In 2025: Reflecting on a Historic Moment in Time
As we look back from 2025, the groundbreaking conference hosted by the EM Radiation Research Trust at the Royal Society in London remains a pivotal moment in the ongoing conversation about electromagnetic fields and public health. In September 2008, independent scientists came together amidst conflicting voices to shine a light on the urgent risks posed by EMF exposure risks that have since grown only more relevant.
Among Conflicting Voices, Independent Science Shone Through.
Professor Yury Grigoriev warned of non-thermal biological effects requiring urgent precaution; Sir William Stewart highlighted data gaps and urged a precautionary approach, especially for children; Dr Paolo Vecchia presented a key reminder that ICNIRP guidelines are neither mandatory safety limits nor defensive walls protecting industry interests; and Ulrich Wanke drew attention to the wider ecological impacts on birds, bees, and humanity. These are just a few examples from a powerful lineup of esteemed scientists whose contributions helped set a vital precedent for open scientific dialogue and public health advocacy.
RRT programme day 1
RRT programme day 2
Welcome Speech Royal Society 8th & 9th September, 2008 – Eileen O’Connor
“The Stewart Report – then, now and the foreseeable future” – Sir William Stewart
EMF and Health – A global issue: Exploring appropriate precautionary approaches. Royal Society, London, 8 8-9 September 2008 – Prof. Mike Repacholi
The Bioinitiative Report’s Assessment of the Evidence and Policy Advice – David O. Carpenter, M.D.
Asessments of Epidemiologic Research in the Context of EMF – Anders AhlbomBiological Effects of Radiofrequency Fields – Henry Lai
Health Effects, Guidelines and Uncertainty – Zenon Sienkiewicz
Mobile phones, cordless phones and brain tumour risk in different age groups – Lennart Hardell,
EMF AND HEALTH – WHAT FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED – David Coggan
Aspects of studies on the functional impairment electrohypersensitivity – Olle Johansson
Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance – Electrical Sensitivity – James Rubin
Electrosensitivity: A Case for Caution with Precaution – G James Rubin
Paradigm Shifts 20th Century Guidelines seen in the light of 21st Century Science – Dr Grahame Blackwell
Protecting the public from EMF: an EU perspective- Laurent BONTOUX, PhD
Precaution in the context of mobile phones and base stations – an industry perspective – Mike Dolan
What Is Missing In Post-Market Surveillance of Wireless Technology? – George L. Carlo
An Examination of Poor Study Design Resulting in an UNDER UNDER-ESTIMATION of the Risk of Brain Tumors – L. Lloyd Morgan
ICNIRP AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS – Paolo Vecchia
EMF & Health – A Global Issue London, 8th & 9th September 2008 – Gerd Oberfeld MD
Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and EMF RF standards. New conditions of EMF RF exposure and guarantee of the health to population. – Prof. Yu. Grigoryev
Current assessment of the human volunteer laboratory studies – Maila Hietanen
Mobile Phone Base Stations Health and Well being – Michael Kundi
Functionality Disorders in Bees, Birds and Humans – Ulrich Warnke
Precautionary approaches and the SAGE experience – Mike O’Carroll
The WHO International EMF Project: The road ahead – Dr E. van Deventer
How to Protect the Public? Standards of Evidence and Levels of Proof for Taking Action – Sage
Closing Statement – Reflection from July 2025
Looking back from the vantage point of 2025, the 2008 Royal Society conference hosted by the EM Radiation Research Trust stands as a stark and far-sighted warning one that should have shaped the course of public health policy around the world. The scientists who gathered at that event included courageous independent voices who spoke with clarity and urgency. They warned of non-thermal biological effects, called for the protection of vulnerable groups, questioned the adequacy of international guidelines, and drew attention to ecological impacts on birds, bees, and the natural world.
Their message was not one of alarmism, but of responsible science calling for a precautionary path. Yet, in the years that followed, those words of caution were largely ignored. The expansion of wireless technologies continued at pace, driven by industry momentum, while meaningful regulation remains absent. What might have been a turning point became a missed opportunity.
The significance of the conference was further underscored by a special dinner held at the Palace of Westminster, graciously hosted by the late Dr Ian Gibson MP, then Chair of the Science and Technology Committee. His commitment to evidence-based policy and public health still echoes today a reminder of the kind of leadership so urgently needed.
Below is a group photograph taken at the Palace of Westminster, capturing a moment of truth. This historic image includes some of the brave independent scientists and advocates who tried to sound the alarm before it was too late.
