Proposed cell tower on Dover-Sherborn campus draws health concerns

Proposed cell tower on Dover-Sherborn campus draws health concerns

    

     In response to the Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee’s bid to install a 120-foot monopine cell tower, a group of invested parents at the region hosted Ray Pealer, a health advocate and consultant, to speak at the Sherborn Library on Sept. 24.

      

      

              By Sarah Freedman, dover-sherborn@wickedlocal.com 
Posted Oct. 2, 2014 @ 12:01 am 




In response to the Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee’s bid to install a 120-foot monopine cell tower, a group of invested parents at the region hosted Ray Pealer, a health advocate and consultant, to speak at the Sherborn Library on Sept. 24.

Pealer is based in Calais, Vt., and, using his more than 20 years of experience on the topic, offers consultations on electromagnetic radiation throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, upstate New York and Vermont.

He has been measuring electromagnetic field radiation in that timeframe after learning about power lines, saying it “opened a world for me.” He has spent much time studying its effect on people, and he has what is called electrosensitivity, meaning he experiences symptoms such as a burning sensation.

He added, “I really want to help people connect the dots.”

Pealer noted, “This meeting really was prompted by the proposal to put a cell tower right next to the Dover-Sherborn Schools. It’s also been a great opportunity to just raise awareness about wireless technology in general and the radiation that’s emitted by the cell towers and all of these other different devices we have in our lives now.”

He presented a comprehensive presentation with many studies, many of which can be read at www.emrsafety.net, to support his points.

According to Pealer, in 2011, the World Health Organization classified radiofrequency radiation as a class 2B possible human carcinogen.

He said, “A possible human carcinogen doesn’t really sound that bad, right? I mean, there are a lot of things out there in life that can be possible carcinogens, but if you look at the list of different things that it’s included with, there are some pretty serious things.”

While this list was mainly about cell phones, he said it applies to all wireless devices.

Pealer explained that there was a disparity between industry-funded research and independent research, with the former finding no solid leads about harmful effects of EMF, while the latter found some effects such as a two to three times greater risk of glioma, or brain tumors, after a period of 10 years.

Noting the importance of “who has the money,” he said, “You’ll find that most of the time research that was funded by the industry will not find any effect whatsoever … whereas those studies that were funded by independent sources, they will find the effects.”

According to research, mostly case-controlled studies conducted by the Hardell team in Scandinavia, they consistently find that the more frequently someone uses a cell phone, “the greater the risk.”

Read more at

http://sherborn.wickedlocal.com/article/20141002/NEWS/140939861