German Federal Office for Radiation Protection calls for more research on influence of electromagnetic fields on plants and animals

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Further to an international workshop on environmental effects of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields on flora and fauna, Germany’s Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) says that “there is still a considerable need for research”.

The workshop, which was organised by the BfS, took place in Munich at the beginning of November 2019.

The BfS’s press release says the findings of the workshop are particularly important in light of the ongoing expansion of electricity grids and the introduction of 5G.  Although the BfS reported “Overall, the studies presented in the workshop support the current state of knowledge that there is no evidence of harmful effects on plants or animals caused by high-frequency electromagnetic fields below the applicable limit values”, it added that “there are isolated indications that radiofrequency fields may influence insects.  In a field study, for example, changes in the frequency and biodiversity of pollinators near base stations were observed”.

The BfS went on to say “it is conceivable that the higher frequencies that may be used in a few years’ time could increase the energy absorption of insects”.  Plants could also be affected.  Although the BfS cautions that the results here were partly contradictory, it reported “under laboratory conditions, high-frequency fields can trigger a stress reaction and influence growth” (SSMA emphases).

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) had a representative at the international workshop.  Dr Ken Karipidis, ARPANSA’s Assistant Director of Assessment and Advice, attended.

Dr Karipidis, however, appears to have come back with a somewhat different take-home message.  ARPANSA’s write-up of the workshop says  “Studies that have been conducted in the natural environment generally report little or no evidence of impact on plants or animals”.  No coverage is given to the studies that do show effects.

As pointed out by Attorney-at-law Christian Jensen in this post, research that shows effects is “inherently of much greater significance than examinations which have been incapable of identifying a damage or risk thereof, since the latter group does not in itself exclude the possibility that there exist real damage or risks”.

SSMA wonders if Dr Karipidis attended the international workshop session titled “Radiofrequency radiation injures trees around mobile phone base stations“, presented by Dr Cornelia Waldmann-Selsam.  The paper of the same title found “a high level of damage to trees in the vicinity of phone masts”.  Two pictorial examples from the study are available here.  An overview of the data from the study is available here.

ARPANSA’s report on the workshop concludes that “ARPANSA will continue to evaluate relevant research as it becomes available, working with international counterparts to ensure ongoing review of scientific evidence related to radiation and both public and environmental health”.  This statement is hardly reassuring, given its past performance.

Posted in EMF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tower of terror: Father accuses NBN of “assault”

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

According to an article published in the Sunshine Coast Daily, a father living in fear of an NBN tower near his home has taken the telco giant to court in a bid to stop them from switching it on, with claims the health impacts would be so severe he would end up homeless.

News reporter Amber Hooker states that Barrister Raymond Broomhall told Maroochydore Civil Court two doctors had diagnosed his client David Evans of Peachester [Queensland] with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which would be exacerbated by the tower’s emissions to the point his home would be “uninhabitable”.

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up to request financial contributions to fund and support the legal process.  The first court hearing was held on 19 December 2019 with the next court date set down for 23 January 2020.

Mr Evans writes in his fundraiser that he is a qualified high voltage electrician.  He has several decades of experience in working with the technical complexities associated with electricity, electromagnetic fields and radiation, including managing the many associated risks.

He is seeking to protect his family, home, neighbours, community and himself from the tower’s artificial electromagnetic radiation fields.

To access the David v. NBN Co GoFundMe appeal, and to make a donation, go to:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/david-v-nbnco-a-david-amp-goliath-battle-peachester?member=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B invitesupporters

Posted in NBN, telecommunication towers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Federal Government announces $9 million splurge to ‘build public confidence’ in 5G safety

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

In an astonishing move, given that an Inquiry into 5G in Australia is currently underway, a joint media release from the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts and Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, who has portfolio responsibility for the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), has proclaimed that the Morrison Government will be spending $9 million over four years to build public confidence in the safety of telecommunications networks – including new 5G mobile networks – and to address “misinformation” about electromagnetic energy (EME) emissions.

Does this largesse smack of a government in panic mode?  Certainly, its failure to observe due process, by pre-empting the findings of the inquiry into 5G, suggests that the inquiry is a sham.

The parliamentary webpage for the 5G inquiry reveals that over 400 submissions were received by the committee responsible for inquiring into the deployment, adoption and application of 5G in Australia.  The vast majority of these submissions have raised issues related to health.  An impressive body of credible scientific evidence supporting the need for a precautionary approach was referenced by submitters as well as many personal accounts of the harm that has already occurred due to exposure to EMF.

Despite this, to-date, the Committee has not heard from a single scientific witness who might substantiate the community’s insistence on an unbiased assessment of the current science.  Instead, with Through the Looking Glass logic, the Committee has chosen to reaffirm its belief in this “wonderful technology”, as the Chairman described it in its 6 December 2019 public hearing, by taking advice on health from organisations with vested interests, such as Telstra and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.

For instance, in its 19 November 2019 public hearing, the Chair moved “that we accept the new ICNIRP radio frequency guidelines and their implications for 5G, which were so kindly announced by the WHO and provided to us by Telstra”.  Never mind that Telstra provided the Committee with a garbled – and highly biased – account of how safety standards are set by “national and international health agencies”.

As this paper, published in the International Journal of Oncology, makes abundantly clear, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which ARPANSA chooses to take its direction from, is a private organisation based in Germany with strong ties to industry.  It is a closed group, and only allows new expert members to be elected by existing members.  Not surprisingly, ICNIRP has seen fit to ignore the vast body of scientific studies attesting to non-thermal biological effects. ICNIRP has also successfully penetrated the World Health Organization, via the WHO International EMF Project.

Facts such as these, however, are unlikely to come to the Chair’s notice, given his eagerness to accept industry spin.  At the Committee’s 6 December 2019 hearing, in response to an explanation about 5G from the Chief Executive of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, Hansard records the Chair as saying, “Just so that everyone’s left in no doubt, I was really pleased that you said it was totally safe”.

In addition to taxpayers’ funds being allocated to EME “public education”, part of the $9 million kitty is to be provided to ARPANSA for “continued research on radio frequency safety”. 

SSMA hopes that this funding might allow ARPANSA to lift the bar; many of its previous research efforts have fallen woefully short of what the community expects from the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection.

For instance, its Technical Report Series No. 163, titled ARPANSA Preliminary Measurements of Radiofrequency Transmissions from a Mesh Radio Smart Meter, which was authored by ARPANSA staffers Don Wijayasinghe and Ken Karipidis, provided details on emissions from a single (!) mesh smart meter.  Given the characteristics of mesh network topology, this study-of-one gave rise to conclusions akin to those reached in the Blind Men and an Elephant parable.  By contrast, Total Radiation Solutions’ 2015  report, Quantifying Smart Meter RF EME Levels in Victorian Homes, which had included 32 mesh smart meters in its study, shines a light on the variance across meters (for instance, refer to pp. 21 and 80 of the report).

Analysis in ARPANSA’s Technical Report Series No. 164, Review of Radiofrequency Health Effects Research – Scientific Literature 2000-2012, which came to the convenient conclusion that ARPANSA’s 2002 standard continues to provide adequate protection, appeared similarly lacking in rigour.

A recent study that failed to find a link between the use of mobile phones and brain cancer, which lists ARPANSA’s Ken Karipidis as the lead author, is equally tainted.

A reply to SSMA from a spokesperson for the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, dated 15 July 2019 informed SSMA that “the ACMA and ARPANSA are independent statutory agencies and are not influenced or controlled by the telecommunications industry”.  On the face of it, nothing could be further from the truth!  Instead, it would seem that our Government is so closely aligned with industry interests, similarly to the situation in the U.S., that it lacks the perspective to see that it is held captive by the very bodies that it seeks to regulate.

SSMA was also assured “that revenue maximisation is not an objective of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (known as the ‘objects’ of the Act), and the ACMA does not seek to maximise revenues collected at auctions. Instead, as per the objects of the Act, the ACMA seeks to maximise the overall public benefit derived from using the radiofrequency spectrum”.

If this is the case, why has the deployment of 5G and the encouragement to drive more Australians towards wireless solutions not been subjected to rigorous cost-benefit analysis?  At a minimum, this should include an assessment of the increased burden to the community as a result of more people developing electro-hypersensitivity and escalating cases of cancer, including brain cancer, in addition to looking at factors such as the massive pressure on electricity supply that the uptake of 5G and the IoT is forecasted to create.

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

A snapshot of living with Environmental Sensitivities in Australia in 2019

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Dr Sharyn Martin’s latest report meticulously analyses data collected from people who have registered their environmental sensitivities with the Australian National Register for Environmental Sensitivities (ANRES).  Environmental Sensitivities (ES) describes a variety of reactions to chemicals, electromagnetic fields and other environmental factors.

ANRES’s goal is to create an independent national register that provides Australian prevalence data on environmental sensitivities, to assist in gaining recognition of ES as a disability and facilitate moving forward with issues such as access to medical and disability services.  Statistics are needed for reform, particularly at a political level, and provide an essential first step in gaining recognition of environmental sensitivities.

Section 1.0 of the report’s introduction states that:

“The results from the ANRES register shows that people with Environmental Sensitivities have a number of co-morbid diseases and have significant hardships and disabilities that occur in all aspects of their lives. These disabilities are, apart from ill health symptoms, an inability to earn an income, inability to find safe and affordable housing, inability to socialise and function in society particularly in public areas where chemicals and EMFs are prevalent.

For those with Environmental Sensitivity institutional denial and stigma have become a barrier to medical care, employment, education etc. This is a major ongoing and developing crisis for those with these conditions. These conditions lead to a reduced quality of life and often result in a loss of employment and consequent poverty, possible homelessness, isolation and exclusion from society.

The lack of consensus amongst the medical profession on the diagnostic criteria for these conditions means that many people do not have a diagnosis and so their condition/s are not included in health surveys or hospital records and therefore there is no evidence of their presence in the community. Environmental Sensitivities have far reaching implications if left undiagnosed and untreated. It not only affects the health of the individual, it also affects that person’s lifestyle, family situation, financial situation, ability to socialise, ability to support oneself or family, and their ability to access and utilise facilities such as hospitals, schools, libraries, shopping centres, health care facilities etc. Add to this is the millions of dollars in lost productivity to society.

Many people are suffering hardships and continue to be ignored because there is no evidence that they exist, and there are people in the community with symptoms of these conditions who are not diagnosed and do not know what is causing their chronic ill health and continue to be exposed to triggers and develop more sensitivity.

The Australian National Register for Environmental Sensitivities (ANRES) want to show the Australian Government, employees and Health Services that there are Australians from all around the country suffering from these conditions. We need Environmental Sensitivities to be recognised as a disability and facilitate moving forward with issues such as access to medical and disability services for people with Environmental Sensitivities.”

To access the 27-page report, go to https://anres.org/2019-anres-data-update/

If you would like to join ANRES, in order to register your sensitivities on the ANRES register and therefore contribute to this important project, go to https://anres.org/   Note that persons who register on this site are not individually identified.

Posted in Environmental Sensitivities | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Why aren’t more climate change activists fighting 5G?

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

While most climate change activists are focused on limiting emissions from the automotive, aviation and energy sectors, it’s the communications industry that is on track to generate more carbon emissions than all of the aforementioned sectors.

In 2016, it was reported that the world’s data centres used more than Britain’s total electricity consumption – 416.2 terawatt hours, significantly higher than the UK’s 300 terawatt hours. At three percent of the global electricity supply and accounting for about two percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, data centres have the same carbon footprint as the aviation industry.

Recent predictions state that the energy consumption of data centres is set to account for 3.2 percent of the total worldwide carbon emissions by 2025 and they could consume no less than a fifth of global electricity [SSMA emphasis]. By 2040, storing digital data is set to create 14 percent of the world’s emissions, around the same proportion as the US does today.

Current statistics show that only half of the world’s population is connected to the internet and therefore contributing to this data deluge. Despite this, IDC noted that the number of data centres worldwide has grown from 500,000 in 2012 to more than 8 million today. The amount of energy used by data centres continues to double every four years, meaning they have the fastest-growing carbon footprint of any area within the IT sector.

The launch of 5G, the new wave of IoT devices, and a thriving cryptocurrency scene will only compound the problem. As more devices become connected more data will need to be processed than ever before.

Abridged from Computerworld: Why data centres are the new frontier in the fight against climate change by Charlotte Trueman.

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Science and Wireless 2019 | Monday, 2nd December

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The Australian Centre for Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research and Swinburne University of Technology are hosting this year’s Science and Wireless at Swinburne University, Melbourne.

The event is free, but registration is required.  Note that attendees with questions for the Public Forum have been asked to submit these in advance.

The event organisers write:

“Hear from world experts on the new 5th generation of mobile communication technology (5G), as well as the new ICNIRP guidelines on limiting electromagnetic fields.

This year’s event is divided into two parts:
Technical Lecture: ICNIRP GUIDELINES
Public Forum: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 5G

Note that the technical nature of the presentation in ‘Part 1’ will make it more suitable for professionals working in the area, but anyone is welcome to attend. The ‘Part 2’ presentations have been tailored to those who do not have background knowledge in this area. In both cases, there will be plenty of time allocated to answer any questions that you may have.

Part 1: Technical Lecture – ICNIRP Guidelines
From 4:10 pm a technical lecture will focus on the ‘New ICNIRP Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)’ presented by Rodney Croft (ICNIRP Radiofrequency Guidelines Chair; ACEBR, University of Wollongong), followed by a discussion.
WHEN: Monday 2nd December 2019, 4:10 – 5:15pm (registration from 3:45)
WHERE: Lecture Theatre BA201 (ground floor), Business & Arts Building, Swinburne University of Technology, John St, Hawthorn VIC 3122

Part 2: Public Forum – Everything You Need to Know About 5G
From 6 pm the public forum ‘Everything You Need to Know About 5G’ will cover: What is 5G? / What research has been done on 5G? / Will 5G lead to higher exposures? / Is 5G harmful? / What do we know about mobile phones and cancer? / Can I be allergic or sensitive to mobile phone radiation? / Do national and international safety guidelines cover 5G? / What are the benefits of 5G?
WHEN: Monday 2nd December 2019, 6:00 – 8:00pm (welcome and registration from 5:30pm)
WHERE: Lecture Theatre BA201 (ground floor), Business & Arts Building, Swinburne University of Technology, John St, Hawthorn VIC 3122

Questions at the Public Forum: There will be lots of time for questions at the Public Forum, but please note that questions will need to be submitted in advance to enable us to cover as many issues as possible. Further information about this is provided in the registration process.

How to Register: Depending on whether you’d like to attend one or both events, please go to one of the following links to register:

Part 1: Technical Lecture – ICNIRP Guidelines

Part 2: Public Forum – Everything You Need to Know About 5G

For both parts

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at acebr-info@uow.edu.au

We look forward to seeing you in Melbourne!

Kind regards

ACEBR & Swinburne University”

Science and Wireless Program 
Swinburne Campus Map 

 

Posted in Science and Wireless | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Danish legal opinion concludes 5G contravenes human and environmental laws

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Attorney-at-law Christian Jensen, of Bonnor Lawyers in Denmark, examined potential health damages and risks of 5G in relation to human rights and environmental conventions.

The legal opinion is centred around results that have positively documented actual damages or risks to humans, animals and plants.  Jensen points out that this research is “inherently of much greater significance than examinations which have been incapable of identifying a damage or risk thereof, since the latter group does not in itself exclude the possibility that there exist real damage or risks”.

He explains that “If it has on one occasion defensibly been scientifically proven that there is a damaging effect or risk of damage, then the fact that ten other defensible trials did not show such an effect or risk is irrelevant.  It is then merely up to the scientific community to clarify why the ten defensible trials did not show what is scientifically proven, in order to better understand why and how the damages occur or could occur”.

In his final remarks, on page 64 of the 75-page document, Jensen states that:

“It is the conclusion of this legal opinion that establishing and activating a 5G-network, as it is currently described,  would  be  in  contravention  of  current  human  and  environmental  laws enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, EU regulations, and the Bern- and Bonn-conventions.  

The reason is the very significant body of scientific documentation available, showing that radiofrequent electromagnetic radiation is harmful and dangerous to the health of humans (particularly children), animals and plants.  

This also applies when the radiation remains within the limits recommended by ICNIRP and currently used in Denmark as well as broadly within the EU.”

The legal opinion was provided at the request of the Danish Institute for Public Health, the Council for Health-Safe Telecommunications, the EHS-association and the Danish Health Association May Day.

This opinion is also relevant to Australia.  Australia is a signatory to both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Bonn convention (also known as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals).  European Union directives don’t apply in Australia; however, decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights, which has responsibility for monitoring compliance with the rights and freedoms set out by the European Convention on Human Rights, influence the development of human rights law in Australia.

Access the Danish legal opinion document here.  

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Event | EMR & Law, Melbourne, 26 October 2019

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Hear world renowned Barrister Ray Broomhall speak about his process applied successfully to halt 4G/5G mobile phone towers.

Ray specialises in extremely complex matters and has repute for his lateral thinking and for finding solutions outside the square. He is in high demand throughout the world for his work on electromagnetic radiation issues and is considered to be one of the leading advocates in this field.

Electrosensitivity Australia and Stop Smart Meters Australia are thrilled to announce that Karen Knowles (known to many from Young Talent Time) will join the EMR & LAW event as a guest speaker alongside Ray Broomhall.  Karen is incredibly talented in many areas, including law.  Karen consults to a select group of businesses on legal and intellectual property strategy.  The combination of 35 years’ experience in the music and entertainment industries, extensive business management, legal experience in contract and intellectual property law at a top tier international law firm, experience as in-house legal counsel for several entities and experience in IT start ups liaising with technical, strategic and business development partners, all combine to offer a unique capability.

Saturday, 26 October, 2019

2pm – 5pm

West Preston Baptist Church Hall

108 Cramer Street, Preston

Tickets · $22.19 on Eventbrite

Posted in 4G, 5G | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Industry funding skews EMF research results

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

A recent paper from Prof. David Carpenter, MD on extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF) from 50 to 60 Hz electricity shows that the source of funding plays a major role in study results.  Almost all industry-supported studies ‘fail to find any significant or even suggestive association’ between magnetic field exposure and childhood leukaemia.  Not surprisingly, ‘it is clear that almost all government or independent studies find either a statistically significant association between magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia, or an elevated risk…’.

Carpenter states that ‘When one allows for bias reflected in source of funding, the evidence that magnetic fields increase risk of cancer is neither inconsistent nor inconclusive’ (SSMA emphasis).

The abstract adds that it is not just children who are at risk from exposure to magnetic fields, but also adults.  There is strong evidence for cancers in addition to leukaemia; particularly brain and breast cancer.

Highlights

  • In government-funded studies, magnetic field exposure causes childhood leukaemia.
  • In industry-funded studies, magnetic field exposure does not cause childhood leukaemia.
  • Magnetic field exposure increases risk of adult leukaemia, brain and breast cancer.
  • Steps should be taken to reduce human exposure to elevated magnetic fields.

Carpenter’s paper ‘Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer: How source of funding affects results’ can be accessed here.

ARPANSA’s position of ELF EMF

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is described as being the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety.  So what might ARPANSA have to say about the link between exposure to magnetic fields and cancer?

According to ARPANSA’s webpage on electricity and health, ‘The scientific evidence does not establish that exposure to ELF EMF found around the home, the office or near powerlines and other electrical sources is a hazard to human health’.  This position appears to be yet another example of ARPANSA being blinded by industry.

Industry funding also impacts RF research study results

A research paper published in 2007, titled ‘Source of Funding and Results of Studies of Health Effects of Mobile Phone Use: Systematic Review of Experimental Studies‘, found that industry funding plays a similar role in radiofrequency EMF study results.  It concluded that ‘The interpretation of results from studies of health effects of radiofrequency radiation should take sponsorship into account’.

Further resources concerning industry influence on EMF science:

                       

Posted in EMF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Event | 5G and EMFs – What We Need to Know

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Stop Smart Meters Australia is delighted to have healthy home expert, Nicole Bijlsma, as our guest speaker for this event.

3 pm – 4.30 pm

Saturday 19th October

West Preston Baptist Church Hall

108 Cramer Street, Preston (Melbourne)

Google map
Stop 42 on Tram 11 (West Preston / Victoria Harbour Docklands)

 

Agenda

Please arrive 5 minutes before the starting time.

3.00 pm           5G and EMFs – What We Need to Know

3.45 pm           Question time

4.30 pm           Close

Nicole Bijlsma is a building biologist, bestselling author, PhD candidate and CEO of the Australian College of Environmental Studies, which she established in 1999 to educate people about the health hazards in the built environment.  Nicole is a former naturopath and acupuncturist, has lectured at tertiary institutions for 30 years, has published in peer reviewed journals, has written extensively for Body+Soul newspaper (Herald Sun), is regularly consulted by the media to discuss mould, electromagnetic fields (EMF) and toxic chemicals, and lectures in Australia and abroad about environmental health issues.  Nicole has been interviewed on every major television network (Sunrise, TODAY show, 7PM Project, Channel 7 news, The Circle etc.) and on numerous radio stations.

Note for SSMA members:  Our AGM will precede Nicole’s talk.  You should have already received details about this via mail or email.  If not, please contact SSMA.

Invite your family and friends

Non-SSMA members – entry by donation

This event is mobile phone-free
Please leave your phone in your car or turned off

 

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment