A last word on bees and mobile phones...

A Reply to the Guardian's article:

You are quite wrong to poo-poo the effects that wireless microwave technologies such a Wi-fi, digital cordless (DECT) and Mobile Phone Masts have upon biological creatures such as humans. There is a vast amount of Independent Scientific Research which points to potentially very serious health problems and real symptoms such as electrosensitivity (EHS) right up to statistically improbable clusters of rare cancers in close proximity.

The Wireless Myths that you appear to subscribe to are removed with referenced Scientific studies at "Dispelling the Wireless Myths".

The Scientific Study that you mentioned may not have directly linked Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) with Mobile Phone Masts as such, but it clearly demonstrated a noticeable effect upon the delicate creatures by a related DECT microwave transmitter working at a comparable frequency. And a follow up comment in the Independent on Sunday last weekend gave the example of a house cleared of (admittedly unwanted) bees by the turning on of wi-fi. The
potential link of microwave/wireless/mobile technologies to CCD warrants proper study.

You also state that "Though bees navigate by the sun and light polarisation anyway." Not so - I don't know where you got this idea from?. Studies actually indicate that "Honey bees navigate by observing changes as small as 0.6% in the Earth's magnetic field" ( see ) and that can be effected by the sort of electromagnetic emissions from microwave transmitters at wi-fi, DECT and Mobile Phone frequencies.

In the end the fate of the bees and ourselves is the struggle between Consumerism (i.e. Profit) and Environmentalism (i.e. our survival). If it is a choice between mass health epidemic and environmental destruction or being able to surf any minute of the day wherever whenever, I know which is more important.

(see background article via Mast Sanity site here)

The Gizmorance of the Techno Sheep - Dispelling the Wireless Myths

An open letter to Bill Thompson (and the other gadget freaks).

I admire your ostrich like attitude to wireless technologies. I can only assume that your body works along different lines to those of most humans and that the laws of physics and biology don't apply to you. Or maybe you should get out more.

For those of us who live and breathe with other people I would rather side with the "tin hat brigade" than follow your Gadget Gang of Techno Sheep (or is it Techno Lemmings?) who blindly buy gadgets and believe that the Government and Large Companies only have their well-being in mind and would never expose them to dangers in the name of profit. Oh no.

Wake up and smell the coffee! So-called experts set (far too high) exposure limits according to measurements made years ago taking notice of a very narrow set of studies dating back even further. Non-thermal effects were conveniently excluded. Manufacturers and Wireless/Mobile Operators exploit these limits to the maximum and produce gadgets which emit up to the allowed limits to produce the best coverage and to maximise battery life for the optimum cost. All other factors, such as the safety and comfort of users, come a very poor second.

It is YOUR understanding of the Science that is wrong! You have glibly put all of your misunderstandings and slant on the situation - 2 + 2 = 5 doesn't it?

I suggest that you re-acquaint yourself with the real picture at "Dispelling Wireless Myths" - with referenced studies.

Referenced studies were strangely absent from your article - maybe none could be found to support your stilted view?

If the Large Companies don't totally succeed in destroying all life on the planet it will surely be the "tin hat brigade" who will inherit (the remnants of) the earth from the extinct Techno Sheep. You won't be missed.

Martin Sharp
(With a Scientific and Technical background - gasp!)

BBC Bias Reaches New Heights : Wi-fi? Why worry?

After the excellent articles in the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Times on Sunday 22nd April there was bound to be a backlash from those interested parties, but it is very disappointing that it came mostly from the BBC.

In an article entitled "Wi-fi Why worry?" correspondent Bill Thompson has completely gone off into a rant and lost the plot. I was so incensed that I have complained, as follows:-

"This item entitled "Wi-fi? Why worry?" is the most opinionated baseless and biased piece of reporting I have seen so far on the BBC website.

The parts stating "Unfortunately the science says he is wrong, and his students are suffering as a result." and "Cellphones heat the brain and could cause problems. Wi-fi doesn't, and it is safe." can not be substantiated, are conjecture and belittle a serious topic.

THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN FORTHWITH and Bill Thompson should be reprimanded for such baseless and biased statements. It does not deserve to be present on the BBC site where people may actually believe it and think that the BBC endorses such statements.

The last part "My daughter is sitting here as I write, her new wireless laptop beside her, and I'm a lot more worried about the damage she would do if she dropped it on her foot than I am about the impact of the low power radio waves it emits." is sick! It reminded me immediately of John Gummer feeding the beef burger to his child at the height of the BSE / mad cow crisis."

I will post the response (if any) from the BBC here later.

The links to the Sunday Times and Independent on Sunday stories can be found at :-

http://www.mastsanity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=1