World-News

PETER WALSH

15 March 2006 11:51

Parish councillors have torpedoed plans for a telecommunications giant to use its land to build a mobile phone mast.

Communications company 3, formerly known as Hutchinson 3G, approached Taverham Parish Council because it wanted to lease its land off Sandy Lane to put up a mast.

But parish councillors, who met earlier this month to discuss the proposal, have blocked the move.

“There was a request from 3G to use land from the parish council on the playing fields,” said Sandra Parkinson, clerk of Taverham Parish Council.

“It was definitely for a mobile phone mast and we've refused to lease them for that purpose.”

Mrs Parkinson said the council did not want a mobile phone mast on its land, on a field so close to homes and schools.

She said: “We wouldn't like to see them anywhere if we had a choice, but we certainly wouldn't want them to have one on our land which is closely surrounded by housing and schools.”

Space was also at a premium on the recreation ground and Mrs Parkinson said it would not have been suitable to have a mast, with all its associated equipment cabins there.

Val Cowell, who lives at Woodside Close in Taverham, said she was pleased the parish council had decided not to allow 3 to lease the land.

In December the Evening News reported how an annual charity football match at a recreation ground in Spixworth had to be cancelled after 3 carved up the pitch while putting a mast next to the touchline.

The long standing Boxing Day game was called off by organisers appalled at the mud bath workers left behind.

Three teams that regularly use the pitch next to Spixworth Village Hall in Crostwick Lane were forced to find a new venue to fulfill their fixtures.

The Evening News has campaigned against the installation of mobile phone masts near homes and schools until it is proved they are safe.

A spokeswoman for 3 said: “We did approach them (the parish council) for a site and they weren't willing to accommodate us.

“We do need a site in Taverham as we do have an obligation to our customers and our government license to bring 3G coverage to the area.”

The spokeswoman said the company was now looking for an alternative site in the area that would enable it to satisfy its obligations.

“We're still investigating all the available options open to us to find the best site that we can,” she said.

Earlier this week we reported another victory for campaigners in the battle against mobile phone masts.

This time O2 decided to withdraw an application for a 12.5metre mast to be built on Dussindale Drive, Thorpe St Andrew, close to the site earmarked for a 420-pupil primary school.

Are you fighting a mobile phone mast application where you live? Telephone Evening News reporter Peter Walsh on (01603) 772439 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk

The Norfolk Jumbo Copyright © 2006 Archant Regional. All rights reserved.

http://tinyurl.com/kxfky

Please excuse the relative infrequency (no pun intended!) of SWEEP bulletins of late. We have been very occupied doing media work around Toronto wireless, developing the website, and of course our other full-time jobs…

At the moment a group of us are building the website which should be set to unroll by late summer. We will have the homepage up shortly at http://www.sweepinitiative.org .

We have built up SWEEP’s presence in NOW magazine, the Toronto Star, Global TV, CBC radio, etc. We are really taking our time to make a thorough web resource that can be used by other environmental and health advocacy organizations in order to promote awareness around electromagnetic pollution.

We are fortunate to be working with some leading Canadian and International researchers to create the solid base of ‘real questions, real answers’ that Canadians need on this issue.

1. NOW MAGAZINE.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-03-09/news_story.php

2. PRUDENT AVOIDANCE.
Submitted by Milt Bowling
http://www.delta-optimist.com/issues06/031106/news/031106nn4.html

3. PUBLIC AWARENESS GROWING IN SCOTLAND.
Submitted by Martin Weatherall.
http://www.whfp.com/1765/top2.html

4. EMF AND MALE BREAST CANCER.
Submitted by Richard Johnson.
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/EMFs-Breast-Cancer.htm

5. NEW POLITICAL PARTY IN SWEDEN.
Submitted by Olle Johanssen

Dear All,

Please, note that a new Swedish political party has been registered for the next election to Parliament. The name is "Folkets Vilja"
( http://www.folketsvilja.se ), and it shall act for freedom of speech for those that are concerned about health risks with 3G, TETRA, etc., and who does not want to allow further spread of wireless communication before it has been proven that the radiation is truly harmless.

6. BC UTILITIES COMMISSION.
Submitted by Richard Johnson.

Note the discussion regarding EMFs around page 2792 onwards... I am sure that there are other references as well.

RJ


From: Richard Johnson (TOR)
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 2:02 PM
To: 'Ian Munro'
Cc: 'Audie Chan' Subject:
BC Utilities Commission hearing --- undergrounding verses

HVDC

BC Utilities Commission hearing

Ian:

You may be interested in some the questions being posed at the BCTC --- Sea Breeze hearings. Look in around pages 2789 to 2795.

LINK: http://www.bcuc.com/Documents/Proceedings/2006/DOC_10406_20060216.pdf

More documents and transcripts can be found at this link:
http://www.bcuc.com/ApplicationView.aspx?ApplicationId=78


RJ


7. ARTICLE BY MAGDA HAVAS

Cell phone headaches, cell tower blues
from the Peterborough Examiner.
by Magda Havas

Imagine a world identical to our own with one exception--everyone is deaf. There is no radio and television remains at the level of the silent movie. Telephone communication is visual but beyond that the world is very much like our own.

What would such a world be like?

It would probably be very noisy, since there would be no need for noise control and no regulations to limit noise. Car engines would still roar, perhaps louder than they do now, tires would squeal, birds would sing, and thunder would rumble across the sky but we would not be able to hear any of this.

Now, imagine that some people in this world can hear. They don't realize they are any different except in a few subtle ways. They can predict the coming of storms. They claim to "hear" thunder at a distance. They have difficulty sleeping. In the middle of the night they hear roaring engines, squealing tires, horns blaring and other things that are silent to the rest of us. Because of their poor sleep, they are tired during the day. They become anxious and worried. The noise frightens them but only they can hear it so they begin to question their sanity.

One sufferer, John, confides in a friend who is sympathetic and tells him to visit his family doctor. But the doctor doesn't know what to make of this. The sleeping pills and tranquilizers she prescribes don't stop the noise during the day. Another, less sympathetic doctor recommends a psychiatrist for mental problems. But John doesn't think he's crazy, or is he?

Now, instead of noise, imagine a world where people can't sense radio frequency energy. That is the world we live in. We hear radio frequencies only when they are converted to sound by our radios, televisions, or telephones. If we could hear them this would be a very noisy planet. In the middle of a street in any major city you would hear thousands of simultaneous telephone conversations, hundreds of radio and television stations. It would probably drive most of us crazy.

Fortunately most of us can't "hear" radio frequencies, but some people can sense them. And just like in our make believe world of the deaf, the few individuals who can sense these frequencies can't sleep, develop headaches, and are under constant stress.

The syndrome is called "Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity" and some people are gravely affected. Those who see their doctor are often dismissed, given sleeping pills or sent to a psychiatrist. These people are not crazy. They just happen to be more sensitive than the rest of us to the electromagnetic noise pollution generated by our technological advances.

Below is a quote from a man in Abbotsford, B.C. who has some of the classic symptoms of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome.

"We live one property away from a cell phone tower and have another a half mile down the road...I have been having strange unexplained health issues for three or four years that conventional medical tests cannot solve. Along with these I developed cancer on my right breast when a brown spot that had been there for 35 years suddenly went bad. The following are symptoms that have been occurring over a period of time since these towers were installed and have had no relief to date: headaches, nausea, unsteadiness, pressure in head over eyes, ears, cheeks and back of head. Sometimes blurred vision. General feeling of fatigue and aches for no apparent reason. Have undergone complete blood workup, X-ray, CT Scan. Have tried various alternative medical practices, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal remedies, exercise, watching diet closer, lose weight and drinking plenty of water. Nothing seems to work. Don't know if the towers are responsible for the above mentioned but I do feel somewhat better when I leave the area for a period of time."

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity has not yet been accepted by our medical professionals. Just like chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical hypersensitivity, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) it will take some time and many complaining patients before that changes. In the meantime, those suffering need to reduce their exposure to radio frequency radiation not a simple thing to do in our highly technical society.

Our government can play a vital role by restricting the installation of antennas for cell phones on high rise buildings and by increasing the distance of cell phone and broadcast antennas on towers near built up areas. We need "cell phone restricted" areas on trains, buses, and in buildings that have regular phone lines. The levels allowed for radio frequency radiation need to be reduced. Our guidelines are among the worst in the world, along with Great Britain, the U.S.A., Germany and Japan. The more we come to rely on the cell phone, the more antennas that are needed for their use. We have more than 300 transmitting antennas in the City of Peterborough. In Toronto, the number exceeds 10,000 and most were erected since 1980. There is some evidence to suggest that as our exposure to electromagnetic energy increases so will our sensitivity. Sweden recognizes this disorder and has a Web site to provide suffers with information. If you think you are sensitive to electromagnetic energy, please contact me for more information.

Magda Havas is an associate professor at Trent University in the Environmental and Resource Studies program. She can be reached by e-mail at mhavas@trentu.ca or by phone at 705 748-1011 x 1232.


-- Dr. David Fancy
Department of Dramatic Arts
Brock University St. Catharines,
Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1
tel: 905-688-5550 ext 3584
fax: 905-984-4861

STUDY CONFIRMS

By Ker
Than LiveScience
March 16, 2006

http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060316_hurricane_sst.html

A rise in the world's sea surface temperatures was the primary contributor to the formation of stronger hurricanes since 1970, a new study reports.

While the question of what role, if any, humans have had in all this is still a matter of intense debate, most scientists agree that stronger storms are likely to be the norm in future hurricane seasons.

The study is detailed in the March 17 issue of the journal Science.

An alarming trend

In the 1970s, the average number of intense Category 4 and 5 hurricanes occurring globally was about 10 per year. Since 1990, that number has nearly doubled, averaging about 18 a year.

Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds from 131 to 155 mph. Category 5 systems, such as Hurricane Katrina at its peak, feature winds of 156 mph or more. Wilma last year set a record as the most intense hurricane on record with winds of 175 mph.

Hurricanes from Above

While some scientists believe this trend is just part of natural ocean and atmospheric cycles, others argue that rising sea surface temperatures as a side effect of global warming is the primary culprit.

According to this scenario, warming temperatures heat up the surface of the oceans, increasing evaporation and putting more water vapor into the atmosphere. This in turn provides added fuel for storms as they travel over open oceans.

Other factors less important

The researchers used statistical models and techniques from a field of mathematics called information theory to determine factors contributing to hurricane strength from 1970 to 2004 in six of the world's ocean basins, including the North Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

They looked at four factors that are known to affect hurricane intensity:

* Humidity in the troposphere -- the part of the atmosphere stretching from surface of the Earth to about 6 miles up

* Wind shear that can throttle storm formation

* Rising sea-surface temperatures

* Large-scale air circulation patterns known as "zonal stretching deformations"

Of these factors, only rising sea surface temperatures was found to influence hurricane intensity in a statistically significant way over a long-term basis. The other factors affected hurricane activity on short time scales only.

"We found no long-term trend in things like wind shear," said study team member Judith Curry of the Georgia Institute of Technology. "There's a lot of year to year variability but there's no global trend. In any given year, it's different for each ocean."

An answer for the critics

The new study potentially addresses one major criticism leveled by scientists skeptical of any strong link between sea surface temperatures and hurricane strength, said Kerry Emanuel, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was not involved in the study.

Last year, Emanuel published a study correlating the documented increase in hurricane duration and intensity in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans since the 1970s to rises in sea surface temperatures over the same time period.

"We were criticized by the seasonal forecasters for not including the other environmental factors, like wind shear, in our analysis," Emanuel said in an email. "[We didn't do so] because on time scales longer than 2-3 years, these do not seem to matter very much. This paper more or less proves this point."

Kevin Trenberth, the head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), believes the new study's main finding is accurate but thinks the effects of some of the environmental factors on hurricane intensity might have been underestimated.

"The reason is they're covering a period from 1970 to 2004. 1979 is the year when satellites were introduced into the [NCEP/NCAR] Reanalysis. The quality of the analysis prior to 1979 is simply nowhere near as good," said Trenberth, who also was not involved in the study.

The NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis is the database the researchers drew upon for information about the effects of troposphere humidity, wind shear and zonal stretching deformation on hurricane intensity; sea surface temperature data came from a different database.

Curry acknowledged that reanalysis data prior to 1979 is of slightly lower quality than more recent data but believes this doesn't substantially change the study's main finding. Trenberth agreed: "I suspect they may well have gotten the right answer anyway," he told LiveScience.

Natural cycles?

Some scientists have explained the rising strength of hurricanes as being part of natural weather cycles in the world's oceans.

In the North Atlantic, this cycle is called the Atlantic multi-decadal mode. Every 20 to 40 years, Atlantic Ocean and atmospheric conditions conspire to produce just the right conditions to cause increased storm and hurricane activity.

The Atlantic Ocean is currently going through an active period of hurricane activity that began in 1995 and which has continued to the present. The previous active cycle lasted from the late 1920's to 1970, and peaked around 1950.

These cycles definitely do influence hurricane intensity, but they can't be the whole story, Curry said.

While scientists expect stronger hurricanes based on natural cycles alone, the researchers suspect other contributing factors, since current hurricanes are even stronger than natural cycles predict.

"We're not even at the peak of current cycle, we're only halfway up and already we're seeing activity in the North Atlantic that's 50 percent worse than what we saw during the last peak in 1950," Curry said.

Some scientists still think it's too premature to make any definitive links between sea surface temperatures and hurricane intensity.

"We simply don't have enough data yet," said Thomas Huntington in of the U.S. Geological Survey. "Category 5 hurricanes don't come around very often, so you need the benefit of a much longer time series to look back and say 'Yup, there has been an increase.'"

Huntington is the author of a recent review of more than 100 peer-reviewed studies showing that although many aspects of the global water cycle -- including precipitation, evaporation and sea surface temperatures -- have increased or risen, the trend cannot be consistently correlated with increases in the frequency or intensity of storms or floods over the past century. Huntington's study was announced this week and is published in the current issue of the Journal of Hydrology.

Brace yourselves

Whatever the underlying cause, most scientists agree that people will need to brace themselves for stronger hurricanes and typhoons in the coming years and decades.

However, most regions around the world will not experience more storms. The only exception to this is the North Atlantic, where hurricanes have become both more numerous and longer-lasting in recent years, especially since 1995. The reasons for this regional disparity are still unclear.

The team's findings are controversial because they draw a connection between stronger hurricanes and rising sea surface temperatures -- a phenomenon that has itself already been linked to human-induced global warming.

The study by Curry and her colleagues therefore raises the frightening possibility that humans have inadvertently boosted the destructive power of one of Nature's most devastating and feared storms.

"If humans are increasing sea surface temperatures and if you buy this link between increases rising sea surface temperatures and increases in hurricane intensity, that's the conclusion you come to," Curry said.


Informant: NHNE

[March 17, 2006]

(Harrogate Advertiser Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)

NIDDERDALE'S MP David Curry launched an attempt to change the planning laws relating to mobile phone masts in the House of Commons .

Mr Curry, MP for Ripon and Skipton, said there was growing public concern about the siting of mobile phone masts and he believed that there should be a overhaul of their planning application procedure.

"My Bill is an invitation for the industry and Government to engage in discussion to find a better planning framework," he said. "It is an invitation to negotiate." But Mr Curry's Private Member's Bill was effectively killed-off after Jim Fitzpatrick, a Junior Minister in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said the Government could not support the measure, and was still speaking when time ran out at the 2.30pm cut-off time.

Mr Curry had said that his involvement in the issue had brought about massive public support, possibly linked to the fears of health risks linked to mobile phones.

"When I said I'd pick up this legislation I really was not expecting such a response from the public. I've had huge support for this bill from across the country," he said.

"It's a huge concern for some of my constituents. I had one man from the Dallamires Lane area in Ripon contact me about a nearby mast which he is terrified of." Mr Curry used his time at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during the BSE 'Mad Cow' crisis to sound a note of caution to the Government on playing down the public's fears of mobile phone technology.

"I've been around long enough to know that politicians and scientists can only offer current evidence," he said. "They don't deal in certainties, they don't deal in guarantees, the public increasingly does ask for certainty and guarantees." He says he would like to see a planning system similar to that used in Scotland, which is more stringent.

Mr Fitzpatrick admitted there was considerable disquiet but the Government believed the current planning arrangements "broadly strike the right balance."

Technology Marketing Corp. 1997-2006

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-mps-mobile-phone-planning-overhaul-bid-/2006/03/17/1469557.htm

Podiumsdiskussion in Unterensingen: Bürger fordern von Parteien besseren Schutz

UNTERENSINGEN. Fast jeder hat heute ein Handy. Deutschland hat sich im Laufe der vergangenen Jahre zu einer Gesellschaft der mobilen Kommunikation entwickelt. Ein Trend, der auch Risiken birgt. Keiner weiß heute genau, was für Risiken Mobilfunk birgt: „Wir befinden uns in einem riesigen Feldversuch“, sagt Jürgen Groschupp vom Mobilfunk Bürgerforum. In der Politik ist das Reizthema allerdings bisher eher unter den Teppich gekehrt worden, meinen die, die zu einem umsichtigeren Umgang und vor allem einem Schutz der Bevölkerung vor möglichen Gesundheitsgefahren mahnen. Grund für fünf Bürgerinitiativen aus der Region, vor den anstehenden Landtagswahlen am 26. März im Rahmen einer großen Podiumsdiskussion am Donnerstagabend im Unterensinger Udeon Kandidaten aus fünf Parteien auf den Zahn zu fühlen.

NICOLE MOHN

Das Thema Mobilfunk bewegt. Dafür war die gemeinsame Veranstaltung der Ortsvereine des Dachvereins Mobilfunk Bürgerforum aus Raidwangen, Neckartenzlingen und Umgebung, Neckarhausen, Unterensingen und Großbettlingen ein erneuter Beleg. Gut 180 Zuhörer waren in die Gemeindehalle nach Unterensingen gekommen, wo derzeit um den geplanten Standort für einen Sendemast in der Kelterstraße 1 gerungen wird.

Ein Handy haben sowohl Nils Schmid, Landtagsabgeordneter der SPD, als auch Thaddäus Kunzmann, Zweitbewerber für den CDU-Abgeordneten Jörg Döpper, eigentlich ständig dabei. Judith Skudelny von der FDP benutzt ihres sogar als Wecker. Viel Gedanken, sagt sie, hat sie sich über die Technik vor diesem Abend nicht gemacht. Auch Thomas Mitsch, Direktbewerber für die Wahlalternative für Arbeit und soziale Gerechtigkeit (WASG), nutzt sein mobiles Telefon regelmäßig. Auf das Dach der Wohnanlage, in der er lebt, sollte gar ein Sender installiert werden. „Ich bin froh, dass die Eigentümerversammlung dies abgelehnt hat“, erklärt er.

Ingrid Grischtschenko (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) pflegt einen kritisch-distanzierten Umgang mit den mobilen Telefonen. Sie selbst besitzt keines, ihre Kinder sehr wohl. „Ich ärgere mich, wenn die zu Hause klingeln“, bricht sie eine Lanze für das Festnetz.

Das Risiko Mobilfunk beurteilen die Parteivertreter recht unterschiedlich. „Die Unbedenklichkeit dieser Technik werden Sie nie beweisen können“, meint Kunzmann. Die überwiegende Zahl der Untersuchungen gebe aber derzeit keinen Hinweis, dass Mobilfunk mit einem Risiko verbunden sei. Der Staat achte die Gesundheit als hohes Gut, Politik reagiere aber nicht auf „Vermutungen einer Minderheit“. Gebe es den Nachweis, werde die Politik aber sofort reagieren. Die vom Christdemokraten zitierten Studien sieht Jürgen Groschupp, Zweiter Vorsitzender des Dachverbandes Mobilfunk Bürgerforum, unter einem kritischeren Blick: „Es kommt immer darauf an, wer die Studie bezahlt.“ Von einer Entwarnung kann seiner Ansicht nach nicht die Rede sein. Deutliches Indiz dafür, dass Handy-Strahlung keineswegs harmlos ist, sind für ihn die Beobachtungen der Ärzte und ihre Patientendaten. Und die seien alarmierend.

Schmid betonte, Politik habe diese Sorgen bereits aufgenommen – das zeige die Verstärkung der Forschungsarbeit. Handlungsbedarf sieht er vor allem bei den Regelungen für die Masten. „Den Umgang mit DECT-Anlagen oder Handys hat jeder selbst in der Hand“, meint er. Für ihn liegt die Herausforderung deshalb vor allem darin, wie die Grenzwerte für die Sender festgelegt werden.

„Kein leichter Ausstieg“

Die FDP-Zweitkandidatin Judith Skudelny, die im Leinfelder Gemeinderat sitzt, sieht das ähnlich. Vor allem bestehe Bedarf, das Thema in die Breite zu tragen. „Es muss eine Sensibilisierung stattfinden. Auch in der Politik“, meint sie. Ihre grüne Stadtratskollegin Grischtschenko hält es indes für vermessen zu glauben, es gebe einen leichten Ausstieg aus der Technik: „Bedenken Sie, wie viele Tote und Verletzte Autos verursachen – und trotzdem denkt keiner daran, auszusteigen.“ Der WASG-Kandidat ging sogar noch weiter: Die Regierung habe sich mit den Einnahmen aus dem Verkauf der UMTS-Lizenzen erpressbar gemacht. Es sei nicht gut, das Thema zu bagatellisieren, so Mitsch. Eine Kritik, die Vertreter des Mobilfunk Bürgerforums teilen.

Gerade der stark steigende Mastenbau für die neue Technik, die schnellen Datentransfer, Mobil-Fernsehen und ähnliche Spielereien ermöglicht, werde sich nicht wie bei der herkömmlichen Technik über den Markt regeln.

„Die Masten sind vor der Nachfrage da“, so Groschupp. Dabei könnten sich derzeit lediglich 5,4 Prozent der Handy-Nutzer überhaupt vorstellen, das neue Angebot auch zu nutzen. Die Gesundheitsrisiken aber müssten alle tragen. Für ihn ein Irrwitz. Die an den Verkauf gebundenen Verpflichtungen hätten den Staat in Zugzwang gesetzt, die Voraussetzungen für eine flächendeckende Versorgung zu schaffen, erinnert er an die Änderung der Landesbauordnungen. Damit seien den Kommunen die letzten Instrumente genommen worden, mitzubestimmen, wo Sendeanlagen entstehen, kritisierte Moderator Bert Hauser eine „Rechtlosigkeit der Bürger und Kommunalpolitik“.

Der freie Journalist und ehemalige Fernsehredakteur des SWR, der im Altenrieter Gemeinderat vehement gegen den Bau von Mobilfunkmasten insbesondere mit UMTS-Technik eintritt (wir berichteten), tat sich an diesem Abend schwer, seine Rolle als Moderator neutral auszufüllen. Immer wieder griff er selbst aktiv in die Debatte ein – zum Unmut Kunzmanns und etlicher Zuhörer. Zwar sagten Schmid als auch die Grünen-Vertreterin zu, im Falle eines Regierungswechsels das Thema Bauordnung wieder aufzunehmen, weitgehend einig war sich das Podium allerdings, dass dies nicht das Hauptinstrument sein könne. Die Bundesimmissionsschutzverordnung sei dazu derzeit aber ein „nutzloses Instrument“, machte Groschupp die Verantwortung von Politik und Staat nochmals deutlich: „Sie regelt nur den thermischen Grenzwert, berücksichtigt aber nicht die biologische Wirkung.“

„Seien Sie etwas kritischer“

Die Mehrheit der Zuhörer, das machte der Abend klar, fühlt sich derzeit in ihrer Sorge von der Politik nicht ernst genug genommen. „Seien Sie etwas kritischer“, forderte ein Besucher die Vertreter der großen Volksparteien auf. Hingewiesen wurde ebenso mehrfach darauf, dass in anderen Ländern wie der Schweiz weitaus geringere Sendeleistungen vorgeschrieben sind. 10 000 Mikrowatt gelten in Russland als Höchstgrenze, 1000 Mikrowatt sieht der Salzburger Vorsorgewert vor. Der Autobauer BMW verlange gar eine Höchstbelastung von maximal 100 Mikrowatt pro Quadratmeter, so Hauser. In Japan dürfen Jugendliche erst ab 15 Jahren ein Mobiltelefon haben.

Dinge, da war sich die Mehrzahl der Zuhörer einig, die auch die deutsche Politik längst wachgerüttelt haben müssten. „Ich erwarte von der Politik, das Gesundheitsrisiko durch Mobilfunk wirklich ernst zu nehmen“, so ein deutlicher Appell aus dem Plenum.

http://www.ntz.de/lokalnachrichten/umland/index.php?action=shownews&id=631923

Wir übermitteln folgende PM mit der Bitte um Beachtung

M.f.G.,

Mani Stenner (Netzwerk Friedenkooperative)


Bonn/Kassel 17. März 2006

Gemeinsame Pressemitteilung des Bundesausschusses Friedensratschlag und der Kooperation für den Frieden

Mit dem Aufruf "Keinen Krieg gegen den Iran - für eine politische Lösung!" warnen mehr als 800 Gruppen und Persönlichkeiten vor der drohenden Eskalation im Atomkonflikt mit dem Iran und verlangen von der Bundesregierung eine eindeutige Absage an jede Form von Drohung, weitere Eskalation und eventuelle Beteiligung der Bundesrepublik an militärischen Aktionen gegen Iran.

Die Friedensorganisationen fürchten einen US-Luftkrieg gegen Iran, der unter dem Vorwand der Ausschaltung möglicher Atomwaffenforschung Iran militärisch und wirtschaftlich schwächen soll und einen Regimewechsel zum Ziel hat. Dies würde einen Flächenbrand in der gesamten Region auslösen.

Die Friedensgruppen fordern stattdessen Initiativen für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit im Nahen und Mittleren Osten mit dem Ziel einer Atomwaffenfreien Zone unter Einschluss Israels sowie die Erfüllung des Atomwaffensperrvertrages durch die Atommächte, insbesondere die Abrüstung ihrer Atomarsenale gemäß+ Artikel VI Vertrages.

Mit zahlreichen Aktionen erinnern Friedensgruppen an diesem Wochenende an den Beginn des Irakkriegs vor drei Jahren und warnen vor dem drohenden Krieg gegen Iran. Demonstrationen und/bzw. Kundgebungen finden u.a. statt in Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Duisburg, Frankfurt a.M., Freiburg, Hannover, Heidelberg, Kiel, München, Nürnberg, Paderborn, Tübingen. In vielen anderen Städten finden Mahnwachen, Infostände, Friedensmärkte oder Saalveranstaltungen zum Irakkrieg statt, so z.B. in Erfurt (bereits am Donnerstag), Ludwigsburg (Freitag), Dortmund, Gammertingen, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Rostock, Saarbrücken, Ulm, Zwickau (Sonntag), Braunschweig, Lüdenscheid (Montag), Darmstadt (Mittwoch).

Den Aufruf, der in der Wochenendausgabe der Frankfurter Rundschau mit allen UnterzeichnerInnen erscheint sowie im Neuen Deutschland und der Jungen Welt veröffentlicht wird, unterstützen zahlreiche prominente Persönlichkeiten, u.a. der Schriftsteller Günter Grass, die Schauspielerin Rena Demirkan, der Liedermacher Konstantin Wecker, der ehemalige UN-Beauftragte für den Irak Hans Christoph von Sponeck, der Psychoanalytiker Prof. Dr. Horst-Eberhard Richter, die Globalisierungsexpertin Prof. Dr. Maria Mies, der Journalist Franz Alt, der ehemalige Lübecker OB Michael Bouteiller, der IG-Metall- Gewerkschafter Horst Schmitthenner, die israelische Friedensaktivistin Felicia Langer sowie Moshe Zuckermann (Tel Aviv), die Bundestagsabgeordneten Hermann Scheer (SPD), Hans Christian Ströbele (B 90/Die Grünen), die Bundestagsfraktion Die Linke sowie zahlreiche Repräsentanten von Friedengruppen, attac-Aktivisten, Gewerkschafter und Kirchenvertreter. Initiiert wurde der Aufruf von den Professoren Andreas Buro und Mohssen Massarrat.

Die Gesamtliste (FR-Anzeige) ist abrufbar unter http://www.koop-frieden.de/fr_anzeige18maerz06.pdf.

Die Kampagne ist eine gemeinsame Aktion des Bundesausschusses Friedensratschlag (Kassel) und der Kooperation für den Frieden (Bonn)

Für Rückfragen:

Matthias Jochheim (Kooperation für den Frieden) Tel. 0179-4819454
Peter Strutynski (Bundesausschuss Friedenratschlag) Tel. 0561/804-2314

---- Schnipp -----

Der Aufruf im Wortlaut: Die USA scheinen entschlossen, gegen den Iran einen Luftkrieg zu führen. Diesmal könnte es Washington gelingen, die EU vor ihren Kriegskarren zu spannen, wenn sich nicht die Bürgerinnen und Bürger dagegen zur Wehr setzen. Wir lehnen mit aller Entschiedenheit einen neuen Krieg ab. Selbst wenn Teheran Atomwaffen anstrebte, die wir ebenso ablehnen, könnte der Iran auf absehbare Zeit niemanden mit Atomwaffen bedrohen, ungeachtet aller verbaler Attacken des iranischen Präsidenten Ahmadinedschad, die wir scharf verurteilen. Eine friedliche politische Lösung ist also durchaus möglich.

Die Vereinigten Staaten nutzen jedoch die iranischen Atomanlagen nur als Anlass für viel weiter reichende Ziele:

- Der Iran soll zu einer unbedeutenden Macht zurückgebombt werden, um Amerikas Vormachtstellung im Mittleren Osten weiter auszubauen. Deshalb ist zu befürchten, dass außer Atomanlagen auch die Infrastruktur des Landes, wie 1991 im Irak, wichtige Versorgungseinrichtungen wie Ölraffinerien und militärische Ziele bombardiert werden sollen.

- Durch Chaos und Zusammenbruch der Versorgung sollen Revolten der iranischen Bevölkerung mit all ihren ethnischen Minderheiten provoziert und das Islamische Regime durch ein US-freundliches ersetzt werden. Nachdem sie in Afghanistan und Irak militärisch präsent sind, zielen die USA auf die vollständige Kontrolle der Ölquellen und Transportrouten im gesamten Mittleren Osten.

Die US-Regierung scheut wegen eigener Hegemonialinteressen nicht davor zurück, den Weltfrieden zu gefährden und einen Flächenbrand in der Region zu riskieren. Ein Krieg gegen Iran hätte fatale Konsequenzen nicht nur für die Völker im Mittleren und Nahen Osten, sondern auch für Europa. Neue ethnische Konflikte, Bürgerkrieg zwischen Sunniten und Schiiten im Irak, Verwicklung Saudi-Arabiens und Syriens sind sehr wahrscheinlich. Es muss auch mit der Blockade der Öltransportrouten und rasant steigenden Ölpreisen gerechnet werden. Nur Arbeitslosigkeit und Attentate hätten Konjunktur.

Nach den vielen Lügen Washingtons zur Rechtfertigung des Angriffskrieges gegen den Irak braucht die US-Regierung für einen Krieg gegen Iran die moralische Legitimation, wenn nicht gar die Unterstützung der EU-Staaten. Diese Legitimation und Unterstützung darf es nicht geben!

Wir rufen daher Alle auf, sich mit Demonstrationen, Kundgebungen und Resolutionen gegen den geplanten Angriffskrieg der USA zu wehren. Wir, als ein Teil des weltweiten Protestes, wenden uns auch gegen die Drohung mit Krieg als dem sogenannten ,letzten Mittel". Krieg ist der große Terror. Wir wollen jedoch Deeskalation, Nichtangriffsgarantien und Gewaltverzicht.

Von der Bundesregierung und der Bundeskanzlerin fordern wir mit Nachdruck:

- Unterlassen Sie jegliche Droheskalation, die unweigerlich in einen Krieg einmündet. Schließen Sie jede deutsche Unterstützung für einen Krieg gegen den Iran und erst recht eine deutsche Beteiligung daran unmissverständlich und grundsätzlich aus. Setzen Sie sich auch innerhalb der EU hierfür ein.

- Treten Sie ein für die Bildung einer Langzeit-Konferenz für Sicherheit und regionale Zusammenarbeit im Mittleren und Nahen Osten, die auch das Ziel verfolgt, dort - wie in der IAEO-Resolution vom 04.02.2006 hervorgehoben - eine Atomwaffenfreie Zone zu errichten, die Israel einschließt. Unternehmen Sie dafür schon jetzt erste Schritte.

- Treten Sie dafür ein, dass Atomwaffenstaaten ihre Verpflichtung zur Abrüstung ihrer Atomarsenale gemäß Artikel VI des Nuklearen Nichtverbreitungsvertrags endlich erfüllen.

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"Regimewechsel zum Ziel": Friedensorganisationen starten Kampagne gegen einen Iran-Krieg (20.03.06)

Nach Angaben der deutschen Friedensbewegung warnen rund 800 Gruppen und Persönlichkeiten vor einem Krieg gegen den Iran und fordern eine politische Lösung. Von der deutschen Bundesregierung erwarten sie "eine eindeutige Absage an jede Form von Drohung, weitere Eskalation und eventuelle Beteiligung der Bundesrepublik an militärischen Aktionen gegen Iran". Die Friedensorganisationen fürchten einen US-Luftkrieg, "der unter dem Vorwand der Ausschaltung möglicher Atomwaffenforschung Iran militärisch und wirtschaftlich schwächen soll und einen Regimewechsel zum Ziel hat". Dies würde nach Überzeugung des Bundesausschusses Friedensratschlag und der Kooperation für den Frieden einen Flächenbrand in der gesamten Region auslösen.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet: http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=13206

CNN Presents Airs: March 18 and 19 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. ET

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/

What if a hurricane wiped out Houston, Texas, and terrorists attacked oil production in Saudi Arabia? CNN Presents looks at a hypothetical scenario about the vulnerability of the world's oil supply, the world's remaining sources of oil and explores the potential of alternative fuels.

............

BEHIND THE SCENES: POWERING THE PLANET

By Frank Sesno
CNN
Friday, March 17, 2006

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/16/bts.sesno.oil/index.html

WASHINGTON - This was, to be honest, simply a different kind of journalism. I've never done anything quite like it. It was time travel, globe-trekking and fact-checking all rolled into one. It was about oil and our addiction to it, how we keep it flowing and what happens if the supply is interrupted. At every turn, I discovered something new and saw the complexity and the global nature of it all.

My time travel revolved around a series of events we set in 2009 -- a hurricane followed by a terrorist attack that disrupts the flow of millions of barrels of oil, plunging the world into chaos. We devised the scenario after talking with experts who have gamed out this type of thing. As a journalistic experience, it was as instructive as it was chilling. Envisioning the future -- stepping into it -- made the hypothetical real.

As for the present, we just traveled the world.

It started with a helicopter ride -- 90 minutes over the choppy waters of the Gulf of Mexico, out to some of the deepest waters in the region. As I watched the sun rise in the distance and the dark water pass below, I realized how desperate we are. We are totally dependent on oil, and there's practically no place we won't go to get it.

In the distance, I glimpsed a speck. As we got close, its outline took shape. It was a drill ship called the Deepwater Millennium -- our first stop on a global tour that would impress upon me the dimensions of technology, determination and exploration now required in the high-stakes, high-profit quest for oil.

On this day, the ship was drilling in two miles of water and into the seabed below. It can go down a total of 30,000 feet -- nearly six miles. Using remarkable technology, the crew can home in on the precise spot where geologists think there may be oil or natural gas. The drill ship and the crew cost the exploration company, Anadarko, $300,000 a day.

But here's the number that became my real frame of reference: The world uses 84 million barrels of oil every day. Every day. And demand is expected to grow by 40 percent in the next 20 years as America's appetite grows and China and India modernize.

As I traveled, I kept asking myself, "Where will it come from?"

The answer: Everywhere.

It will have to come from the giant oil fields in the Middle East as well as remote locations producing what's called "unconventional oil."

So from the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, my next stop was the frigid extremes of northwest Canada and Alberta's vast oil sands. This, too, is hostile territory. But now the region produces one million barrels of synthetic crude every day. The oil sands cover nearly 58,000 square miles. Geologists think the oil could last for 100 years and they've barely scratched the surface. But what a scratch it is.

The oil sands are extracted in huge open pit mines -- vast holes in the ground. In the mine I visited, there are miles of roads, hundreds of pieces of equipment and more places where they dig and dump than I could see. I kept picking up chunks of earth. It smells like asphalt. I stood down in the pit as the giant shovels clawed the earth. I climbed up into the cab of the largest truck in the world -- three stories high, able to haul 400 tons of oil sands at a time. Behind the wheel was a petite young mother of two. She works 12 hours a day. It's the best job in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Again, I was struck by the vastness of it all, by the constant motion, constant work. It was like an ant colony on steroids -- indicative of an overwhelming instinct to toil and an insatiable demand driving it.

Are there alternatives? Yes, and I saw one of them in the most surprising place I visited: Brazil, where sugar cane covers millions of acres. "A green ocean" was how my Brazilian host described it. About half of it becomes sugar. The other half becomes ethanol for cars and trucks. "Alcool" was sold at every gas station I saw. It is cheaper than gasoline and when you fill the tank, it smells like molasses.

The real eye-opener: The car I drove, a made-in-Brazil Chevrolet, was a 'flex fuel' vehicle that can run on either gasoline or ethanol. Three quarters of the cars sold in Brazil are now flex fuel vehicles.

And an astounding 40 percent of the transportation fuel used in Brazil is ethanol. Brazilians say within the next year, they won't need to import a drop of oil. Independence. One official who was in on the ethanol program in its earliest days 30 years ago smiled impishly and told me, "We won."

In the U.S., ethanol represents only 3 percent of the fuel we burn.

I also saw prototype hydrogen vehicles, plug-in hybrids and other things. But at the end of it all, I realize we'll need oil for a long time.

There's a lot of it out there. But the supply chain is stretched thin and demand is growing rapidly. Environmental concerns deepen. We are vulnerable. We know we have to come up with another way to power the planet.

How long we have is the big question. It's time to get serious.

............

POLL: MOST AMERICANS FEAR VULNERABILITY OF OIL SUPPLY
From Frank Sesno
CNN
Thursday, March 16, 2006

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/16/oil.poll/index.html

WASHINGTON - Although Americans don't believe the country faces an imminent energy crisis, most believe there are "major problems" --- from potential oil shortages to possible terrorist attacks -- and they are harshly critical of the leadership on the issue from the White House, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.

Despite President Bush's focus on energy in his State of the Union speech, in which he said America is "addicted to oil," those polled gave the president low marks on the issue.

Seventy-one percent said Bush is not doing enough to solve the nation's energy problems. Only 24 percent said Bush is doing enough.

And Americans believe there is plenty of blame to go around, with oil companies getting an even larger share of the blame than the White House.

Eighty-nine percent of those polled said oil companies deserve a great deal or some of the blame for current energy problems, compared to 81 percent who felt that way about Bush.

Nearly one in three said oil-producing countries deserve a great deal of the blame, while 27 percent put the blame on automobile companies. One in every four of those polled said American consumers bore the brunt of the blame.

The poll, which was released Wednesday afternoon, also indicates that roughly three out of four Americans -- 77 percent -- fear the supply of oil will not be able to keep up with global demand. Three in 10 said they believe the world will run short of oil within the next 25 years.

That perception is in conflict with forecasts from the Energy Information Agency, the official arm of the U.S. government that keeps energy statistics. The agency estimates that the oil supply will be able to meet the demand, which is expected to skyrocket by 40 percent in the next 20 years --- driven by rising U.S. consumption and booming economies in China and India.

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that 12 percent consider the current energy situation in the United States a crisis. At the same time, 49 percent said there are major problems in the industry --- citing the cost and availability of electricity, gas, natural gas and other forms of energy. Thirty-five percent said the industry has minor problems.

The poll also suggests that nearly three-quarters of Americans fear that terrorists will attempt a major attack on oil installations somewhere in the world within the next year.

The poll was conducted with 1,001 adults between Friday and Sunday. The questions about the current energy situation had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The question about Bush's handling of the issue and the others relating to who is to blame had sampling errors of plus or minus 4.5 percent.

The poll comes after top oil executives earlier this week appeared before Congress to defend their record profits and explain the consolidation that has taken place in the industry. The top five oil companies earned more than $100 billion last year.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., accused the oil companies of making America's energy problems worse.

"In his State of the Union address, we heard the president say that America is addicted to oil. If that's so, then these behemoth oil companies are some of our biggest dealers," Schumer said.

Shell Oil CEO John Hofmeister fired back, blaming Hurricane Katrina: "When supply is reduced and demand is not reduced, the consequence is higher prices. In a free market that's how it works."

..........

Watch: 'Living on an illusion' http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/

Watch: 'Long war of the 24th century' http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/

Watch: Are big cars irresponsible? http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/

Calculator: How much are you spending on gas? http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/

Gallery: Alternative fuel
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/


Informant: NHNE

PARIS - March 17 - "Ignore the Bush Administration's apparent reckless intent to ravage the planet," says Greenpeace today as experts attend an urgently convened meeting on World Heritage and climate change. Greenpeace called on the experts to ignore a challenge from the Administration and continue with its deliberations and subsequent recommendations on protecting listed sites from the dangers posed by climate change.

Today's meeting in Paris follows the decision to hold an investigation, which was agreed at a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last year after petitioning by campaigners and lawyers. However a recent submission from the United States suggests that it is an inappropriate discussion for World Heritage and warns that if the Committee addresses the issue of global climate change it risks 'losing the unified spirit and camaraderie that has become synonymous with World Heritage.1'

"The United States has a history of trying to stifle the climate change debate in any and all fora and that's exactly what it is trying to do here," said Laetitia de Marez, Greenpeace France Climate & Energy Campaigner. "It also once again deploys the defunct argument that there is not enough evidence to prove that climate change is caused by humans, therefore there is no proof that humans can do anything about it under the World Heritage Convention."

Greenpeace is petitioning the World Heritage Committee, along with other organizations, to list both the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in the United States and Canada as they are in danger due to the damage caused by climate change2.

"There is no doubt that these sites and many others are being damaged by climate change to the extent that they may eventually lose the characteristics that made them Heritage sites in the first place," said De Marez. "In the Glacier National Park, for instance, only 27 glaciers remain out of 150 and those are rapidly melting".

"It is completely appropriate for World Heritage to discuss this issue and we hope that the meeting will recommend that State Parties should take responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of its strategy for protecting and preserving heritage sites around the world," concluded De Marez.

The World Heritage Committee will discuss the report by the expert working group in July, 2006.

Notes to editor:

1. Position of the United States of America on Climate Change with Respect to the World Heritage Convention and World Heritage Sites.

2. Petitioners are particularly concerned about the impacts of climate change on five UNESCO World Heritage sites. These are

* The Everest National Park (Sagarmatha National Park)

* Coral reefs in Belize

* Glaciers in Peru

* The Great Barrier Reef in Australia

* Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in the United States and Canada

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0317-02.htm

Von Peter Nowak

16.03.06

In sechs deutschen Städten organisieren Erwerbsloseninitiativen derzeit Tribunale gegen Armut und Elend. Die Initiatoren stellten am Dienstagabend in Berlin ihr Konzept vor. Mit einer Reihe von Veranstaltungen wollen Erwerbslosen- und Sozialhilfeinitiativen das Problem der Armut in Deutschland sichtbar machen. Gleichzeitig sollen die Verantwortlichen für die schlechten Lebensbedingungen vieler Menschen an den Pranger gestellt werden. Angeklagt sind die Bundesrepublik und die verantwortlichen Politiker der letzten Jahre. Mit den Tribunalen knüpft die Erwerbslosenbewegung an die Tradition der Russel- und Foucault-Tribunale an. Damit hatten Vietnamkriegsgegner und Psychiatrieopfer seinerzeit auf ihre Anliegen aufmerksam gemacht.

Das erste Tribunal gegen Armut und Elend fand am vergangenen Wochenende in Erfurt statt (ND berichtete). Für heute Abend laden die Veranstalter ins Rathaus von Neukölln ein; in dem Berliner Stadtteil ist die Arbeitslosigkeit besonders hoch. Schwerpunkt dieses Tribunals ist die schlechte finanzielle Situation älterer Menschen. Weitere Veranstaltungsorte sind Offenburg, Marburg, Nürnberg und Frankfurt (Main).

Die Bandbereite der Organisatoren zeigt, dass die Armut heute alle Schichten der Bevölkerung erreicht hat. Betroffen sind sowohl junge Menschen, die von der Schule direkt in die Arbeitslosigkeit entlassen werden, als auch Rentner, die zum Monatsende nicht wissen, wovon sie sich die nötigsten Lebensmittel kaufen sollen.

Für Erwerbslose hat sich mit Hartz IV die Situation noch einmal verschärft. Kritiker sprechen von Armut per Gesetz. Wegen des verbreiteten Lohndumpings ist aber auch eine regelmäßige Arbeit längst kein ausreichender Schutz mehr.

Mittlerweile gibt es erste Gegenkräfte. So war am Erfurter Tribunal die Bürgerinitiative gegen Billiglohn federführend beteiligt, die sich aktiv für einen gesetzlichen Mindestlohn einsetzt. Derzeit beobachten die Interessenverbände der Betroffenen aber eine gegenteilige Entwicklung.

Im Zusammenhang mit Hartz IV entstehe ein »Arbeitszwangsmarkt zum Minitarif«, erklärt Anne Allex vom Runden Tisches der Erwerbslosen- und Sozialhilfeorganisationen. Die Tribunale sollen der Öffentlichkeit vermitteln, was ein Leben in Armut hier zu Lande bedeutet. So ist ein Zeitungsabonnement für viele ebenso unerschwinglich wie ein Internetanschluss. Zu einer Veranstaltung kommt man zu Fuß, denn selbst »ein Ticket für den Nahverkehr zehrt am schmalen Budget«, erklärt ein Betroffener in Berlin. Laut den Veranstaltern soll die Arbeit nach den Tribunalen weitergeführt werden. Zunächst werden deren Ergebnisse ausgewertet. Danach ist ein zentrales Tribunal geplant, auf dem diese der Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt und Gegenkonzepte formuliert werden sollen. Denn den Initiativen geht es nicht nur um Anprangerung der schlechten Verhältnisse, sondern auch um deren Veränderung. Doch dafür wäre eine interessierte Öffentlichkeit nötig. Und genau hier liegt der Schwachpunkt der Initiativen. Die breite Öffentlichkeit ist zur Zeit wenig an dem Thema interessiert. Die Boulevardzeitungen berichten lieber über angebliche Sozialbetrüger. »Armut ist längst normal geworden und wird nicht mehr skandalisiert«, erklärt ein Tribunalteilnehmer.

Materialien des Tribunals der Armut und Elend Neukölln http://www.pariser-kommune.de

Heute 17.30 - 19.00 Uhr Rathaus Neuköln Köln-Saal

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Fri Mar 17, 2006 21:31

Govt. Tracking: RFID & NAIS
POSTED AT: APFN POGO
HTTP://WWW.APFN.NET/POGO.HTM

Consumer privacy expert Katherine Albrecht, joined by activists Pat Showalter and Celeste Bishop in hour two, spoke out against the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a USDA plan to track farm animals using RFID chips. Showalter and Bishop, who both own animals in a small scale, non-commercial capacity, said the new regulations are very burdensome for small farmers.

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A002I06031523555700550-rfid3.MP3 (4.56MB) 6Min 37 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A003I06031601051000550-rfid4.MP3 (4.42MB) 6Min 25 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A002I06031523555700550-rfid5.MP3 (4.55MB) 6Min 37 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A003I06031601051000550-rfid6.MP3 (4.60MB) 6Min 41 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A003I06031601051000550-rfid7.MP3 (5.81MB) 8Min 26 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A003I06031601051000550-rfid8.MP3 (3.10MB) 4Min 29 Sec

http://www.apfn.net/audio/A004I06031602453700550-rfid9.MP3 (4.34MB) 18Min 58 Sec

========================================

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/computing/20060312-9999-1n12chip.html

Implant ID chips called big advance, Big Brother

By Jonathan Sidener UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 12, 2006

Doctors implanted a radio ID tag under Sean Darks' skin that allows the executive to enter restricted areas of his Ohio security company.

Jack Schmidig, the police chief in Bergen County, N.J., has a similar chip that doctors can use to find his medical records in an emergency.

And in a somewhat renegade use of the technology, Washington state entrepreneur Amal Graafstra unlocks his home and car and logs on to his computer using a chip he bought online and had implanted near his thumb.

All three say putting radio-frequency identification chips under the skin can improve people's lives. An implant is like having a set of keys, or an ID card, that can't be lost, they say. Graafstra jokes that he could end up naked in the alley outside his house and still get inside using the electronic key embedded in his hand.

“People ask me why I don't just carry an RFID card in my wallet,” Graafstra said. “I don't want to have to remember whether I have my card or my keys with me. I can leave my house and not carry anything with me.”

Privacy advocates say today's voluntary use is a step toward a future in which employers or the government mandate implants.

“It's creepy,” said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego. “People realize in their gut that if we require implanted chips, we've become the kind of society where people can be tracked by their government.”

Good or bad, the technology is having a breakout year in the United States.

Last month, Darks' security video company, Citywatcher.com, became the first in the nation to use RFID implants to control who has access to a restricted area.

Nationwide, about 70 hospitals – none in San Diego – are developing or have begun programs to make the implants available to patients and to put RFID scanners in emergency rooms to scan all unconscious patients.

Those applications use the only radio ID chip approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for implanting in humans, a product from Florida-based VeriChip that's about the size of a grain of rice. Doctors use a syringe and a local anesthetic to insert them under the skin.

Critics say the devices offers the government, employers or corporations a potentially nefarious tool to track citizens. There are several types of RFID, but the technology available from VeriChip and the versions used by the do-it-yourself crowd don't provide a signal that can be tracked.

The chips don't use batteries or any other power source. To work, the they must be held within a few inches of a scanner. Through a process called induction, the scanner temporarily powers the chip by generating a magnetic field that passes through the skin. While it has power, the chip transmits a signal that's picked up by the scanner.

VeriChip says about 70 people in the United States have been implanted with its chips, which cost about $200, including doctors' fees.

In addition, an estimated 80 people have had unauthorized “hobbyist” chips implanted. Like Graafstra, they buy them over the Internet to experiment with the technology, which has been used for years to track lost pets. The technology enthusiasts describe themselves as the “do-it-yourself tagged community.”

The United States lags other countries in adopting radio ID implants. In Mexico in 2004, more than 100 employees in the organized-crime division of the Attorney General's Office received implants giving them access to secure areas.

That same year in Spain, the Baja Beach Club in Barcelona launched a VIP zone for patrons with radio ID implants. VIP members use them to authorize credit-card payments for their drinks. The club's owners have expanded the program to a bar they own in the Netherlands.

At Citywatcher.com, which operates security cameras and stores video for the Cincinnati Police Department, Darks wanted to beef up security for the area where the video is stored.

Biometric systems, which measure unique physical characteristics such as fingerprints or facial structure, were too expensive for his small company, Darks said. So he decided to use the VeriChip system.

He had a radio ID chip placed in his tricep and gave his employees the option of getting chipped.

Three volunteered. Two others carry RFID cards.

“It was completely voluntary,” Darks said. “I wouldn't ask my employees to do something that I wouldn't do myself.”

The implanted device is essentially just an unseen key card, he said.

“I'm not worried about the government or anyone else tracking me through the chip in my arm,” Darks said. “If they wanted to, they could use the GPS information from my cell phone or the trail of places where I've used my credit card. That's much more of a threat.”

Schmidig, the New Jersey police chief, got a VeriChip implant for other reasons. He said a friend's daughter had an episode of diabetic shock and was unable to speak, which delayed medical treatment. At about the same time, he heard about a nearby hospital implementing the VeriChip system.

So Schmidig decided to have a medical ID chip implanted in his arm.

“I have a vacation home in Florida, and there are hospitals down there using this system,” he said. “All my medical records are up here. If something happens to me in Florida, this could speed up access to my medical records.”

Schmidig said he has no concerns about privacy as a result of his implant. His chip doesn't contain any personal information, only an ID number for a medical database.

“I'm not a Big Brother fanatic,” he said. “This is not GPS that can be used to follow me around.”

Graafstra of Bellingham, Wash., is a technology enthusiast and author of “RFID Toys: 11 Cool Projects for Home, Office and Entertainment,” published this year.

A year ago, he decided to take his interest in radio ID technology to a new level, becoming the founding member of the do-it-yourself RFID world. Graafstra bought a chip on the Internet and had a doctor insert it in the tissue between his thumb and index finger.

Graafstra said it's unlikely that anyone would go to the trouble of trying to hack his chip to get the code to his front door. It would be easier to force the door open, he said.

“There's very little possibility that anyone could sneak up and get within a couple of inches of my tag to read it,” he said.

While he's comfortable having the code to open his front door and car in a radio transponder in his hand, Graafstra says the technology may not be secure enough to protect credit-card information or access to sensitive government offices.

Although difficult, it's still possible to record and clone the signal from an implanted chip, he said.

Critics say the practice opens a door that would be best left closed.

“RFID has the potential to produce some wonderful applications,” said Givens, the San Diego privacy advocate. “It also has the potential to be a technology with which a government-issued ID number can be read promiscuously.

“It's being rushed to the marketplace without understanding the consequences,” she said. “The privacy implications have not been thoughtfully explored.”

Liz McIntyre, co-author of “Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID,” said she isn't swayed by technical arguments that implanted chips are benign.

“There may be limits on what the technology can do today, but we don't know what the technology will be capable of tomorrow,” McIntyre said. “Yes, it's a step on that slippery slope. You wouldn't walk down the street with your Social Security number printed on your shirt. Why would you want an RFID chip capable of transmitting an identification number?”

Jonathan Sidener: (619) 293-1239; jonathan.sidener@uniontrib.com
=====================
Implant ID chips called big advance, Big Brother Doctors implanted a radio ID tag under Sean Darks' skin that allows the executive to enter restricted areas of his Ohio security company. Jack Schmidig, the police chief in Bergen County, N.J., has a similar chip that doctors can use to find his medical records in an emergency. And in a somewhat renegade use of the technology, Washington state entrepreneur Amal Graafstra unlocks his home and car and logs on to his computer using a chip he bought online and had implanted near his thumb.

SignOnSanDiego.com Date: 2006-03-12
========================================
spiker77@comcast.net wrote:

Did You Know That ....

A Million dollars in tightly bound $1,000 bills would produce a stack 4 inches high.

A Billion dollars in tightly bound $1,000 bills would produce a stack approximately 300 feet high.

A Trillion dollars in tightly bound $1,000 bills would produce a stack nearly 60 MILES HIGH!

NOW ... when your esteemed United States government officials and politicians talk about spending, taxes, and what we OWE because of their drunken spending binge, you'll be able to relate to those insane amounts!

Source: Larry Burkett, The Coming Economic Earthquake http://snipurl.com/nr44

Please pass this along to all who are concerned about our insane government and their equally insane spending that will one day RUIN our nation!

"You can run, but you may not be able to hide. Not just from Big Brother, but Big Business, writes Katherine Albrecht in her book Spychips, a detailed analysis of how Radio Frequency Identification technology -- RFID for short -- threatens to erode the last vestiges of our privacy." Listen: http://www.eyeonbooks.com/EOB/1105/albrecht.wax RECENT CASPIAN MEDIA: http://www.spychips.com/media/media_clips.html

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=99842;show_parent=1

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Katherine Albrecht

Spychips RFID Blog

Fri Mar 17, 2006 21:45

Time to buy a flyswatter

The Pentagon wants to insert RF equipment into insects at the larval stage, so they'll pupate into hard-shelled surveillance drones, maneuverable by remote control.

http://www.spychips.com/blog/index.html

"Darpa seeks innovative proposals to develop technology to create insect-cyborgs, possibly enabled by intimately integrating microsystems within insects, during their early stages of metamorphoses," its advertisement says.

Embedding the control equipment deep in their bodies will overcome those annoying "instinctive behaviours for feeding and mating" that kept bugs with RFID tags glued onto them from performing "reliably" in past studies. (How pesky of living creatures to believe they own their own bodies! How annoying of them to want to live their own lives!) Among other things, Darpa wants the power to force the insects to "remain stationary indefinitely or until otherwise instructed." Sounds like a real barrel of laughs for the bugs.

The goal is for insects to covertly transmit video and "bug" conversations by lurking unseen in enemy hideouts with micro-transmitters strapped to their bodies.

Of course.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1731037,00.html Even more details: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_Military_Plans_To_Make_Insect_Cyborgs.html

- Katherine Albrecht

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Nice Recap of Coast to Coast - with audio!

Here is the summary of the interview Pat, Celeste, and I did on Coast to Coast:

Govt. Tracking: RFID & NAIS

Consumer privacy expert Katherine Albrecht, joined by activists Pat Showalter and Celeste Bishop in hour two, spoke out against the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a USDA plan to track farm animals using RFID chips. Showalter and Bishop, who both own animals in a small scale, non-commercial capacity, said the new regulations are very burdensome for small farmers. For instance, the "Premises Identification" part of the plan requires owners to report any movements or visitors of the animals, even in the case of a few chickens and goats. The cost and time for such monitoring is prohibitive and also an invasion of their privacy, they argued.

Technology is being used to clamp down and control food in general, said Albrecht, who compared the NAIS plan to the tracking done with grocery loyalty cards, and the efforts to restrict farmers' rights to seeds. In regards to the NAIS, she hoped that small farmers will refuse to comply with the plan, as she believes it does nothing to make the food supply safer (the stated goal of the program), and it discourages self-sufficiency.

Further, the RFID chips, used to track the animals, and recently introduced in passports, are susceptible to hackers who can infect large databases with malicious viruses, she pointed out. The bigger picture is that the government is seeking a top down control of the populace on a global level, and there is "a move afoot to number everything and everyone," said Albrecht. However, she finds that US citizens are more prone to resisting these efforts than Europeans, and that the NAIS may be the issue that wakes people up.

Missed the show? APFN has posted audio files here: http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=149495;article=99836;title=APFN

-Katherine Albrecht

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=99844;show_parent=1

Kaufbeuren (dpa/lby) - Auf drei Schüler-Handys sind in Kaufbeuren Gewalt- und Sodomie-Inhalte festgestellt worden. Nach Angaben der Polizei vom Freitag hatte ein 15-jähriger Schüler in der Pause Kameraden gewaltverherrlichende Videos gezeigt und war von einem Lehrer erwischt worden. Daraufhin wurden 35 Schüler- Handys konfisziert und polizeilich geprüft. Auf drei Telefonen waren Pornos mit Tieren und Gewaltvideos. Vor einer Woche waren in Immenstadt auf 16 Schüler-Handys ähnliche Inhalte gefunden worden.

http://www.donau.de/SID_7e922e05befbae1eee40d1eb6f93e9ed/nachrichten/opfbayern/meldung.shtml?rubrik=afp&id=222698

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Pornodateien aufs Handy geschickt
http://www.haz.de/hannover/285985.html

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1807811.php

US Navy, and NATO test Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) system to detect diesel and nuclear submarines.

The information you are about to read in this article is not pleasant, and is very sad. It questions the wisdom of the scientific quest, and makes you want to stop this unbelievable madness.

"Insights", as a Conscious E-Zine, presents issues and ideas that are not always pleasant, but need to be expressed due to their severity, and need for awareness.

The internet has become a global voice and by presenting this awareness we can better question our own actions, and how that may impact our surrondings and our planet. It is clear beyond doubt that current ideology is allowing not only the killing of ocaen life, but indigenous people, forests, rivers and waterways, and ultimately our own species. As writer and publisher for "Insights" I too try to express my opinions, as we all should, now that we have access to a global communications medium. If you think that our planet is not in serious trouble then this article will pin point a devastating look at what technolgy and poor thinking is doing to the oldest living creatures on Earth.

I wish with all my heart I could weild the power to stop this activity. I want it to stop. We should all want it to stop. Why must it continue? Please use this information to help others become informed. Willard Van De Bogart - Publisher "Insights"

"BEWARE, THE BEACHED CANARIES*"
What Stranded Dolphins and Whales are Trying to Tell us About a Global Emergency Beneath the Sea"

By Bobbie Sandoz

(*The death of canaries taken into coal mines warned the miners of trouble below.)

In the last few months, hundreds of dolphins are washing up dead along European shores while dolphins and whales are again playing with people in Hawaii after two years of ignoring them following our government sonifying these high level beings in their own Marine Sanctuary. This grateful return of their friendliness toward humans in Hawaii is clearly an act of forgiving the unforgivable. In January, hundreds of dolphins stranded along our eastern coast, while a superpod of orcas off California circled a group of boats to flirt and play with the people aboard, then remained afloat on the surface as the sun set on their fins. A similar contrast occurred last summer when a group of San Juan Orcas appeared in time to appreciate a human concert given in their honor, showing particular interest in Amazing Grace, or forgiveness without merit, while hundreds of their gray whale cousins washed up dead on west coast shores.

Although these events contribute to an uneasy yet growing pattern of marine mammal strandings juxtaposed to their kindness to us, there has been little media coverage of this disturbing phenomenon or a true investigation of why it is happening. Are we so indifferent that we don't really care or is there a massive cover-up....or both?

To add to the disquiet of these events, independent scientists strongly disagree with government-funded "experts" on the true effect of an extremely intense and apparently lethal force going into the ocean called low frequency active sonar (LFAS) that appears to be leaving a trail of corpses in its path. Yet, in spite of the controversy over its safety, our government is pushing forward to deploy this risky technology in 80% of the world's oceans in an apparent effort to get it underway before the public learns more about it.

Will we remain cooperatively in denial, uninformed, and dangerously silent in the face of this potential planetary holocaust as we have in the past, or will we awaken in time to stop this serious threat to all marine life? And, if we fail to respond, what will the consequences be for our own survival and souls?

In view of a possible cover-up buttressed by our indifference, could it be that the intelligent dolphins and whales are making their way to our public and popular shores before dying in order to serve as "beached canaries" that warn of something amiss in their hidden world beneath the sea? If so, will their massive deaths at our feet pull us out of deep moral slumber or fall on the cold hearts of an uncaring species? **The LFAS Story** Following a brief yet troubled period of LFAS testing at levels far below those planned for actual use that resulted in trauma and death, this reckless technology is in the process of being pushed toward premature deployment in
80% of the world's oceans.

Sadly, slick propaganda programs dispensed by in-house "experts" have succeeded in convincing a slumbering media and uninformed populous that the dolphins and whales are unaffected by intensely explosive blasts ripping through their ocean home with sustained intensity for hundreds of miles, causing damage and death in their wake.

Thus, in contrast to government claims of safety, outraged boat captains, swimmers, independent researchers, and environmentalists have observed this technology to be highly disruptive and deadly to marine life, even at the considerably lower decibels used during brief public testing than those planned for actual extensive and classified use.

Even more frustrating, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), established to protect marine life, appears to be aligned with the government-funded "experts" promoting LFAS. They also appear to be ignoring required protocol in order to prematurely slip the U.S. Navy a permit to harass and kill whales which will serve as the green light needed to unleash this risky technology into full and unfettered, classified deployment.

Eerily, the NMFS is also the organization assigned to oversee the testing done on the "beached canaries" stranding on our shores. Yet, while they publicly serve as the protector of marine life, behind the scenes they seem to prefer keeping these strandings in the category of an "unsolved mystery" to risking discovery of a possible connection to sonar exposure by checking their ears for rupture or their tissue for signs of explosion and shredding. Instead of conducting these revealing tests, they offer vague explanations that don't hold up, while focusing their search for answers solely on viruses, red tides, and other toxic algae that were neither in the problem areas nor have caused this kind of cetacean carnage in the past. In view of this seeming bias in favor of LFAS and the dual role it creates for the NMFS, should they ever concede to test the ears or tissue of stranded marine corpses for sonar exposure, the public would be wise to insist that non government-funded and independent researchers bear witness to their exams.

It's also important to notice that the brain and tissue fissures, lesions, and ruptures as well as mass starvation consistently found in these and other recent marine mammal corpses resemble the symptoms of sonar exposure described by the Marine Mammal Commission when in 1997 they predicted that lung and tissue hemorrhage and trauma in marine mammals (and fish) as well as cavity explosion and hearing loss causing subsequent starvation was likely to occur if LFAS was employed worldwide as proposed.

So why is the connection between these known symptoms of sonar exposure (similar to microwave explosions) and those found in stranded marine mammal corpses being ignored -- especially when sonar activities are rumored to be taking place in several of the affected areas?

And, now that we are on the brink of full deployment of this unexamined force, will the American public awaken in time to make the connection, check its validity, and if there is a connection, stop the madness? Or, will we remain drugged by our usual denial and the silence of fear and apathy as we have during other holocausts at human hands, enabling yet more government crimes against nature and others as well as ourselves?

Could this be the pivotal point at which humans decide if we will orchestrate our own self-destruction with our typically passive response to impersonal government actions or rally as caring individuals in time to uncover the path of our more conscious, courageous, and higher selves as well as a safe and golden future for our world, ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren?

I was pondering these questions one day as I swam in a bay amidst 50 dolphins who approached and circled me, then stayed to play for over an hour. I was surprised by their visit in view of my mood, since they usually avoid me when my thoughts are weighty. But, on this particular day they swam near me to play, show off their babies, and engage me in beguiling and flirty gazes. I reflected on my decade of friendship with these high- level beings and the notable lessons I had learned from them that I had not learned from humans about how to be a more loving and joyful human being. I wondered as I swam if my species would have the wisdom to allow the sweet grace of these bright and loving beings to serve as mirrors reflecting our need to seek a higher place in ourselves where we might act as kindly toward others as cetaceans do. I also thought of the American Indian elders predicting that whatever happens to "the great beast" -- or whale -- will also happen to humanity, and I wondered which fork in the road of our forecasted futures we would take -- the Apocalypse or golden age.

Then it occurred to me that as humanity stands at the portal of the new millennium, it is in our power to select which road we will travel. We can continue to kill the saints and sages in our midst or change the course of human history by surrendering our self-centered ways to their more lofty and loving teachings.

Yet before we can claim this higher potential, we must address what kind of species we truly want to be and which future we wish to create. We must then commit to becoming and creating whatever we choose. I also realized that to succeed in doing this we need look no further than to the model of loving kindness the dolphins and whales offer or the manifesting tools the dolphins revealed to me in "Listening to Wild Dolphins" which I have woven into my suggestions for how we can respond to the LFAS challenge.


PATTERN OF STRANDINGS THAT MAY LINK TO LFAS ACTIVITY:

EUROPE - In February, 2000, 100s of dolphins began washing up on European shores.

THE ATLANTIC COASTLINE - On January 21, 2000, Katie Couric asked on "The Today Show" why hundreds of dolphins are beaching along the Atlantic coastline. Although brain and other tissue lesions have been found in these cetaceans, one of the symptoms predicted by the Marine Mammal Commission in 1997 for LFAS exposure, ears are not being checked. In view of the far-reaching effect of sonar exposure predicted by independent researchers, some suspect apparent NATO sonar in the general area may be the cause.

FLORIDA - On January 3, 2000, Associated Press reported that scientists were trying to determine why dolphins have been washing up dead on northwest Florida shores over the last month. Although a previously severe outbreak of red tide did not kill dolphins, it appears that only red tide and other toxins are being examined as a possible cause, rather than also include an examination of their ear canals to prove or disprove the important variable of possible sonar exposure.

THE VIRGIN ISLANDS - In early October, 1999, scientists in the water heard sonar sounds, followed by multiple cetacean strandings in the area. Government-funded ear canal testing expert Dr. Darlene Ketten from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, was summoned by many groups to run ear canal tests, but results have not yet been revealed. If they are, citizens must determine if anyone other than government-funded scientists were present in order to neutralize any conflicts of interest.

THE CANARY ISLANDS - A total of 21 whale strandings in
1985, 1988, and 1989 were linked to visible US Navy maneuvers. These were the only times that whales were reported to strand in the Canary Islands. (Nature, 1991) Award-winning French biologist Dr. Michael Andre, free from our government's influence, learned from necropsies while studying the decline in sperm whales in this area that two of the whales (who were involved in the increasing whale collisions with boats in the area) were deaf as suspected.

THE ATLANTIC COAST - In 1987, dolphins exposed to 235 decibels of sonar stranded and were found to suffer from tissue and lung explosion. (This information was allegedly found by Dr. Joe Geraci and buried in reports on file.) Since this revelation, there has been a great deal of resistance to obtaining autopsies that check for these types of problems, also predicted by the Marine Mammal Commission in
1997 (possibly based on Dr. Geraci's findings) to be a consequence of LFAS.

THE HARO STRAIT, SAN JUAN ISLANDS - In the Summer of
1996, 195 decibels were sent into this key waterway used by orcas, porpoises, seals, and other mammals, followed by an increase in strandings of these mammals. ABC News recently reported that the previously thriving orca population from this area is now in enough trouble to be considered eligible for the Endangered Species list.

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA NEAR GREECE - In 1996, twelve Cuvier's beaked whales documented to be exposed to NATO sonar at 150-160 decibels were found stranded. At the same time about 200 stranded dolphins were suspected of suffering from tissue explosion. (Nature, 1996) LFAS levels to be used by the U.S. are reported to be 180 decibels in areas near shore and could go considerably higher, once deployment is underway and this program is classified.

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS - In 1998, three whale calves and one dolphin calf were found dead or abandoned during and immediately following sonar testing, even though in 15 years of research this phenomenon had never been observed. One of these was a distressed whale calf who breached 230 times and pectoral slapped 658 times in front of Dr. Marsha Green's research team in a four-hour period before the sun set on his distress. In addition, a pod of dolphins was observed by naturalists familiar with normal dolphin behavior huddling unusually close to the shore near the surface and vocalizing excessively while the sound was on.

CALIFORNIA- Since the open testing in California began in 1997, sonar exposed whales immediately began to strand in increased numbers. In addition, there was a report of uncharacteristically aggressive behavior which is known to be a symptom of LFAS exposure. More recently, The Malibu Times reported in January, 1999, that more than 150 gray whales were found dead due to starvation along their migratory route where testing took place in 1998. Starvation can be a result of deafness, but ears were not checked in these cetaceans, even though the cause of death has remained a mystery.

AUSTRALIA - Rumor has it that the Australian government has questioned a connection between observed US Navy and NATO maneuvering and strandings off their shores.

UNKNOWN - In view of indications that brain and body tissue explodes and body cavities (bladders, lungs, and ear canals) rupture when exposed to sonar blasts, it is plausible to assume that most affected marine mammals will sink to the ocean floor, rather than make their way to a beach in order for us to view their plight. And who knows what the effect this risky technology has on the thousands of other, smaller forms of marine life, less able to withstand such a powerful force.

For More Information and Evidence of LFAS Problems: GENERAL INFORMATION:

* Low-frequency sonar raises whale advocates' hackles CNN 3 Part Series
* Listen to LFAS Viewpoints
* Ocean Mammal Institute
* Natural Resources Defense Council

LEGAL INFORMATION AND CURRENT LAWSUIT AGAINST THE US NAVY:

* LOW FREQUENCY SONAR LITIGATION

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

* LFAS Update Web Page

ASK YOUR LOCAL ABC AFFILIATE TV STATION TO AIR: "WHEN THE WHALES STOP SINGING" This excellent news special report on the Navy's Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) was filmed by Dan Noyes of KGO TV News: ABC TV in San Francisco. Ask your ABC station manager to call KGO News in San Francisco to request a copy of this two part special to air in your vicinity. KGO News has agreed to send out copies of this video to other ABC stations, and to give them permission to air it. It is a short video, only 10 minutes long, and can be run as part of a news program. INTERVIEW AUTHOR AND PANEL OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS ON LFAS These people sincerely hope they are wrong about their concerns regarding the potential danger of LFAS, but believe people should know what they have uncovered in the event they are not wrong: Dr. Marsha Green (OMI/Marine Biologist/ Professor) 610-670-7386 Lanny Sinkin (Attorney) 808-961-9100 Dr. Lee Tepley (Physicist) 650-961-7440 Dr. Linda Weilgart (Independent Marine Biologist) 902-479-1861 Cheryl Magill (LFAS Activist) 650-429-2116 Bobbie Sandoz, MSW (Author) - 808-524-6775 Dr. Naomi Rose, (Director, Humane Society of the United States - HSUS)

WAYS TO RESPOND

We must first face the seriousness of the threat LFAS poses to marine life and ourselves. For only then, will we break our silence and engage in clear but gentle action with the urgency this issue deserves. We must then let our Congressional representative, ultimately responsible for this program, know of its possible consequences and insist that they stop all forward movement of this program until it can be proven that it will not cause the massive destruction concerned non-government scientists and citizens fear. We must then insist on extensive and highly monitored necropsies of currently stranded mammals, including full ear exams -- since such tests could expose possible sonar exposure. Only by having this information will we know if the sonar technology is connected to these deaths as many environmentalists suspect. We must then insist that the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) halt all movement toward deployment of this unexamined power. We must demand that the possibility of a conflict of interest on the part of NMFS be seriously scrutinized in view of their apparent bias and seeming partnership with the U.S. Navy in this risky government operation they have been charged with overseeing. We must send copies of all correspondence on this and other protests to the media, our president, and congressional representatives -- since such letters give witness to our concerns and constitute our greatest power to influence or reverse government decisions we do not approve. Some, including myself, will view this issue as important enough to organize a peacefully powerful march in Washington since visibility and numbers are imperative to change in this country. Hopefully, responsible media will invite the listed panel of independent experts who have uncovered evidence that points to potentially serious and illegal errors and omissions made in the process of testing and activating this technology they consider far more dangerous than claimed. Teachers may wish to introduce this topic in their classrooms and invite students to uncover, lobby for, and implement solutions. In doing this, we enlist the spirits and insights of this national treasure to help us become our best selves while teaching the art of kindness, cooperation, and friendship with our global family. *Those aligned with spirit can inspire continuous prayer for all concerned -- including those in control of this formidable technology who genuinely believe in its merits and their right to employ it without sincerely inviting the public's awareness, opinion, or approval. Hopefully, clergy of all faiths will be moved to hold prayer vigils to bring this matter to a unifying, loving, and safe resolution. Although everyone was surprised that we moved through the millennium without incident, few noted a possible connection between this unexpected peace to a massive and powerful prayer vigil organized by Marianne Williamson and James Redfield. Many will want to participate by using one of the manifesting tools I learned from the dolphins for creating the world we desire. To do this we need to identify exactly what we want instead of what we don't want and then place all of our energies, prayers, and focus on drawing that picture to us. This focus becomes even more powerful if we unite our combined energies as the dolphins do to create a large and harmonious group holding a common dream with love and joy in our hearts.

If we succeed in gathering together a large enough group to lovingly concentrate our intention on this dream until it is fulfilled, we will discover a power beyond anything we have yet witnessed on this planet. And once we learn to do it, we will no longer feel the need to quarrel and fight among ourselves and against others -- or develop weapons considerably more dangerous than the "enemies" we fear.

Nor will we continue to allow our businesses, government, or military to treat us like children, while excluding us from the management of our lives, our country, and our world as they fund and implement plans without our knowledge or permission. Once we exercise the power of our own voices and visions to reclaim self-governance, we will no longer view big business interests or our government and military as separate from ourselves or dangerous to our lives or planet.

How perfect that we can use this unique yet effective manifesting tool the dolphins have shown us to safely return their ocean home to them and self-governance to ourselves. Let's experience this radical new power by taking our first steps on the path to a better future and the world of our dreams.

Author: Bobbie Sandoz March, 2000 Phone: 808-524-6775 Fax: 808-538-0423 Website:

* Bobbie Sandoz Web Site

E-Mail: bsandoz@aol.com

Another Indication:

Subject: Bahamas, the Navy, and dead whales
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000
From: "Steuer, Karen"

Dear All,

As some of you will be aware, there has been a mass mortality of cetaceans in the Bahamas over the last few days. As of Saturday, at least 12 beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris and Ziphius cavirostris), 1 minke whale, 1 dolphin, and 1 unidentified balaenopterid (Brydes or fin) had died, with other ziphiids stranding live and being pushed back out. Mortalities occurred between Grand Bahama and the Abacos; given the number and isolation of islands in the area, it is very likely that not all carcasses have been located.

The mortality coincides with US Navy exercises in the area; the exercises appear to have involved explosives detonation, although active acoustics work *may* have been conducted also. There is no confirmation that the latter occurred in this area, or whether LFA activity was involved. (LFA = Low Frequency Active acoustics, a highly controversial anti-submarine technology which has been the subject of much debate in the marine mammal field. Recall that a NATO LFA exercise in the Med is widely believed to have been responsible for a mass mortality of beaked whales a few yearsago).

As of this morning (Monday), five ziphiids had been secured and necropsied by Ken Balcomb (who lives on site) and Nan Hauser/Hoyt Peckham (Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, Maine; who flew down on Saturday).

Darlene Ketten (Harvard/WHOI) arrived yesterday to extract ears from these animals and any others which become available. Charley Potter (Smithsonian Institution) is also on site.

An aerial survey will attempt to locate other carcasses today. Needless to say, there are a lot of unanswered questions here, and we should be demanding answers ASAP: Did the Navy submit an EA to NMFS on this exercise? If so, did NMFS comment or simply allow this to go ahead? Was LFA or other acoustics "experimentation" involved? Does the Bahamian government have a role in this?

I'll let you know more as we hear it at our end -- suggest we start applying pressure to NMFS and the Navy ASAP to ensure that this doesn't continue until we get some answers.

Karen L. Steuer
Director, Commercial Exploitation and Trade Program
International Fund for Animal Welfare

HERE IS MORE! Whale Deaths Immediately Follow US Navy Sonar Buoy Tests In Bahamas

http://sightings.com/politics6/testbaham.htm


Informant: Scott Munson