Vancouver School Board passes Motion on base stations
----- Original Message -----
From: Milt Bowling
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 8:41 PM
Subject: Vancouver School Board Motion
The VSB passed this tonight, I am pleased to say.
Milt
Whereas
There is no conclusive evidence that the installation of cellular antenna on or adjacent to schools is safe, and
Whereas
The current standard for maximum allowable exposure levels for radiating energy in Health canada's Safety Code 6 is based on thermal effects only, and
Whereas
Results from active research in this area is not expected to be available In the immediate future to confirm a satisfactory level of student safety, and
Whereas
Part of the core purpose of VSB is to provide a safe learning environment for our students:
Be It Resolved That:
a. no further installations of cellular antenna be permitted on any school building or school grounds regularly used by students, and
b. that VSB policy, KMGA, Incompatible Land Uses Near Schools, be amended to include any installation of cellular antenna within 305 m (1000 feet) of a school as an incompatible use and that VSB be so notified.
Informant: Robert Riedlinger
EM Fields On Brain Tumor Incidence - Chemicals And Cell Phones
http://tinyurl.com/5acnw
San Francisco enacts Precautionary Principal
http://tinyurl.com/6zate
A precautionary tale - US big business is furious
http://tinyurl.com/47oaw
Informant: Pamela Valenti
Comments on Vancouver School Board passes Motion on base stations
by Alasdair Philips to Don Maisch
I know various emails have circulated about this already. I applaud this action but do wonder if it will work in practice.
In the UK various schools / Local Education Authorties have done this over the last 8 years, and what happens is that the mast usually gets put up on private land 100 metres or so from the school whereby the school is actually MORE exposed to microwave radiation in the main beam from the mast that it would have been with the antennas above the roof of the school buildings themselves.
So my questions are:
What realistic chance is there that VSB policy, KMGA, Incompatible Land Uses Near Schools, be amended to include any installation of cellular antenna within 305 m (1000 feet) of a school as an incompatible use?
Would that become enforceable law?
Or is this just a publicity pressure / issue raiser vote?
Alasdair
Dear Alasdair (and Don and Milt),
A very important comment! I have for many years tried to point out the very same. If an operator remove masts and place them further away, the operator will have to increase the transmitting output power, which means that for instance a school will be equally well irradiated (even to a higher level since the local transmitters (=the cellular phones) must increase their output level). So, in essence, this can turn out contra-productive.
But, do not misunderstand me: Since the biologically effective levels are down to 100,000 times below the recommended exposure levels for U.K. citizens, the question is not to move base stations, they questions is:
Should you allow yourself to be irradiated at all?
Furthermore, very much of the scientific thinking is nowadays aimed at "non-thermal, non-SAR, non-ICNIRP"-based hypotheses. We left the thermal noise level many years ago, but certain areas of society does not seem to grasp that...
Olle
(Olle Johansson, assoc. prof.
The Experimental Dermatology Unit
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institute
171 77 Stockholm
Sweden)
Hi Don and Alasdair,
There is only one remaining school with transmitters on the roof. I understand your point about more radiation if it is moved 100 meters away [although it will still be within "international guidelines"].
If I draw a 1,000 foot diameter circle around every school in Vancouver, that is going to encompass a huge number of transmitters which are now "incompatible" due to their proximity. Their main beams are pointing at a number of schools. The Director of Facilities is on holiday until the 21st but I plan to get together with him and see where we can take this legally with the city. I will also tie this in with the firefighters, who want the antennae removed from two firehalls, [the city gets the rent] in keeping with the IAFF resolution passed last August in Boston.
The school board is also planning to raise community awareness about this issue, including a letter of explanation to parents of every student in the district. I expect to help them write that letter.
This wheel keeps squeeking.
Milt
From: Milt Bowling
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 8:41 PM
Subject: Vancouver School Board Motion
The VSB passed this tonight, I am pleased to say.
Milt
Whereas
There is no conclusive evidence that the installation of cellular antenna on or adjacent to schools is safe, and
Whereas
The current standard for maximum allowable exposure levels for radiating energy in Health canada's Safety Code 6 is based on thermal effects only, and
Whereas
Results from active research in this area is not expected to be available In the immediate future to confirm a satisfactory level of student safety, and
Whereas
Part of the core purpose of VSB is to provide a safe learning environment for our students:
Be It Resolved That:
a. no further installations of cellular antenna be permitted on any school building or school grounds regularly used by students, and
b. that VSB policy, KMGA, Incompatible Land Uses Near Schools, be amended to include any installation of cellular antenna within 305 m (1000 feet) of a school as an incompatible use and that VSB be so notified.
Informant: Robert Riedlinger
EM Fields On Brain Tumor Incidence - Chemicals And Cell Phones
http://tinyurl.com/5acnw
San Francisco enacts Precautionary Principal
http://tinyurl.com/6zate
A precautionary tale - US big business is furious
http://tinyurl.com/47oaw
Informant: Pamela Valenti
Comments on Vancouver School Board passes Motion on base stations
by Alasdair Philips to Don Maisch
I know various emails have circulated about this already. I applaud this action but do wonder if it will work in practice.
In the UK various schools / Local Education Authorties have done this over the last 8 years, and what happens is that the mast usually gets put up on private land 100 metres or so from the school whereby the school is actually MORE exposed to microwave radiation in the main beam from the mast that it would have been with the antennas above the roof of the school buildings themselves.
So my questions are:
What realistic chance is there that VSB policy, KMGA, Incompatible Land Uses Near Schools, be amended to include any installation of cellular antenna within 305 m (1000 feet) of a school as an incompatible use?
Would that become enforceable law?
Or is this just a publicity pressure / issue raiser vote?
Alasdair
Dear Alasdair (and Don and Milt),
A very important comment! I have for many years tried to point out the very same. If an operator remove masts and place them further away, the operator will have to increase the transmitting output power, which means that for instance a school will be equally well irradiated (even to a higher level since the local transmitters (=the cellular phones) must increase their output level). So, in essence, this can turn out contra-productive.
But, do not misunderstand me: Since the biologically effective levels are down to 100,000 times below the recommended exposure levels for U.K. citizens, the question is not to move base stations, they questions is:
Should you allow yourself to be irradiated at all?
Furthermore, very much of the scientific thinking is nowadays aimed at "non-thermal, non-SAR, non-ICNIRP"-based hypotheses. We left the thermal noise level many years ago, but certain areas of society does not seem to grasp that...
Olle
(Olle Johansson, assoc. prof.
The Experimental Dermatology Unit
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institute
171 77 Stockholm
Sweden)
Hi Don and Alasdair,
There is only one remaining school with transmitters on the roof. I understand your point about more radiation if it is moved 100 meters away [although it will still be within "international guidelines"].
If I draw a 1,000 foot diameter circle around every school in Vancouver, that is going to encompass a huge number of transmitters which are now "incompatible" due to their proximity. Their main beams are pointing at a number of schools. The Director of Facilities is on holiday until the 21st but I plan to get together with him and see where we can take this legally with the city. I will also tie this in with the firefighters, who want the antennae removed from two firehalls, [the city gets the rent] in keeping with the IAFF resolution passed last August in Boston.
The school board is also planning to raise community awareness about this issue, including a letter of explanation to parents of every student in the district. I expect to help them write that letter.
This wheel keeps squeeking.
Milt
Starmail - 8. Feb, 18:36
