

Some individuals believe that electromagnetic hypersensitivity can be caused by electromagnetic fields emitted from computers, mobile phones, cell phone towers, TVs, radios, Wi-Fi connections and other technology. Although several organizations have tested this theory over the years, there is a lack of scientific evidence to correlate electromagnetic fields to the non-specific electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In 2004, the World Health Organization noted scientific research has not been able to support a causal relationship between electromagnetic fields and self-reported electromagnetic hypersensitivity. However, as time passes and technology develops, this may not continue to be the case.

France : [Press Release] Phonegate* : Appeal to Agnès Buzyn and Nicolas Hulot to Take Action Concerning This Health and Industrial Scandal

[Press release] Phonegate* : Appeal to Agnès Buzyn and Nicolas Hulot to take action concerning this health and industrial scandal
 par Marc Arazi, arazi.fr, 22 juin 2017

Press release, Thursday 22 June 2017

The long electoral sequence ended last Sunday. Both Agnès Buzyn and Nicolas Hulot have been confirmed in their respective ministerial responsibilities. It is therefore time to write to them officially to inform them of the health and industrial scandal concerning all mobile phones sold both in France and Europe since 1999 and ask them to take action.

Read the letter to the Ministers.

New Health Concerns - and Cancer Link - Over Toxic Cabin Air Breathed by 3.5 Billion Passengers Each Year

Air on almost all commercial passenger planes is bled
through the engines to the cabin. 
Credit:  Freebird7977 - Fotolia

New health concerns - and cancer link - over toxic cabin air breathed by 3.5 billion passengers each year
by Hugh Morris, The Telegraph, 20 June 2017

Toxic cabin air breathed by passengers, pilots and cabin crew is linked to cancer, chronic fatigue and neurological problems, according to new research in a World Health Organisation (WHO) journal.

The Public Health Panorama report into so-called aerotoxic syndrome - the name given to the health effects of exposure to bleed air, used to pressurise aircraft cabins, that has been contaminated with chemicals such as engine oil - found a clear link between both short- and long-term symptoms and illnesses and toxic fume events.

It said that in 2015 more than 3.5 billion passengers and 500,000 pilots and cabin crew were exposed to low levels of engine oils in the air.

Mobile Waves Thicken Blood: Study

Representational image

Mobile waves thicken blood: Study
Deccan Chronicle, 20 June 2017

Overuse of electronic gadgets decreases volume flow of blood: Study

Hyderabad: The surface tension of human blood is found to increase due to the use of mobile phones for a long period of time, according to a study carried out by Nizam’s College in Hyderabad where it was found that the volume flow rate of blood decreased when exposed to mobile phone radiation.

Healthy adults have a surface blood parameter varying from 20 to 40 degrees C. With large-scale use of electrical appliances in different life applications, there are health drawbacks which are becoming a cause of concern. The study looked into the results of electromagnetic field effects emitted from mobile phones and their biophysical parameters on human blood.

New Jersey: Officials Try to Clear the Air on Cell Tower in Little Silver

OFFICIALS TRY TO CLEAR THE AIR ON CELL TOWER IN LITTLE SILVER
by Jenna O’Donnell, tworivertimes.com, 

20 June 2017

LITTLE SILVER – It was standing room only on Monday night when several hundred Little Silver residents filled a school auditorium to ask their mayor and council why they had allowed Verizon to build a cell tower right in the center of town – less than 500 feet away from Markham Place School.

As part of an agreement made with residents at last month’s borough council meeting, Mayor Robert Neff Jr. and members of the council shared an account of how and why they had agreed to build the tower with Verizon and brought in a telecommunications engineer, who showed measurements of radiofrequency waves emitted by the tower to be well within range limits. Still, most residents remained skeptical of the tower’s safety and questioned the potential impacts on health, property value and the limits established by the FCC, which is not a health organization.

One resident, Michael Goldfarb, M.D., pointed out that other things like lead, asbestos and cigarettes were once deemed safe before, only to later be proven otherwise.
“I lived in an era where smoking was good for your throat,” Goldfarb said. “I’ve lived through these other things that were supposed to be no problem. Well, they are problems.”

Massachusetts: Worcester Public Schools Votes To Post Precautionary Guidelines On Wi-Fi Radiation On Website

Worcester Massachusetts Public Schools Votes To Post Precautionary Guidelines On Wi-Fi Radiation On Website
Environmental Health Trust, ehtrust.org, 

May 2017

(Worcester Massachusetts) The Worcester School Committee (WSC) on May 4, 2017 voted to authorize a “Precautionary Options on Radiofrequency Exposure” document regarding reducing exposure to radiation from wireless device use to be posted on the School System’s website and to be prominently posted in all public schools within the Worcester Massachusetts school system.

The “Precauionary Options” document was developed by the Worcester School administration in response to a request from the WSC Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning and Teaching Supports (TLSS) to address the possible health risks of radiofrequency radiation exposure from wireless devices in the classroom. The document states, that although regulating agencies such as the EPA and the FCC have not established a link between mobile devices and cancer, “…they do offer some suggestions for those that are concerned about Radio Frequency (RF) exposure.”

Cell Phone Safety Guidance from the California Public Health Department

Cell Phone Safety Guidance from the California Public Health Department
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety, 19 June 2017

CDPH fact sheet with draft watermark

This page will be updated periodically with further developments.
See links at the bottom of this page for media coverage.

What prevents CDPH from adopting the cell phone guidance document?

Following my successful public records lawsuit against the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reporters have posed two key questions:

(1) “Why did the State of California suppress the CDPH cell phone radiation safety guidance document (aka "fact sheet") from 2009 to 2015?”

(2) “Why won’t the State adopt the fact sheet now since the evidence is much stronger for cell phone radiation health risks?”

Wireless Technologies Have An Epigenetic Effect On Children

Wireless Technologies Have An Epigenetic Effect On Children
by Catherine J. Frompovich, activistpost.com, 

17 May 2017

Cindy Sage and Ernesto Burgio published a new paper “Electromagnetic Fields, Pulsed Radiofrequency Radiation, and Epigenetics: How Wireless Technologies May Affect Childhood Development” on the Bioinitiative 2012 website, which ought to dispel much of the disparity about EMFs not being harmful, especially to children, and fetuses in particular, I’d like to add.

The authors talk about epigenetics affecting childhood development, something to listen up about very carefully in this day and age of neuro-developmentally-challenged children, something not widespread in former generations. According to the 2015 “America’s Children and the Environment, Third Edition” [1]:

[A]pproximately 15% of children in the United States ages 3 to 17 years were affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, moderate to profound hearing loss, blindness, and other developmental delays, in 2006–2008.

Chicago Area: Allergic to Wi-Fi: Woman Helps Locals Suffering from Electromagnetic Radiation Sensitivity

Building biologist Barbara Bobbitt says her greatest worry is kids today. 

Allergic to Wi-Fi: Woman helps locals suffering from electromagnetic radiation sensitivity
by WGN WEB DESK, 5 June 2017

WGN News recently reported on a group of people who say they are allergic to Wi-Fi. Their symptoms were so bad, they upped and moved from all over the country to a small town in West Virginia.

But here in the Chicago area, some people who claim they too are allergic to Wi-Fi are determined to stay put.

One woman is helping find ways for them to live in their homes rather than leave them.

Barbara Bobbitt has made a business out of helping a group of "sensitives.” But she makes it clear: She is not a psychologist nor is she is an MD. She calls herself a "building biologist" who evaluates people's homes to see if anything inside could be making them sick.

“When I started this business 10 years ago, I would say 95% of my business was for indoor air quality,” she says. “Now I would say 98% of my calls are for electromagnetic radiation.”

The Pollution We Ignore

Paris Accord? Meh.  We ignore pollution that presents danger far beyond carbon emissions covered in that symbolic international agreement:  diesel exhaust, electromagnetic pollution, noise pollution.

The Pollution We Ignore
by Michael Braunstein, thereader.com, 5 June 2017

While the media world has its panties in a bunch over Trump deciding to ignore the Paris Climate Accord, we ignore pollution that presents danger far beyond carbon emissions covered in that symbolic international agreement. And something’s fishy when multinational corporations like Monsanto, Coca-Cola, DuPont, Intel, Microsoft, Pacific Gas & Electric, Exxon, Shell and BP offer unfettered support for the accord. That list of environmental rogues isn’t on my besties list. Even Elon Musk has lots to gain economically from the Paris Accord provisions. I’ll always be skeptical when politicians step in to “help” with anything.

So while teeth are gnashing and snowflakes are bashing, there are greater concerns being ignored. Because the media doesn’t dwell on them, these pollutants are on the short list of what I’d change right away.

Comments Submitted by EMF Scientist Appeal to the FCC Regarding 5G Deployment

This is an extremely important document. Please share widely and use in communications and efforts to oppose “small cells”.

COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY EMF SCIENTIST APPEAL TO THE FCC REGARDING 5G DEPLOYMENT.
9 June 2017

To: Federal Communications Commission
Re: Comments in opposition to FCC Docket Numbers 17-79 and 15-180

Proposed FCC rulemakings, Docket #17-79, that would accelerate wireless broadband deployment by removing barriers to infrastructure investment; and, Docket #15-180 that would revise the historic preservation review process for wireless facility deployment, will result in an increase in chronic exposure conditions from nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by wireless sources, classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2B human carcinogen.

FCC is urging an accelerated deployment schedule for the 5th generation wireless infrastructure, to be installed pervasively throughout the United States. This is being done without public health review of the growing body of scientific evidence that includes reports of increasing rates of cancer and neurological diseases that may be caused by exposure to EMF from wireless sources.

Giving Your Child a Smartphone is Like Giving Them a Gram of Cocaine, Says Top Addiction Expert

Ofcom figures suggest more than four in ten parents of
12-15 year-olds find it hard to control their children's
screen time.  Getty Images

Giving your child a smartphone is like giving them a gram of cocaine, says top addiction expert
by Rachael Pells Education Correspondent,

independent.co.uk, 7 June 2017

Harley Street clinic director Mandy Saligari says many of her patients are 13-year-old girls who see sexting as 'normal'

Giving your child a smartphone is like “giving them a gram of cocaine”, a top addiction therapist has warned.

Time spent messaging friends on Snapchat and Instagram can be just as dangerously addictive for teenagers as drugs and alcohol, and should be treated as such, school leaders and teachers were told at an education conference in London.

Put Down the Phone! Camera Flashes on Selfies May Cause Epileptic Seizures

Put down the phone! Camera flashes on selfies may cause epileptic seizures, study claims
A teenage girl had seizure-like spikes in her brain activity after taking a selfie

by Cheyenne Roundtree for Dailymail.com,

14 June 2017

(Photo):  A Canadian teenage girl (file photo) had seizure-like spikes in her brain activity after taking a selfie. Doctors called the phenomenon 'selfie-epilepsy' and said it may cause seizures for people who have photosensitivity epilepsy

• A teenage girl had seizure-like spikes in her brain activity after taking a selfie
• Doctors determined she had a photosensitivity response to these photos
• They called the phenomenon 'selfie-epilepsy' and said it may cause seizures
• In the past, experts claimed selfies can cause wrinkles and self-image issues

34 Years Later, Monsanto's Mysterious Mouse Tumor Study Resurfaces

Tissue slides from long-dead lab mice could play a pivotal
role in hearings against Monsanto.  
Jan Philip Oeven / Flickr

34 Years Later, Monsanto's Mysterious Mouse Tumor Study Resurfaces
by Carey Gillam, Environmental Health News, 9 June 2017

Call it the case of the mysterious mouse tumor.

It's been 34 years since Monsanto Co. presented U.S. regulators with a seemingly routine study analyzing the effects the company's best-selling herbicide might have on rodents. Now, that study is once again under the microscope, emerging as a potentially pivotal piece of evidence in litigation brought by hundreds of people who claim Monsanto's weed killer gave them cancer.

This week, tissue slides from long-dead mice in that long-ago research study are being scrutinized by fresh eyes as an expert pathologist employed by lawyers for cancer victims looks for evidence the lawyers hope will help prove a cover-up of the dangers of the weed killer called glyphosate.

Cell Phone Safety: What the FCC Didn't Test

Eric Van Den Brulle / Getty Images

Cell Phone Safety: What the FCC Didn't Test
by Michael Scherer, Time, 26 October 2010 

FCC guidelines on the safety of cell phones assumed that there would be a buffer between the device and your body. Gulp

We are a nation grown numb to the seemingly endless fine print that accompanies our purchases. But every now and then a product is sold with a warning that should command attention. Consider the little-noticed bit of legalese that comes in the safety manual for Apple's iPhone 4: "When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from the body, and only use carrying cases, belt clips, or holders that do not have metal parts and that maintain at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) separation between iPhone and the body," the warning reads.

WHO/IARC Position On Wireless And Health

WHO/IARC Position On Wireless And Health
Environmental Health Trust, ehtrust.org

World Health Organization International Agency For The Research On Cancer’s Position On Wireless And Health

Please watch these videos of World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on Cancer’s Position on Wireless and Health. 

[See original article.]

What Is The World Health Organization (WHO) Position on Wireless and Health?

1. Wireless radiation is classified as a “Possible Human Carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization(WHO).

• The WHO/IARC) classified RF-EMF (radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, otherwise known as “wireless radiation”) as a Class 2B Possible Human Carcinogen in 2011 based on credible evidence that linked long term wireless exposure to brain cancer.
• Read The Lancet’s published statement by the IARC from 2011 on cancer risk of wireless radiation.
• Read the April 2013 Published IARC Monograph on Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields detailing the scientific basis for the classification here.

2. The Class 2B classification includes wireless radiation from any transmitting source such as cellphones, baby monitors, tablets, cell towers, radar, other wifi, etc. 

It applies to RF-EMF in the range of 30 KHz to 300 GHz emitted from any device. This fact is detailed in The Lancet article and in the related press release in 2011. All wireless electronic devices emit RF-EMF (wireless radiation). It does not matter what type of device is the source. While cell phone use at the head results in highest exposures to the brain, many other devices emit lower levels of exposures that can have a cumulative effect on the whole body.

Study Shows Physical Proof of Internet Addiction

Study Shows Physical Proof of Internet Addiction
by Rick Nauert PhD, psychcentral.com, 2 June 2017

European researchers have discovered that among some people, high use of the internet is associated with elevated heart rate and increased blood pressure.

In the study, scientists and clinicians from Swansea and Milan Universities followed 144 participants, aged 18 to 33 years, monitoring heart rate and blood pressure levels before and after a brief internet session. Additionally, participant’s anxiety and self-reported internet-addiction were assessed.

Investigators discovered increases in physiological arousal on terminating the internet session for those who self-reported internet-addiction (problematically-high internet usage). These increases in heart rate and blood pressure were mirrored by increased feelings of anxiety. However, there were no such changes for participants who reported no internet-usage problems.

The study, which researchers say is the first controlled-experimental demonstration of physiological changes as a result of internet exposure, appears in the international peer-reviewed journal, PLOS ONE.

State of California Investigation Links Cell Phone Use to Cancer

State of California Investigation Links Cell Phone Use to Cancer
by Jackie Jalley, Associate, Wexler Wallace LLP, wexlerwallace.com, 6 June 2017

n 2010, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) prepared a public guidance document warning exposure to EMFs (a type of radiation) emitted by cell phones could lead to brain cancer and other health problems. It was never publicly released. When Dr. Joel Moskowitz, Director of the Center for Family and Community Health at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, learned of the document’s existence, he took action. He asked the CDPH three times between January 2014 and January 2015 for a copy under the California Public Records Act. Each time the CDPH replied the guidance document was waiting to be “finalized” but then Moskowitz’s request was ultimately denied. After learning of Dr. Moskowitz’s failed attempts, a New York Times reporter also requested a copy. That too was denied.

The Looming Health Risks of 5G Technology

The Looming Health Risks of 5G Technology
cellphonecancer.com, Frasier, Frasier & Hickman LLP

In early March, the passage of the Mobile Now Act suggests that the United States government, including both the Senate and Federal Communications Commission, plans to expand 5G mobile broadband throughout the country. While many parties are focused on the potential advantages that 5G speed will provide for technology and communications, there are many experts who already beginning to predict that the implementation of 5G technology throughout the country will pose greater health risks than wireless technology already does.

New York University Study

In 2015, analysts at New York University argued in a report for revised safety metrics based on body temperature opposed to standard power density. 5G networks, however, will be built around standard power density, which threatens both individual health and the environment. Because future devices using 5G will operate on a spectrum with different qualities than today’s wireless broadband, researchers behind the study also express the dire need for the Federal Communications Commission to review and adjust its policies accordingly. One of the rules that researchers articulated must be updated is that the current Federal Communications Commission standards do not specify limits above 100 GHz, which wireless networks will inevitably use as technology continues to improve.

Massey University Study

International EMF Expert Group to Counter ICNIRP

International EMF Expert Group to Counter ICNIRP
ECERI Newsletter. No. 6, June 2017

"Following a recent meeting with WHO representatives in Geneva, members of this ECERI group have decided to publish their own data in the form of a scientific consensus paper on the effects of non-thermal EMFs on behalf of the ECERI. Finally, since several ECERI scientists believe that environmental pollution may in fact be a cause of cancer and other diseases such as Alzheimer disease and autism, ECERI has proposed to create another international group comprising scientists and jurists to discuss the possibility that intentional massive pollution could be recognized by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a true crime against health. This proposal will be discussed at the next ECERI Executive Committee and General Assembly in Brussels.

Following the meeting with WHO in Geneva on March, the 3rd, it was proposed to create an ECERI-related working group to oppose ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection), that might be termed “International commission of scientific expertise on non-thermal radiation effects (ICSENTRE). The members of this group so far are: Dominique Belpomme (France), Igor Belyaev (Slovakia), Ernesto Burgio (Italy), David Carpenter (USA), Lennart Hardell (Sweden), Magda Havas (Canada), SMJ Mortazavi (Iran), André Vander Vorst (Belgium) and Gérard Ledoigt (France). If you wish to join this group, please contact Christine Campagnac (sg.eceri@gmail.com)."

ECERI – European Cancer and Environment Research Institute, Square de Meeus 38-40, 1000 Brussels; Tél :0032 24 01 87 75 or 0033 1.45.78.53.52 sg.eceri@gmail.com

(shared from Electromagnetic Radiation Safety):

http://www.saferemr.com/2013/05/upcoming-who-meeting-on-radiofrequency.html

Wearables Reveal the Secret Lives of Farm Animals

[Our comment: Looking at how IoT will damage the health of humans, this seems like cruelty to animals!]

Tracking devices, worn around this chicken's ankles,
track its movement through a cage-free aviary, where
food, nesting, and perching sites are located on
different levels.  Christina Rufener



Wearables Reveal the Secret Lives of Farm Animals

by Megan Molteni, wired.com, 1st June 2017

THE INTERNET OF Animals has arrived. No, not like cat-stalking zucchini gifs and skateboarding bulldog snaps (those are so 2015). Across the country, farmers are building actual connected networks of cows, pigs, and chickens. Using everything from microphones, accelerometers, and GPS trackers to temperature, glucose, and skin conductivity sensors, farmers can now track and monitor their flocks and herds with the flick of a finger.

Over decades of agricultural industrialization, technology has enabled farmers to raise thousands of animals together, increasing scale and profitability. Even as global demand for animal products increases (by as much as 40 percent in the next 15 years!) the number of farmers raising animals continues to fall. And with 9 billion mouths to feed by 2050, industrial ag is here to stay—along with the cameras, microphones, and body sensors that will serve as a farmer’s eyes and ears.

Smart Meter Radiation and Health - Why Are We Neglecting Non-Toxic Alternatives?

Display from a BG smart meter.  Just too bad about all
the electromagnetic smog it generates.  Photo:
athriftmrs.com via Flickr (CC BY-SA).

Smart meter radiation and health - why are we neglecting non-toxic alternatives?
by Lynne Wycherley, theecologist.org, 

6 June 2017

With growing evidence of harm to physical and mental health caused by continuous pulsed em radiation from 'smart' electricity meters, Lynne Wycherley asks: have we underestimated risks to heart function and the nervous system? And of interference with embedded medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers? It's time to switch to over-wire or fibre communications to bring the 'smart green grid' of the future to electrosmog-free reality.

It is striking that the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called for a moratorium on smart meters (2012) and continues to veto them today.

Based on their literature reviews and clinical experience, they advised no smart meters should be located in or next to the homes of those with cardiac or neurological conditions, including Parkinson's or dementia; or electrosensitivity; or cancer.

U.S. Court Ruling Supports Public Right to Know about Cell Phone Risks

U.S. Court ruling supports public right to know about cell phone risks
WHSC (Workers Health and Safety Centre, Ontario, Canada), 8 June 2017

A recent U.S. Court of Appeal ruling upheld a Berkeley, California Ordinance calling on cell phone retailers to clearly display safety information relating to radiation exposure.

“The City of Berkeley simply required that hidden information about tested distances be made publicly accessible,” commented Harvard Constitutional Law Professor Lawrence Lessig who defended the Ordinance on behalf of the city as the cell phone industry trade group attempted to block it in court. “The manufacturers themselves advise consumers to not keep phones next to their skin. Most people are not aware of that, and we were just arguing that the public has a right to know this when they purchase the cell phone.”

United Kingdom: Jenny Fry Memorial Lectures: "The Hidden Cost of Convenience", 11 June 2017, Lewes

A Public Health Revolution Can Reduce the Growing Cancer Burden or the Young

© Getty

A public health revolution can reduce the growing cancer burden for the young

by Devra Davis, Opinion Contributor, The Hill, 6 June 2017

As national debate swirls about whether health plans should cover pre-existing conditions, we need to ask how we can reduce the demand for health care in the first place. Every administration since President Carter has recognized the undeniably high and continuing costs of dealing with lead in drinking water and the residues of the tobacco epidemic make clear the value of preventing or curbing toxic exposures.

For those dangers, only after irrefutable evidence that people had become sick and died were steps taken to reduce dangerous conditions. But when it comes to curtailing other avoidable environmental health threats, U.S. authorities seem to be taking a show me the bodies approach.

No where is that more evident than when it comes to how we are treating cellphones and wireless radiation and our children today. Spurred by growing independent scientific reports linking wireless microwave radiation to a range of health problems, policies to reduce exposures especially for children are moving forward in France, Israel, Argentina, India and Taiwan. In contrast in the U.S. we are caught up in a well-financed national push for more and more wireless in more and more places, making it faster and easier to download virtual reality porn, videos, and apps for infants, toddlers, and elementary school children.

Switzerland: "Electrosensitive Persons Are Treated As Mentally Ill" (2015 article)

A mobile phone antenna between residential buildings - not
all people can tolerate this.
(Photo:  Keystone / Karl Mathis)

The plight of electrosensitive persons in all parts of Switzerland has not changed since this August 2015 interview with Hans-Ulrich Jakob from the Swiss interest group for electrosmog sufferers:
https://www.gigaherz.ch/

"Electrosensitive people are treated as mentally ill"

20min.ch, 28 August 2015

An electrosensitive woman receives financial aid from the French State. How do you deal with electrohypersensitive people in Switzerland?

The case of the electrosensitive person, Marine Richard, sets a legal precedent in France: A court in Toulouse has recognized her sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation as a handicap . Because the 39-year-old has to live a reclusive life and cannot work, she now receives a pension of 800 euros per month for three years.

Would that be possible in Switzerland? 
Hans-Ulrich Jakob from the Swiss interest group for electrosmog sufferers answers.

Mr. Jakob, how do people in Switzerland experience the issue of electrosensitivity?

Electrosensitive people in Switzerland, generally speaking in the German-speaking part, do not even dare to speak publicly about their complaints. Because today they are bullied by the mobile operators.

Canadian Paediatric Society : Doctors Should Counsel Parents of Young Children on Screen Time

Doctors should counsel parents of young children on screen time
Canadian Paediatric Society, 1st June 2017

OTTAWA—As exposure to digital media in Canadian family life increases, so have concerns about how screen time affects children and families. A new statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) recommends that physicians and health care providers counsel parents and caregivers of young children on how to minimize screen time and mitigate its potential negative effects. The CPS also recommends that physicians guide parents on how to mindfully use and model healthy screen use to encourage positive habits.

The statement, released today, focuses on children under five years, acknowledging that a child’s earliest screen encounters can be formative and that early exposure can increase the likelihood of overuse in later life.

“Children younger than 5 years old need active play and family time to develop essential life skills such as language and creative thinking,” says Dr. Michelle Ponti, chair of the CPS Digital Health Task Force. “As health care providers, we must counsel parents on the importance of face-to-face interaction and encourage adults to model healthy screen habits.”

Dramatic Rise in Screen Time Putting Children's Health at Risk, WHO Warns

Dramatic rise in screen time putting children's health at risk, WHO warns
by Lucy Pasha-Robinson @lucypasha, Independent, 16 May 2017

Report found 'continuous steep increase' in technology usage since 2002

A dramatic increase in screen time is putting children's health at risk, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.

(This image is taken from an article on the same subject from The Sun.)

A rise in social media usage and increasing amounts of time spent in front of tablets, computers and smartphones is causing children as young as 11 to suffer an increased risk of poor health, new research revealed.

The report also suggested the vast majority of young people were failing to take the recommended level of exercise each day.

The findings showed a “continuous steep increase” between 2002 and 2014 in the number of children using technology for two hours or more each weekday.

Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Cell Phones Result in More Exposure Than Manufacturers Claim

Children handed cell phones as toys.

Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Cell Phones Result in More Exposure Than Manufacturers Claim
Environmental Health Trust (ehtrust.org),

posted on Marc Arazi's blog 3 June 2017

“Phone Gate” French Government Data: 9 out of 10 phones tested exceed regulatory limits

(Washington, DC) Under court order, the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) of France has just disclosed that most cell phones exceed government radiation limits when tested the way they are used, next to the body. Manufacturers are not required to test phones in shirt or pants pockets. French government tests on hundreds of cell phones reveal that in 2015, 9 out of 10 phones exceed the manufacturer’s reported radiation test levels when re-tested in positions where the phone is in contact with the body. The government had refused to disclose these test results until the court order.

On June 1, 2017, ANFR posted the details of the make, model and test results for each phone that was tested, after months of legal action by French physician Dr. Marc Arazi. Arazi’s request for the information was initially denied. Popular brands such as Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Nokia were among the cell phone models tested. When tested in contact with the body, some phones have test results as high as triple the manufacturer’s previously reported radiation levels.

“As a physician, I am deeply concerned about what this means for our health and especially the health of our children. People have a right to know that when cell phones are tested in ways people commonly use phones – such as in direct contact with their body – the values exceed current regulatory limits. This is a first victory for transparency in this industry scandal,” commented Arazi.

Mobile Phones in the Delivery Room

Excellent article from German-speaking Switzerland.

Mobile phones in the delivery room
by Carmen Roshard, Redaktorin Zurich,
tagesanzeiger.ch, 1st June 2017

The overburdening use of the smartphone at the time of birth gets increasingly stressful. Experts warn about the consequences for the development of newborns.

The woman is in labor, the child is coming soon, in the baby's room everything is ready for the reception of the new baby. Also the smartphone. When it starts, one thinks one is part of a documentary film, the expectant father filming from all sides, standing in the way, so that the midwife can hardly do her work.  When the child is born, the mother's mobile phone will soon be activated. For half of the new mothers, says an experienced midwife, the smartphone comes into play after only ten to fifteen minutes.

The phenomenon is widespread to an increasing extent in every birth department. Experts are worried, also at the women's clinic of the Triemlispital. "We encounter the problem every day and gave the team a reason to discuss it," says Gabriella Stocker, deputy head physician of the women's clinic. "Parents often take a photo of the child after birth, before they even look at it," she says. The first contact with the child is thereby disturbed. In  mothers' wards, the mothers are also more likely to look at the hand-held display instead of the newborn child. That is why a lunch break was introduced at the mother's child station in the women's ward of the hospital. No visits, no medically or urgently necessary measures to disturb the mother-child relationship. A media-free window should also be established and recommended. "We're trying to sensitize women," says Stocker.

Bacteria, Mobile Phones & Wi-Fi - a Deadly Combination?

Bacteria, mobile phones & WiFi – a deadly combination?
by Olle Johansson, nyadagbladet.se, 

31 May 2017

Bacteria exposed to mobile phone and WiFi radiation turned resistant to antibiotics, science demonstrates. The implications of this are chilling and may easily explain the on-going huge and highly frightening development into more and more antibiotics-resistant microorganisms around the world. That claims Olle Johansson, associate professor at the Karolinska Institute, Department of Neuroscience, and head of The Experimental Dermatology Unit.

Monday, May 22, 2017, Metro Stockholm reported that the Ministers of Health from the so-called G20 countries, including Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Canada, China, Russia, Saudi-Arabia, Great Britain, South Africa, Turkey, Germany and the USA, have decided to cooperate to counter the ever-increasing and alarming world-wide resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. Only within the EU there are yearly more than 25,000 deaths due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Screens 'Not a Toy': Canadian Pediatricians Promote Limits for Kids 5 and Under

Sylas Turner, 4, and his siblings often ask to watch TV, an
iPad or play a game first thing in the morning, their
mother says.  (Melanie Glanz/CBC)

Screens 'not a toy:' Canadian pediatricians promote limits for kids 5 and under
CBC News, 1st June 2017

Parents and caregivers of children aged five and younger should not only minimize screen time at home but use it mindfully themselves, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society.

In a position statement to physicians released on Thursday, the society said parents often ask about "screen time" — time spent with a screen whether it's a smartphone, TV, tablet, video game, computer, or e-reader.

The group recognizes how technology plays a valuable role in our lives. Based on a review of the medical literature, here's the advice on minimizing risk for potential negative effects:

• Screen time for children under two is not recommended since there are no documented benefits. 
• For children three to five years of age, limit screen time to less than one hour per day.
• Avoid screens at least one hour before bed.

"Technology and screens are tools. They are not a toy," said Dr. Michelle Ponti, chair of the society's digital health task force.

The California Senate Passed State Bill 649 — A 4G/5G Microwave Radiation Continuous Exposure Bill That is Unconstitutional

June 1 Press Release: CA SB 649 Passed by Senate

The California Senate Passed State Bill 649 — A 4G/5G Microwave Radiation Continuous Exposure Bill That is Unconstitutional

scientists4wiredtech.com, 1st June 2017

SB.649 would dramatically increase exposures to pulsed, Radio-Frequency Microwave Radiation (‘RF/MW radiation’) in California neighborhoods. Over 110 California Cities entered their formal opposition to SB.649 into the public record before the Senate vote.

05/31/17 SB.649: Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 32. Noes 1.) Ordered to the Assembly. Senator Glazer was the sole No vote. The following Senators did not vote: Allen, Beall, Jackson, Monning, Newman, Portantino and Wiecowkski. The bill now passes to the California Assembly for consideration.

Sacramento, CA, June 1, 2017 — At the tail-end of a 12-hour Senate session (View 5/31/17 Senate Floor Session from 8:31:52 to the end), the California Senate passed SB.649, a highly contentious Bill that would allow deployment of powerful two-way microwave transmitters on virtually every streetlight, utility pole and other non-pole structure in the public right of way throughout California neighborhoods. The microwave transmitters would be deployed as close as 10-15 feet from second-story windows and would forcibly expose the inhabitants to a never-ending stream of RF/MW radiation — 24/7/365, with no respite — and in doing so, the bill would violate the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. State legislation cannot legally force 1.2+ million Californians out of their homes. These Californians are protected by Federal laws. SB.649 is destined to pit California cities and counties against the State. This ill-considered legislation is destined for court, just as in the State of Ohio: 80+ cities in Ohio are suing the State of Ohio over a very similar State bill.

Radiation from Wireless Technology Elevates Blood Glucose and Body Temperature in 40-Year-Old Type 1 Diabetic Male

"Conclusions:  The events reported have serious implications for the use of wireless technology and necessitates reevaluation of its near-ubiquitous presence, especially in medical facilities and hospitals. The effects – elevated blood glucose, hyperthermia and cardiac arrhythmia – are serious and warrant immediate action to protect patients. Hospitals and medical facilities should minimize their patients’ RF exposures from “dirty” electricity and wireless technology, returning to the use of dedicated cabled communication systems."

Radiation from wireless technology elevates blood glucose and body temperature in 40-year-old type 1 diabetic male
Catherine E. Kleiber
Pages 1-6 | Received 03 Aug 2016, Accepted 26 Mar 2017, Published online: 19 May 2017

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15368378.2017.1323762

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