By Nancy Tannler

The Oregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 283 on August 12. The bill recommends Oregon Health Authority and The Dept. of Education conduct a scientific study on the biological, cognitive and psychological effects of long-term exposure to microwave radiation.

SB 283 exists because of the perseverance of local book dealer David Morrison.

Morrison became alarmed when a cell tower was constructed in the center of his daughter’s schoolyard. After doing the research first nationally and then internationally,  he found there are studies conducted by reputable scientists proving that exposure to microwave radiation from cellphones and other devices is harmful to humans, especially children and pregnant women, and other living things. Wireless technology, no matter how convenient, has its consequences.

The red light is flashing as scientists and medical professionals are warning people that we need to beware. In Wireless Silent Spring, an article by Cindy Russell, MD, she describes how the 1962 book by Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, exposed the devastating and long-lasting effects of pesticides on wildlife and all species, including humans.

That book has similarities to the rapid and widespread adoption of wireless technology and its consequent fallout. Until recently, no one had any data about the long-term effects of wireless technology.

Magnetite is a form of iron ore found in a wide variety of organisms. It acts as an internal compass. Migratory birds use the earth’s magnetic field to navigate and other animals rely upon this geomagnetic field as their GPS for breeding, feeding, migration and survival.

Biologists unexpectedly discovered that wireless radio frequency radiation (RFR) disturbs the internal magneto-receptors of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, insects, trees, plants, seeds and bacteria.

Researchers now attribute wireless radiation from cellular communication to be a significant facture to the bee “colony collapse disorder,” the decline of house sparrows and the steady deterioration of the world’s bird populations.

It was discovered that the recent plunge in bee population was not primarily due to the suggested viruses, bacteria and pesticides, but rather, to the loss of their navigational skills to return to the hive. Their receptors were literally being fried.

There has been a rapid decline of the Aspen tree in Colorado too since 2004. A four-year experiment on the ambient  electromagnetic radiation from a variety of sources (cell towers, satellites, electric power generation) showed poor growth and smaller leaves. Whereas seedlings shielded from these waves showed vigorous growth, no lesions and richer color.

It was Morrison’s concern about the effects on a human child that caused him to file his first lawsuit against Portland Public Schools (PPS) back in 2012. He did not win the case, but the judge acknowledged the validity of his lawsuit and advised him that this was a case for the  Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (The FCC has minimal guidelines for wireless communication devices sold in the US.)

Since then, Morrison has consulted with men and women of science from around the world, held seminars, gathered the people in our community and has spent his time trying to alert the public to this silent threat.

In a conversation with The Southeast Examiner, Morrison provided extensive documentation about the long term effects on children and adults exposed to electromagnetic frequencies when schools and homes are located close to cell towers.

The term cancer clusters is ascribed to studies that reveal an inordinate amount of people in an area developing the same type of cancer.

Brain cancer is the worst case scenario caused by the oxidative stress of radio frequency radiation (RFR), but there are other concerns as well for those susceptible.

Changes in learning and memory; heart irregularities; hormonal imbalances; altered brain development in infants; abnormal sperm; chronic headaches; fatigue; nervous system problems; insomnia (radio waves are a melatonin suppressant) and immune dysfunction, These are some of the symptoms linked to excessive RFR.

Although not everyone is susceptible, just like other sensitivity issues, some bodies adapt. The concern that Morrison expresses is for the children. It’s a little know fact that over half the children in this country have some kind of chronic illness. It’s these children and other vulnerable people who are the first to exhibit the inexplicable symptoms of RFRs.

France has banned Wi-Fi in nursery and elementary schools and all Wi-Fi must be turned off when not being used for instruction.

Other countries Spain, Switzerland, Bavaria and Germany recommend wired-only connections in schools. Belgium has banned cellphones for children, and India and Russia recommend headsets with cellphones.

Another point of interest is that cell towers and wireless technology contributes to global climate change due to the energy consumption used from data transfer and storage.

The digital economy uses a tenth of the world’s electricity according to a report by technology and investment advisory firm, Digital Power Group. The report found a single iPhone can consume more energy than a refrigerator due to the substantial data usage of a typical smartphone owner.

No one is going to stop using technology, but the way consumers can make a difference is to vote with their dollars by choosing service providers who recognize the impact this kind of data usage and storage  is having on the environment and making sure that everything is stored in an environmentally-friendly facility, to make it as green as possible,

We have gone from a 2G, 3G and 4G network to now 5G is rolling out. This is the same frequency used in scanners at the airport. It’s what the military uses in their non-lethal weapons system and it requires three times the energy than other types of application. In order to proceed with the 5G network, we will all have a big antenna on every utility pole, a mini cell tower.

Another idea Morrison expressed in our conversation is the fact that we are turning over so many of our brain functions to our cellphones. We start to lose our ability to perform these functions after awhile.

If you are concerned and conscientious, then there are a few things you can do: Turn off your routers at night and move routers away from where you spend a lot of time. Don’t let your children sit by routers in school and demand Portland Public Schools remove the use of the playgrounds for cell tower siting. Use wired connections at home and don’t sleep with cellphones and iPads or headsets. In other words, use common sense and stay informed.

We all love technology but we want to beware of loving it too much.

For information: Contact Environmental Health Trust, or David Morrison,