Why this petition matters
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https://www.change.org/p/rejection-of-six-5g-masts-on-the-roof-of-sydenham-school
I would urge people to sign this petition to ask Lewisham to reject the application by Mitie on Vodafone’s behalf to install six 5G masts on the roof of Sydenham School in the borough of Lewisham, SE London, as this will expose children (and staff) to a massive flow of untested frequencies of electro magnetic radiation (EMR). No public consultation was carried out before the application was filed. I am deeply concerned, as a Sydenham School parent, about the potential health implications if the application is approved.
The Environmental Health Trust and numerous eminent scientists wrote in Canada to the Ontario Minister of Education to demonstrate why children require special protections from EMR and why their exposures should be reduced to as low as possible.
The European Parliament Study Service “Health Impact of 5G” report concludes that the electromagnetic field emission frequencies of 450 to 6,000 MHz “are probably carcinogenic for humans”.
Key scientific literature points to very real non-thermal negative biological effects of EMR being ignored by the mobile and broadband industry as well as bodies like the ICNIRP. These are :
a. Lowered adaptive immune responses or immune system dysregulation
b. Cardiac effects, including tachycardia, bradycardia and arrythmias, and ventricular developmental defects
c. Cancer including initiation, promotion and progression
d. Pathological damage to multiple organs (e.g. liver, kidneys, uterus, bladder, testis)
e. Trace element disturbances in tissues
f. Ocular damage
g. Lowered fertility
h. Hormonal dysregulation
i. Neurological / neuropsychiatric effects
j. Sleep disruption
k. Memory, motor skill, attention, cognition impairment
l. Apoptosis / programmed cell death
m. Oxidative stress / free radical damage
n. Single strand and double strand breaks in cellular DNA
o. Increased intracellular calcium levels causing chronic effects.
Public Health England (PHE) relies entirely on ICNIRP safety guidelines on EMRs which have been shown to be deeply flawed by numerous scientific studies.
Meo et al (2019) studied exposure of adolescents at 2-10 uW/cm2 EMR exposure from a mobile base station 200 metres from a school which resulted in impairment of spatial working memory and attention, and delayed motor skills. They state that mobile base stations should be ‘installed away from thickly populated residential zones particularly in or near the school buildings or there must be some system to shield human beings from RF-EMFR’ .
100’s of scientists worldwide have asked for a halt of 5G until risks have been independently investigated and there is presently ample scientific evidence to warrant a debate.
Local authorities have the duty to safeguard our health, which they are not presently doing by allowing 5G masts without a bona fide investigation of their potential health risks. There is today enough scientific data out there for the UK government and local councils to be held accountable for blinded and careless decisions.
Has the health of school children become so unworthy of honest consideration and protection that no proper debate should be had on this application?
Underground fibre optic wired technology has already been used by Northumberland County Council and National Parks England and we should be doing the same for the safety of our children and the public. Lower cost 5G masts should not be installed at the expense of damaging our health.
We enclose below just 2 links to letters citing numerous studies and their conclusions.
Supporting this petition is urgent as Lewisham has already received the planning application. We hope that many concerned parents and residents will see the importance of signing this petition.
Reasons for concern and especially for children
The EM Radiation Research Trust (RRT) recently called for a full investigation into the 4G LTE phone mast that is situated right next to Millstead Primary School, Everton, Liverpool following the deaths of two children of unknown causes. A peak reading of 1,554932 µW/m was measured right next to Millstead School. This reading corresponds with readings recorded by Professor Lennart Hardell and Mona Nilsson of the Swedish Radiation Foundation who published seven case reports that include a total of 16 persons aged between 4 and 83 years that developed microwave syndrome within a short time after being exposed to 5G base stations close to their dwellings. Most prevalent symptoms were sleeping difficulty, headache, fatigue, irritability, concentration problems, loss of immediate memory, emotional distress, depression tendency, anxiety/panic, burning and lancinating skin, cardiovascular symptoms, pain in muscles and joints https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38889394/
I would like to draw your attention to The International Declaration on the Human Rights of Children in the Digital Age. This important Declaration was delivered to the Secretary General of the United Nations on World Children’s Day, November 20, 2023. The Declaration calls for the protection of Children from Involuntary Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) and highlights a large and growing body of independent, peer-reviewed scientific studies demonstrated that man-made NIR has adverse biological effects. The Declaration | ICD (thechildrensdeclaration.org)
The UK Stewart Report 2000
In 2000 the UK Government set up a committee to investigate the impacts of RF/microwave radiation. The committee was chaired by Sir William Stewart, Chairman of the UK Health Protection Agency and formerly Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government. This important investigation called for a precautionary approach due to the scientific uncertainties.
- Section 1.18 There is now scientific evidence, however, which suggests that there may be biological effects occurring at exposures below these guidelines.
- Section 1.19 We conclude therefore that it is not possible at present to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below guidelines, is totally without potential adverse health effects, and that the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach.
- Section 1.42 The beam of greatest RF intensity should not be permitted to fall on any part of the school grounds or buildings without agreement from the school and parents.
- Section 1.53 Children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous systems, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head and a longer lifetime of exposure.
Research has continued to raise concerns since the 2000 Stewart Report.
- Thousands of Peer-reviewed studies, including the $30 million U.S Toxicology Program and the world’s largest animal study on RF mobile phone mast radiation by the Ramazzini Institute confirms a wide range of statistically significant DNA damage, brain and heart tumours, infertility, and RF/microwave radiation sickness injury symptoms.
- In 2011 the WHO/IARC classified Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as a class 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) The same classification as DDT and lead in Petrol. https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr208_E.pdf
- The late Professor Yury Grigoriev said “A situation has emerged that cumulative EMF exposure of children may be comparable to adult exposure and may be equal to levels of occupational exposure of workers. The current standards are outdated and inadequate. Urgent action is needed to curb the negative impact from this physical agent.” https://www.radiationresearch.org/news/important-information-from-professor-yury-grigoriev/
- EMA v East Sussex County Council (Special educational needs). The Upper Tribunal Judge Jacobs found that a child suffering with electrosensitivity should be considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 and required an Education Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) https://phiremedical.org/news/
We call on planning officials to reject this application and launch a full investigation calling for a complete review of the whole planning process for this technology taking health into consideration based on independent research.
Eileen O’Connor
Director EM Radiation Research Trust