Letter to the WHO from the V WSF (World Social Forum)
Dear Dr. Don Maisch,
Please find enclosed a copy of the letter sent to the International EMF
Project of theWorld Health Organization (WHO), including contributions for the general review on the WHO-EMF Precautionary Framework for Public Health Protection Draft (please find attached file Letter to the WHO from the V WSF.doc).
This was part of the Seminar's Letter "Cellular Phone: the Effects of Non-ionizing Radiation on Health and the Importance of the Social Control", approved at the 5th World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, on January 29th, 2005.
We would appreciate it very much if you could transmit this to the interested people and to the press.
Please let me know if you need any further information.
We ask you to acknowledge the receipt of this message.
On behalf of that Seminar`s Organizing Committee, I thank you very for your kind attention to this letter.
Sincerely yours,
Alvaro Augusto A . de Salles
Electrical Engineering Department
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS
Av. Osvaldo Aranha 103, Porto Alegre,
RS, Brazil, CEP 90.035-190.
January 31st, 2005
International EMF Project
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
Attention: Dr. Emilie van Deventer, WHO EMF Program
Subject: Framework to Develop Precautionary Measures in Areas of
Scientific Uncertainty (Draft October 2004)
Seminar's Letter "Cellular Phone: the Effects of Non-ionizing Radiation on Health and the Importance of the Social Control", approved at the 5th World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, on January 29th, 2005.
Contributions for general review on the WHO-EMF Precautionary Framework for Public Health Protection Draft.
Concerned about the health risks of the radiation emitted by both the cellular phone base stations and mobile phones units, the participants of the Seminar approved the Manifest of the Social Movement, suggesting that the WHO issues the following recommendations:
1. Considering the volume of scientific evidence about long-term low level intracellular effects from human exposure to Non Ionizing Radiation (NIR), more restrictive limits than those contained in ICNIRP's guidelines, equal or lower than those included in the Switzerland's Guidelines (ONIR, 814.710 of 23 December 1999), must be implemented.
2. Regarding the Precautionary Principle, to implement short term measures aiming at reducing the power radiated by the cellular communication transmission infrastructures, as well as the mobile units, by using the least possible power necessary to the communication, according to ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) and ALATA (As Low As Technically Achievable) principles, taking into account the maximum tolerance absorption levels supported by human beings, of all ages and with different susceptibilities, including the workers of the cellular communication companies.
3. To implement health and environmental pollution policies, in all places where people can stay for longer than four hours, identifying and correcting those NIR levels potentially harmful to the continuously exposed population.
4. That the SAR measurement procedure must be carried out - under maximum radiated power condition - by independent and reliable laboratories, according to international recommended procedures (such as those issued by CENELEC or IEEE), specifying the distance (from the antenna to the user's head) used in each SAR measurement.
5. That the cellular phone manufacturers must display the maximum SAR (specific absorption rate) on the handset, on its package, in the operation manual, as well as in the advertising material, specifying the distance (from the antenna to the user's head) used in each SAR measurement.
6. That all cell phone models, now being used by people, whose SAR levels are above the recommended limits, must be recalled by the manufacturer.
7. To establish a schedule and a deadline for the cellular phone manufacturers to develop new technologies, which produce lower risk to the user's health.
8. To disseminate a worldwide campaign discouraging the use of mobile phones by children, teenagers, pregnant women, the elderly, as well as other vulnerable groups of people.
9. To prohibit the advertisement of cell phones and similar products to children and teenagers by the media (directly or indirectly), imposing ethical advertisement criteria, as well as warnings about short and long term health risks for all cell phone users.
10. As it has been mentioned in WHO PF (introduction - objectives, page 6, last paragraph), in its Annexes A and B, the case studies must include other hazard agents (such as physical, chemical or biological) which may synergistically affect human health.
Porto Alegre, January 29th, 2005.
--------
V world social forum (V WSF)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68393
From Mast Network
Please find enclosed a copy of the letter sent to the International EMF
Project of theWorld Health Organization (WHO), including contributions for the general review on the WHO-EMF Precautionary Framework for Public Health Protection Draft (please find attached file Letter to the WHO from the V WSF.doc).
This was part of the Seminar's Letter "Cellular Phone: the Effects of Non-ionizing Radiation on Health and the Importance of the Social Control", approved at the 5th World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, on January 29th, 2005.
We would appreciate it very much if you could transmit this to the interested people and to the press.
Please let me know if you need any further information.
We ask you to acknowledge the receipt of this message.
On behalf of that Seminar`s Organizing Committee, I thank you very for your kind attention to this letter.
Sincerely yours,
Alvaro Augusto A . de Salles
Electrical Engineering Department
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS
Av. Osvaldo Aranha 103, Porto Alegre,
RS, Brazil, CEP 90.035-190.
January 31st, 2005
International EMF Project
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
Attention: Dr. Emilie van Deventer, WHO EMF Program
Subject: Framework to Develop Precautionary Measures in Areas of
Scientific Uncertainty (Draft October 2004)
Seminar's Letter "Cellular Phone: the Effects of Non-ionizing Radiation on Health and the Importance of the Social Control", approved at the 5th World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, on January 29th, 2005.
Contributions for general review on the WHO-EMF Precautionary Framework for Public Health Protection Draft.
Concerned about the health risks of the radiation emitted by both the cellular phone base stations and mobile phones units, the participants of the Seminar approved the Manifest of the Social Movement, suggesting that the WHO issues the following recommendations:
1. Considering the volume of scientific evidence about long-term low level intracellular effects from human exposure to Non Ionizing Radiation (NIR), more restrictive limits than those contained in ICNIRP's guidelines, equal or lower than those included in the Switzerland's Guidelines (ONIR, 814.710 of 23 December 1999), must be implemented.
2. Regarding the Precautionary Principle, to implement short term measures aiming at reducing the power radiated by the cellular communication transmission infrastructures, as well as the mobile units, by using the least possible power necessary to the communication, according to ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) and ALATA (As Low As Technically Achievable) principles, taking into account the maximum tolerance absorption levels supported by human beings, of all ages and with different susceptibilities, including the workers of the cellular communication companies.
3. To implement health and environmental pollution policies, in all places where people can stay for longer than four hours, identifying and correcting those NIR levels potentially harmful to the continuously exposed population.
4. That the SAR measurement procedure must be carried out - under maximum radiated power condition - by independent and reliable laboratories, according to international recommended procedures (such as those issued by CENELEC or IEEE), specifying the distance (from the antenna to the user's head) used in each SAR measurement.
5. That the cellular phone manufacturers must display the maximum SAR (specific absorption rate) on the handset, on its package, in the operation manual, as well as in the advertising material, specifying the distance (from the antenna to the user's head) used in each SAR measurement.
6. That all cell phone models, now being used by people, whose SAR levels are above the recommended limits, must be recalled by the manufacturer.
7. To establish a schedule and a deadline for the cellular phone manufacturers to develop new technologies, which produce lower risk to the user's health.
8. To disseminate a worldwide campaign discouraging the use of mobile phones by children, teenagers, pregnant women, the elderly, as well as other vulnerable groups of people.
9. To prohibit the advertisement of cell phones and similar products to children and teenagers by the media (directly or indirectly), imposing ethical advertisement criteria, as well as warnings about short and long term health risks for all cell phone users.
10. As it has been mentioned in WHO PF (introduction - objectives, page 6, last paragraph), in its Annexes A and B, the case studies must include other hazard agents (such as physical, chemical or biological) which may synergistically affect human health.
Porto Alegre, January 29th, 2005.
--------
V world social forum (V WSF)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68393
From Mast Network
Starmail - 2. Feb, 23:42
