Switzerland: 19.3113 INTERPELLATION: Who Bears the Health Risk of 5G Technology?

UPDATE : On 22 May 2019, the Federal Council replied to this interpellation:

Opinion of the Federal Council

1. The Federal Council takes the public's concern about the harmful effects of mobile telephony very seriously. With its ordinance on protection against non-ionizng radiation (ORNI; SR 814.710), Switzerland has a legislative framework that restricts the radiation of mobile telephony antennas more than most of its neighboring countries. The limit values are set in the ORNI on the basis of the precautionary principle laid down in the Environmental Protection Act (EPL; SR 814.01), a principle that the Federal Council intends to maintain.

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Video Interview with Professor Martin Röösli, President of the Swiss Advisory Expert Group NIS (BERENIS)

Video interview with Professor Martin Röösli
schutz-vor-strahlung.ch, 29 May 2019 - translation

[All interviews are in Swiss German.]

Professor Martin Röösli

Martin Röösli is Professor in Environmental Epidemiology at the Tropical Institute in Basel and also a member of  ICNIRP.  He also presides over the Advisory Expert Group NIS (BERENIS), which works for the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), and continues to work in the "Mobile Communications and Radiation" working group, which is mandated by the Confederation. We were allowed to interview him.

WLAN [Wi-Fi] and the detectability of electrosensitivity

We wanted to know why Prof. Röösli considers WLAN to be negligible, because building biologists have been recognizing WLAN as a disturbing factor for a good night's sleep for years.

"If it were possible to prove electrosensitivity only once, that would question the whole model of thinking." 

- Martin Röösli, epidemiologist and FOEN consultant

According to a 2004 survey , 5% of respondents said they were electrosensitive. According to another survey in 2009 , it was 8.6%. An additional increase in the number of persons affected by 2019 is to be expected. Around 800,000 people in Switzerland are therefore likely to react sensitively to electrosmog today. Nevertheless, Prof. Röösli finds no scientific proof of electrosensitivity.

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What are EMFs and How Do They Impact Chronic Illness?

This article includes a discussion of Lyme disease in relation to EMFs.

WHAT ARE EMFS AND HOW DO THEY IMPACT CHRONIC ILLNESS?

by Dr. Jay Davidson

Article Summary

• Electromagnetic Fields, or EMFs, are growing more common in a world constantly moving toward the next technological advancement. EMFs can come from phones, computers, and charging stations. For years, people have reported health problems that link back to EMFs.
• EMFs have been connected with everything from headaches and insomnia to infertility, depression, and cancer.
• Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes chronic disease as the leading cause of disability and death in the world. Chronic disease and EMF exposure can go together, leading to a more aggressive long-term illness.
• Lyme disease can be affected by EMFs. People suffering from chronic Lyme can suffer from a weakened immune system and inflammation as a result of electromagnetic exposure. Radiation from electromagnetic sources can damage the immune system, and slow down recovery.
• EMFs have entered our homes more in recent years. Studies have shown that these waves cause and exacerbate a range of health problems. They impact our bodies on a cellular level, leading to problems with a host of illnesses, including Lyme.
• People who suffer from chronic illness are also more likely to have electromagnetic sensitivity. Electromagnetic sensitivity can mean that you’re more likely to suffer from severe reactions to EMFs.
• Electromagnetic sensitivity can present itself with a range of symptoms, including headaches, nausea, warm and burning sensations, and more.
• To help get rid of the problem of chronic Lyme, or chronic disease, it is important to reduce exposure to EMFs. It may be impossible to avoid exposure entirely, but it can be limited by reducing your use of cell phones, and other wireless devices.

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Twenty New Papers on Electromagnetic Fields and Biology or Health (23 May 2019)

Twenty new papers on electromagnetic fields and biology or health, courtesy of Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director, Center for Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety, 23 May 2019

[Dr. Moscowitz] has been circulating abstracts of newly-published scientific papers on wireless radiation and electromagnetic fields (EMF) about once a month since August, 2016. Several hundred EMF scientists around the world receive these updates. The complete collection including the papers below now contains more than 600 abstracts.

To see the latest studies or to download the 467-page document (pdf) go to the following web page:

Recent Research on Wireless Radiation and Electromagnetic Fields

News

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Commission Elections 2019
Call for nominations - Open until 17 September 2019

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Botanist Report Links The Pulsed Microwave Radiation Emissions Of Wireless Networks To The Disappearance And Exodus Of Song Birds, Bats And Insects In Mt. Nardi (Australia)

Botanist Report Links The Pulsed Microwave Radiation Emissions Of Wireless Networks To The Disappearance And Exodus Of Song Birds, Bats And Insects In Mt. Nardi
Environmental Health Trust

A report to UNESCO by botanist Mark Broomhall details the association between increasing amounts of electromagnetic radiation and species disappearance and exodus from the Mt. Nardi area of the Nightcap National Park World Heritage Area during a 15-year period (2000-2015.) Mt. Nardi has a tower complex, an installation of wireless antennas, that has steadily increased the electromagnetic emissions in the areas as new antennas were added over the years. The report contains a timeline of the activation of new antennas and documents the endangered birds, bats and plants that have decreased in the area. In addition, he states that from the year 2000, flying insects have been noticeably diminishing.

He estimates that 70 to 90% of the wildlife has become rare or has disappeared from the Nightcap National Park within a 2-3 km radius of the Mt. Nardi tower complex and summarized that concrete data shows:

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Swiss Re Emerging Risk Report: 5G Mobile Networks Rated As "High Impact" Risk for Insurance Industry

5G mobile networks rated as "high impact" risk for insurance industry in new Emerging Risk report from Swiss Re.  Swiss Re rated 5G as a "high impact" risk affecting property and casualty claims in more than 3 years.

From: Swiss Re. SONAR – New emerging risk insights. Zurich, Switzerland: Sustainability, Emerging and Political Risk Management, Swiss Re Institute, Strategy Development & Performance Management. May 2019. https://www.swissre.com/insti…/research/sonar/sonar2019.html

Off the leash – 5G mobile networks (p. 29)

"5G – short for fifth generation – is the latest standard for cellular mobile communications. Providing ultrafast broadband connection with higher capacity and lower latency, 5G is not only heaven for your smartphone. It will enable wireless connectivity in real time for any device of the Internet of things (IoT), whether that be autonomous cars or sensor-steered factory. In doing so, it will allow decentralised seamless interconnectivity between devices.

To allow for a functional network coverage and increased capacity overall, more antennas will be needed, including acceptance of higher levels of electromagnetic radiation. In some jurisdictions, the rise of threshold values will require legal adaptation. Existing concerns regarding potential negative health effects from electromagnetic fields (EMF) are only likely to increase. An uptick in liability claims could be a potential long-term consequence.

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Swiss Firms Will Not Be Compensated if 5G Found to Be Harmful

Swiss firms will not be compensated if 5G found to be harmful

swissinfo.ch, 23 May 2019

The Swiss government will apply the precautionary principle to fifth generation mobile communications (5G) and can tighten existing laws in the face of new scientific evidence on risks.

Mobile operators that have invested in 5G technology will not be financially compensated by the state if stricter laws are introduced, the Federal Council responded on Thursday to a parliamentarian’s question. The financial cost of complying with scientifically-backed new legislation will have to be borne by the telecom companies. There was acknowledgement of the World Health Organization’s decision to classify high frequency radiation as potentially carcinogenic to humans but the government pointed out the absence of relevant long-term studies.

Hence, the Federal Council has taken these grey areas into account based on the precautionary principle. It has set stricter installation limit values for sensitive areas likes homes, schools, hospitals, offices, playgrounds, etc. to ensure low-level exposure over the long term.

When it comes to compensating victims of harmful exposure, several existing legal provisions would make it possible to demand compensation, provided a causal link can be proven. As of now, the law does not provide for the creation of a mutual compensation fund financed by mobile telephone operators. 

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/scientific-evidence-_swiss-firms-will-not-be-compensated-if-5g-found-to-be-harmful/44984736

Geneva: Speech during 5G Protest

Speech during 5G protest opposite the United Nations, Geneva, 4 May 2019
Olivier Pahud, 4G Bien Assez ! - translation

Roger Federer wants us to believe that he doesn't have wifi at home for his virtual glasses, and it is now clear for whom Donald Trump is defending interests. 5G is imposed on us like force-feeding geese.

However, I see in 5G an opportunity, the opportunity to unite, all together. Yellow vests, climate demonstrators, the electrohypersensitive (EHS), all ages from all walks of life have a common cause here.

Because in the end, 5G is symptomatic of our society, of the exhaustion of our old democracy. The commune says to refer to the canton, the canton to the confederation: a devious form of dictatorship in three layers! Politicians are the bedrock of industrialists. They have only one word in their mouths: growth.

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Health Concerns May Slow Rollout of Super-Fast 5G Mobile Networks, Analyst Warns

Health Concerns May Slow Rollout of Super-Fast 5G Mobile Networks, Analyst Warns
By AARON PRESSMAN, fortune.com, 22 May 2019

As the wireless industry races to install thousands of new cellular sites to create super-fast 5G networks, questions about the impact of the new technology on human health may delay its arrival, one Wall Street analyst warns.

In the U.S., both the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission say there is nothing to worry about. Most studies have not linked radio signals from mobile phones and cell towers to disease, the agencies say.

But some researchers have found heightened risks from cellular networks, and additional research will be coming over the next few years, HSBC Securities analyst Sunil Rajgopal said in a new report on Tuesday. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified cellular radio waves as a possible carcinogen in 2011 and is undertaking a “high priority” study seeking a more definitive answer, he added.

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Switzerland: Information War Over 5G

Editorial:  Information War Over 5G
by Antoine Grosjean, Tribune de Genève, 24 May 2019 - translation

Swisscom has recently deployed its 5G network in major
Swiss cities. A new network that is far from being
unamiously accepted.  Image : Lucien Fortunati

Swisscom and its partners probably saw themselves as modern-day heralds, welcomed with open arms by the poor populations to whom they would bring progress. But now, just like the former conquistadors who claimed to civilize the world, those eulogizing 5G are welcomed with arrows and blowguns.

Faced with this popular and political sling, the blue giant pulled out the heavy artillery, paying itself a golden price for double pages of infomercials in several German and French-speaking newspapers, and covering our walls with giant posters. It's David against Goliath.

This information war is also played out on the political battlefield. Sign of a certain nervousness on a hot topic, the pro and anti-5G have split up letters to City Councils to praise the merits of this technology, or on the contrary, to enjoin them to be wary of it.

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Poor Semen Quality in Switzerland

© UNIGE

Never keep a cell phone in your pocket. The Phonegate Alert Association has revealed that some 250 cell phones tested in contact with the body expose users to radio frequencies exceeding European (and Swiss) regulatory limits and must be updated or withdrawn from the market. This issue was raised at the National Council of the Swiss Parliament in March of this year. When will the authorities correctly inform cell phone users?

Poor semen quality in Switzerland

Press Release, unige.ch, 22 May 2019

Researchers at UNIGE have carried out the first nationwide study on semen quality of young Swiss men. And their verdict? Only 38% of men have semen parameter values above the norms set by World Health Organization for fertile men.

[Full text of study published in the journal, "Andrology".]

Over the last fifty years, a marked decrease in sperm count has been observed in the Western World. But what about the situation in Switzerland? Up to now, no study had evaluated the reproductive health of Swiss young men. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, working in collaboration with other institutions and with a logistical support from the Swiss army, have undertaken the first nationwide assessment of the semen quality of men between the age of 18 and 22. The scientists assessed three important parameters: the number of spermatozoa, their motility and morphology. The results were well below the reference values issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The current situation is a matter of concern since the poor semen quality of Swiss men is associated with an increase in the incidence of testicular cancer. You can read about the study in the journal Andrology.

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Phonegate Alert Association: Minutes of the First General Assembly

Minutes of the first Phonegate Alert General Assembly
Phonegate Team,  22 May 2019

The first Ordinary General Assembly of our association was held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at our association’s headquarters. It allowed us to draw a first assessment of the many actions carried out in 2018 by our young organization. Attached is the agenda for this annual meeting as well as the President’s moral report and the Treasurer’s financial statement.

Agenda :

• Moral report from Dr Marc Arazi
• Financial report for 2018 (over 10 months)
• Prospects and projects for 2019
• Election of the members of the Board of Directors
• Other matters

Moral report of the President

The Phonegate Alert association was created on March 2, 2018 by three founding members, Lysiane Brasset, Joël Ferbus and Marc Arazi. It was officially declared in the Journal officiel de la République française on 10 March 2018.

The creation of our association is in line with the alert action carried out by Dr Marc Arazi since July 2016 to make the Phonegate industrial and health scandal known internationally.

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Open Letter to the President of the German Federal Network Agency from Environmental Physician Barbara Dohmen

Open letter to the President of the Federal Network Agency

diagnose-funk.org, 17 March 2019 - translation

5G auction / suffering of affected people

The environmental physician Barbara Dohmen from Murg (Baden-Württemberg) wrote an open letter to the President of the Federal Network Agency on the occasion of the 5G frequency auction. From a medical point of view, she impressively describes the dramatic consequences that complete radiation will have for electrohypersensitive people. Freiburg, 17.3.2019

Dear Mr. Homann,

As you will chair, as President of the Federal Network Agency, the auction of the 5th mobile phone generation, 5G, next Tuesday, 19.3.2019, I would like to urge you to inform yourself about the probable unknown effects of mobile phone technology in the health sector. There is a worrying increase in morbidity that we doctors trained in environmental medicine have observed in our professional lives since the beginning of the expansion of wireless communication technology with 2G, 3G, 4G:

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5G: The Unreported Global Threat: Dr. Devra Davis Responds to the New York Times

Dr. Devra Davis, president of the Environmental Health Trust, responds to the New York Times: "5G: The Unreported Global Threat"

5G: The Unreported Global Threat
by Dr. Devra Davis, medium.com, 18 May 2019

Accusations of Russia lobbying are ricocheting around the media and have now been extended through a front-page article in the New York Times positing that scientists and consumer advocates calling to halt 5G have fallen under the spell of RT, a news network registered as a Russian foreign agent in the U.S. Could it be a coincidence that following on the heels of the NY Times story, the Wall Street Journal and the UK Telegraph have echoed the same smear of guilt by association, portraying scientists who warn of the potential environmental and health damages of 5G as untethered alarmists unwittingly linked to Russian propaganda? These otherwise credible media sources ignore the substantial body of science pinpointing hazards of wirelessradiation and 5G detailed in independent journalistic investigations that have appeared extensively in media throughout Europe and been covered by majornetworks.
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New York Times Denies Health Impacts of 5G Cellphone Technology

New York Times Denies Health Impacts of 5G Cellphone Technology
By Richard Gale and Dr. Gary Null, globalresearch.ca, 17 May 2019

Electromagnetic frequency's (EMFs) biomolecular effects on living organisms

The New York Times continues to descend further into spewing fiction masquerading as news. Its most recent analysis challenges Judith Miller‘s delusional screed about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction as sheer nonsense. Evidently the Times has a propensity for disgracing itself. Now the newspaper’s latest low is William Broad’s essay, “Your 5G Phone Won’t Hurt You But Russia Wants You to Think Otherwise,” touting a wild conspiracy theory that 5G technology’s severe risks to human health and the environment is a covert Russian plot intended to sow confusion into the minds of the American public.

As a patriotic loyalist of Russo-paranoia, Broad has dreamed up a hallucination that Russia is preparing to outpace the US’s strategy to dominate the global “internet of everything” in the race to launch 5G technology globally. Aside from Broad’s otherwise corporate friendly stances supporting hydrofracking, genetically modified foods, and the myth that vaccines do not contribute to neurological disorders, he has produced some excellent work about Yoga culture and North Korea. Yet these are hardly topics that would enable a person to speak intelligently about electromagnetic frequency’s (EMFs) biomolecular effects on living organisms.

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Cellphone Industry Continues to Control the Safety Message

Cellphone industry continues to control the safety message
By Frontier Centre for Public Policy, troymedia.com,  May 16, 2019

In the U.S., the industry has influenced science, regulators, public perception and government policy

When industry wants science to say something, how does it do it?

Last year, The Nation showed us how in its special investigation, How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe.

In 1993, a lawsuit alleged that cellphones caused a woman’s terminal brain cancer. As wireless stocks headed downward, the industry unleashed a five-fold response.

This tactical plan can be used by any threatened industry on any issue at any time to influence science, regulators, public perception and government policy.

Citizens beware.
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Study Claims 5G 'Overheats Insect Antennas'

Study claims 5G 'overheats insect antennas'
by Andrés Castellano, androidpit.com, 17 May 2019

Les ondes plus puissantes de téléphonie mobile ont une
influence sur le métabolisme  fragile des insectes.
Image: iStock / Keystone (Photo posted in Le Matin)

The Swiss organization Pro Natura has published new studies, which indicate that the frequencies used by 5G increase the body temperature of insects. Are we taking another step against nature?

Both insects and 5G need antennas: insects use them as an olfactory organ, and 5G use them to propagate waves, which are invisible, but not harmless. Now, new studies indicate that insects are sensitive to 5G waves: A recent study has shown that insects exposed to 5G radiation have experienced an increase in their body temperature.

Pro Natura runs an intense insect protection campaign called "En
semble contre la disaparition des insectes! "(in English: "Together against the disappearance of insects!"). The campaign addresses the many problems we humans are causing our tiny cohabitants: intensive agriculture, pesticides, the disappearance of ecosystems, light pollution, and now, 5G radiation.

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5G Health Fears Exist but NYT & WSJ Blame Them on RT

5G health fears exist but NYT & WSJ blame them on RT (15 May 2019 - 11 min.)

Following a NY Times hit piece on RT’s 5G coverage, now the Wall Street Journal has followed suit. RT’s Dan Cohen reports from a protest in Bethesda, Maryland, that highlights the dangers of 5G radiation and mentions the demonstration against 5G in Bern in which over 1,000 people participated.   Filmmaker Sabine E. Gemayel discusses her documentary, Generation Zapped, about the risks of wireless radiation and 5G.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzsGx1BTGc4&fbclid=IwAR0eEZ0hvEpnSjqx0NRtEm5t2SBiNOCd7J5YExYbtFZQVF11LdSzd050WoU

Explosive: NY Times 5G Ties Uncovered

Explosive: NY Times 5G ties uncovered (13 May 2019, 19 min.)

RT America:

Rick Sanchez lays into the New York Times’ baseless and intellectually lazy attack on RT America’s coverage of the potential health hazards posed by 5G radiation. Then RT America’s Dan Cohen reports on the deep conflicts of interest between New York Times and US telecommunications giant Verizon and what ties between the two say about the Times’ motives for attacking RT’s coverage of 5G technology. RT America’s Michele Greenstein discusses the legitimate public health concerns that scientists continue to raise about 5G technology and are relevant to people of all countries and points out that smearing RT is far easier than smearing the doctors and other experts sounding the alarm. Finally, journalism professor Chris Chambers joins Rick Sanchez to weigh in on the Times’ “bizarre” latest attack on RT and what it says about declining standards in journalism. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_3l40UoYlI&fbclid=IwAR03YvAWOfEs9h72_cb4WiY2iO12IrSHguLYz8SRZV95YjpI5jXidcNWoAI