- By Lynn Quiring
Is it a cactus? A palm tree? A water tower? No! It's
a cell phone tower! That's right! Cell phone towers today are being
disguised in subtle ways unheard of just a few years ago. See a grain
silo? Or a church steeple? You guessed it. It could very well be a cell
phone tower. There's even a cell phone tower that looks just like a
lighthouse...never mind that it's over two miles from the ocean.
But
don't let the pretty and ingenious disguises fool you. There is a real
and present danger lurking behind the mask of these innocent designs.
Why
the disguises? Obviously, for esthetic reasons. The cell phone
companies don't want to make their neighborhood friends upset. They
want to blend in. So they blend in while they blast your home and
neighborhood with toxic electromagnetic radiation.
Cell phone
towers, sometimes called masts, or mobile phone towers, weren't an
issue years ago when they were few and far between. One could often
drive miles and miles through the countryside and never see one. They
were few in number and were only found in obscure locations and seen
only on an occasional hilltop. Today cell phone towers have increased
dramatically in number. There are now more than 1.9 million cell phone
towers and antenna towers spread throughout the U.S. (1) They are now
found on churches, schools and firehouses as well as being seen on the
rooftop of buildings everywhere. Did you know there is even a cell
phone tower near Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park? Can't sleep well at
night? It may be that there's a cell phone tower close by.
Just
why would a cell phone tower be placed on a church, school or
firehouse? Why would school boards and churches agree to this? Money.
It's that simple. The cell phone companies will pay these
organizations, and individual property owners, handsomely to install
their equipment on their properties. This "rent money" can range from a
few hundred dollars a month to several thousand dollars a month. What
school district or church couldn't use extra money to aid a struggling
budget? By "renting" the space on an already-constructed building the
cell phone industry doesn't have to purchase land, build a tower or
construct a new building. It simply mounts its equipment on a structure
that already exists. It's a win-win deal for the cell phone company and
the new 'landlord.'
Opposition to these cell tower installments
used to gone unnoticed and without question. Not so today.
Neighborhoods and citizens are becoming vocally opposed. But it's not
the esthetics that causes residents and property owners to oppose these
structures. Communities and citizens are afraid of the potential health
effects being caused by this technology as well as the adverse affect
on property values.
We Can't Stop Cell Phone Tower Construction
Unfortunately,
there is not much one can do to stop the proliferation and continued
build out of cell phone towers and structures. Although thought to be
legislation about deregulation issues, the Telecommunications Act of
1996 (TCA) was really an open invitation for the cell phone industry to
place their towers anywhere they wanted. Section 704 of the TCA
basically states that local authorities can't ban the placement of
towers in their jurisdictions. The law says: "No State or local
government or instrumentality thereof may regulate 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
regulations concerning such emissions." So legally the local government
can't refuse the construction of a cell phone tower in your
neighborhood! Any challenge by local communities could easily end up in
federal court. Our lawmakers have basically given the cell phone
industry free reign to install these towers wherever they want. And, by
the way, the cell phone industry helped write this legislation that our
government officials passed as law! The public, therefore, now has no
voice and no vote. Is there something wrong with this picture? Why
didn't our public officials represent the people instead of big
business? Why would you let the very industry you're trying to regulate
write it's own laws?
Does the income outweigh the potential
risks? It appears not. Many studies and a lot of research have proven
alarming health effects from various forms of cancer to stress. (2) Dr.
George Carlo, chief scientist for the largest study ever conducted on
cell phone radiation, predicts an epidemic in brain cancer soon. He
says that based on calculations from peer-reviewed studies he expects
the number of cases of brain cancer to number between 400,000 and
500,000 by the year 2010. That's up ten-fold from the 40,000 to 50,000
cases we see today and it's all directly attributed to cell phones and
wireless technology. (3) He feels that we're beginning to see the curve
of an epidemic like we've never seen before.
Representatives from
the industry are quick to point out the microwaves emitted by cell
phone towers are well below federal standards. And indeed they may be.
At least on paper. Most towers operate at a power output of 100 watts.
However, this isn't the total wattage of the tower. What they aren't
telling you is that 100 watts is the power per channel. Since one tower
may have dozens of channels you can see that the power output could be
highly excessive and well beyond 100 watts. It's a technical loophole.
And, of course, who is monitoring the power output from these towers
after they are erected? The FCC certainly isn't. It doesn't have the
manpower or money to properly regulate the millions of towers and
antennas now online. And who is to prevent these companies from turning
up the wattage when no one is around? Dr. Carlo indicates that many of
these towers have already shown power outputs in the 900 to 1000 watt
range. (4)
You Can't Escape The Radiation. It's Everywhere.
We
simply can't escape the exposure to this radiation. It's everywhere.
There are so many people using cell phones and wireless connections
today that you don't even have to own a cell phone to be exposed.
You're just as exposed as everyone else. Every time someone makes a
call from a mobile phone the signal is sent to a cell phone tower.
There are so many calls being made by everyone all around us and now
there are so many mobile phone towers in operation, that all of us are
caught in the crossfire. It's like second-hand smoke from cigarettes,
except that we can't get away from it. There simply isn't anywhere to
escape.
How Mobile Phone Towers Work
Cell phone towers emit
signals in a "flower petal" pattern around the tower. This 360-degree
radius around the tower is called a "cell" and this is what the term
"cell" in cell phone means. (5) When your phone is in a "cell" you get
good reception and when it isn't in a ?"cell" you get poor reception.
So, for a cell phone company to provide complete coverage cell phone
towers and antenna towers must be positioned all across the country so
that the "cells" overlap. You can begin to see what a huge
infrastructure needs to be created to provide complete cell phone
coverage. That's why cell phone towers and antenna towers are so
prevalent. Furthermore, that's why these antennas are installed in so
many places like rooftops, fire stations, schools and churches. This is
what is necessary for complete coverage.
Studies Show Adverse Health Effects From Cell Phone Towers
If
you aren't sure that cell phone towers and masts are harmful the
following study summaries should convince you. Below are listed six
studies that have shown significant adverse health effects on people
living near cell phone towers. According to Dr. Grahame Blackwell
"these are the only studies known that specifically consider the
effects of masts on people. All six studies show clear and significant
ill-health effects. There are no known studies relating to health
effects of masts that do not show such ill-health effects." (6)
1.
Santini et al. found significant health problems in people living
within 300 meters of a cell phone base station or tower. The
recommendation was made from the study that cell phone base stations
should not be placed closer than 300 meters to populated areas. Pathol
Biol (Paris) 2002; 50: 369-373.
2. A Netherlands Organization for
Applied Scientific Research study entitled, "Effects of Global
Communications System Radio-Frequency Fields On Well Being and
Cognitive Function of Human Subjects With and Without Subjective
Complaints" found significant effects on well being including
headaches, muscle fatigue, pain, and dizziness from tower emissions
well below the "safety" level.
3. Gerd, Enrique, Manuel, Ceferino
and Claludio conducted a Spanish study called "The Microwave Syndrome"
and found adverse health effects from those living near two cell phone
base stations. The health effects included fatigue, a tendency toward
depression, sleeping disorders, difficulty in concentration and
cardiovascular problems.
4. From an Israeli study published in
the International Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 1, No. 2, April
2004, Wolf and Wolf reported a fourfold increase in the incidence of
cancer in people living within 350 meters of a cell phone tower as
compared to the Israeli general population. They also reported a
tenfold increase specifically among women.
5. In the Naila Study
from Germany, November 2004, five medical doctors collaborated to
assess the risk to people living near a cell phone tower. The
retrospective study was taken from patient case histories between 1994
and 2004 from those who had lived during the past ten years at a
distance up to 400 meters from the tower site. The results showed that
the proportion of newly developed cancer cases was significantly higher
in those patients living within the 400-meter distance and that the
patients became ill on average eight years earlier. In the years 1999
to 2004, after five years of operation of the transmitting tower, the
relative risk of getting cancer had trebled for residents of the area
in the proximity of the installation compared to the inhabitants of
Naila outside the area.
6. An Austrian Study released in May
2005, showed that radiation from a cell phone tower at a distance of 80
meters causes significant changes of the electrical currents in the
brains of test subjects. All test subjects indicated they felt unwell
during the radiation and some reported being seriously ill. According
to the scientists doing the study, this is the first worldwide proof of
significant changes of the electrical currents in the brain, as
measured by EEG, by a cell phone base station at a distance of 80
meters. Subjects reported symptoms such as buzzing in the head,
tinnitus, palpitations of the heart, lightheadedness, anxiety,
shortness of breath, nervousness, agitation, headache, heat sensation
and depression. According to scientists this is the first proof that
electrical circuits in the brain are significantly affected by a cell
phone tower. The distance in this study was a mere 80 meters.
Two-time
Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Gerald Hyland, a physicist, had this to say
about cell phone towers. "Existing safety guidelines for cell phone
towers are completely inadequate. Quite justifiably, the public remains
skeptical of attempts by governments and industry to reassure them that
all is well, particularly given the unethical way in which they often
operate symbiotically so as to promote their own vested interests."
Dr.
Bruce Hocking did a study in Syndey, Australia, of children living near
TV and FM broadcast towers, which by the way, are very similar to cell
phone towers. He found that these children had more than twice the rate
of leukemia as children living more than seven miles away from these
towers.
Results in yet another recent study (7) conducted on
inhabitants living near or under a mobile phone base station antenna
yielded the following prevalence of neuropsychiatric complaints:
headache (23.5%), memory changes (28.2%), dizziness (18.8%), tremors
(9.4%), depressive symptoms (21.7%), and sleep disturbances
(23.5%).
In this study the participants were given a neurobehavioral test
battery measuring such things as problem solving, visuomotor speed,
attention and
memory. Symptoms of exposed inhabitants were significantly higher than control groups.
Furthermore,
Europe's top environmental watchdog group, European Environment Agency
(EEA), is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to mobile
phone
masts. EEA suggests action to reduce exposure immediately to vulnerable groups such as children.
The
development of brain tumors in staff members working in a building in
Melbourne, Australia, prompted the closing of the top floors of the
building. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is housed in the
building. Seven staff members were diagnosed with brain tumors and five
of the seven worked on the top floor. A cell phone antenna is located
on the roof of the building. (8)
The Orange phone company in
England is being forced to remove its mast tower on a building in
Bristol, England. The removal is a result of a five-year effort by
residents and local authorities to have the mast removed. Cancer rates
in the building, which has become known internationally as the "Tower
of Doom," have soared to ten times the national average for the 110
residents living there. The two masts sitting on the roof, one owned by
Orange and the other by Vodafone, were installed in 1994. Vodafone has
refused the remove its mast. (9)
Cell Phone Towers Affect Animals
Animals
aren't exempt from exposure the cell phone tower radiation either. One
veterinary school in Hanover, Germany, reports that dairy cows kept in
close proximity to a cell phone tower for two years had a reduction in
milk production in addition to other health problems including abnormal
behavior patterns. (10)
Firefighters Vote To Suspend Cell Tower Construction On Fire Stations
Concerned
about the effect that masts have on the nation's firefighters, The
International Association of Fire Fighters voted in 2004 to voice its
opposition to cell phone towers and antennas being place on and around
fire stations. They want proof first that there isn't a safety issue
and have asked for a moratorium on further construction and placement
of any more towers or antennas on or around firehouses until such a
study can be conducted.
What Are These Antennas Doing To Our Kids
While They're In School?'t worth the risk. They should not be subjected
to microwave radiation when science has proven there could clearly be
devastating effects as outlined in the previously mentioned studies.
School boards and parent organizations need to be aware of the inherent
dangers from such an exposure. It's been clearly shown that microwave
radiation penetrates the head of a child much easier than that of an
adult. This is due to the thinner and softer bones in the head of
child. (11) Skull bones don't fully harden until about age 22.
How Many Cell Phone Towers Are Near You?
The
average person lives within one-half mile of a cell phone tower. Have
you ever wondered how close you live or work to one of these towers?
Would it bother you if one were right in your backyard? How many of
these towers and antennas do you think there are in your immediate
area? Find out by visiting the website http://www.antennasearch.com/.
Simply type in your address and you'll get a listing and a map of all
the towers and antennas within a short radius of your address. Like
most people you'll probably gasp when you see the numbers. These towers
are literally everywhere. Hundreds and hundreds of them are probably
located within a few miles of your home or office.
Watch The Signal Bars On Your Cell Phone
The
signal bars on your cell phone tell you how strong the signal is that
are connecting to your cell phone. In other words, the closer you are
to a cell phone tower the stronger the signal. The stronger the signal
the less power your phone has to use to maintain the connection. A
strong signal is indicated by a full set of "bars" showing on your cell
phone display. Fewer bars mean a weaker signal. A weaker signal means
the cell phone has to work harder to maintain the signal. Consequently,
more power is needed to maintain the connection. The more power needed
the greater the amount of radiation produced by your phone and the
greater exposure to you. So always try to talk in outdoors or in an
open space. This allows an easier connection from your cell phone to
the nearest cell phone tower. Your phone won't have to work as hard and
less power is used to maintain the signal, which translates, to less
radiation exposure for you.
What Can We Do?
Obviously, can't escape the exposure. We've established that fact. So what can we do to minimize the damage?
Here
are few ideas: We need to limit our exposure any way possible. Don't
live near a cell phone tower if you have a choice. Don't buy a home
near one even if the price is right. Limit your use of wireless
devices. Go back to 'wired' connections whenever possible. Maximize
your health through proper nutrition and good hydration. Eat foods high
in antioxidants and take supplements. Eat organically as much as
possible. There is no safe distance to locate away from a mast tower.
Obviously, the closer to the tower the greater the exposure risk so do
locate as far away as possible. Whenever possible encourage your local
government officials to consider transitioning to the use of fiber
optic cable. Most of it has already been laid underground. It's just
not being used. There are no masts with fiber optics and the small
amount of radiation at the exits can be neutralized with technology now
available. Discourage the use of Wi-Fi in schools by meeting with your
school officials and school boards. Wi-Fi hotspots are popping up
everywhere now. Even whole cities are going wireless with the
installation of Wi-Fi. Again, it's all done through a wireless signal,
which is damaging to your health. Don't let cell phone companies
install cell phone antennas on the roofs of schools where your children
attend. The radio waves are disruptive to their ability to focus, not
to mention the health hazards we've already outlined. If you can't
change your current situation there is some hope. There are some
intervention devices now available that you can use in your home,
school and office to help lessen the risk of exposure. Some very good
cutting-edge technology has been developed that will intervene and help
mitigate the damage being done by wireless connections. If you'd like
to discuss those options feel free to get in touch with me.
Lynn Quiring, RPh, CCN, NMD
Logical Health LLC
480-275-5915
http://www.cellphoneradiationusa.blogspot.com/
http://www.CellphoneRadiationSOS.com/
References:
1. www.antennasearch.com
2.
The BioInitiative Report-A Rationale For A Biologically-based Public
Exposure Standard For Electromagnetic Fields, released August 31, 2007.
3. "Health Social Services and Housing Sub-Panel Telephone Mast Review," public discussion by Dr. George Carlo, 2/26/07.
4. Ibid.
5.
"Towers of Babble, Bags of Gold: Cells, Lies and the Wireless
Revolution." By James Heddle and Mary Beth Brangan, Ecological Options
Network.
6. Grahame Blackwell, February 21, 2005.
7.
"Neurobehavioral Effects Among Inhabitants Around Mobile Phone Base
Stations," Neurotoxicology, 2006, Aug. 1, Abel-Rassoul, et.al.
8. abc.net.au/news, May 11, 2006
9. Canadian National Newspaper, February 1, 2008.
10. Loscher and Kas, University of Hanover Veterinary School and University of German Army in Munich, 1998.
11.
Gandhi, Om,"Electrical energy absorption in the human head from a
cellular telephone,"IEEE Visualization; Proceedings of the 7th
Conference on Visualization '96; pg. 371-ff. 1996.
Lynn Quiring is a Registered Pharmacist, Board Certified Clinical
Nutritionist, and holds a degree in naturopathic medicine. He also
holds diplomas in homeopathy and hormone regulation therapy. He is an
expert in cell phone radiation and EMFs and their health effects on the
body. He has practiced in natural medicine for over 10 years. He
currently works as a nutrition and natural medicine consultant for
Logical Health LLC. He can be contacted by emailing to lynnquiring@msn.com
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