permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Recently there is a lot of money from cell phone companies going into 
patenting of "cancer shields" to curtail cancer formations from cell 
phone usage.  Gee, I wonder if there is something they are not telling us?
> Birds and Cell Phones:
>
> Migratory birds are known to use the geomagnetic field as a source of 
> compass information. Scientists have shown that oscillating magnetic 
> fields disrupt the orientation behavior of migratory birds.
>
> Researchers found that robins were disoriented when exposed to a 
> vertically aligned, broadband or a single-frequency field.
>
> According to Alasdair Philips of Powerwatch,
>
> "... medium- and short-wave frequencies have been used since the 1930s 
> with little evidence of any effect on bird behavior. But since the 
> mobile phone networks went up there have been increasing reports of 
> birds, especially homing pigeons, getting lost. Research now needs to 
> look at the effects of base station signals, particularly in view of 
> the disorientating effects of EMR 'noise' reported in this study."
>
> Source:  Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine April 2007; 26(2): 141-151
>
>
> Nokia Cancer Shield Patents:
>
> The world's largest mobile telephone manufacturers have been patenting 
> devices to reduce the risk of brain tumors among users while rejecting 
> claims of any health hazards.
>
> Engineers for the "Big Three" - Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola - have 
> all invented new components to shield users from radiation emissions 
> from the handsets.
>
> One application that Nokia has lodged with the United States Patent 
> Office in Washington, and which has been seen by The Times, notes that 
> "it has been suggested that" continuous exposure to radio frequency 
> irradiation could lead "to a development of malignant tumor".
>
> The patents show that the manufacturers have been working on 
> radiation-reducing components for at least eight years. The companies 
> maintain that there is no contradiction between their public stance 
> and the existence of the patents.
>
> Scientific opinion is divided. The most recent large-scale study found 
> no links between such phones and cancers, although other studies 
> suggest that there may be health risks.
>
> However, the discovery that manufacturers have apparently "hedged 
> their bets" by applying for patents on irradiation-reducing components 
> has alarmed consumers' groups and some scientists.
>
> The patents are now to be used in evidence in a series of US lawsuits 
> launched this year against businesses including the British market 
> leader Vodafone. Some 25 US patents were unearthed by Carl Hilliard, 
> of the Wireless Consumer Alliance, last month.
>
> Alasdair Philips, of the British consumer watchdog Powerwatch, said: 
> "This is confirmation that the phone companies take the possibility of 
> health problems far more seriously than they say in public."
>
> The patents also alarmed Dr Alan Preece, a medical physicist at 
> Bristol University, who demonstrated in a government-funded study two 
> years ago that mobile-phone radiation affected brain activity in ways 
> unconnected with its heating properties.
>
> He said: "I think they are hedging their bets by doing this so that if 
> the evidence does emerge, they have products up their sleeves."
>
> Christopher Newman, a 42-year-old neurologist, is bringing a £500 
> million lawsuit against companies including Motorola and Verizon 
> Communications at the US federal court in Baltimore, claiming they are 
> responsible for his malignant brain tumour. Verizon is a joint venture 
> between America's Bell Atlantic and Vodafone, the UK's most popular 
> network with over 12 million of the 40 million mobile users.
>
> Mr Newman's lawyer has also recently filed class actions in five 
> states, again naming Verizon and Motorola and others such as Nokia and 
> Ericsson. These seek unspecified punitive damages, money to reimburse 
> people who bought mobile headsets to reduce exposure and free 
> protective headsets for all mobile users.
>
> Cases have been filed on behalf of four more tumour victims. One, 
> Michael Murray, used to test mobiles for Motorola and claims his work 
> caused his two brain tumors.
>
> Thompsons, Britain's biggest personal-injury law firm, has on its 
> books 30 phone users who claim to be suffering a range of health 
> problems.Tom Jones, a partner, said: "Any judgment showing liability 
> in the States would strongly affect the likelihood of successful 
> claims here."
>
> Manufacturers denied that the patents meant that they accepted the 
> existence of hazards. Michael Westmark, Ericsson spokesman on health, 
> said: "Given the available scientific evidence, there is no link 
> between mobile use and negative health effects" - a view also 
> expressed by Norman Sandler of Motorola.
>
> William Plummer, Nokia vice president said: "There is no contradiction 
> here. The patents talk of 'suggestions' of health risks. A third of 
> our employees are engaged in research and development and it is a 
> natural course of business that they then file for patents."
>
> source: Mercola.com <http://Mercola.com>

--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
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also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html
also Association for Regenerative Culture
http://www.ARCulture.org
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a 
small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild
http://my.calendars.net/bloomingtonpccal/
and: http://bloomingtonpermacultureguild.blogspot.com/
also: Bioregional Congress
http://www.bioregional-congress.org