Subject:  News from Australia (Benson)....
Date:     Thu, 12 Aug 1999 092111 -0500 (CDT)
From:     "Roy L. Beavers" 
To:       emfguru 
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 13:04:19 +1000
From: "Benson, Sarah (Sen L. Allison)" 
To: "'rbeavers@llion.org'" 

Roy

Some news items from Australian papers in the past couple of days that may
be of interest:

1. It appears that the World Health Organisation have issued advice to
consumers to use a hands-free kit when using a mobile phone until more is
known about the health effects.  This appeared in 'The Age' 12/8/99.

2. A new device has been invented here in Australia to repel sharks.  It is
a belt that is worn in the water employing a battery driven device that
emits an EMF frequency for 3 metres around the wearer.  Apparently when the
shark gets within this distance it becomes uncomfortable and swims away.
This has been tested with live sharks.  The article appeared in the 'Herald
Sun' on 11/8/99/.  It would appear to support the claims of the electrically
sensitive!

3. Moreland City Council of Melbourne has recently produced a draft report:
'Strategy for Reducing Public Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields' that warns
'heath effects range from headaches to life-threatening cancers.'  This
council claims that "electromagnetic fields generated by electrical
equipment, mobile phone towers and powerlines pose a serious public health
risk."
They urge the public to "switch off mobile phones, avoid buying homes under
powerlines, shift alarm clocks away from their heads at night, and turn off
electric blankets before going to sleep to avoid exposure."  This was
reported in the Sunday Herald-Sun on 8/8/99.

4. In the wake of the BBC's 'Panorama' shown here a couple of weeks ago it
was reported by 'the Age' on 18/7/99 that mobile phone companies  and
government were witholding "information crucial to consumers about radiation
levels....."
This longish article looks at all the research and what is going on in
industry.

I also note that an extensive article in a Scottish newspaper reports on the
recent findings of public health consultant Dr Helene Irvine, which are to
be presented to the Greater Glasgow Health Board later this month.  These
findings have prompted the author to call for a ban on mobile phones and
removal of towers from residential areas - especially where hotspots exist.
She warns that we do not yet know what the cumulative effects will be.  This
appeared in the Daily Record on 26/6/99.

Best Wishes

Sarah Benson


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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com