World-News

By RICHARD DOWN

OUTRAGED residents have been left seething amid claims they were not told about plans to build a 100ft mobile phone mast near their homes.

A giant mobile phone mast for Orange is being built on the boundary of Guilden Sutton and Littleton but Tarvin Road residents say Chester City Council failed to consult them about it.

Edward Courage, 50, of Tarvin Road, said: “Planning permission for a mast has been applied for a number of times in the past but the applications have been unsuccessful and have been rejected but this time it has been allowed to go through.”

He is furious because he believes the city council sneaked the consultation through last September without properly consulting the people along Tarvin Road.

He said: “The Guilden Sutton ward had a site meeting but omitted to ask us to it. The first we’ve heard about it is the idea we have to go to the High Court to make our views known.

“The city council has told us it’s our only recourse, that and the ombudsman.

“Unfortunately none of us know how to go about doing either of these things.

“I think all 50 people living along here have signed a letter to the council asking for the mast to be shrouded or moved.

“The only shrouding the mast has had is that it has been painted green.

“The reason we’re so annoyed is the only joy we have is the view to the north. We feel completely let down.”

Like many other residents along the road he feels the height of the mast is excessive.

Mr Courage said: “There must be at least 100 masts in Chester, there’s no need to build the mast so high.”

Disputes

Another Tarvin Road resident said: “Everyone along the road is affected by it and you can see it from the road.

“We want to get as many facts together about this as possible to make sure what we’re saying is right. Then we will be in a better position to act.”

Brian Hughes, development co-ordination manager, said: “I’m going out to a meeting with the residents on Thursday.

“But the planning board generally only notify people within a certain radius and the Tarvin road properties are not in the 200 metre radius of the transmitter.”

He also disputes the fact the council has acted unfairly in the way they have gone about accepting the mast.

He said: “No-one has a right to look over someone else’s land for a view. They’re not in a position to protect their view and people’s views are not something we can take into account in considering a planning application. I understand their point but you can’t do anything about it.”

The city council is already reviewing the process by which the permission was granted, which is standard practice when complaints are made after a planning board approval but Mr Hughes was confident the review would not find any fault in council procedures.

He said: “We realise this needs to be done as soon as possible so the residents know where they stand.

“They want a firm position from us so they know whether we feel we have made a mistake or not then they’re able to take the next step.

“I’m not sure I want to go into speculating about the possible outcomes.

“The ombudsman can’t change the decision but he can require the council to pay compensation if he feels their homes have been unduly affected by a planning decision. The other course of action is to take things to judicial review.”

news@chestereveningleader.co.uk

http://www.chestereveningleader.co.uk/ihome3/detail.asp?storyid=770&catid=News&officeid=15

Commentary By Don Maisch

March 6, 2006

Concerned over how controversial science issues are being communicated to the public in the British media, the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) and the Royal Institution of Great Britain , under the Directorship of Baroness Susan Greenfield (who is also affiliated with SIRC) , have published a joint “Guidelines on Science and Health Communication”. These Guidelines are stated to lessen the distortion and sensationalism of media reporting of controversial science and health issues and to ensure that scientific stories should be scientifically accurate without unjustified ‘scare stories’ and articles offering false hopes to the seriously ill. Baroness Greenfield is a well known neuroscientist, holds several senior University positions and has authored numerous books and documentaries on the human brain.

The guidelines propose what is essentially a strict process of vetting any science media stories to weed out the communication of controversial information not to the liking of the authors of the Guidelines. Anything that is not peer reviewed in an accepted journal, such as concerns over GM food safety, or community concerns over telecommunications towers, for example, would have to be balanced with expert comment from a select list of suitable experts drawn up by The Royal Society, the Royal Institution and SIRC.

Under these Guidelines when studies are reported in the media that radically challenge existing assumptions, (that go against government policy, such as GM foods or cell phone safety) opinions from scientists with the opposite viewpoint should be included to explain why the findings “might be considered premature or even unfounded”. In addition positive findings should be combined with risk comparisons. The Guidelines state:

“We recommend that, whenever possible, novel risks should be compared with risks that readers and audiences will be familiar with in their daily lives. For example, can the reported risk be compared with that of being struck by lightening, crossing the road, taking a bath or flying a hangglider? ”

A further theme in the Guidelines is seen in section 6 where it is claimed “[u]nfounded scares can cause very serious damage to public health,” Section 6 also brings in the concept of making risk / benefit comparisons. For example, this could be a newspaper article reporting on a study finding an increased risk of acoustic neuronas for cell phone but then comparing that to the benefits of the cell phone as a “social lifeline”.

In January 2001 a new “independent” Science Media Centre, created by SIRC / RI, was opened at the Royal Institution with the support of the UK science Minister Lord Sainsbury. The Media Centre aimed to help “sceptical and impatient journalists get their stories right on controversial issues such as animal research, cloning and genetically modified food”. However the close working relationship between government science policy and the independent media centre was seen in an article promoting the Media Centre by Susan Greenfield which was co-authored by Tristram Hunt who works at Tony Blair’s press office at No. 10 Downing Street.

Concerns over the SIRC dictating guidelines on how the media and scientists report science to the public takes on a rather bizarre twist when examining the SIRC’s research paper ” The role of mobile telecommunications in the 21 st Century” by “social anthropologist” Kate Fox. Fox is a founder of SIRC and a consultant for the PR firm MCM Research Ltd . The telecommunications research paper is listed on the same SIRC webpage as the Guidelines on Science and Health Communication. So we can assume that this research paper has undergone a strict peer review process or expert evaluation by the The Royal Society and the Royal Institution. As such Kate Fox’s research paper must what The Royal Society and the Royal Institution consider as good science. If so God help Great Britain.

Don Maisch


Evolution, Alienation and Gossip
The role of mobile telecommunications in the 21st century
By Kate Fox

http://www.sirc.org/publik/gossip.shtml

Executive Summary

Gossip is not a trivial pastime: it is essential to human social, psychological and even physical well-being. The mobile phone, by facilitating therapeutic gossip in an alienating and fragmented modern world, has become a vital ’social lifeline’, helping us to re-create the more natural communication patterns of pre-industrial times.

Key findings:

Mobile gossip is good for us

Gossip is the human equivalent of ’social grooming’ among primates, which has been shown to stimulate production of endorphins, relieving stress and boosting the immune system. Two-thirds of all human conversation is gossip, because this ‘vocal grooming’ is essential to our social, psychological and physical well-being. Mobiles facilitate gossip. Mobiles have increased and enhanced this vital therapeutic activity, by allowing us to gossip ‘anytime, anyplace, anywhere’ and to text as well as talk. Mobile gossip is an effective and important new stress-buster.

Mobile phones are the new garden fence

The space-age technology of mobile phones has allowed us to return to the more natural and humane communication patterns of pre-industrial society, when we lived in small, stable communities, and enjoyed frequent ‘grooming talk’ with a tightly integrated social network. In the fast-paced modern world, we had become severely restricted in both the quantity and quality of communication with our social network. Mobile gossip restores our sense of connection and community, and provides an antidote to the pressures and alienation of modern life. Mobiles are a ’social lifeline’ in a fragmented and isolating world.

Additional findings:

* Men gossip as much as women. The study found that men gossip at least as much as women, especially on their mobiles. Thirty-three percent of men indulge in mobile gossip every day or almost every day, compared with twenty-six percent of women. Men gossip for just as long and about the same subjects as women, but tend to talk more about themselves. The study did find a sex difference in ‘gossip partners’, with men more likely to gossip with work colleagues, partners and female friends, while women gossip more with same-sex friends and family. Male and female gossip also sounds different, as women use more animated tones, more detail and more feedback.

* Mobile as ’symbolic bodyguard’. Women use their mobile phones as ’symbolic bodyguards’ when feeling vulnerable in public places - in the way that they used to use a newspaper of magazine as a ‘barrier signal’.

* The joy of text. Texting is particularly important in maintaining contact with a wide social network - allows us to maintain social bonds even when we do not have the time, energy, inclination or budget for calls or visits. Texting re-creates the brief, frequent, spontaneous ‘connections’ with members of our social network that characterised the small communities of pre-industrial times.

* Teenage social skills. Texting helps teenagers (and some adult males) to overcome awkwardness and inhibitions and to develop social and communication skills - they communicate with more people, and more frequently, than they did before mobiles.

* Text as ‘trailer’. Mobile gossip is enhanced by the use of the text message as a ‘trailer’, alerting friends to the fact that one is in possession of an interesting item of gossip, but saving the details for a phone call or meeting.

* Entertainment. Women are more skilled than men at making gossip entertaining - three factors are involved: highly animated tone, plenty of detail and enthusiastic ‘feedback’.

* Risk-therapy. Enjoyment of gossip is also about the thrill of risk-taking, doing something a bit naughty, talking about people’s ‘private’ lives - this is particularly important for the reserved and inhibited English, but all humans have inbuilt need for risk-taking.

* Benefits of negative gossip. Only about five per cent of gossip-time is devoted to criticism and negative evaluation of others - but this ‘negative gossip’ has clear social benefits in terms of rule-learning and social bonding. END - BUT WAIT THERE’S STILL MORE FROM SIRC!!!!

If this isn’t enough to illustrate SIRC’s Galactic Bias then have a look at their article “Birds on the wire” at < http://www.sirc.org/articles/birds_on_the_wire.shtml > According to author James Harkin the critics of mobile phone technology argue that “they are essentially hostile to social life” and blame cell phones “for everything from a crime wave to a growth in teenage illiteracy.” Harkin is of the opinion that “mobiles can become convenient repository for existing anxieties which have little to do with the technology itself.” The article goes on with the theme that the only problem with the technology are those unfounded fears coming from an ignorant puplic. However the ‘clincher’ is at the end where Harkin makes the following statement.

” …together with an understanding of the benefits of mobile technology and relative risk factors which can help to put phone fears into perspective. They [local authorities] must also take greater steps to make their own properties and land available for the siting of phone masts.”

And all this pseudo scientific babble comes from the web site of the people who set guidelines for the ‘proper’ communication of science in Great Britian!

Don Maisch
EMFacts Consultancy

http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=401

--------

Kate Fox - British Academia has hit a new low, even by "Dr" Burgess standards. Thanks to Don Maisch for his comments. British children are using their video phones to record gang attacks and murders of innocent people. A while back I could have said that reality in Britain makes Cronenberg's film Videodrome look like child's play. However, child's play in Britain is now far, far worse than Cronenberg's film. "Videodrome" involved adults and was secretive. Years ago, campaigners here warned about adult paedophiles, pornography and the risks of unfiltered camera and video phones. We were attacked as scaremongers. But what is happening is the children are making pornography. This vile material is being tranmitted through masts sited on churches! What does the British Government do? Pay the Social Issues Research Centre to do public relations for the Mobile Phone Industry. I hope the horrors in Britain will warn other countries before it is too late for other families.

Yasmin Skelt
(Chorleywood, Herts, England)

Mobile phone company Orange today said it would not be moving its phone mast in West Felton. Engineers have been at the site, close to The Avenue, taking the large satellite dishes to the mast.

But the move has angered residents, who were told this week that a meeting between residents, Orange and the borough council, had been postponed.

They want the phone company to consider relocating the mast to nearby fields, away from houses.

But while a spokesman for the mobile phone giant said the meeting had only been postponed because of difficulties in giving staff enough notice of the meeting, she said that Orange would not change its mind over the site of the mast in the village.

A new date for the meeting is now being arranged.

The full version of this article appears in the Oswestry edition of tonight’s Shropshire Star.

© 2003-06 Shropshire Newspapers Ltd

http://www.shropshirestar.com/show_article.php?aID=43077

Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert has used a House of Commons Debate to raise the issue of mobile phone masts. Speaking from the front bench in a Debate on David Curry MP's Telecommunications Masts (Planning Control) Bill on Friday (March 3), Mr Herbert said: "I, too, will be very brief. Like other hon Members, I should like to hear what the Minister has to say about the Bill. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr Curry) on introducing the Bill. Mobile phones are important to all our lives, but the growth in their use has, of course, been phenomenal. There are more than 62 million mobile phone subscribers now, compared with 9 million when the Government first came to power in 1997, and 85 per cent. of households now have mobile phones. "The background to the Bill is a concern of which all hon Members are aware from their constituencies. In the eyes of our constituents, masts can affect people's health, particularly when they are sited close to schools and medical facilities, without any proper consultation with local communities. As my right hon Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon and other Members have explained, the problem is that the siting of such masts is effectively outside the planning process. No proper consultation with communities therefore takes place and people feel disfranchised from the decisions that are taken. The Government's own expert committee urged that a precautionary approach be taken to the siting of masts. That is reflected in the Bill, which would ensure that new masts—not existing ones—would be subject to full planning permission and that health considerations could be taken into account when applications were considered. "The precise detail of the proposals will need to be examined and scrutinised—I hope in Committee. We will need to consider their impact on the number of applications and the extension of 3G coverage. The number of planning applications would certainly increase. All those aspects can be dealt with. "The principle of the Bill—that local communities should be properly consulted over the location of masts—must be right. For too long there has been a creeping attitude that the Government know best and a process whereby too many decisions are, in effect, taken out of local control and away from local communities. We have seen that in a number of areas of our lives where the say of local communities has been taken away and responsibility has been moved to a regional level—in relation to the police service, the fire service, planning decisions and so on—or to Government. The idea that it is wrong to consult local communities and involve them in such decisions and that no objections to the siting of masts may be brooked simply because the Government have judged that mobile phones are good for us all is profoundly anti-democratic. "The Labour manifesto for the last election stated, perfectly reasonably: "People want a sense of control over their own neighbourhood." "If that is to be adhered to and applied, the Government should support the principle behind the Bill and at least be willing to examine the Bill and discuss with us in Committee how it might operate. "Concern about the issue will grow. One suggestion is that 3G technology will require up to four times as many masts as at present. That would mean 135,000 more masts in the country—more than 200 for every constituency. The issue will not go away and it is no longer acceptable to sweep the concerns of local people aside. We must be capable of achieving a sensible balance. "I have left plenty of time in which the Minister can respond without talking out the Bill. If he is still speaking at 2.30 pm, the House will know that the Government's real intention is not to support the Bill. The Bill has had support from hon. Members on both sides of the House and I hope that the Government will therefore allow it to go into Committee so that it can be discussed further."

06 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.


http://www.horshamonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=507&ArticleID=1375490

You can see the programme in the link. http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/cancer/index.html The problem with the Cancer Society's focus is treated well. The same recommendations are given in Israel by the Israeli society (eat 5 colors of vegetables, exercise, hide from the sun, don't smoke, and expect to be cancer-free with these recommendations. Oh, and don't interrupt the polluting industries in their work.) These recommendations of the cancer societies are something international, I guess they sit in their international center (UICC http://www.uicc.org the body which gathers the world cancer societies and transfered the cellular industry money for the Interphone as an independent side[?]) and decide on their policy of recomendations....

Chasing the cancer answer:

The Canadian Cancer Society says healthy lifestyle choices could prevent 50 per cent of cancers. They say a "small percentage" of cancers are linked to environmental toxins, or carcinogens.

"I had my blood tested; the results show I'm full of carcinogens," says Marketplace host Wendy Mesley, who had breast cancer. Epstein argues that we're losing a winnable war against the disease, largely because well-meaning institutions have misspent billions targeting treatment, while virtually ignoring strategies for preventing cancer in the first place. "The Canadian Cancer Society," he says, "has ignored or trivialized these concerns and told the public if you get cancer, it's your own fault." In fact, Epstein contends "it is the fault of the Canadian cancer establishment, who have not informed the public of this vast range, body of information on avoidable causes of cancer."


Informant: Iris Atzmon

--------

From: Eileen O'Connor
eileen@smokestackltd.co.uk
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2006 11:44:07 -0000
Subject: CBC Marketplace Chasing Cancer

Please see enclosed e-mail and send your views. I've sent my comments about cancer clusters around phone masts and had a reply; we need to send our concerns about non-ionising radiation, so please spend a few minutes it send your views.

Best wishes

Eileen


Canada viewers: Chasing cancer on Sunday

Marketplace tonight - excellent program - too bad it had to compete with the Oscars - here is the VITAL point that was made right in the very beginning of the 1/2 hour program. In the first minute of the program there were two 'text blocks' shown - here is how they read

first text read - "Cancer ocurs when cells are triggered to grow abnormally. Triggers include genetics, radiation, and carcinogens."

followed up almost immediately by the 2nd text which read "A carcinogen is a substance that can cause cancer."

Wendy Mesley has guts to run this program - she also has cancer - sadly.

In the simplest of all kindergarten lessons isn't this the easiest one - by far - to understand?

Radiation is the silent intruder that opens the door for the chemical and biological carcinogens. Like a 'swizzle stick' in a cocktail.

There may be an opportunity here to bombard Marketplace with this information regarding radiation and also when so doing pound away on the fact that it is cummulative. But it will take a bombardment - from everyone. No slackers - no excuses - there it is - right on National TV - 'radiation' is finally acknowledged as a 'trigger.' You can see the entire program by cliking this url

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/cancer/index.html

If you wish to respond to Wendy you can do so with this address for feedback

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/contactus.html

I hope you all pass this thought to everyone you know that understands the silent killer EM Radiation that I refer to as 'electrosmog'. It is 'on file' now in Ottawa through the Parliamentary Inquiry last January 2005. They can't say they weren't told.

Larry Blackhall
Aldergrove BC
604 857 4140


Informant: Rober Riedlinger

--------

Without trying to highlight the obvious too much, I think this is largely irrelevant. Ionising radiation has been known to cause cancers for a decade (see presentations on http://www.leukaemiaconference.org/programme/day2.asp ), and there is no doubt that this is what is being referred to here.

- Alasdair Philips

--------

I sent a short reply to CBC and got the enclosed message back.

Best wishes

Eileen



Hello,

Thank you for your interest in Marketplace and Wendy Mesley's story 'Chasing the Cancer Answer'. Your comments have been passed on to the team producing this program. You can view the full story on our website at www.cbc.ca/marketplace - you can find additional information on our programming there as well.

And if you're interested, this show will be repeated on CBC Newsworld on Saturday March 11 at 7PM.


Thank you,

The Marketplace Team


eileen@smokestackltd.co.uk
03/06/06 4:47 PM
timestamp: 2006-03-06 16:47:09 EST

Comments: One of the biggest causes of cancer is radiation.

I am concerned about the growing number of mobile phones/masts in the world since developing breast cancer at the age of 38. I believe I my breast cancer was due to living for over 7 years, 100 metres from a 22.5 metre phone mast, I now live in a cancer cluster which is one of many clusters around masts throughout the world.

For more information please look at websites:

http://www.radiationresearch.org and http://www.scram.uk.com


Eileen O'Connor

Trustee - EM Radiation Research Trust UK
email: eileen@smokestackltd.co.uk
last_name: O'Connor
first_name: Eileen

--------

Thanks, Alasdair for making the point re ionizing radiation!!! Larry's comments re "kindergarten lessons" is important also. Presenting the info to the public in the simplest form is critical -- others have mentioned how difficult it is to decipher much of the research.

I would like to use part of your comment in the pending book, "Inflammation and EMF/EMR" (as you know, Olle and Marjorie are also authors) and quote you in addition to using Children With Leukaemia website access info. A primary purpose of the book is the focus on similarities between ionizing and nonionizing radiation and detailed explanations re disease progression due to chronic, prolonged inflammation.

It is important to emphasize many cellular changes that occur due to low levels of ionizing radiation (chronic, prolonged exposure) are comparable and even identical to cellular changes that occur as result of low levels of non-ionizing radiation (chronic, prolonged exposure). As you know, "distance" as well as "nighttime exposure" are additional factors that determine severity of results.

The cellular changes occur as result of chronic inflammation and unabated, the precancerous process begins.........

As you and most others know, Leukaemia is the cancer most commonly related to both non-ionizing radiation and ionizing radiation exposures because blood and bone marrow are particularly radiosensitive. This also explains why infants and toddlers develop Leukaemia when it is often said that "....cancer takes decades to develop." Tragically, instances of other cancers in children such as brain cancer, kidney cancer, etc. also continue to be ignored in regard to the theory that "cancer takes decades to develop....." Take care - Joanne

Joanne C. Mueller Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55448-2127 USA
Phone: 763-755-6114 Email: jcmpelican@aol.com

"LIGHT" is at the end of the tunnel for all to see and the lights we are holding get brighter each day in spite of an occasional flicker......THEY are frantically running in circles -- THEY are running into themselves -- THEY WON'T WIN -- It sure is great to be on the side of TRUTH!!! Joanne C. Mueller 1-17-06

--------

Chasing the cancer answer
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/1764276/

MOBILE TELEPHONE CAN CAUSE CANCER
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/586356/

The danger of chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/409463/

Cancer Clusters in Vicinity to Cell-Phone Transmitter Stations
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/580224/

Health risks are unknown, she says

A mother has vowed to fight plans to erect a 15-metre mobile phone mast which operator O2 wants just yards from her home.

Linda Little, a teaching assistant of Clovelly Way, Bedford, received notification last week outlining O2's plans for a mast in Polhill Avenue.

The letter stated she had two weeks in which to lodge any objections, so Mrs Little began canvassing opposition from her neighbours and the three schools in the road.

She said: "I do not want this mast outside my children's bedrooms because we do not know what the health risks are with these masts.

"O2's letter puts in points to try to reassure us, including one from the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying there is no proof of any health effects.

"But the WHO also says there are gaps in scientists' knowledge about masts, and it is commonly believed that children are the most vulnerable of all.

"If I was looking from my kitchen window I would have to crane my neck to see the top of the mast, that is how close it would be.

"Surely there are places further away from the schools and homes which could be used."

Mrs Little has three children, 14-year-old Sam and 11-year-old twins Amy and Jack.

She cited John Rigby Lower School, Goldington Middle, Newnham Middle School and De Montfort University's Polhill campus as all in close proximity to the mooted mast site.

Coun David Sawyer (Lib Dem, De Parys) echoed her concerns.

He said: "The council's hands are quite tied on these applications. The Government gives mobile phone providers the benefit of the doubt because there is no conclusive evidence that these masts are unsafe. But by the same token there is no conclusive evidence that they are safe either.

"To be fair to O2, this is an example, for once, of a firm letting local residents and stakeholders comment before they make the application."

James Stephenson, a spokesman for O2, said: "We are getting bigger and bigger in this part of the country, and with the amount of new homes planned there will be more and more customers. That is why we are looking to expand.

"There has been nothing brought to our attention saying that harmful emissions are produced by base stations. We do not consider it to be a health risk at all."

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

05 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=545&ArticleID=1372238

PLANS have been entered for a 12 metre telecommunications mast in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Warkworth. Orange Mast Personal Communications has submitted an application with Alnwick District Council for a site off the U3043 road to Warkworth dunes. It is for a pole supporting two antennae and a single transmission dish supported by equipment cabinet. A resident of Amble contacted the Gazette fearing the impact of the mast on the AONB. Sarah Charlton, of Gloster Park, said: "I just wonder how Amble would feel about that. It will not look quite so attractive will it. I thought AONBs were supposed to be protected from that sort of thing." A spokesman for Orange said: "The area of Warkworth currently has very poor Orange mobile phone coverage, we have a responsibility to our customers to try and improve that coverage. "Warkworth is a very difficult area to try and find an area to house a mobile phone mast with the fact that it is in and AONB and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. "Orange has its hands tied on the type of site we can find, we have tried to find a site which is as environmentally friendly as possible and that will cause as little problems as possible within the AONB. "We are sympathetic to people's views on this." A spokeswoman for the district council confirmed that the site is within the AONB and heritage coast. The main issues surrounding its determination are site, scale and design. At 12 metres, the mast is at the lower end of the scale with most being at least 15. The closing date for comments or objections is March 10.

03 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.northumberlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1117&ArticleID=1373502

VILLAGERS pleaded with a landowner this week to give up the idea of allowing a mobile phone mast to be put in his field. Planning permission has already been given for the mast on land off Stonebridge Lane in Blackboys owned by Jamie Formolli. If he decides not to let Orange go ahead with the development, he stands to lose a potential income of £5,000 a year. But villagers argued, at a public meeting in the village hall on Tuesday, that there was more than money at stake. They were worried about a health risk particularly for their children. Headteacher of Blackboys Primary School Gill Webb said if there was even the slightest chance of a health risk then the answer to Orange should be no and the best way to make sure masts were not put up elsewhere in the village was to combine forces against them. Adele Lyons said a growing number of studies showed there was a health risk to people living near masts and asked why Mr Formolli would even consider having one on his land. Villagers won a previous battle to stop a mast being built at Blackboys Nursery and Mrs Lyons said: 'You are a successful property developer, have a restaurant starting up and industrial units, why do you need £5,000?'

Mr Formolli said a risk to health from the masts had not been proven.

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

He used a mobile phone regularly for business purposes, Orange was determined to put up a mast in the village because reception was poor there so it would be better to have it on his land where he could control what equipment went up rather than have them elsewhere like on street light poles in the village. Any contract with Orange would contain a clause saying that if a health risk was ever proven then the mast would be removed, he said. Mr Formolli told villagers that in making his decision he would take into account reports on any risk to health, a possible fall in value of houses because a phone mast was in the village and whether having the mast would be worth 'all the aggravation and grief' he was getting for £5,000 a year. He had invited villagers to the meeting, he said, because he didn't want to be the 'faceless' man who put a mast up in the village. He wanted to hear what they had to say before making his decision.

03 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=509&ArticleID=1373460

Der russische Pianist Nikolai Petrow hat ein Konzert in Moldawiens Hauptstadt Chisinau abgebrochen, nachdem das Handy eines Zuhörers zweimal geklingelt hatte, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur AFP.

Das Mobiltelefon des Zuhörers habe ein erstes Mal geläutet, als Petrow kaum den ersten Satz seines Stückes beendet hatte. Der Musiker habe dann solange gewartet bis das Telefongespräch beendet war. Als das Handy des Mannes einige Minuten später wieder klingelte, stand Petrow auf und verließ den Saal.

Obwohl die Konzertleitung den Handy-Sünder aus dem Saal wies, weigerte sich der Pianist, das Konzert fortzusetzen. Außerdem sagte er ein weiteres Konzert ab und reiste nach Angaben des Konzertveranstalters aus Moldawien ab. (dcn)

(c) CHIP Xonio Online GmbH 2006

http://www.chip.de/news/c1_news_18887352.html?tid1=9226&tid2=0

Publisher: Jon Land Published: 03/03/2006 - 15:21:08 PM

Mobile phone mast

A bid to change planning laws relating to mobile phone masts was launched in the Commons today with cross party backing.

Leading the move, Tory former minister David Curry said his aim was not to put forward proscriptive plans.

"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."

Introducing his Telecommunications Masts (Planning Control) Bill, Mr Curry (Skipton and Ripon) said there was huge and growing concern about the siting of phone masts.

He said even the mobile phone operators themselves accepted there was more to be done to take account of public concerns but previous attempts to change the law had foundered.

Mr Curry also spoke about public fears of health risks linked to mobile phones.

Although there was no current evidence that they were harmful, he drew on his experience at the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during the BSE crisis to sound a note of caution.

"I've been around long enough to know that politicians and scientists can only offer current evidence.

"They don't deal in certainties, they don't deal in guarantees, the public increasingly does ask for certainty and guarantees," he said.

Sir William Stewart has carried out research into possible health risks associated with mobiles and recommended a continued "precautionary approach" to the use of such technology, Mr Curry told the House.

And the MP added that legislation on this matter should take into consideration the possibility that advice on phone use might change.

He said that there was a "deep level of suspicion" over the issue.

"I don't think that is healthy.

"I think we need to do this in such a transparent way that the industry feels that its future is secure and that this constant local guerrilla wars, as it were, no longer have to be fought, the public doesn't feel threatened, intimidated or taken advantage of, local authorities don't feel overburdened," he said.

Labour's Andrew Dismore (Hendon) said he would support the Bill but called for changes to make it more straightforward.

He said mobile phone masts were a "major issue" in his constituency, adding: "I think Orange is probably the main culprit, closely followed by T Mobile and Vodafone.

"And they do seem to try and wear down communities and their opposition to it by repeat applications, by continuing appeals.

"They wear down local authority planning departments and, frankly, something has to be done about it."

He said that there had been an application for a mast to go on top of Barnet Hospital, which was declined, as well as a 3G mast upgrade, which does not need consent, at Copthall School.

Mr Dismore added that 3G upgrades had led to a "huge upsurge" of planning applications.

For the Liberal Democrats, Andrew Stunell expressed support for the Bill.

Mr Stunell said the "elephant in the room" was the "fantastic" sums of money involved in the industry.

He said: "Any constraint on their trade is viewed by them with the utmost suspicion."

There was "no way" that the current planning exemptions could now be justified. The industry was capable of paying £30 billion for the next generation of mobile phone technology licences.

Labour's Nia Griffith (Llanelli) supported the Bill and warned of a "Christmas tree effect" whereby once a mast has been approved other phone companies placed masts on the same site.

Tory David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) said residents had to constantly "battle" with different phone companies who made repeated applications for masts. He added that when one operator was refused, another would then apply for a mast on the same site.

Tobias Ellwood (C Bournemouth E) said that with the 3G masts there could be as many as 100,000 masts in the UK - more than double the numbers now. Just because everyone used mobile phones it did not mean there should not be regulation.

For the Tories, Nick Herbert said: "The principle of the Bill that local communities should be properly consulted must be the right one.

"For too long there has been a creeping attitude that government knows best and too many decisions are being taken away from local control and local communities."

He urged the Government not to talk out the Bill.

But 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 2.30pm.

Mr Fitzpatrick said there was concern about perceived health risks, although research evidence suggested there was no health risk from the masts.

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He said ministers were determined to "move" on the issue but not through this particular piece of legislation.

"We are giving it attention and will be giving it a lot more attention in the months ahead."

Mr Fitzpatrick said the more people who used mobile phones, the greater was the need for base stations.

There was considerable disquiet about the infrastructure but the Government believed the current planning arrangements "broadly strike the right balance".

Rejecting claims that the Government's objections to the Bill stemmed from the large amounts of income brought in by mobile phone licences as "scurrilous," he added: "There is no skullduggery going on here."

Ministers had already strengthened the planning regulations twice since 1997.

Copyright Press Association 2006.

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