(Die Presse) 08.07.2005

Weil Handys als Bombenzünder verwendet werden können, wurden in London am Donnerstag die Netze abgeschlagen.

Weiter unter:
http://www.diepresse.com/Artikel.aspx?channel=p&ressort=a&id=493327

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

wir haben auf unserer Internetseite http://www.mobilfunk-lindlar.de einen Punkt „Recht“ eingebaut. Dort ist eine Datei :

Nachbarrechte gegen Mobilfunksendeanlagen
von Rechtsanwalt Dr. Wolf R. Herkner
http://www.mobilfunk-lindlar.de/images/stories/200507/nachbarrechte_gg_mobilfunksendeanlagen_stand%2007-07-05.pdf

Es behandelt die Themen Öffentliches Recht und Zivilrecht.

Dies ist sehr interessant, besonders für „Neueinsteiger“ ist es dadurch einfach, alles auf einen Blick zu erfahren.


Gruß Gertrud Schnepper

http://www.omega-news.info/leserbrief_totzeck_main_echo_2_3_07_05.pdf
http://www.omega-news.info/leserbrief_scholz_main_echo_6_07_05.pdf
http://www.omega-news.info/main_echo_2_3_07_05_aschaffenburg2.pdf
http://www.omega-news.info/main_echo_4_07_05_aschaffenburg3.pdf
http://www.omega-news.info/main_echo_5_07_05_aschaffenburg1.pdf

Heute erhalten Sie einige Infos speziell von Aschaffenburg, je im pdf-Dateiformat.

Es handelt sich um Berichte vom 2/3 -07 bis 6-07-05 aus dem Main-Echo - Aschaffenburger Zeitung -; z.T. ganzseitige eingescannte Artikel, die absolut lesenswert sind.

Außerdem noch zwei Lesebriefe.

M.f.G.
Alfred Tittmann
c/o HESSISCHER LANDESVERBAND MOBILFUNKSENDERFREIE WOHNGEBIETE e.V.

Monatsversammlung des Bundes Naturschutz / Kanufahrt und Familienradtour

EBENSFELD. Neben geplanten Aktionen wie einer Bootstour, dem jährlichen Sommerfest, der Familienradtour und einer Wanderung stand das Monatstreffen der Ortsgruppe des Bundes Naturschutz Ebensfeld diesmal ganz im Zeichen des Volksbegehrens zur Mobilfunkproblematik. Vorsitzender Ludwig Wendler appellierte an die Bevölkerung, die besonderen Öffnungszeiten des Ebensfelder Rathauses zur Unterschriftsleistung zu nutzen.

Anschließend erläuterte Wendler nochmals das in dieser Woche angelaufene Volksbegehren. Unter dem Motto ,Der nächste Sender vor Ihrem Schlafzimmer? - Gesundheitsvorsorge Mobilfunk" will ein von der ÖDP initiiertes Aktionsbündnis das Baurecht und den Landesentwicklungsplan so ändern, dass die Bürger besser vor den Gefahren der Mobilfunkmasten geschützt werden können. Neben dem BN finden sich unter den Unterstützern auch viele Ärzte, Apotheker, Bürgermeister, Bürgerinitiativen bis hin zu den Freien Wählern.

Um als Gemeinde auch Einfluss auf die Standortwahl eines Handymastes zu haben, ist allerdings eine Gesetzesänderung notwendig, die das Volksbegehren beabsichtigt. Wilhelm Ebitsch verdeutlichte nochmals die gravierenden Gefahren der Mobilfunkstrahlung, bei der gesundheitliche Beeinträchtigungen bis hin zu Erbgutschäden und Einflüsse auf die Blut-Hirn-Schranke befürchtet werden müssten.

"Natürlich kann das laufende Volksbegehren nichts an den viel zu hohen Grenzwerten, die vom Bundestag geändert werden müssten, ändern", so Otto Weidner. Allerdings grenze es schon an Scheinheiligkeit, wenn nun aus verschiedenen politischen Richtungen das Volksbegehren madig gemacht wird, die gleichen Politiker auf Bundesebene jedoch nicht aktiv werden, um diese Grenzwerte zu ändern. Dabei müsse man eher den Eindruck gewinnen, dass so manchem Verband und Politiker das Wohlergehen der Mobilfunkkonzerne wichtiger sei als das Wohlergehen der Bürger.

Alle Einwohner, die künftig keine Sendeanlagen in Wohngebieten und in der Nähe von Kindergärten und Schulen mehr haben wollen, sollten deshalb die erweiterten Öffnungszeiten des Ebensfelder Rathauses nutzen. Neben den täglichen Zeiten zwischen 8 und 12 Uhr sowie zwischen 13 und 16 Uhr können die Bürger auch zusätzlich am Donnerstag, 7. Juli, bis 20 Uhr, am Donnerstag, 14. Juli, bis 18 Uhr, an den Samstagen von 10 bis 12 Uhr, am Sonntag, 10. Juli, von 12 bis 14 Uhr und am Sonntag, 17. Juli, von 18 bis 20 Uhr unterschreiben.

Das Volksbegehren läuft noch bis zum Montag, 18. Juli, und ist nur erfolgreich, wenn mindestens zehn Prozent der Wahlberechtigten unterschreiben. Um die Öffnungszeiten und den Inhalt des Volksbegehrens nochmals zu verdeutlichen, wird die BN Ortsgruppe im Laufe dieser Woche an alle Haushalte noch Informationsmaterial verteilen. -ow-

http://portal.obermain.de/pub/index.php?mid=75&aid=408&if=75684271.html
(Auszug)


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim


http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Volksbegehren

07.07.2005 00:00

Gesundheit soll geschützt werden: Mit Satzungen will der Gemeinderat weitere Antennen auf seiner Gemarkung verhindern

NECKARTENZLINGEN. Wieder einmal wird eine kleine Gemeinde mit einem großen Problem konfrontiert: Ein Mobilfunkbetreiber will eine neue Funkstation für seine UMTS-Frequenzen in Neckartenzlingen errichten. Doch kann jemand dafür garantieren, dass die Strahlung nicht gesundheitliche Risiken für die Bevölkerung birgt? Das Thema wird heiß diskutiert, endgültige Antworten gibt es nicht. Der Gemeinderat beschloss am Dienstag mit großer Mehrheit vor großem Publikum, der Firma T-Mobile kein Angebot für einen Standort im von ihr angegebenen Gebiet zu machen. Vielmehr will die Gemeinde prüfen, inwieweit mit Ortssatzungen der Bau von neuen Masten im Ortsgebiet generell verhindert werden kann.

ANDREAS WARAUSCH

Die Verwaltung unter Zugzwang: Letzte Woche flatterte Bürgermeister Herbert Krüger Post von T-Mobile ins Haus. Man beabsichtige, eine neue UMTS-Mobilfunkstation zur Versorgung Neckartenzlingens zu bauen. Der Verwaltung wurde ein Suchkreis mit 300 Meter Durchmesser angezeigt, in dem der neue Masten platziert weden müsse. Der Kreis spannt sich ungefähr von der Stuttgarter Straße auf Höhe der Firma Hirschmann über den Neckar hinüber den Berg hinauf und tangiert die Altdorfer Straße und den Reuschweg. Gemäß einem Abkommen aus dem Jahre 2001 zwischen kommunalen Spitzenverbänden und den Mobilfunkbetreibern werde die Gemeinde am Verfahren beteiligt, Standortvorschläge innerhalb des Suchkreises würden in die Überlegungen von T-Mobile einbezogen.

Bürgermeister Krüger legte dem Gemeinderat einen Beschluss vor, mit dem ein Standort auf einem Gemeindegrundstück an der Stuttgarter Straße vorgeschlagen werden sollte. Doch Krüger machte unmissverständlich klar: Es geht nicht darum, der Firma zügig zuzuarbeiten oder gar Bedenken zu unterdrücken. Vielmehr müsse man überlegen, was geschehe, wenn man keinen Standort vorschlage.

Es ging dem Ortschef also darum, das vermeintliche Risiko zu minimieren. „Wir sollten klug und weise entscheiden“, meinte Krüger. Und Ortsbauamtsleiter Bernhard Fritz erklärte auch, warum das so sein sollte: Mache die Gemeinde keinen Vorschlag, fragt der Betreiber bei anderen Grundstückseigentümern im Suchkreis an.

Redner aller Fraktionen fanden klare Worte der Ablehnung. Jürgen Schöllhammer von der FBL erinnerte an die neuen Baugebiete „Hinter Holz“ und „Gallenaäcker“, die direkt an den Suchkreis angrenzen. Mit einem strahlenden Funkmasten in der Nachbarschaft könne man die Vermarktung der Gebiete gleich aufgeben.

Auch Professor Helmuth Kern (Alternative) formulierte für seine Fraktion deutliche Ablehnung. Er machte gesundheitliche, wirtschaftliche und haftungstechnische Gründe geltend, die zuvor schon Ex-Gemeinderat Mundy Hassan für eine Bürgerinitiative in der Bürgerfragestunde teils angeführt hatte. Das vorgeschlagene Grundstück sei ungeeignet, da es in der Nähe von Naherholungsgebieten, dem Sportplatz, dem Kindergarten und der Firma Hirschmann liege. Zudem dürfe man aus Gründen der Solidarität die ablehnende Haltung des Altenrieter Gemeinderats gegenüber den Masten nicht unterlaufen.

Kern will die anderen Grundstückseigentümer über die Haftungsrisiken informieren. Zudem verwies er auf den Dringlichkeitsantrag seiner Fraktion, mit dem eine Ortsgestaltungssatzung in die Wege geleitet werden soll, die die Errichtung neuer Funkmasten verbietet. Die Unschädlichkeit der strahlenden Masten könne nicht nachgewiesen werden. Und so folgerte Kern: „Der Masten gehört nirgendwo hin.“ Auch Jörg Pfauth (SPD) lehnte den Vorschlag für den Standort des Masten ab. Solch eine Antenne lasse den Wert nahe liegender Immobilien um die Hälfte sinken, Versicherungsgesellschaften lehnten die Versicherung von Haftungsrisiken ab. Unterstützung kam auch von Triantafyllos Tsolakidis (Junge Liste): „Solange ich keine Studien zur Unbedenklichkeit habe, kann ich nicht zustimmen.“ Alle ablehnenden Redner bekamen Applaus.

Nur Adler war dafür

Eine grundsätzlich andere Einstellung vertrat lediglich Georg Adler (CDU). Das Motto „Wasch mir den Pelz, aber mach mich nicht nass“ komme für ihn nicht in Frage. Er sehe zwar auch Gründe, die dagegen sprächen, sei aber über sein Handy sehr froh, gerade auch in medizinischen Notfällen. Man solle Vorschläge für vernünftige Standorte machen.

Adler blieb indes allein auf weiter Flur. Auch der Bürgermeister stimmte wie alle anderen Räte gegen den Beschlussvorschlag. Zwar habe die Verwaltung im Prozedere einen konstruktiven Vorschlag für einen Standort machen müssen, in der Entscheidung aber sei er seinem Gewissen und der persönlichen Einstellung verpflichtet.

Nun wurde der Dringlichkeitsantrag der Alternative, der von SPD und Teilen der Jungen Liste und der UWV unterschrieben worden war, diskutiert. Gemäß dem Antrag soll per Satzung eine örtliche Bauvorschrift verabschiedet werden, die für eine positive Entwicklung des Ortsbilds neue Außenantennenanlagen beschränkt oder gar ausschließt.

Bürgermeister Krüger führte an, dass eine Gestaltungssatzung eigentlich nur städtebaulich-ästhetische Auffassungen fixieren könne. Hier gehe es aber um gesundheitliche Gesichtspunkte. Ortsbauamtsleiter Fritz pflichtete ihm bei. Solch eine Gestaltungssatzung sei eine „Verhinderungssatzung“. Sie könne nicht für ein ganzes Gemeindegebiet, für Gewerbegebiete, Wohngebiete und anderes, also flächendeckend erlassen werden. Nur gestalterische Aspekte könnten eine Rolle spielen, vor Gericht würde eine solche Satzung sonst keinen Bestand haben. Die Adressaten für so eine Initiative seien die Politiker.

Redner verschiedener Fraktionen hingegen setzten sich für die Satzung ein. Walburga Duong (Alternative) zum Beispiel bestätigte, dass es sich um ein politisches Thema handele, aber man dürfe keine Zeit verlieren. Auch in Altenriet gebe es solch eine Satzung. Jürgen Schöllhammer (FBL) stellte die Frage, ob denn eine Satzung nicht zum Schutz der Gesundheit der Bürger erlassen werden könne.

Bürgermeister Krüger erkannte darin kommunalverfassungsrechtliche Fragen und will einen Anwalt auf dem Weg zu einer Satzung einbeziehen. Bernhard Fritz wiederum schlug vor, vier bis fünf Satzungen für die verschiedenen Gebiete im Ort vorzubereiten - statt einer einzigen flächendeckenden, die leicht anzufechten sei. Mit diesem weiteren Vorgehen war das Gremium einverstanden, das Thema kommt eventuell in der letzten Sitzung vor dem Sommer erneut auf die Tagesordnung.

http://www.ntz.de/lokalnachrichten/umland/index.php?action=shownews&id=560315


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

Update: Kurz vor den Anschlägen in London zur Eröffnung des G8-Gipfels meldete das National Counterterrorism Centre einen starken Anstieg der weltweiten Terroranschläge im letzten Jahr.

http://www.telepolis.de/tp/r4/artikel/20/20474/1.html

In Zentralasien formiert sich ein Block gegen die USA.
http://www.telepolis.de/tp/r4/artikel/20/20475/1.html

Patente auf Leben: Europäisches Patentamt lässt Menschenzüchtung zu (07.07.05)

Das Europäische Patentamt (EPA) hat im Februar 2005 ein Patent erteilt, dass zur Auswahl des Geschlechts von Kindern dient, die aus künstlicher Befruchtung hervorgehen. Patentinhaber ist die US-Firma XY Inc, USA. Dies belege eine aktuelle Recherche von Greenpeace. Laut Patentschrift mit der Nummer EP 1257 168 B werden Samenzellen tiefgekühlt und nach den Geschlechts- Chromosomen getrennt. Das Patent umfasst das technische Verfahren und die Samenzellen selbst. Menschen würden laut Greenpeace damit auf eine Ebene mit Verfahren in der Tierzucht gestellt.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:
http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=11368

07.07.05

In Island sind die ersten Walfangschiffe ausgelaufen, teilte der IFAW (Internationaler Tierschutz-Fonds) mit. Das sei der Startschuss für die neue Jagdsaison auf Wale. Seitens der isländischen Regierung gab es keine offizielle Ankündigung, doch bereits vor einigen Wochen empfahl das isländische Meeresinstitut (MRI) eine Quote von 39 Walen. Das sei die höchste Fangquote seit der Wiederaufnahme des Walfangs in 2003.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:
http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=11369

Für eine andere Wirtschaftspolitik: "Volkssolidarität" fordert ein Ende des Sozialabbaus (07.07.05)

Der in den Neuen Bundesländern tätige Sozialverband "Volkssolidarität" lehnt Überlegungen ab, die Mehrwertsteuer zu erhöhen und so die Lohnnebenkosten zu senken. Eine solche Politik führe zu weiterem Sozialabbau, aber nicht zu mehr Arbeitsplätzen. Eine Weiterführung der bisherigen Wirtschaftspolitik dürfe es nicht geben, "egal, wer regiert", so der Präsident der Volkssolidarität, Prof. Gunnar Winkler.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:
http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=11363

http://www.zeitung.org/zeitung/738691-129,1,0.html


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

http://www.ph-studio.de/Article2029.html


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

http://www.suedkurier.de/lokales/konstanz/art1077,1617104.html?fCMS=ddbc3424499522496d2cb209099fba48


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,,1063484,00.html

This article was in the Guardian in October 2003, pointed out by a helpline caller. I wonder if anything was ever done - or whether the phone companies took control?

Sylvia

Some places are joining up, Agnes, and we encourage it at Mast Sanity. Some advice line callers keep a look out, and give advice to neighbouring areas and even helping at times, or they pass on our details to them. A very old lady who had no computer, phoned me last night to tell me that they had won, and that she was going to keep watch and pass on details of Mast Sanity to others, even if she had to catch the bus, or walk a way! She is 80+ With people like this, we will unite eventually!

Sandi

--------

Sylvia.

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BEAT THEM IS IF WE ALL JOIN FORCES

Just think of the massive amount of people who are trying to fight them off, usually on local plan.

The target us by house, street, village etc, and always make sure it is on a very local plan, with very few objectors, who they, with the help of the local planners can intimidate us out, because the people in the next street are not concerned, because it is only our Street who is having this thing installed, and not theirs.(luckily).

And, if you think Global, just imagine!

So, Yes we NEED to join forces, ALL OF US.

Now we are like this!!!!

And that ain´t good!!!

So, that needs to be changed.

Shoreham Herald, Sussex

A group formed to fight plans to put a mobile phone mast outside homes in north Shoreham won the first round of its battle on Monday.

Shoreham Community Residents Against Masts (SCRAM) was set up by leading protester Rod Hotton, whose home in Downsway would have directly faced the mast.

Mr Hotton, now chairman of SCRAM, held a protest meeting in his garden, got residents to sign protest letters and lobbied the council in a bid to get its support.

Although T-Mobile did not technically need planning permission for its proposed, 11-metre mast on the junction of Downsway and Upper Shoreham Road, because it was under 15 metres high, Adur councillors unanimously voted to refuse it after stating it was detrimental to the area and would endanger traffic on a busy road junction.

Member Janet Mockridge said: "This is a totally inappropriate site for a phone mast. It will spoil a green, leafy environment and would stand in isolation in the area."

Mr Hotton, speaking from a packed public gallery, spoke on behalf of the objectors, after Adur council revealed it had received 328 letters of objection from residents against the mast.

Mr Hotton urged the council to use its best endeavours to get the law and planning guidelines changed, as he claimed the current rules and regulations were biased in favour of the telecommunications companies.

After the meeting, Mr Hotton said: "Although the first battle has been won, SCRAM are expecting an appeal by T-Mobile, despite suggesting several feasible alternative sites.

"SCRAM are already preparing their case for the next stage and are also prepared to take the fight all the way to the European courts, if necessary."

07 July 2005

Kiddermister Shuttle

VICTORIOUS residents are celebrating after persuading councillors to throw out plans for a third mobile phone mast close to their homes.

Several hundred people mounted a forceful campaign against their neighbourhood, around Stourport Road , being turned into a "dumping ground for masts."

This week, the district council's planning development control committee voted against an officer's recommendation for approval and refused the bid by 02 to build a 15m mast behind Charlie Brown's Autos, off Lisle Avenue.

Protest co-ordinator, Anita Gallagher, of Communities Against Mobile Masts, said residents were "overjoyed" by the decision and she thanked all those involved.

More than 100 protest letters, a 635-named petition and postcards with pictures showing how residents felt the area had already been blighted by a Vodafone mast in the same location had been sent to councillors.

Mrs Gallagher, whose home in Hospital Lodge is 130m from the site, said: "We are not a dumping ground for mobile masts."

This is Gwent

PEOPLE power helped convince councillors in Gwent to refuse planning permission for a telephone mast 50 metres from a school playground.

Residents in Thornhill, Cwmbran, had campaigned to stop mobile phone company O2 erecting a 12.5-metre mast near Woodlands Infants and Junior School.

A petition of 300 signatures was handed to Torfaen council and a local resident spoke to the planning committee on behalf of the community. The campaign was backed by ward members Councillors John Cunningham and Mary Barnett, who praised the efforts of local people.

Councillors went against a recommendation by planning chiefs to approve the application, citing its close proximity to the school and potential "health effects", as well as "visual intrusion" as their main reasons. Councillor Cunningham said he was "thrilled" with the decision. "I am glad the committee decided to take the precautionary approach," he added.

Speaking to the committee, Nicky Rees, a resident of Thornhill Close, said the government's Stewart Report in 2000 had urged a "precautionary approach" as far as mobile technology was concerned, particularly with regard to schools.

She added: "There is no proof they can damage people's health - neither is there any proof they are safe."

Omega there is proof they can damage people's health. See under: http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

Mrs Rees said regulations in New Zealand and Australia specified a minimum distance of 300m between masts and schools or houses. Residents also voiced concerns about the effect the mast could have on medical equipment such as pacemakers.

An independent report by an executive agency of the department of health found no interference between phone transmitters and medical equipment.

A spokesman from O2 said in response to the council's decision: "Health and safety issues are of prime importance to us and we are sensitive to public concerns, but there is no evidence linking the use of mobile telephony with adverse health effects. This is one of the most studied areas of science.

Omega there is evidence linking the use of mobile telephony with adverse health effects. See under: http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

"The demand for mobile phone coverage is at its greatest in the areas where people live and work, and inevitably this means from time to time there will be schools nearby.

"It is clear we need to provide the best service for the customer. Without a network of mobile phone masts, mobile phones won't work."

l Last month, campaigners in Talywain, near Pontypool , blocked Vodafone workers from putting up a mast on the grounds.

http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert405.shtml

Rove Manipulations

by Bill Israel, MediaChannel.org

In the Valerie Plame case, is Karl Rove using journalists and the First Amendment to camouflage a crime?

Source: http://www.tompaine.com/

BY LAURA MATLESS Bath Chronocle

11:00 - 07 July 2005

A controversial plan to site more mobile phone antennae at Bath City Football Club looks set be approved. Campaigners had opposed proposals to erect a new mast at the Twerton Park football ground, but now even more telecommunications equipment could be added.

Mobile phone giant Orange wants to attach three more high-powered aerials and a dish on to floodlights at Twerton Park .

Permission was originally given in 2002 to replace the north west floodlight tower and attach six antennae and four transmission dishes.

But now Bath and North East Somerset Council's Bath South local committee has been recommended to approve the extra equipment when they meet on Tuesday.

Objections to the plan include a 41-name petition, which was signed by nearby residents and parents of children who attend First Steps Centre, which is 100 metres from the tower.

Campaigners say the antennae will be too close to people's homes - including sheltered accommodation - and fear property prices could drop.

There are four mobile phone base stations already at the football ground, according to communications watchdog Ofcom.

Paul Williams, chief executive of the football club, said: "The application has been made by Orange and the type of equipment they use is up to them - all we do is give them a rental space at the ground.

"They had looked at various sites and decided that ours was suitable.

"Mobile phones are a thing of the future - everyone has them so the mast has to go somewhere in order for the reception to be available."

Another nearby resident who complained asked about the potential for the mast to interfere with electronic household items. The resident also asked if there had been enough publicity around the application.

The council officer's report into the application said: "This resident has received a response and confirmation that the publicity of this application is in accordance with statutory requirement and council policy.

--------

Has the football club ever been sent a Mast Sanity landowner letter, reminding them of their legal responsibility should it be proven in the future that these masts have affected the health of those living close by?

Caroline

Bath Chronicle

11:00 - 07 July 2005

Health fears are often raised by worried householders when an application is submitted for a mobile phone mast near their home. But worries about possible effects from radiation are not allowed to be taken into account by council planning officers.

They make the recommendations as to whether planning committee members should permit or turn down each particular application and they have a tight set of guidelines to follow.

Not every mobile phone mast will require planning permission but, if a planned telecommunications mast is in a conservation area, as many in Bath are, or more than 15 metres high, then permission is needed.

If the mast does not fit these criteria, the mobile phone operator still has to apply for prior approval from planning officers at Bath and North East Somerset Council.

When an operator applies for prior approval, the only factors officers can consider are the siting and design of the mast.

It is only when planning permission is required that the officers can look into any other issues.

The planning guidance that is issued to local authorities by the Deputy Prime Minister's Office says: "It is the Government's firm view that the planning system is not the place for determining health safeguards.

"It remains central Government's responsibility to decide what measures are necessary to protect public health."

--------

I get so many callers on the advice line being told by their councils or operators that health cannot be taken into consideration if the mast is under 15 m high (see below). I keep telling them that nothing in the guidelines has changed, only that councils are more wary of taking a health stance after an appeal court decision (Harrogate). But it seems local councils must have been given some kind of new policy guideline, either by the Govt or by operators, otherwise why would they all now be stating that? I expect they've been given a one-sided account of the Harrogate decision, twisted to suit the operators.

Caroline

--------

A totally incorrect appreciation of the planning regulations - yet again!

David Baron

Gloucester news

10:30 - 07 July 2005

Angry residents gathered last night to protest against plans to put a mobile phone mast 100m from a Cheltenham school.

Dozens of campaigners waved placards and called for the plans to be scrapped. The furious reaction was prompted by phone company Hutchison 3G.

It has informed Cheltenham Borough Council it intends to put a 15m mast at the corner of Mead Road and Churchill Road, near Naunton Park Primary School.

The council could be powerless to stop it as aerials that are 15m tall or less do not need planning permission.

Di Gallagher lives opposite the site and has four children ranging in age from 10 to 14.

She said: "I don't think this is an appropriate place. Hutchison don't seem to appreciate that this is primarily a residential area.

"The proximity to the school makes me anxious. I've got children there and the health risks haven't been proved either way.

"It's not a chance I want them to take with my children's health."

Eight-year-old Laurie Cleevely goes to Naunton Park School and joined the protest with his parents Lorraine and Adrian.

His mother said: "He doesn't know what this mast might hold for his future.

"We want to make sure he grows up into a healthy young man."

Raj Gandhi, who lives in Mead Road , was protesting along with his sons Neil, 16, and James, 11.

He said: "From a health point of view there's no definitive study to say mobile phone masts don't do any harm."

Helen Maslin, who lives in Asquith Road, added: "The mast will look shocking. It'll be a blight."

Householders have been fighting plans for a mast in the area for a year.

Coun Klara Sudbury (Con, All Saints'), chairwoman of the residents' association, said: "People are really upset about this.

"We just want to make our point that people feel strongly."

In August 2004 the company revealed plans to install a mast on Leckhampton Kitchens and Bathrooms' premises in Mead Road .

Residents were up in arms and the freeholder of the building bowed to pressure and decided not to allow it on the building.

Now Hutchison has come back with another proposal.

The company says it has tried to find something that works from a technical point of view and is the least intrusive to the community.

It believes the chosen site is the best it can find and says the mast will comply with strict national guidelines on radiation.

Omega see under:
Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not [?!] present a Health Risk http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

Published in Telecomworldwire on Thursday, 07 July 2005 at 12:19 GMT

Copyright (C) 2005, M2 Communications Ltd.

(Have they got the date wrong or is this inside knowledge?)

Mobile networks in the UK capital have been gridlocked after the blasts throughout central London. According to the BBC, Vodafone has announced that it has reserved some network capacity for the emergency service workers dealing with the disaster.

According to Vodafone, all of its switches are at capacity and it is having to free up a portion of the network to ensure that police and emergency services can communicate, which means that regular customers will not be able to use a proportion of their local base station. The company added that this only related to a section of the network across London, so people can still make calls but it will be much more difficult to make a call than usual.

According to the BBC, Orange and O2 said there was "congestion" on their networks making it hard to get through on the first attempt. In addition, Virgin Mobile has stated that as there are so many people making calls it is taking a while for customers to get through successfully.

The problems with the mobile networks has had a knock-on effect on fixed lines phones, said the BBC. In addition, the BBC has revealed that a spokesman for BT has announced that as so many people were turning to fixed line phones once they found that the mobile network was down that it too was running near to capacity. BT are asking that people only make essential calls to limit the congestion.

--------

UK Officials Expected Attack but Lowered Threat Level
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/070805Z.shtml

--------

I have just heard on Sky News that signals to ordinary mobile phones is blocked. In an emergency such as we are seeing at the moment in London. There are special phones for emergency personnel which contain a chip (which cannot be purchased) enabling them to receive the signal.

Could this also be to block any potential mobile phone bomb?? We know mobiles were used in the Spanish bombings, which highlight another downside to mobile phone technology, along with the muggings, bullying, criminal activity and pornographic usage - not to mention the health implications!

Sylvia

--------

I heard exactly that in one of the earliest reports, that no-one could get a signal, and the journo thought that this was to reduce the risk of bombs being detonated by mobiles!

Amanda

--------

Very true, Jane. It is still not certain that these latest bombs were not detonated by mobile phone. A terrorist expert was on ITV news this morning saying that, on looking at the type of explosions, he thought they were.

The BBC especially have been "promoting" mobile phones throughout their coverage of this attrocity. A reporter even highlighted the fact last night that extra medical staff were called in "by text" (and he repeated the fact twice!). Quite blatant free advertising - or perhaps not free!

I dread to think of the level of emissions the victims were having to cope with in addition to the obvious pain and distress.

Sylvia

--------

As usual I am very sceptical about the reports but my feelings are to try to shame the BBC on their blatant advertising of mobiles. Now I wonder what will happen about the plans to install a massive network of masts in the tube system. Will the argument be that this situation has proved the need for mobiles or will anyone have the guts to say that it will be handing terrorists a gift. I believe that the system was well 'scouted' in order to find where a good signal was. All stations except the beeb said the the cell system had been shut down as a precaution.

For many years now I have said that mobiles were a terrorists dream especially pay as you go because they can't be traced, they are used once then thrown away, or sent to India perhaps or Africa!, add to this the fact that I was warning MP's of the risks of camera when the pre-advertising of them first started.

I really hate it when I am proved right. Maybe we should start a hard publicity campaign using the fact that the government and MP's were warned of what kids and terrorists would do with this phones but yet again didn't listen. Perhaps the cartoon of the big dog with the puppy saying I told you this would happen!. Just a thought.

sueferg

--------

The BBC have been falling over themselves in their reporting to wax lyrical about mobiles, I agree. I have heard the statement that the devices couldn't have been detonated by mobiles as they do not work in the Underground. Not true. There are certain areas of the underground that receive reception, and I would have thought the train was above ground at the entrance to a tunnel.

Amanda

--------

They must have had a signal because we have seen and heard images taken by people who were on the train - and in the tunnel as they were making their way out.

Sylvia

--------

Could we include

The epitome of bystander apathy - a perverted individual who walked around filming the carnage with a mobile rather than going to the assistance of the many people needing attenion?

The amnesiacs - those adults who saw that a 12 year old girl had been trying to text her parents, who have themselves relied on mobiles for so long they did not think to explain to her what a Phone Box was?

Amanda

--------

I still think after everyone saying they couldn’t get signals AFTER the bombs its because they automatically turn networks off cause they know most of these bombs are now detonated by MPhones.

Panarama last night said clearly the train bombs were all detonated by mobile phones.

Cheers

Lisa

--------

Other clarification of if, and how:
http://www.silicon.com/0,39024729,39150177,00.htm

Andy

http://www.capital.de/heft/presse/266003.html


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

Thursday July 07th 2005, 11:18 pm

Whatever happened to all those expert warnings over children and mobile phone use? Who does the industry and Disney listen too? None other than Motorola and their spin doctors Swicord, Elder and Joyner who all have had a go at twisting science to the tune of their corporate masters. Recommended reading: “A Corporate Risk Assessment of RF Bioeffects Studies Relevant to the use of Mobile Phones by Children: Is it really science?”

http://www.emfacts.com/papers/corporate_risk.pdf

Don


2 articles follow:

1) Connecting With Kids, Wirelessly (Sent byKarl Polzer)
Disney Among Firms Pitching Cell Phones to Younger Set

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/06/AR2005070602100.html

By Yuki Noguchi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 7, 2005; Page A01

New cell phones are extra-small to fit children’s hands, with “mommy” and “daddy” buttons for one-touch dialing. They come in colors called X-Ray and Bubblegum. Still others are set to feature animated characters on the display screen and have educational software built right in.

Cell phone companies, having captured most of America with lucrative service contracts, are coming for the children.

[Box}
Enfora plans to sell phones with educational software, targeting children 6 and older. (Enfora Lp)

The Kids Are All Wired
Mickey and his pals have a special treat for your tween — a cell phone. And Disney’s not the only one. More companies are starting to figure out how to glue mobile technology to the ears of children.

Yesterday, Walt Disney Co. announced a deal with Sprint Corp. to offer wireless service directed at 8- to 12-year-olds, joining at least two other companies competing for the same age group.

“There are a lot of parents trying to decide how to take advantage of cellular phones to keep connected to their families,” said Stephen H. Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group, which plans to launch the Disney Mobile service next year. “Obviously, it needs to be something that appeals to kids.”

Appealing to kids is rich terrain for wireless companies, which have already locked up nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population through service contracts. In the past year, the industry’s biggest growth has come from 14- to 24-year-olds buying from specialized brands like Virgin Mobile or Boost Mobile LLC. Now, 55 percent of teens have wireless phones, so companies see green in the even younger market, where 25 percent of kids 12 and under own mobile phones, according to the Yankee Group.

Since March, Firefly Mobile Inc. has signed up more than 100,000 users under age 12. Enfora LP plans to sell phones this fall equipped with LeapFrog educational software directed at the 6-and-over crowd.

“It’s a segment of the market that’s under-penetrated,” David Bottoms, vice president of strategic partnerships for Sprint, said of the “tween” population of 8- to 12-year-olds. That demographic is 20 million to 30 million strong in the United States, according to analysts. Disney can tap that base because of its vast library of kids’ entertainment, he said, and because “Disney is considered safe and trusted.”

Cell phones are only the latest product to target the elementary and middle school age group, with companies racing to get everything from snack foods to debit cards into kids’ hands. Because of their cost, mobile phones pose a special dilemma for parents. On the one hand, putting wireless devices in younger hands can ease the demands of scheduling on the fly and monitoring whereabouts. But some say the added distraction — and the expense — raise a question about whether cell phones should be introduced to children at a young age.

Kids can rack up charges on cell phones without parental consent, said Morgan Jindrich, director of the HearUsNow.org Web site for Consumers Union, which collects consumer complaints. One mother recently wrote to complain that her child rang up $87 in Internet usage and download charges on her cell phone bill, Jindrich said.

Parental controls and simple design are perks that Disney, Firefly and Enfora are touting to appease parents’ concerns. Firefly, for example, designed a smaller phone that comes with only five large buttons instead of the usual numeric keypad. Because it is a simplified device that only makes and receives calls, children cannot exchange text messages with friends during class or download pornography off a wireless Internet connection.

Jeannie Pfeffer, a single mother of two children, ages 12 and 13, said she rejected the idea of putting a normal cell phone in the hands of her children. But she warmed to the idea of buying her kids $129 Firefly phones, which she can program so they can dial only a list of numbers she controls.

“It’s a really nice safety feature,” said Pfeffer, a Mills River, N.C., resident whose kids call her with their phones when basketball practice finishes early. At $20 a month for each account, the cost was manageable, said Pfeffer, whose signature ring tone on her kids’ phones is “The Entertainer.” “This gave them an opportunity to show me that they would be responsible enough [to own a phone]. The teachers don’t complain a lot about Firefly because they can’t just call anybody.”

Tracking one’s child may eventually be another selling point for parents, said Mark Weinzierl, president and chief executive of Enfora, a start-up cell phone provider based in the Dallas area. While a tracking service will not be available in Enfora’s first version, the company may add such a service with later models, he said.

For parents concerned about children habitually losing their phone, Firefly is negotiating potential insurance arrangements for child-owned cell phones, said Robin Abrams, chief executive of the Chicago-based company, which conducted 3,000 focus groups and surveys of parents and kids before launching its service.

Selling the product to parents is key because, in most cases, they pay the bills. Of cell phone users between the ages of 13 and 17, 53 percent get service through a family plan — a payment method that allows parents to add children to their accounts for as little as $10 a month, according to the Yankee Group.

Disney, which is disclosing little about its specific marketing plans, said it will present its service in the form of a family plan, offering Mom and Dad as well as their kids appropriate phones, all on one bill.

The move to supply kids with phones is a clever one for cell phone companies, said Roger Entner, an analyst with Ovum, an independent research firm. Parents have already shown their willingness to purchase portable gaming devices for young children, so a cell phone may be no different, he said. Besides, entertainment companies already know how to launch an effective marketing campaign.

“Little kids can be relentless if they see something they want,” he said. “They won’t give up.”

END



2) Walt Disney Internet Group launches mobile phone service
News : Mobile, posted 6-JUL-2005 22:34 (Sent by Sylvie)

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=4789


The Walt Disney Internet Group and Sprint have announced an agreement through which Disney will create a national U.S. wireless phone service specifically designed for families. The service, called Disney Mobile, will use the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network and is slated to launch next year.

Disney Mobile plans to offer wireless voice service, exclusive handsets and a package of features and applications including a range of entertainment content for the family.

“Disney Mobile will combine Disney’s heritage of quality and unparalleled brand equity in the family market with Sprint’s leadership in wireless voice and data services to create an engaging and easy-to-use mobile experience,” said Steve Wadsworth, president, WDIG. “This enhanced mobile service offering will ensure Disney’s place as a leader in the family mobile market, one of the fastest growing segments of the mobile industry. We’ll be in investment mode for the next several years, but expect that over the long run this initiative will generate solid financial returns for the company.”

The new brand is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), with Disney being responsible for all aspects of the service, including product development, distribution, marketing, customer relations, billing and other business operations.

The newly formed Disney Mobile business is part of Walt Disney Internet Group and will be led by Senior Vice President and General Manager George Grobar, who reports to Steve Wadsworth. Grobar is a ten-year Disney veteran, including recent positions as VP and GM of Disney Auctions and NASCAR Store Online, and VP with the DisneyStore.com. Prior to Disney he spent nearly a decade in finance and product planning in the computer industry.

The WDIG entered the mobile arena in 2000 with the launch of Disney branded content, including graphics, ring tones, games and utilities, on NTT DoCoMo in Japan. It will continue to distribute its mobile content through carriers and distributors globally.

END


Source: http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=131

--------

Sprint and Disney have reportedly teamed up to create a line of cell
phones marketed at kids. Evidently they are going to disregard the
British recommendation to keep cell phones away from children.

Informant: johnlankes

--------

http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cell+Phones+and+Children

Falmouth Packet 06.07.05

Anxious residents of Mawnan and Constantine were due to have their fears over Tetra masts answered last night at a public drop-in centre.

Telecommunications company O2, which is responsible for the Tetra mast currently sited at Treworval Farm near Mawnan, held the clinic at Constantine in an attempt to allay fears over the police radio mast.

When announcing the meeting, Peter Sitch, from O2, said: "It's for people to come in and talk on a one-to-one basis. There are many people who are obviously confused by some of the more bizarre suggestions."

One of the main causes for concern by residents is the perceived health risk from the waves that are produced by the masts.

O2 is currently appealing against an enforcement notice by Kerrier district council planning committee, following their decision to refuse retrospective planning permission for the mast in March.

In the past Mr Sitch has described the council as "arrogant" and has said that they could be facing a very large bill.

"We're fully confident that we'll win on this appeal and that we'll also be awarded costs. We always cite costs and we always enforce costs," he said when the enforcement notice was served.

However, some residents believe that the meeting was only held so that the company could prove they consulted the public.

Mawnan resident Richard Smith said: "You could be forgiven for thinking this is a little bit too late. This behaviour is impertinent."

The enforcement notice is currently suspended until the outcome of the inquiry, although this could take up to a year.

http://tinyurl.com/8ckr9


Informant: Froggy

http://tinyurl.com/ds5l9


Informant: Froggy

http://tinyurl.com/7wszn


Informant: Froggy

BY ANDREW WHITAKER
Leicester Mercury
10:30 - 05 July 2005

Campaigners are fighting plans to build a second mobile phone mast in a street.

Phone company T-Mobile wants to put a 38ft mast in Goodwood Road, Evington.

There is already a similarly sized phone mast, put up by the 3G company, in front of St Joseph 's Roman Catholic Church.

The latest application would see a mast placed on a grass verge about 150ft away, outside the church house.

Angry residents say the second mast would be an eyesore and that they won't let it go ahead.

Brian Stephens, 64, who lives in Greystone Avenue, which backs on to the street, is among the people fighting the mast application.

He said: "We will not put up with this and it will happen over my dead body.

"Another mast would be even more of an eyesore than we have to put up with at the moment and we won't let this one lie.

"People are outraged about this and although we hope it won't get permission, if it does, we will probably pull it down."

Parish priest Father John Lally and people who attend St Joseph 's have criticised the plans from the company, which will go before Leicester City Council's planning committee on July 19.

Father John said: "A lot of church-goers live locally and their main concern would be for the residents.

"The policy of the Catholic church in the Midlands is that because the safety of the masts isn't proved, we won't have anything to do with supporting them."

Kevan Hollidge, 56, who attends church services at St Joseph's, said: "It's a nice church and there shouldn't be masts put up outside it.

"I understand there is a need for masts, but it should be put somewhere away from residential areas."

Mick Jagger, 62, who lives near the planned mast, said: "Masts like this are an eyesore and they devalue property. It's also the thin end of the wedge and we could end up with a lot more masts."

Evington ward councillor Tony O'Brien said: "I would object to this because of the potential health hazards and also because the masts shouldn't be sited in residential areas."

A T-Mobile spokeswoman said: "All communities have the potential to benefit from first-class mobile communications, whether they are used for business, social or emergency purposes.

"When a new mast is needed, we try to reduce the impact on the local environment with sensitive siting, innovative design and, where appropriate, landscaping."

A spokeswoman from 3G said: "We are committed to the highest scientific and safety standards in all our operations.

Omega there are no safety standards in their operations and their equipment is not safe. See under: http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

"All our equipment is safe by design and is in full compliance with the international public emission guidelines."

by Stuart Pollitt
The Chronicle West Midlands
Jul 5, 2005

Another phone mast could soon be on its way to Lichfield city centre, and it will not be the last, a leading campaigner warned today.

Orange wants to install a 22.5m mast in Davidson Road behind Lichfield City Railway Station.

David Brain, from campaign group Stowe Concerned Residents Against Masts (SCRAM), criticised the application but fears there will be more mast bids because of the determination of phone giants to install new poles for 3G technology.

Mr Brain, who successfully led a fight to stop Vodafone putting up a 25m mast off Eastern Avenue, claimed the majority of people did not even want the 3G technology on their phones.

The Davidson Road proposal would include an antennae and four dishes on a concrete tower on Sellrite Automotive.

Mr Brain said: “There will be continuing pressure in Lichfield and everywhere else. The vast majority of people do not want this massive proliferation of masts. They don’t want 3G.”

Mr Brain said mobile phone giants had forked out billions for 3G licences from the government.

He said: “These companies have so much money they are throwing money at agents to get these applications in and all that stands in their way are a small number of individuals trying to help protect people.”

The SCRAM chairman said phone mast applications were a problem across the country and added the sheer volume of application could eventually wear down protesters’ opposition.

Lichfield has seen a spate of applications in recent months, which have been fought by groups like SCRAM and Boley Park Action Group, which successfully battled a planned mast in Darnford Lane .

The plans for the Davidson Road mast are available for inspection at Lichfield District Council’s offices, in Frog Lane.

A spokesman for Orange was unavailable for comment.

Hello, I'm Peter Willcox.

I was the captain of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior when French agents bombed and sank the ship in New Zealand in 1985, killing a member of my crew.

On July 10th, both the ship and I will be back in New Zealand, and I'm asking for your help in continuing our peaceful mission.

http://www.greenpeace.org/rw20

Some of you know this story. Some of you weren't even born at the time. The long and short of it is: they tried to stop our campaign against nuclear weapons testing.

They didn't stop us.

They made us stronger.

The Rainbow Warrior became an icon for a worldwide movement of supporters like you, and together we stopped nuclear testing by France and by the other nations that were running detonating nuclear weapons tests. Our motto at the time was "You can't sink a Rainbow" and we proved that by rebuilding our ship and returning to the test site in even greater numbers. Over the years we'd been boarded, beaten, rammed, and bombed, in our efforts to end nuclear testing. One of us, Fernando Pereira, was killed.

It takes persistance, patience, and a thick skin to change the world.

And the world today is changed, but while we achieved the goal of stopping nuclear weapons testing, we are all still living under the threat of nuclear weapons. The urgent task for us now is to abolish them.

We've set up a website commemorating the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior and recalling her mission to work for peace and nuclear disarmament.

Visit the site here:
http://www.greenpeace.org/rw20

If you remember the bombing, you can post a recollection here:
http://www.greenpeace.org/i-remember

If you were too young to remember the bombing or not born yet, tell us how a new younger breed of activist would carry on the work of abolishing nuclear weapons here: http://www.greenpeace.org/i-say-peace

Thanks for your help in keeping the Rainbow Warrior sailing, a living reminder to our adversaries that while you can send a boat to the bottom of the ocean, you can't sink a rainbow.

Peace,

Captain Pete

Jul 6 2005

by Richard Freeman-Wallace, The Journal Newcastle

Mobile-phone masts are multiplying but shrinking. They are being disguised as chimneys, trees, clocks, windows, drainpipes, even as weather vanes, all in an effort to meet the demands of planning departments.

The Government has commissioned the University of Reading and Arup to undertake an independent study to assess the impact the Best-Practice Code on Mobile Phone Network has had since its introduction last September.

This is part of a review of all planning arrangements on masts.

Third-generation mobile-phone masts have smaller cells, and so need to be sited closer to their customers - often within housing, industrial and retail estates. Within five years, there will be about 60,000 sites for these masts.

Operators run the risk of having their licences removed if they do not have substantial coverage (80%) by then.

Landowners and landlords may find themselves with a mast on their land that, once in place, proves tricky to shift.

Telecoms operators require a wayleave to place equipment on land. However, the wayleave can be granted by the occupiers and "owners of interests" in land, who include tenants, not just the landlord or freeholder.

An occupying tenant can therefore enter into a wayleave agreement with an operator that will bind the landlord. Obviously, landowners need to protect their property by ensuring the tenant's lease contains a provision requiring the landlord's consent before entering into such an agreement.

Section 96 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 provides that this consent must not be unreasonably withheld.

Hard to remove

However, even if the landlord finds himself with a fait accompli and asks for the apparatus to be removed, the operator has the right to apply for a court order to confirm its right to be there and to compensate the landlord with cash.

The court will favour the landlord only if it believes his position is harmed more than the public good is served. This has not yet happened. If you, the landlord, originally gave permission for a wayleave, but want to get rid of it at the end of the term, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Once again, if the operator does not agree to leave, the landlord's only recourse for removal of the apparatus is to make a court application and explain why financial compensation is not adequate and why his interest as owner of the land overrides the stated policy interest of the public in having access to a telecommunication network.

Bear in mind that when granting a wayleave, they can stick for an indefinite period, like superglue, on your land.

Commercial value

As a landlord you should be aware of the value of your land to the mast operators. It is much harder for the operators to find urban sites and they are more than likely to pay premiums for them in the current climate.

Rent reviews should be index linked and be dependent on the type of equipment proposed.

An operator's ability to share its equipment with others will always be included in the terms it proposes to a landowner, but it is possible to include this as a factor when determining rent on review and to negotiate a share of income from those others.

You should also take care to limit liability for damage caused by operation of the equipment once in service. The physiological effects of microwave propagation on a wide scale create lurid headlines, but are still not fully understood and liability should be firmly placed where it belongs - with the operator.

Planning permission

Under planning regulations, operators are now required to consult widely on the possibility of using an existing mast or structure before seeking to put up a new mast.

Although the smaller masts - under 15 metres in height - don't generally require planning permission, the operator still has to submit an application for determination, which the local authority must deal with within 56 days.

If a decision is not made in 56 days, it is approved by default. The authority cannot reject such an application on principle, but only on details of siting and appearance. These details can include:

* The height of the site in relation to surrounding land;
* The existence of topographical features and natural vegetation;
* The effect on the skyline or horizon;
* The site when observed from any side;
* The site in relation to areas designated locally for their scenic or conservation value;
* The site in relation to other masts, structures or buildings, including buildings of a historical or traditional character;
* The site in relation to homes.

The third-generation mobile phone masts could mean that a landowner's property is continuously engaged for the foreseeable future, so take great care when contemplating a wayleave agreement.

Richard Freeman-Wallace is head of property at Watson Burton LLP.

Jul 6 2005

by Paul Dale, Chief Reporter Birmingham Post

A temporary ban on siting mobile phone masts on land and property owned by Birmingham City Council is to be lifted.

Council members decided unanimously to scrap "without delay" a moratorium in return for imposing strict controls on the masts' operators.

It follows a scrutiny committee inquiry which concluded that, if the ban remained in place, the council would be powerless to prevent phone companies placing masts on roadsides and privately-owned sites.

Mick Wilkes, who chaired the committee, proposed "stringent" controls including independent audits of emissions to ensure radiation safety levels were not exceeded and regular safety checks.

Coun Wilkes (Lib Dem Hall Green) accepted there were great public fears about possible long term health risks but there was no independent medical evidence to back the concerns.

The decision, at last night's full council, came as it emerged companies were waiting to take advantage of Birmingham 's changed policy.

Coun Len Gregory (Con Billesley), cabinet member for transportation, said: "We have been approached in the past few days by operators who say that they want to use our real estate, our lamp columns, for mobile phone masts.

"We cannot stick our heads in the sand. If we continue with the moratorium the mobile phone operators can put masts up alongside the highway without reference to us." A number of councillors voiced concerns about health risks.

Coun Deirdre Alden (Con Edgbaston) warned: "If people who smoke for 40 years are prepared to sue tobacco companies when they get cancer, you can be sure there is someone who will sue the council when they are made ill by a mast next to their house."

Gloucester Citizen

06 July 2005

Mps yesterday rounded on the Government, accusing ministers of inaction over mobile phone masts, as an increasing number of communities rebelled against applications. About 15 MPs turned up at a debate in Westminster Hall to highlight the mounting frustration in their constituencies over masts, which they fear are a health hazard.

The debate was led by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Tory MP for the Cotswolds, who called for a shake-up of the planning regime to impose more controls on phone operators.

"It is deeply ironic that mobile phones, created to allow a connection and conversations between those separated by distance, have only proven just how distant this Government is, and incapable of listening even to the most persistent interlocutors," he said.

"Each time the Government has gone through the motions of listening to the public's concerns, it quickly becomes apparent that really no action has been taken at all."

Mr Clifton-Brown said, after the Stewart report in 2000 that recommended a "precautionary approach" to mobile phone technology, ministers promised to hold consultation exercises.

"However, it seems clear to me that this obese Government hasn't taken enough exercise and must now be shown how to get mobile phone masts planning regulations back into shape."

Cumbernaud Today

PEOPLE Power has triumphed in Cumber-nauld following a special meeting last week - after North Lanarkshire Council planners got more than they bargained for when objections flooded in to the construction of a phone mast at the Condorrat Ring Road.

The 15ft mast which had been proposed by mobile phone giants T Mobile was to be situated to the west of Avonhead Gardens - in a move which did not pass muster with residents who already have two similar masts in their midst.

One mast already exists at the Ring Road - and another in Lomond Court is set to be 'enhanced' with more powerful antennae under special planning guidelines which cannot be opposed by the public.

The issue was first aired at a planning meeting in April - where it swiftly became apparent that the community felt ill at ease with the as-yet inconclusive evidence that the masts represent a radioactive risk with their emissions. The fact that three schools - Baird Memorial, St Helen's and Condorrat Primaries - lay within a very close proximity to the mast was a cause of alarm to parents - many of whom signed a petition which attracted 670 signatures.

Objections were also received from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth MSP Cathie Craigie, Condorrat Community Council plus local councillor Gerry McElroy who insisted planners make a site visit to Condorrat and hold an individual hearing on the matter.

That took place on Friday when the objectors told planners in no uncertain terms why they could not support another mast in their community.

And the result has been the cause of much jubilation in Condorrat.
Councillor McElroy said: "We had our day in court - and we are absolutely delighted at the outcome. We felt that this was just a pole too far and I am glad that the planning and environment committee listened to our concerns."

Bobby Johnston of the community council added: "With the other masts, this was turning into a cluster. With these three schools nearby, it is not a risk we were willing to take."

By CLARE GRANT

06 July 2005

Jul 6 2005

by Fiona Scott Evening Telegraph Coventry

A city councillor is complaining about laws which he says allow phone companies a lot of freedom in putting up mobile phone masts.

Cllr Gary Ridley (Con, Sherbourne) highlighted the national issue while backing electors who are protesting against a second mobile phone mast near their homes.

T-Mobile recently won approval to put a 36ft mast, disguised as a street light, at the junction of Holyhead Road and Grayswood Avenue, Chapelfields.

It was previously turned down for a higher mast in the same place because it would look "conspicuous and incongruous".

Cllr Ridley criticised national rules which mean councils cannot turn down masts less than 58.5ft high except on a few criteria.

He said: "In reality, the council could not stop this mast from going ahead but these masts have quietly and slyly taken over our living environment and local people can do nothing to stop them.

"This is the slow death of democracy."

Phone companies have by law "permitted development rights" for phone masts, meaning they do not have to apply for full planning permission. Instead, they give notice of going ahead and councils have a limited time in which to protest.

Cllr Ridley added: "The government ignored independent recommendations to revoke mobile operators' permitted development [rights] which would have meant operators applying for full planning permission - meaning local people continue to be ignored.

"No-one wants to live near these things - they are ugly, intrusive and they may well start to affect the local house prices."

People living nearby fear there's a health risk - even though T-Mobile had to submit documentation showing any radiation from the mast was within approved national guidelines.

Anne Martin, of Bevington Crescent, Coundon, said: "Our main fear is the unknown risks to health. If you start reading up on it all, it's not proven either way.

Omega the risks to health are known. See under:
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

"There's already one [a phone mast] on that corner and there are others in that area that we know of."

07/07/05

Voters are irresponsible. They have little incentive to be otherwise, because educating themselves on many and sundry political matters is costly, but their lone vote hardly ever brings them a sufficient return on their investment in terms of real impact on decisions. The President acts relatively irresponsibly because the voters are, and he knows he can get away with it. So everyone together seems to be responsible for the outcomes, and yet no one is responsible. This is the paradox of the system of voting and handing over immense power to leaders. It is the paradox of any State in which one or a few rulers rule many subjects. So where is the blame to be placed? When President Bush is replaced by a wiser leader because the American people have learned the lesson of his blunders, will significantly better decisions be the result? No, it will not happen, because the incentives built into the system have not changed...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/rozeff1.html

from LewRockwell.Com, by Michael S. Rozeff


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

07/06/05

Under the Constitution, a jury makes the determination, both for foreigners and for Americans accused of terrorism. But under the 'wartime' powers assumed by the President and the Pentagon, they make the determination. Under their theory, their decision is final and conclusive. No trial, or at best some kangaroo military tribunal. No Constitution. No Bill of Rights (whose protections expressly extend to all persons -- that is, both Americans and foreigners accused of crimes by the federal government). No habeas corpus. No federal-court interference. No judicial review. If the Supreme Court ultimately rules in favor of the president's and Pentagon's 'GWOT unlawful-combatant' theory, any American -- I repeat: any American (including dissidents and critics) -- who is labeled a 'terrorist' will be subject to be whisked away to Gitmo to receive 'unlawful-combatant' treatment. And there will be nothing -- I repeat: nothing -- that he or his family or his friends could do about it...

http://www.fff.org/comment/com0507b.asp

from Future of Freedom Foundation, by Jacob G. Hornberger


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

07/06/05

Pvt. Anthony M. Mazzarella, 22, of Blue Springs, Mo., died July 5, in Taji, Iraq, when the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over. ... Spc. Christopher W. Dickison, 26, of Seattle, Wa., died July 5, in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol. ... The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on July 5, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. ... Killed were: Staff Sgt. Scottie L. Bright, 36, of Montgomery, Ala. ... Cpl. Lyle J. Cambridge, 23, of Shiprock, N.M." [editor's note: Periodically, the US media stops covering US casualties in Iraq except for local mentions of separate incidents; this is one of those time periods, so we went straight to the horse's mouth - TLK]

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/

from DefenseLINK


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/07/06/1119810-cp.html


Informant: NHNE

http://www.omega-news.info/aerzte_zeitung_zu_handystrahlung.htm
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/818580/

When the Senate voted on CAFTA last week, a dozen Republicans abandoned the administration to vote "no." That meant that, if Democrats had been united in their opposition, the trade deal would have been easily defeated.

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=45813&ntpid=0



We Become Silent:

Video: The CODEX-CAFTA Documentary
http://herballure.com/Special/WeBecomeSilent/QuickTime.html


From Information Clearing House

The following letter, drafted by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), was issued to other House Democrats for signature this afternoon.

http://snipurl.com/g2p7


From Information Clearing House

Thousands of protesters chanting "power to the people" began a march toward the site of the G8 summit on Wednesday under a quietly watchful police surveillance, after hours of acrimony sparked by a decision - later reversed - to ban the demonstration.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1733085,00.html


From Information Clearing House

For the third straight year, the Bush Administration has continued its deceptive practice of omitting the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the Budget.

http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm


From Information Clearing House

The American project in Iraq is characterized as a classic colonial adventure, indistinguishable in nature or intent from the deepest, darkest chapters in Northern oppression of the South: America is to Iraq as Britain was to India or Belgium to the Congo.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GG06Ak02.html


From Information Clearing House

Mothers Against the Draft (MAD) Legislative Action Center:
http://snipurl.com/g2ol


From Information Clearing House