Microwave - and other forms of electromagnetic - radiation are major (but conveniently disregarded, ignored, and overlooked) factors in many modern unexplained disease states. Insomnia, anxiety, vision problems, swollen lymph, headaches, extreme thirst, night sweats, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, muscle pain, weakened immunity, allergies, heart problems, and intestinal disturbances are all symptoms found in a disease process the Russians described in the 70's as Microwave Sickness.
Une femme perchée en haut d'une grue à Antony (92) pour protester contre les antennes-relais
Une femme s'était installée lundi (28 octobre) vers 8h30 au sommet d'une grue de chantier à Antony (Hauts-de-Seine) où elle a déployé une banderole réclamant son relogement, en mettant en cause sa sensibilité aux ondes émises par les antennes-relais. Les pompiers l'ont convaincue de descendre.
AFP
Publié le 28/10/2013 | 10:36, mis à jour le 28/10/2013 | 14:26
La femme, âgée d'une soixantaine d'années, estime mal supporter les ondes des antennes-relais et réclame un changement de domicile. Selon la police, plusieurs propositions lui avaient été faites au cours des semaines précédentes et avaient toutes été rejetées. Son bailleur s'est rendu sur place lundi matin.
La grue au sommet de laquelle cette femme a grimpé, située "Place des Anciens Combattants d'Afrique du Nord", à Antony, est haute d'une trentaine de mètres de haut. « La femme a été mise en sécurité par les pompiers qui lui ont passé un harnais », a précisé un policier.
>> Voir en vidéo la femme perchée sur la grue :
Voir la vidéo
OFF FEMME PERCHÉE GRUE CONTRE ANTENNE RELAIS
En toute fin de matinée, les pompiers ont réussi à convaincre cette femme de redescendre sur la terre ferme.
The crane on top of which this woman has climbed located "Place of Veterans Affairs North Africa," Antony is high thirty meters high. "The woman was made safe by firefighters who passed him a harness," said a police officer.
View video >> woman perched on the crane:
See the video
OFF AGAINST WOMEN perched CRANE ANTENNA RELAY
At the very end of the morning, firefighters were able to convince this woman down on land.
The protester had already undertaken a similar action in mid-October on his own roof to protest against the masts.
Is Electromagnetic Radiation Dangerous? How To Protect Yourself?
Tina Sieber
On
Can cell phones cause cancer after all? The media certainly knows how to screw with facts. How does radiation emitted by electronics really affect your body? Well, calm down! The truth is, we know too little to make definite claims, but some evidence and a lot of common sense suggests that you’d better be safe than sorry.
Are All Types Of Radiation Dangerous?
No! We are subject to natural radiation all day long, whether we’re indoors our outdoors. We are exposed to background radiation like terrestrial radiation, cosmic radiation, or Radon, a radioactive gas found predominantly in areas with natural occurrences of Radium. And then there is the sun, our most important natural source of radiation, i.e. sunlight. We are used to it, most of it is harmless, we even depend on it. What we have to be wary of is extensive exposure to radiation, whether it’s natural or artificial.
What Is Electromagnetic Pollution?
Electromagnetic pollution is a buzzword describing the excessive exposure to electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by electronic devices like cell phones, cordless phones, WiFi routers or Bluetooth-enabled equipment.
The energy emitted by electronics is non-ionizing radiation, meaning it does not have the capability to break chemical bonds. In other words, it doesn’t damage your DNA, which is a potential cause of cancer. While electromagnetic radiation cannot cause immediate damage, it does interact with our bodies, which can potentially lead to indirect damage, especially following long term exposure.
How Does Electromagnetic Radiation From Electronics Affect The Body?
Our bodies can absorb electromagnetic radiation as energy, meaning molecules in the tissue directly exposed to radiation get excited. In other words, they heat up. This is exactly what happens when we sunbathe. The molecules in our skin are excited by waves in the sunlight and thus sunshine feels warm on our skin.
Now, the heat caused by the non-ionizing spectrum of sunlight is considered harmless. Moreover, the energy emitted by electronic devices is magnitudes lower than that of the sun! Energy is directly proportional to the radiation’s frequency. Ultraviolet light — the kind that has a high potential to cause skin cancer — has a frequency of around 10 to the power of 16, while low intensity microwaves found with cell phones have a radiation of around 10 to the power of 9. This alone should put you at ease — but, not so fast.
During recent years, much attention has been given to the specific absorption rates (SAR) of cell phones and their effects on our health. SAR describes the amount of energy from radiation absorbed by the human body over a set amount of time. While manufacturers have to honor safety limits set by the FCC and many national governments, those values are somewhat arbitrary. We still don’t understand enough about the potential effects of electromagnetic radiation, both in terms of its interaction with biological material and the effects of its increasing and cumulative use.
The fact is, we are increasingly subjected to artificial electromagnetic radiation. We bathe in EMFs all day long, artificial electromagnetic radiation is emitted by a growing number of devices, and our relationships with these devices becomes more and more intimate. There is no way anyone can be sure of the outcome.
Evidence For Health Hazardous Effects Of Electromagnetic Pollution
In 2011, wireless radiation was classified as a potential carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO). This was in response to studies that indicated a potential correlation between cell phone radiation and cancer. While several scientific studies suggest a link between radiation and cancer, especially for long term user of cell phones, others dispute or relativize the link to cancer. Most of these studies are either flawed or outdated by now and thus, science remains inconclusive.
The way we use wireless technology today is radically different than how we used it a decade or two ago, when most of today’s devices didn’t even exist! It takes time to study long-term effects on the human body. Meanwhile, the use of technology — think Google Glass or Smart Watches — continues to evolve too quickly for mandatory long term scientific studies or regulatory agencies to keep up. I dare to say that this is an undisputable fact.
In the meantime, alarming reports remind us to be cautious, although studies by school kids should be taken with a grain of salt. Apparently, the report of cress seedlings dying when placed next to a WiFi router was based on an amateurish study that was biased and had other significant flaws. That doesn’t mean the conclusion is false, it just means it can’t be trusted.
Humans aren’t cress seeds, but we do keep wireless devices close to our bodies. If this is done over a long period of time, it could be damaging to our health, as some cases suggest.
Ironically, when I searched for scientific studies on the relation between cell phones and occurrences of cancer, I found a publication that discussed the use of widespread mobile technology in preventive health care. The authors speculate that delivering health information via cell phones could aid cancer prevention. So in the end, technology might do us more good than bad.
How Can You Protect Yourself From Electromagnetic Pollution?
Artificial electromagnetic radiation from electronics is prevalent in our environment. At current rates and given you don’t use electronic devices excessively, it is most likely harmless, at least for adults. However, if you have adopted habits that are potentially risky and experience symptoms that may be attributed to electromagnetic pollution, you can try some of the strategies below.
Mobile Phones
Avoid using your cell phone for calls when possible. Other times, keep calls short and use a headset. Avoid calls when the network signal is weak, as this is when your phone’s radiation is the strongest. If possible, don’t wear your phone close to your body or regularly switch where you keep it. Don’t keep your phone close by when you sleep or set it to airplane mode. Not only will this decrease the radiation emitted by your cell phone and potentially improve your sleep — if only for the lack of notifications — it will also save battery. Finally, look for a cell phone with a low SAR rating when purchasing your next one.
Cordless Home Phones
Make sure your DECT cordless phone reduces its signal power when the handheld is in idle mode or rests in the base station. Use the phone close to its base station. When its time comes, replace it with a corded phone or one that has lower radiation levels.
WiFi and Bluetooth
The strength of these wireless signals drops quickly over relatively short distances and thus the energy that reaches your body is extremely weak. Moreover, WiFi energy is considered non-thermal, meaning it does not cause heating of tissue. So technically, you don’t have to worry.
That said, children may be more vulnerable. If you are concerned, consider connecting to the Internet using an Ethernet cable, which would allow you to turn your wireless router off while it’s not needed by mobile devices. If your router must be always-on, place it at the maximum distance from your desk or bed that still allows you to get a reasonably strong signal. Again, based on what we know today, WiFi signals are harmless and it’s close to impossible to overdose on them.
Relax! Everything Will Be Fine
At this point, the science isn’t clear. I dare to say that this is mostly due to the fuzzy field within which research presently operates. The intimate use of technology is a very new development and biological systems are rather rigid. Consequently, we won’t see effects clearly for a long time, a phenomenon we know very well from climate change. By the time we can no longer deny the effects, the damage (if any!) is irreversible, at least for our children.
Our elders know that it’s better to be safe than sorry; it’s the precautionary principle we should all follow. Embrace technology, except don’t do it literally. Use it in reasonable doses, with caution, teach your children responsible use of technology, and everyone will be fine. Cell phones and other electronics do not cause health issues, unless overdosed. What’s far more damaging to your health is anxiety, so try to relax.
Dear EarthTalk: Could our health be negatively affected by all the radio frequencies being bandied about by cell phones and cell phone towers, wireless pagers and Internet systems, and other uses of radio frequency and microwave radiation? -- Beverly Filip, Santa Cruz, CA
Since the middle of the last century, technological advancements in telecommunications and other industries have led to significant increases in the use of radio frequencies. Equipment employing microwave and radio waves is today widely used not just in broadcasting and communications, but also in the health care industry, the food industry, and in a host of other industries in a wide range of applications.
Evidence Raises Concerns About Cell Phones and Microwave Exposure Health advocates have worried for decades that exposure to frequencies emanating from these many sources might be harmful. And the ubiquity of such technology today--especially considering the quantum leap in cell phone usage in recent years--only makes such concerns that much more pressing.
How Do Cell Phones Affect Your Health? Various studies researching the health effects of cell phone use have yielded mixed results. Some studies suggested a link between exposure to radiation from cell phones and an increased risk of acoustic neuroma--a tumor of the nerve connecting the ear to the brain--but more recent research found no such links.
The issue is primarily heat. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), “As high frequency radio frequency radiation…penetrates the body, the exposed molecules move about and collide with one another causing friction and, thus, heat…If the radiation is powerful enough, the tissue or skin will be heated or burned.”
According to CWA, “there is substantial scientific data that establishes negative health effects associated with microwave radiation.” CWA cites cataracts as one possible negative health effect from prolonged exposure, as well as well as nervous system damage and even reproductive problems in both males and females. This issue was in the news in 1992 over the issue of the safety of police radar devices, but subsequent studies were inconclusive.
Young Cell Phone Users May See Negative Effects in Middle Age As to cell phones, the results of a study recently published in the academic journal Environmental Health Perspectives do not bode well for habitual chatterers. Researchers documented brain damage in laboratory rats exposed to radio frequencies from cell phones at levels comparable to what people would experience during normal use. The study’s authors expressed concern that “after some decades of (often) daily use, a whole generation of [cell phone] users may suffer negative effects, perhaps as early as middle age.”
How Do Cell Phones Affect the Environment? The environmental effects of radio frequencies are also largely unclear. Migrating birds have been known to fly right into cell phone and other communications towers. Some blame the radiation emanating from such towers for disorienting the birds and undermining their navigational abilities. Others chalk such incidents up to poor visibility associated with bad weather and nothing more.
Some farmers have observed that cows grazing near cell towers are more likely to experience still births, spontaneous abortions, birth deformities and behavioral problems, not to mention general declines in overall health. Moving cattle herds away from such towers has reportedly led to immediate health improvements.
GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at:www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted on About Environmental Issues by permission of the editors of E.
Somit Sen,TNN | Dec 26, 2013, 05.37 AM IST MUMBAI: A day after the BMC released a list of 3,618 "illegal" cell towers in the city, anti-radiation activists on Wednesday came out with their own list of irregularities. Major violations of theDepartment of Telecommunications (DoT) directions concerning distance between tower antennae and neighbouring buildings figured prominently on the list.
On a south Mumbai rooftop, activists found six antennae at just "seven metres" from a neighbouring building.
"The DoT norms stipulate that the distance of an antenna from a neighbouring building should be a minimum of 20 metres," activist Prakash Munshi said. "In case of two antennae, this should be 35 metres, and in case of six, it should be 55 metres."
A complaint was sent to the DoT. Munshi said most cell towers had antennae clusters, leading to high power output and increased radiation risks.
Activist A V Shenoy said bunching of antennae was a serious issue in a city with a high population density, citing the Haji Ali area as an example. "Every mobile company will claim that it has installed a single antenna on the rooftop, but if you look at it collectively, you will find that five different companies have installed their antennae on the same building and this increases the radiation levels for the neighbourhood," he said.
Corporator Vinod Shelar, who is spearheading a campaign against illegal towers, threatened a massive dharna outside the municipal commissioner's office if his demand for a cell tower policy was ignored.
He said he wanted the municipal commissioner to bring up the draft cell tower policy for discussion before the civic improvements committee in a week. "It should be discussed in the BMC House and a resolution should be passed to weed out illegal towers in Mumbai," he said.
Activist Nikhil Desai said a significant number of illegal towers were not covered under litigation. "Why isn't the BMC razing these?" he said. "It only shows that officials have some vested interests."
He said that those claiming that cell towers pose no health risk should be asked to stay in buildings close to the towers.
Cellular operators said most towers had DoT nods besides 10 to 12 other certifications. "The BMC should clarify what is illegal according to it and then take action," a Cellular Operators Association of India representative said.
BMC DRAFT POLICY ON CELL SITES
* Only one tower should be allowed on every building
* Written consent of 70% of occupants as well as every person on topmost floor of the building mandatory
* Ban on cellphone towers at schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, child rehabilitation centres and old age homes
As mobile phone usage is growing rapidly, there is a need for a comprehensive analysis of the literature to inform scientific debates about the adverse effects of mobile phone radiation on sperm quality traits. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of the eligible published research studies on human males of reproductive age. Eleven studies were eligible for this analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, mobile phone use was significantly associated with deterioration in semen quality (Hedges's g = -0.547; 95% CI: -0.713, -0.382; p < 0.001). The traits particularly affected adversely were sperm concentration, sperm morphology, sperm motility, proportion of non-progressive motile sperm (%), proportion of slow progressive motile sperm (%), and sperm viability. Direct exposure of spermatozoa to mobile phone radiation with in vitro study designs also significantly deteriorated the sperm quality (Hedges's g = -2.233; 95% CI: -2.758, -1.708; p < 0.001), by reducing straight line velocity, fast progressive motility, Hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test score, major axis (µm), minor axis (µm), total sperm motility, perimeter (µm), area (µm (2)), average path velocity, curvilinear velocity, motile spermatozoa, and acrosome reacted spermatozoa (%). The strength of evidence for the different outcomes varied from very low to very high. The analysis shows that mobile phone use is possibly associated with a number of deleterious effects on the spermatozoa.
Archos announced smartwatches starting at under £50 (US$83) and an Android tablet specially designed to make home automation a breeze.
The new smartwatches have a lean and thin design similar to products from Pebble, and will be compatible with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android OS devices, Archos said in a statement. Smartwatches from Pebble are priced at $150.
The company did not provide availability information for the smartwatches, but products will be shown at the International CES trade show in Las Vegas between January 7 and 10.
Smartwatches are used in conjunction with smartphones to show messages, incoming calls, news, weather, social network posts and even webpages. Smartwatches are also being used as fitness trackers. Sony, Samsung and Qualcomm are among the top players in the smartwatch market today, and many companies are expected to show products at CES.
Archos’ Smart Home Tablet (Click to enlarge)
Archos also announced a lineup of “smart devices” that can gather and automate mundane home tasks. At the center of the lineup is the Smart Home Tablet, a 7-inch Android tablet that can chat with and set up actions for smart meters, plugs, lights, cameras, weather stations and other connected devices. For example, the tablet can be used to activate cameras or switch on lights if a motion sensor captures movement.
To complement the tablet, Archos announced a new weather station that can capture temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, humidity and other environmental information. The monitor can be used indoors or outdoors. The company will also show a connected camera, smart plug and motion tracker at CES.
The tablet can also aggregate information from Android and iOS mobile devices, Archos said.
Archos also announced wearable fitness trackers that can be used to set health goals. The Blood Pressure Monitor can monitor heart activity and pressure, the Activity Tracker functions like a pedometer and the Connected Scale measures weight and body-fat ratio. An Archos app called Connected Self App aggregates information from the health monitors to analyze health activity and set up fitness goals.
The new Archos products are among the first to be based on Bluetooth 4.1, also called Bluetooth Low Energy, which was formally adopted by device makers this month.
