Norwegian Newspaper Posts Article About Gro`s Talk

From Magda Havas

For distribution:

This appeared in the Norwegian newspaper, Aftenbladet, May 2, 2012 regarding Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland's talk at Waterloo last week and her response to a question about electrohypersensitivity.  Article was written by Thomas Ergo.

 

Gro: - I have been sharply criticized for scaring people

I have been sharply criticized for scaring people from using cell phones, because I told the truth about my illness, says Gro HarlemBrundtland.

Gro Harlem Brundtland spoke out that she is criticized for creating radiation fears, to Professor Magda Havas (right). (Photo: private)

I was electro-sensitive and have been criticized for scaring people. We know that there are potential consequences. People who are electro-sensitive recognize that we take some risk. Until we know more, we cannot say that this is not a problem, Brundtland was quoted as having told the meeting.

Answer frontal attack?

The statements were given after question from Professor Magda Havas of Trent University in Canada, conducting research on biological effects of environmental pollution. Eve magazine has in the last month asked Norway's former prime minister for an interview on the subject. The reason is that the former leader of the World Health Organization's research program in cellular and Health, Michael Repacholi, a frontal attack on Gro in an interview with the magazine Plot. There, he argued that Gro, when she told Dagladet in 2002 that she consistently got headaches from mobile radiation, has created radiation fear in the population. Also, Norwegian scientists believe Brundtland has contributed on false grounds to many who now believe they are electric-sensitive.

But since the sensational statements ten years ago, Brundtland has been silent about her suffering. Until now.

Let me tell you how I became electro-hypersensitive, said Brundtland, according to Professor Havas reproduction.

How I became electro-hypersensitive

In my case, it began with an accident with a microwave oven. As I made lunch for my husband and myself, I put some food in the microwave, on a plate with blue flowers. The turntable began to sparkle, and stupid as I was, I went closer to take a look. My eyes were destroyed and I was blinded for one year. I still have poor eyesight. It turned out that the flowers were painted with cobalt-blue paint. And now we know that we should not put metal in a microwave oven. This happened just two months after I became Director General of WHO. I had done research before I bought a microwave oven, and convinced myself that it would not be dangerous - something that was not correct.

After this incident, I became electro-hypersensitive. I have been sharply criticized for scaring people from using cell phones, because I told people the truth about my illness, Brundtland quoted in an article on Professor Havas’ website.

Eve magazine has presented the rendered Brundtland statements, through her press adviser John Morland. After one week Morland answered the following in a text message:

"Without going into the matter, please note that Gro has never used the term electrical sensitivity."

It probably reflects that the common English expression is electrohypersensitivity (EHS).  Morland has today, Wednesday, not responded to Aftenbladet question whether this is a term Brundtland used.

Otherwise he does not provide any corrections.

Not Taken seriously

This is important, said Brundtland, according to the minutes from Canada:

We are exposed to different technologies of a new nature. I'm frustrated that I was not able to take warning signs seriously. A statement in an instruction book - where the dangers of radio frequency radiation is not explained - is not good public health and consumer policy, said Brundtland.

"Finally, Dr. Brundtland said that people who say they are electric-sensitive are not taken seriously," writes Professor Havas, adding that Gro's last words to the meeting were:

Should you let your children use mobile phones all day long? No!

Brundtland repeated what she said in 2002 that she quite immediately gets a headache if she puts a cell phone to your ear. At that time she said that she had headaches of activated cellular phones closer than four meters. In Canada, she said that she now uses the cell phone, but always holds it at a certain distance and in speaker mode during calls.

If Gro does not dare, who dares?

I was impressed with how Dr. Brundtland spoke openly about her situation, writes Professor Havas in an email to Eve magazine.

She is nevertheless concerned that Brundtland did not want to be interviewed by the press about his suffering.

I do not think this is necessarily so, but, if she does not have the courage to speak out, how can we expect others in the same situation, with much less power and influence, to dare to do so?

People who are electro-sensitive are not well treated by their families and by society.  Many people think their "problem" is psychological rather than biological. We have physicians who treat these patients, but they shun the public spotlight. When you have a country dominated by fear, and people are not willing to talk because of the danger of reprisals, then you have a sick society, said Professor Magda Havas.

Gro use mobile phones

On her website she writes that Gro’s cell phone rang during her lectures. This observation is interesting, since Gro in 2002, told Dagbladet that she was bothered by the activated cellular phones within four meters radius.

According to Havas, Gro stopped her presentation and took the phone out of her bag to see who called. After checking this, she held up the phone and said that it was a BlackBerry - sort of recognizing the brand, which has been developed recently in Waterloo, where the lecture took place 

"Then she placed the Blackberry on the podium and continued her presentation," writes Professor Havas.

"Dr. Brundtland's response to the call was unusual, especially after repeated calls before her lecture for everyone to turn their phones off," adds Havas. 

NRPA generally refer to the WHO and established international research, which says that there is no evidence that electromagnetic radiation is the cause of electrical hypersensitivity. According to international research between 1.5 to 10 percent of the population in different countries may be electro-hyper-sensitive.

Here you can see ex-WHO leader of the research on mobile telephony and health, Michael Repacholi, criticizes Gro publicly about electromagnetic hypersensitivity.