A Child's Testimony on WiFi in School To the Board of Education.

News Coverage of Arlington Virginia Parents Fighting To Stop A Cell Tower on Their School: Fairfax County School Board

Watch news coverage starting with interviews with parents on the cell tower proposal.

Later in the evening, the reporter covered the meeting at the Fairfax Planning Commission where dozens of parents showed up to testify.

Wi-Fi and Cell Phones: Dr. Martin Pall and Dafna Tachover at Virginia Hospital Center

Dr. Martin Pall discusses research on radio-frequency at a recent event at Virginia Hospital Center sponsored by Center for Safer Wireless. 

Dafna Tachover discusses why Wi-Fi is more harmful. 

Dr. Pall describes how cell phones and Wi-Fi were not properly safety tested before coming on the market.

Washington DC Schools Are Now Cell Towers: Jesse LaSalle Elementary School

Schools in Washington DC are now cell towers. Watch this video showing the radiation levels from the cell antennae.

American Academy of Pediatrics Issues New Recommendations to “Reduce Exposure to Cell Phones”

American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Recommendations 

to “Reduce Exposure to Cell Phones”

Nation's largest group of children’s doctors responds to new government study linking cell phone radiation to cancer.

In response to the U.S. National Toxicology Program study results finding exposure to wireless radiation significantly increased the prevalence of highly malignant heart and brain cancers in rodents, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued specific recommendations to reduce wireless cell phone exposure and updated their online resources for parents concerning cell phones and wireless devices.

“They’re not toys. They have radiation that is emitted from them and the more we can keep it off the body and use (the phone) in other ways, it will be safer,” said  Jennifer A. Lowry, M.D., FAACT, FAAP, chair of the AAP Council on Environmental Health Executive Committee in the AAPs press release on the NTP Study Results.

“The findings of brain tumors (gliomas) and malignant schwann cell tumors of the heart in the NTP study, as well as DNA damage in brain cells, present a major public health concern because these occurred in the same types of cells that have been reported to develop into tumors in epidemiological studies of adult cell phone users,” stated Ronald L. Melnick, PhD, the National Institutes of Health toxicologist who lead the NTP study design and senior advisor to the Environmental Health Trust. “For children the cancer risks may be greater than that for adults because of greater penetration and absorption of cell phone radiation in the brains of children and because the developing nervous system of children is more susceptible to tissue-damaging agents. Based on this new information, regulatory agencies need to make strong recommendations for consumers to take precautionary measures and avoid close contact with their cell phones, and especially limit or avoid use of cell phones by children.”

The AAP has updated their Healthy Children Webpage on Cell Phones entitled Cell Phone Radiation & Children’s Health: What Parents Need to Know. The webpage reiterated children’s unique vulnerability to cell phone radiation stating, “Another problem is that the cell phone radiation test used by the FCC is based on the devices' possible effect on large adults—not children. Children's skulls are thinner and can absorb more radiation.”

The AAP issued the following cell phone safety tips specifically to reduce exposure to wireless radiation:

• Use text messaging when possible, and use cell phones in speaker mode or with the use of hands-free kits.
• When talking on the cell phone, try holding it an inch or more away from your head.
• Make only short or essential calls on cell phones.
• Avoid carrying your phone against the body like in a pocket, sock, or bra. Cell phone manufacturers can't guarantee that the amount of radiation you're absorbing will be at a safe level.
• Do not talk on the phone or text while driving. This increases the risk of automobile crashes.
• Exercise caution when using a phone or texting while walking or performing other activities. “Distracted walking” injuries are also on the rise.
• If you plan to watch a movie on your device, download it first, then switch to airplane mode while you watch in order to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure.
• Keep an eye on your signal strength (i.e. how many bars you have). The weaker your cell signal, the harder your phone has to work and the more radiation it gives off. It's better to wait until you have a stronger signal before using your device.
• Avoid making calls in cars, elevators, trains, and buses. The cell phone works harder to get a signal through metal, so the power level increases.
• Remember that cell phones are not toys or teething items.

“Even though the cell phone manual contains specific instructions that say do not carry the phone next to the body, the US government does not publicize this information nor mandate companies inform the public, leaving most people unaware of potential hazards, unwittingly allowing their young children to play with them like toys,” stated Devra Davis MPH, PhD, president of the Environmental Health Trust  pointing to the Berkeley Cell Phone Right To Know Ordinance being challenged in court this month.  

In 2012, the AAP published Pediatric Environmental Health, 3rd Edition recommending, “exposures can be reduced by encouraging children to use text messaging when possible, make only short and essential calls on cellular phones, use hands free kits and wired headsets and maintain the cellular phone an inch or more away from the head.”

Since 2012, the AAP has supported the Federal Cell Phone Right to Know Legislation and has written letters to the FCC calling on the federal government to review and strengthen radiation standards for wireless devices in an effort to protect children's health.

In June 2015 Devra Davis PhD, MPH presented to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please click here to see the scientific slide presentation. 

DOWNLOAD PDF

DOWNLOAD POWERPOINT

QUICK LINKS

AAP Website: Healthy Children.org Cell Phone Radiation & Children’s Health: What Parents Need to Know

AAP responds to study showing link between cell phone radiation, tumors in rats May 27, 2016

2012 AAP Letter in Support of the Cell Phone Right to Know Act

2013 AAP Letter to the FCC calling for a review of RF guidelines

Click here to read the online press release

http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/american-academy-of-pediatrics-issues-new-recommendations-to-reduce-exposure-to-cell-phones-726805.htm

Congressional Briefing on Wireless Harm: US Committee on Health, Education, Labor September 21, 2016

Wednesday September 21, 2016 Dr. Martin Pall , who wrote a letter to Montgomery County Schools last year,   presented to the US Senate on his research showing microwave (wireless) radiation exposure leads to serious nervous system effects. 

Read Dr. Martin Palls letter to Montgomery County Public Schools here. 

"In 2015, 206 international scientists signed a statement sent to the United Nations Secretary General and to member states, stating that international safety guidelines and standards are inadequate to protect human health [6].  Each of these 206 scientists from 40 countries had scientific publications on biological effects of such EMFs and therefore each is well qualified to judge this.  It can be seen from this statement to the UN, that there is a strong scientific consensus that current safety guidelines and standards are inadequate because they do not take into consideration all of the non-thermal health effects produced by various EMF exposures."
-Martin L. Pall, Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences,  

Washington State University

Neurosurgeon Dr. Ashish Mehta on Cell Phone Radiation Recommendations

Neurosurgeon Dr. Ashish Mehta talks about how his patients were impacted by  wireless radiation and explains the precautionary steps to be taken while using a cell phone.

FactSheet on Wireless in School: Grassroots Environmental

Grassroots Environmental has issued a new 2 page FACTSHEET on Wi-Fi Health Risks in Schools


“Current FCC standards do not account for the unique vulnerability and use patterns specific to pregnant women and children. It is essential that any new standards for cell phones and other wireless devices be based on protecting the youngest and most vulnerable population to ensure they are safeguarded throughout their lifetimes.” 
- American Academy of Pediatrics

DOWNLOAD THIS FACTSHEET BY CLICKING HERE 

New Jersey Education Association: Minimize health risks from electronic devices

Minimize health risks from electronic devices

Published in the September 2016 NJEA Review
by Adrienne Markowitz and Eileen Senn

Desktops, laptops, tablets, eBook readers, printers, projectors, smart boards, smart TVs, cellphones, cordless phones and wireless networks (WiFi) have become ubiquitous in schools. At their best, they are powerful tools for education. At their worst, they threaten the physical and mental health of teachers, paraeducators, secretaries, librarians and other school staff members and students who spend numerous hours using the devices.

Physical health risks from electronic devices include pain and tingling from repetitive strain injuries to the hands and wrists; pain in the neck, shoulders and back; dry, burning, itchy eyes, blurred vision and headaches; altered sleep patterns and next-day fatigue from exposure to blue screen light; distracted driving; and various health problems from exposure to radiation.

Mental health risks arise from stress due to raised expectations for multitasking, productivity and proficiency with devices; dealing with malfunctioning devices; student and colleague distraction from and addiction to devices; and intrusion of devices into nonwork time.

WiFi devices emit radiation

Radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation is sent and/or received by the antennae of phones, routers and other wireless devices. RF radiation is capable of causing cancer, reproductive, neurological and ocular effects. The amount of radiation exposure received depends on the amount of time exposed and distance from the source. Radiation levels fall off exponentially with distance from antennae. If you double the distance, the radiation is four times less. If you triple the distance, it is nine times less, and so on. Children and developing fetuses are particularly at risk because their bodies are still growing. People with implanted medical devices are at risk for device interference.

Hazards and solutions

The most straightforward ways to minimize health risks are to use electronic devices in moderation and to maximize your distance from them. There are also specific solutions to specific hazards listed below.

Local associations should work with their UniServ field representative to negotiate solutions that are in the control of district administrators such as providing training and ergonomic equipment and hard-wiring devices. Individuals should take steps within their control, such as:

For repetitive strain injuries

• Use voice control/speech recognition.
• Use ergonomic alternatives to traditional mice and keyboards.
• Use as many fingers as possible when typing and both thumbs when texting.

For neck, shoulder and back pain

• Ensure an ergonomic workstation.
• When using a hand-held device, support it and the forearms.
• Avoid bending the head down or jutting it forward.
• Take frequent, short breaks from the device.
• Ensure good posture and change positions frequently.
• Stand and do stretching exercises.

For eye pain, blurred vision and headaches

• Use sufficient, but not excessive, lighting.
• Use assistive technology built into Apple, Android and Windows devices.
• Enlarge and darken the cursor and pointer.
• Enlarge the font; magnify the text.
• Use text-to-speech instead of reading.
• Use special computer glasses.
• Relax the eyes on a minibreak.

For altered sleep patterns and next-day fatigue

• Stop using devices at least one hour before bedtime.

For distracted driving

• Use hands-free devices, preferably speakerphones.
• Pull over and park.
• Let someone else drive.

For radiation exposure

• Keep devices away from the body and bedroom.
• Carry phones in briefcases, etc., not on the body.
• Put devices on desks, not laps.
• Hard wire all devices that connect to the internet.
• Hard wire all fixed devices such as printers, projectors and boards.
• Use hard-wired phones instead of cell or cordless phones.
• Text rather than call.
• Keep conversations short or talk in person.
• Put devices in airplane mode, which suspends EMF transmission by the device, thereby disabling Bluetooth, GPS, phone calls, and WiFi.
• Use speaker phone or ear buds instead of holding the phone next your head.
• Take off Bluetooth devices when not using them.

For stress

• Training in device use, assistive technology.
• Easy access to user manuals.
• Easily available technical support. 

Cell phones and cancer

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is conducting the largest set of laboratory rodent studies to date on cellphone RF radiation. The studies cost $25 million and are designed to mimic human exposure. They are based on the cellphone frequencies and modulations currently in use in the United States. The NTP studies are designed to look at effects in all parts of the body.

On May 27, 2016, NTP released a report with partial results of the studies. They found increased occurrence of rare brain tumors called gliomas and increases in nerve tumors called schwannoma of the heart in male rats. The released results are partial because more rat studies and all of the mouse studies will be forthcoming by 2017. The cells that became cancerous in the rats were the same types of cells as those that have been reported to develop into tumors in human cellphone users.

The EMF produced by cellphones was classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization in 2011. They found that long-term use of a cell phone might lead to two different types of tumors, gliomas and acoustic neuroma, a tumor of the auditory nerve.

Read the full article here http://www.njea.org/issues-and-political-action/health-and-safety/reporter-articles/minimize_health_risks_from_electronic_devices

Download this as a PDF here 

Adrienne Markowitz holds a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from Hunter College, City University of New York. Eileen Senn holds a Master of Science in Occupational Health from Temple University in Philadelphia. They are consultants with the New Jersey Work Environment Council, which is a frequent partner with NJEA on school health and safety concerns.

Adrienne Markowitz holds a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from Hunter College, City University of New York. Eileen Senn holds a Master of Science in Occupational Health from Temple University in Philadelphia. They are consultants with the New Jersey Work Environment Council, which is a frequent partner with NJEA on school health and safety concerns.

Petaluma Schools: Parents Raise Wi-Fi Health Concerns To BOE And Doctors Write Letters Detailing Scientific Evidence

Petaluma School District parents are working hard to ensure that their children are learning in safe environments. They are writing letters, testifying to the School board and in response several Doctors are sending letters in support. Please see below videos of their testimony to the school board, followed by letters from internationally esteemed doctors- Dr. Hardell, Dr. Miller and Dr. Carpenter. 

Letter From Dr. Lennart Hardell and Dr. Michael Carlberg

"What will be the health effect for a child exposed all day long in school for 12 years? Wireless networks in schools result in full body low level RF radiation exposures that can have a cumulative effect on the developing body of a child. No safe level of this radiation has been determined by any health agency and therefore we have no safety assurances. Cancers can have long latency periods (time from first exposure until diagnosis) and it will take decades before we know the full extent of health impacts from this radiation. The statistics and effects will be borne by the children you serve. 
Wi-Fi in schools, in contrast to wired Internet connections, will increase risk of neurologic impairment and long-term risk of cancer in students. Promoting wireless technology in schools disregards the current health warnings from international science and public health experts in this field."
Click Here to Download Dr. Hardell's Letter to Petaluma School District 

Letter From Dr. Anthony Miller, Advisor the World Health Organization. 
"With the people who manufacture these devices and those who promote wi-fi failing to issue adequate health warnings, we are reaching a situation where schools, work places and homes are being saturated with radiofrequency fields.
Thus to avoid a potential epidemic of cancer caused by radiofrequency fields from wi-fi and other devices, we should introduce means to reduce exposure as much as reasonably
achievable, use hard wire connections to the internet and strengthen the codes that are meant to protect the public."


Click Here to Download Dr. Miller's Letter to Petaluma School District 

Letter from Dr. Carpenter, Director Institute for Health and the Environment University at Albany 

"The exposure levels of the Federal Communications Commission are totally outdated and do not protect the health of the public, especially of children. I urge you to abandon any plans for wireless communication within schools. It is of course critical that all children have access to the Internet, but when this is done through wired connections they will not be exposed to excessive electromagnetic fields."

Click Here To Download Dr. Carpenter's Letter to Petaluma School District 

Queensland Department of Education Issued "Your Guide to Safe Technology" To Schools

Queensland Department of Education issued Your Guide to Safe Technology guide in 2014 to all schools that states:

It’s not only physical hazards you need to consider when thinking about health and safety issues at work or home — you should also think about how you use technology. When using a computer, you need to think about:

• ergonomics and posture
• radiation
• vision impacts
• harmful lack of exercise (DVT).

Wireless devices — smart/mobile phones, tablets, slates, monitors etc — all emit low levels of electromagnetic radiation and should be used correctly. When using electronic devices, the department recommends you follow WiFi/3G/4G best practice:

• follow the manufacturer’s usage guideline  operate from a table or bench — not on your lap  
• use ‘hands-free’ devices to keep smart/mobile phones away from your head and body during phone calls  limit the number and length of calls  
• position the device antenna away from your body  
• do not sit within 0.5 m of a wireless router  use smart/mobile phone in areas of good reception to reduce exposure.
  
  

  Download This Document by Clicking Here 

  
  

  Watch a video of these recommendations here. 

New Movie: Electronic Crack About The Addiction of Our Screens

Filmaker Joseph Piner explores the addiction, health and social issues related to screens. Watch these excellent  clips from the movie. 

In the video clip below Dr. Polos describes his research on sleep and children's use of cell phones. 

Dr. Nicholas Kardaras on CNN: Screens in Schools Are Shrinking the Brain and Radiation Effects Could Be Much Worse

In this CNN interview Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D., LCSW-R speaks about screen time which he states is "shrinking the brain and creating addiction."

"There is no purpose on having a child on a screen before the age of ten." 

He states that "schools are part of the problem" he has an OPT OUT letter for parents to OPT out of Chromebooks and devices in school. In his published book "Glow Kids” he covers the physical impact on pages 128-131and states,  “In a very real sense, the radiation and EMF effects could be much worse than any of the psychological or even neurological damage." 

CBS on the Apple iPhone 7: Over 200 Scientists Are Concerned About Radio Frequency Radiation

Watch the News Report from CBS featuring Dr. Moskowitz from UC Berkeley speaking on the EMF Scientists raising concerns about health risks from radiofrequency radiation. 

CNN: Apple iPhone Could Be Harmful To Your Health

CNN Apple eliminates headphone jack from iPhone 7: Harmful to your health?

CNN reports on health risks linked to the new iPhone 7 which school children will soon be bringing into our children's schools. Is the Bring Your Own Device Policy safe? 

...

"The biggest problem we have is that we know most environmental factors take several decades of exposure before we really see the consequences," Dr. Keith Black, chairman of the neurosurgery department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told CNN when the news broke.

"What microwave radiation does, in most simplistic terms, is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain," Black said. "So in addition to leading to a development of cancer and tumors, there could be a whole host of other effects like cognitive memory function, since the memory temporal lobes are where we hold our cell phones."

....

"I think it's unfortunate, because Apple themselves acknowledges in their fine print -- often hidden -- that you need to keep cell phones ... away from the ear, and most people don't do that," says Dr. Anthony Miller, senior adviser to the Environmental Health Trust, a group that studies radiation and cell phone usage.

Most people talk on their cell phones while holding them directly in contact with their ear, and Apple does make warnings regarding radio frequency (RF) exposure available to consumers, but it's buried in the legal section of the company's website. You can also find it on your iOS by going to Settings -> General -> About -> Legal -> RF Exposure."

Read the full article at http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/health/apple-iphone-7-no-headphone-jack/

Smartphones Prohibited in All School Classrooms by Israeli Education Ministry

In Maryland schools are encouraging smartphones in the classroom. However in Israel, they are removing them for phycological and health reasons. In the video that just aired on national news the reporters describe the new memorandum from the Ministry of Education. Get the english subtitles by clicking on the CC icon. 

Worldwide Coverage: "Modern life is KILLING children: gadgets, pollution and pesticides are blamed as cancer rates soar 40 per cent in just 16 years"

 'IT IS AN EPIDEMIC' 

Experts warn that modern life gadgets are ‘giving kids cancer’… and that we’re ‘losing the battle’ to save children’s lives

Medical professionals claim we are facing a cancer "epidemic", with a horrifying 40% rise in children's cancer being blamed on our modern lifestyles

Tablet computers, fast food, mobile phones, car emissions and cleaning agents are said to be among the culprits responsible for a spike in the disease.
Read the News.com article here  
Read the Daily Mail article here 

Read the Telegraph article here

Read The Mirror article here. 

Time Magazine, "Screens in Schools are a $60 billion Hoax"

The implementation for tech in schools has been driven largely by corporate profit. 

August 31, 2016 Time Magazine article Dr. Nicholas Kardaras
"The screen revolution has seen pedagogy undergo a seismic shift as technology now dominates the educational landscape. In almost every classroom in America today, you will find some type of screen—smartboards, Chromebooks, tablets, smartphones. From inner-city schools to those in rural and remote towns, we have accepted tech in the classroom as a necessary and beneficial evolution in education.

This is a lie.

Tech in the classroom not only leads to worse educational outcomes for kids, which I will explain shortly, it can also clinically hurt them. I’ve worked with over a thousand teens in the past 15 years and have observed that students who have been raised on a high-tech diet not only appear to struggle more with attention and focus, but also seem to suffer from an adolescent malaise that appears to be a direct byproduct of their digital immersion. Indeed, over two hundred peer-reviewed studies point to screen time correlating to increased ADHD, screen addiction, increased aggression, depression, anxiety and even psychosis."

Read it all at http://time.com/4474496/screens-schools-hoax/

Officials are "Worried" About Wi-Fi Health Risks in New News Report from Israel

"There is reason to fear for the health of the students."

A must watch just out TV report about the deployment of WIFI in Israeli schools, where parents and officials are speaking out on the health risks of Wi-Fi for children. It is translated.