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Dear MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith- Time to Protect Students Not Promote Pollution

Dear Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith, I am writing to you on an important issue regarding our children’s hea...

Monday, May 30, 2016

NIH Scientist is CONFIDENT there is a Risk from Cell Phones WTOP NEWS

Listen to Dr. Melnick state that he "is confident" that radiofrequency is carcinogenic.   
Ronald L Melnick, PhD, FACT (Fellow American College of Toxicology) lead the design of the NTP/NIEHS  Rodent Study. This study was carefully developed to test for a carcinogenic effect from cell phone radiation. Melnick was a Senior Toxicologist and Director of Special Programs in the Environmental Toxicology Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) National Institutes of Health, USA and is now retired.

Washington Post: Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer (Video)

May 29, 2016 10:40 AM EDT - A study by the Department of Health and Human Services's National Toxicology Program discovered a link between cellphone radiation and two types of cancer. Reporting on its partial results so far, researchers found low incidences of heart and brain tumors in male rats. (Reuters) Online link to this video at Washington Post

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Cellphone Study Fans Cancer Worries

Researchers found incidences of tumor in rats exposed to low-level radio waves, reigniting debate over safety.

A multiyear, peer-reviewed study has a link between cancer and the type of radio frequencies commonly emitted by cellphones. Wall Street Journal Ryan Knutson discusses with Tanya Rivero in the video below.

  

By
RYAN KNUTSON

Updated May 28, 2016 11:51 a.m. ET

For almost as long as people have had cellphones, scientists have been debating whether the now-ubiquitous devices cause health effects.

More than a decade ago, the U.S. government set in motion a study to help answer the question. Its initial findings were released this week.

Read the full article at http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-cellphone-study-fans-cancer-worries-1464393051

Thursday, May 26, 2016

NIH Rat Study Shows Increased Brain Cancer From Radio Frequency Radiation

Cell Phone Radiation Boosts Cancer Rates in Animals;
$25 Million NTP Study Finds Brain Tumors

READ THE ENTIRE STUDY HERE 

Wi-Fi in Schools is radiofrequency radiation just like these rats are exposed to. 

U.S. Government Expected To Advise Public of Health Risk


May 25, 2016
The cell phone cancer controversy will never be the same again.
The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) is expected to issue a public announcement that cell phone radiation presents a cancer risk for humans. The move comes soon after its recently completed study showed statistically significant increases in cancer among rats that had been exposed to GSM or CDMA signals for two-years.
Discussions are currently underway among federal agencies on how to inform the public about the new findings. NTP senior managers believe that these results should be released as soon as possible because just about everyone is exposed to wireless radiation all the time and therefore everyone is potentially at risk.
Importantly, the exposed rats were found to have higher rates of two types of cancers:glioma, a tumor of the glial cells in the brain, and malignant schwannoma of the heart, a very rare tumor. None of the unexposed control rats developed either type of tumor.
A number of epidemiological studies have linked cell phones to both gliomas and toSchwann cell tumors. The Interphone study, for instance, found an association between the use of cell phones and gliomas.
The sheath that wraps around cranial nerves —such as the one that connects the inner ear to the brain— is made of Schwann cells. Tumors of those cells are called acoustic neuromas. That is, an acoustic neuroma is a type of Schwannoma. At least four different epidemiological studies have found an association between the use of cell phones and acoustic neuromas.
Ron Melnick, who led the team that designed the NTP study and who is now retired, confirmed the general outline of the results detailed by the confidential source. “The NTP tested the hypothesis that cell phone radiation could not cause health effects and that hypothesis has now been disproved,” he said in a telephone interview“The experiment has been done and, after extensive reviews, the consensus is that there was a carcinogenic effect.”
“These data redefine the cell phone radiation controversy,” Melnick said. The safety of cell phones has been debated for more than 20 years, especially after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RF radiation as a possible human carcinogen in 2011.
“This is a major public health concern because the cells which became cancerous in the rats were the same types of cells as those that have been reported to develop into tumors in cell phone epidemiological studies,” Melnick added. “For this to be a chance coincidence would be truly amazing.”
Read the full Microwave NEWS Report here. 

READ THE ENTIRE STUDY HERE 



"Given the widespread global usage of mobile communications among users of all ages, even a very small increase in the incidence of disease resulting from exposure to RFR could have broad implications for public health." 

Baltimore County Public School Audit Raises Concerns About Wireless Radiation.

County auditors seek answers from BCPS on budget and tech initiative

By Joanne C. Simpson
For The Towson Flyer
Baltimore County auditors are pressing the public school system for answers on its laptop-per-student program, as well as the schools’ overall spending and other priorities for next school year — including whether parents could be given “an ‘opt-out’ alternative to digital learning environments” for their children.
an excerpt from the full article...
Lastly, among other comments in the report, county auditors raised specific questions about possible student health issues related to higher technology use in schools.
BCPS advised that since the rollout of the digital conversion/S.T.A.T. initiative, it has not budgeted funding for technology exposure studies geared toward developing an understanding of issues ranging from maximum recommended screen time for children to amounts of radiofrequency exposure. … BCPS further advised that “numerous studies [regarding radiofrequency exposure], including work done by the World Health Organization, have concluded that there is no scientific evidence that the weak radio frequency signals emitted by wireless base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects.”
However, the Baltimore Sun recently reported that doctors from Harvard and Yale medical schools attending an annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies advised that “parents should limit their children’s use of cellphones, iPads, and other wireless technology because it could cause behavioral and concentration problems.” According to the Sun, while “There is little research on the impact of the microwave radiation and radio frequency radiation emitted by wireless devices on children…the doctors said early studies provide enough evidence to suggest that parents should exercise caution.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016

New MIT Study: The Negative Effect of Computers in the Classroom

The Impact of Computer Usage on Academic Performance: Evidence from a Randomized Trial at the United States Military Academy
Abstract:
We present findings from a study that prohibited computer devices in randomly selected classrooms of an introductory economics course at the United States Military Academy. Average final exam scores among students assigned to classrooms that allowed computers were 18 percent of a standard deviation lower than exam scores of students in classrooms that prohibited computers. Through the use of two separate treatment arms, we uncover evidence that this negative effect occurs in classrooms where laptops and tablets are permitted without restriction and in classrooms where students are only permitted to use tablets that must remain flat on the desk surface. 

Free Movie Stream: Mobilize: An investigation of cell phone radiation.

Clear Light Ventures is sponsoring free viewing of Mobilize from May 21 to June 25, 2016 
To watch the free movie, just click on the video below, see the icon on right that says 3.99 and click on that, then en enter promo code "ClearLight"

INSTRUCTIONS TO VIEWERS FOR FREE STREAM:

To stream Mobilize compliments of Clear Light, simply click the Rent button, enter your email address and password (create one if need to) and then click APPLY PROMO CODE. When that field opens, enter "ClearLight" and hit APPLY. The rental fee will be waived. You DO NOT need to enter your credit card information.

How Smartphone Light AND SCREENS Affect Your Brain & Body

You might not know this, but your smartphone emits a bright blue light which allows you to read what’s on the screen even during the brightest points of the day. But the light doesn’t turn off or adjust according to the hour of the day; it’s continually emitted, not only by our smartphones, but by our laptops, televisions, and other devices as well. The problem is that this light, which mimics the brightness of the sun, confuses your brain into thinking it’s daytime, even during the dead of night. This in turn stops your brain from releasing melatonin, the hormone which induces sleep, and prevents you from falling asleep. 
Read the full article at 
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/05/21/how-smartphone-light-affects-your-brain-body-infographic/

Friday, May 20, 2016

"Our children are at risk for permanent eye damage because of the increased screen time in school" Lawmakers Sink MD State Bill 1150



Maryland lawmakers are ignoring computer-safety measures for kids


"Screen use could cause Blindness.. Children are at higher risk" 

May 16, 2016 This is an op-ed by Cindy Eckard in the Towson Flyer
Researchers at the University of Southern California recently found that increased computer screen time is responsible for our country’s current epidemic of myopia.
Meanwhile, a legislative effort began in Maryland that would mandate computer-safety guidelines in public schools. Did this research — which included 9,000 children — persuade Maryland lawmakers to do the right thing and require computer safety for our children?
No.
National health organizations weighed in, too: Prevent Blindness America and its National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health endorsed the legislation. But their support was never mentioned by members of the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Joan Carter Conway.
The Maryland Children’s Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council also endorsed the bill — agreeing that safety guidelines need to be created to prevent the known health hazards posed especially to children. The Senators ignored the medical advice of that group, too. They ignored parents, clinicians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and voluminous scientific documentation as well.
The Senate EHEA Committee hearing was pro forma: not one question was asked by committee members and no discussion took place. No opposition to the bill was mentioned. Still, the committee unanimously voted against it.  Senate Bill 1150 would have required the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to work with the schools to make sure that our children are protected from the health risks associated with daily computer use: myopia, blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes, neck/shoulder pain, and the cumulative retinal damage caused by excessive screen time.
OSHA has protected office workers from the health risks of computer monitors since 1997, but our growing children, who are more vulnerable to eye damage than adults, have no safety regulations in place at all.
Among those lawmakers who turned their backs on our kids are two Baltimore County senators. One of them is a nurse who should have lead this health effort.  Shame on you, Senator Nathan-Pulliam.  But at least you stayed for the hearing; Johnny Ray Salling just got up and left.


Even after the bill was buried in the Senate committee, Montgomery County Delegate Sheila Hixson had a real opportunity to have it heard in her Ways and Means Committee in the House. But she didn’t pursue it, either.
It’s hard to imagine this many elected officials refused to provide safeguards for our children, when they knew that national blindness prevention groups supported this legislation. That’s how critical this effort is: our children are at risk for permanent eye damage because of the increased screen time in school.
Since the close of the legislative session, DHMH Secretary Van Mitchell has been contacted directly. His department must do its job now, regardless of legislation, and set uniform, enforceable state guidelines. Without statewide medical oversight, individual school districts can cobble together inadequate, random “safety policies” that fail to provide real protection for our children. 
DHMH operates Health Departments in all counties, each of which oversees school health issues like this one. DHMH already provides hearing and vision testing. Computer screen safety is a logical extension of their current responsibilities, now that our kids can be forced to use computers all day at school. Only medical practitioners and environmental health experts, armed with medical insight and up-to-date information, can provide real health protection for Maryland students.
I have refused PARCC testing for my children because of the excessive screen time that is required. PARCC regulations require elementary school children to use a computer for as much as an hour and a half straight, for testing. Students are allowed just one 3-minute break — if the test coordinator agrees.parcc test rules
The testing goes on for days. Middle school kids get the same 3-minute break, but they are forced to stare into a computer monitor for as much as 110 minutes at a time. That’s right — almost two hours, and the kids get only one tiny break. Maybe.
Parents need to understand that they can protect their children from this punitive experience and its associated health risks. They can refuse the PARCC testing.  Make sure your children aren’t physically damaged by the state’s curriculum or its assessments. Students might soon face even more screen time, because the Maryland State Department of Education is now trying to make PARCC test scores a requirement for graduation. 
Secretary Mitchell, it’s time to intercede and do your job. Children are also Maryland citizens who do not give up their rights to safety and health protections just because they walk into a school.
–Cindy Eckard of Queen Anne’s County is the mother of two children who attend public schools. She can be reached at screensandkids@gmail.com.
Read her Baltimore Sun Article: Guidelines needed for screen safety at school
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-children-technology-20160201-story.html


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Las Vegas News Report on Wi-Fi Health Risks and A Mother's Journey May 9, 2016

Excellent coverage from KLAS TV 8 News about wireless radiation health risks and a mother in Las Angeles Clark County School District advocating for a safe school for her daughter. 

Watch the story online here 

Friday, May 6, 2016

May 12 PTA Forum on Computers Health Safety and Privacy: MCCPTA Health and Safety Committee

MCCPTA Health and Safety Committee
invites you to...


Classroom Technology and Your Child
Health, Safety, and Privacy



May 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Carver Educational Services Center
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD

A panel presentation followed by your comments and questions.
Join us for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges as MCPS integrates technology into the classroom!

We look forward to hearing from you at the forum.
Brought to you by MCCPTA Health and Safety Committee

Press Conference on Children, Wi-Fi and Cell phone Symposium at Pediatric Societies Conference

May 3, 2016: Doctors and Scientists held a press conference before their Pediatric Academic Societies Symposium on Children and Wireless Health Risks. This video is a MUST WATCH for anyone wanting to hear what was discussed at the professional symposium.
 
2016 Pediatric Societies Annual Conference
Cell Phones, Wireless and Children’s Health Session 4580
Baltimore Convention Center at 1 W Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21201



The 2016 Pediatric Societies Annual Conference presented a Symposium on Children, Cell Phones and Wireless. Over 8000 pediatricians, research scientists, health care providers and policy makers from around the world attended the conference. The Pediatric Academic Societies consists of four sponsoring societies: The American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, the Academic Pediatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A PANEL PRESENTATION
Overview on Wireless Exposure and Children’s Health by Devra Davis MPH, Ph.DClick Here to See the Handout by Devra Davis MPH, Ph.D
The Link between Autism and Electromagnetic Fields by Martha Herbert Ph.D., M.D.Click Here to See the Handout by Martha Herbert Ph.D., M.D.
Fetal Exposure to Cell Phones by Hugh Taylor M.D, Yale School of MedicineClick Here to See the Handout by Hugh Taylor M.D
The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age by Catherine Steiner-Adair Ph.D.
Click Here to See the Handout by Catherine Steiner-Adair Ph.D.
Protecting the Brains of the Future by Maya Shetreat-Klein M.D.Click Here to See the Handout by Maya Shetreat-Klein M.D.

CBS News: Research Links Cell Phones To Health Issues In Children May 3, 2016

CBS NEWS covers the Pediatric Societies Conference at the Baltimore Convention Center!!! Excellent coverage on the issue highlighting Harvard researcher Dr. Herbert whose  research shows a link between wireless and autism.



BALTIMORE (WJZ) — For years, we’ve heard of a possible link between cell phone use and cancer. Now, this week, researchers in Baltimore say the evidence is clear, and children are more at risk.

WJZ’s Amy Yensi with more on the disturbing findings.

The studies link cell phones to a slew of health issues in children. That’s why experts say parents and expecting mothers need to be extra careful.

Cell phones are a part of our every day lives and a cause for concern for researchers who see them as a health risk — especially for infants and children.

“The weight of the evidence is clear: cell phones do cause brain cancer,” said Dr. Devras Davis, president, Environmental Health Trust.

Dr. Davis says the young brain absorbs twice as much radiation as an adult.

Doctors and scientists from across the country took on the issue during a pediatric conference at the Baltimore Convention Center. Panelists also found a connection between exposure to cell phone radiation and other health issues.

“There’s a correlation between cell phone use in pregnancy and behavioral problems in their children,” said Dr. Hugh Taylor, Yale School of Medicine.

“These devices are really stressing and straining our family relationships because the average mom or dad will check their phones 60 to 110 times a day,” said Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, clinical psychologist.

Doctors say the infant brain — even while in the womb — is especially vulnerable.

FOX NEWS "Are Cell phone hurting kids?" May 4 2016 Coverage of Pediatric Academic Societies Conference

On May 3, 2016, the 2016 Pediatric Societies Annual Conference presented a Symposium on Children, Cell Phones, Wireless and Health Risks.

Watch the News Coverage of the event here featuring Dr. Hugh Taylor Chief of OBGYN at Yale.


BALTIMORE -- Doctors have known for decades that wireless devices produce radiation, however, the latest research examines its impact on children.

Estimates are 73-percent of teenagers now have smart phones and 15-percent have older flip phones. Even though those older phones don't access the internet, they still produce radiation.

Dr. Hugh Taylor, an OB-GYN at Yale University, says the radiation from smart phones can even affect unborn babies by altering their brain chemistry and increasing hyperactive behavior.

They advise regular smartphone users to refrain from holding the devices directly against the head. Instead, use headsets or speakerphones. They also advise pregnant women to refrain from placing smartphones near their abdomens.