Frequently
Asked Questions
on the basic science of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and
radiofrequency (RF) radiation.
Sign
on to the on-line petition to endorse the recommendations
of The BioInitiative Report.
Action
Alert March 19, 2008
Your time and effort are needed now as follow up on the initiative
we began with the Congressional briefing held on May 10, 2007.
Host of the briefing Vermont Congressman Peter Welch is inviting
the chairmen and ranking members of House Committees responsible
for health research and policy to join him in taking action.
The American public needs our federal health agencies to oversee
a robust research strategy to address the scientific uncertainties
about long-term exposures to electromagnetic radiation emanating
from cell phones and antenna base stations, wireless internet,
TV and FM broadcast towers, radar and power lines.
E-mail
us at info@emrpolicy.org the
let us know you have sent your letters so we can follow up.
2007
Update
Activities of The EMR Policy in 2007 continue to challenge
current US policy for human and wildlife exposure to radiofrequency
(RF) radiation and to educate the public on the inadequacy
of US RF safety policy. Current US policy does not protect
humans and wildlife from long-term, low-intensity exposure
to antenna radiation. Given here is a listing of the major
EMR Policy Institute activities carried out throughout 2007
to address these problems. These are the activities that your
donations are supporting.
Flaws
in the US public policy for human exposure to radiofrequency
radiation (RFR) are:
-
None of us are protected from the hazards of long-term exposure
to low-intensity radiofrequency radiation (RF) in the United
States.
Two
EPA letters clarify the adequacy of the FCC’s
Rf radiation exposure guidelines.
- Congressional
funding for the EPA to study the hazards to human health
of long- term exposure to low-intensity RF radiation terminated
in1998 in the amount of $25,000.
- Exposure
to high levels of RF radiation can heat, burn and even kill
and has been developed
into weapons.
- RF
radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation emitted
from radar, broadcast TV and FM; mobile phone, WiMax, and
WiFi base stations; and consumer products such as microwave
ovens, mobile phones, pagers and wireless internet devices.
Our exposure to RF radiation is increasing exponentially
with the deployment of new technologies.
- Increasing
evidence indicates that long-term exposure to RF radiation
causes changes in our bodies at levels that are more than
100 times lower than those permitted in the U.S. by the
Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RF exposure
limits.
Theodore
Litovitz, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Catholic
University of America was the author of this PowerPoint
presentation on adverse biological effects from non-thermal
exposure to RF radiation. Dr. Litovitz first presented
it as part of a Congressional staff briefing in July
of 2001, and it was later entered into the official
court record in the HDTV broadcast antenna siting case
for Lookout Mountain, Colorado. Dr. Litovitz passed
away in 2006.
From
the 2003 compilation of studies entitled Biological
Effects of electromagnetic Fields: Mechanisms, Modeling,
Biological Effects, Therapeutic Effects, International
Standards, Exposure Criteria, Springer Verlag,
2003, first edition, edited by Professor Peter Stavroulakis
of the Technical University of Crete with contributions
from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy and
a summary from the World Health Organization:
-
p. 524 - There is more than sufficient evidence
of chromosome aberration, DNA strand breakage, altered
oncogene activity and neoplastic transformations of
cells to conclude that EMR across the spectrum from
ELF to RF/MW is genotoxic. This is independently confirmed
by the established biological mechanism of calcium
ion efflux and melatonin reduction.
- p.
522 - Genotoxic substances cause cancer, reproductive
health effects and neurological damage.
- Sworn
testimony of physicians, research scientists, engineers
and attorneys in two recent Colorado court cases explain
how federal policy in the United States is not protecting
people from adverse health effects of RF radiation. The
FCC’s Policy on Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic
Fields does not protect against long-term, low-intensity
exposure. Links to the testimony of leading researchers
and medical practitioners are given at the beginning of
this listing.
- More
than two decades of published, peer-reviewed
research have demonstrated effects to humans from exposure
to electromagnetic fields.
- The
Telecommunications Act of 1996 (TCA) prevents states and
local governments from “regulating the placement,
construction, and modification of personal wireless service
facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of
radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities
comply with the Commission's [FCC’s] regulations concerning
such emissions. Found at: 47 U.S.C. § 332 Subsection
(c)(7).
- The
FCC, charged with the deployment of RF technology, sets
the U.S. RF radiation human exposure limits for broadcast
TV, FM, mobile phone and other antennas based upon the recommendations
of a subcommittee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE), a private entity describing itself as
“The world's leading professional association for
the advancement of technology.” The IEEE Mission is
to promote “the engineering process of creating, developing,
integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge about electro
and information technologies and sciences for the benefit
of humanity and the profession.” The FCC relies on
the industry to self-report its compliance with the IEEE-developed
RF exposure limits. These limits are designed to protect
the public from being heated by RF radiation from short-term,
high-intensity exposures and are utterly non-protective
from the adverse health effects of long-term, low-intensity
exposures.
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