RAW STORY– A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies cell phones as a possible carcinogen in the same category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform.
A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries in the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization, made the determination that cell phone exposure was “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The team, which included scientists from the U.S., reached their conclusion after reviewing dozens of studies.
“The biggest problem we have is that we know most environmental factors take several decades of exposure before we really see the consequences,” Dr. Keith Black, chairman of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told CNN.
“What microwave radiation does in most simplistic terms is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain. So in addition to leading to a development of cancer and tumors, there could be a whole host of other effects like cognitive memory function, since the memory temporal lobes are where we hold our cell phones,” he added.
MEDIA ROOTS- Robbie and Abby Martin host a special 90 minute edition of Media Roots Radio covering Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster with guests Shing02 and Anthony Bisset. Shing02 and Anthony cover the state of the reactors and break down radiation: levels, dangers, breakdown of compounds, government cover ups and media disinformation, the science of nuclear energy and how one can prepare for a nuclear fallout or massive release.
Anthony Bisset is a composer and improviser working in all genres of electronic music who designs his own software and hardware for live use. Since 2007 he has been a part time resident and regular performer in Tokyo and has played shows from Hokkaido to the Southern islands. Having his extended family and friends in Tokyo threatened by nuclear fallout, Anthony has been heavily researching since the March 11th disaster. More about him at www.anthonybisset.com.
Shing02 is a rap activist, peace advocate, and inventor. Born in Tokyo 1975, Shing02 landed in the SF Bay Area at the age of 15. He became immersed in the local hip-hop scene that launched dozens of acts worldwide, and in ’96, Shing02’s music made its way back to Japan. He gained a lot of support from his homeland for partnering with Mr. Higo of Mary Joy Recordings. Shing02 has been involved on and off in anti-nuclear activism and research since 2006. More about him at www.e22.com.
The above timeline is interactive. Scroll through it to find out more about the show’s music and to resources mentioned during the broadcast. To see a larger version of the timeline with clickable resources go to the soundcloud link below the player.
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INSTITUTE FOR SOUTHERN STUDIES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering dramatically
increasing the allowable level of radioactive contamination in water,
food and soil after radiological incidents such as spills or “dirty
bomb” attacks.
The move preceded the nuclear disaster now unfolding in Japan in the
wake of last month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. Documents released today by the whistleblower group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility show the plan has sparked concerns within EPA.
The
agency’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) has prepared an
update of the 1992 “Protective Action Guides” for radiation exposure.
Other EPA divisions have raised concerns about how much the new
guidelines would raise allowable exposures.
As Charles Openchowski of EPA’s Office of General Counsel wrote in a January 2009 e-mail to ORIA:
“[T]his
guidance would allow cleanup levels that exceed MCLs [Maximum
Contamination Limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act] by a factor of
100, 1000, and in two instances 7 million and there is nothing to
prevent those levels from being the final cleanup achieved (i.e., it’s
not confined to immediate response of emergency phase).”
Other
EPA officials have raised concerns that drinking water containing
radioactive contamination at the proposed limits would result in acute
health effects such as vomiting and fever. PEER obtained the internal
EPA e-mails after filing a lawsuit last fall under the Freedom of
Information Act. It is still waiting for the agency to turn over
thousands more communications.
RAW STORY– A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies cell phones as a possible carcinogen in the same category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform.
INSTITUTE FOR SOUTHERN STUDIES