Cell Phones are Safe!
September 2009.
And now for a different perspective, what journalists call “fair and balanced” reporting.
Fox News interviews Dr. Philip Stieg, Chief Neurosurgeon at the New York-Presbyterian University Hospital, who believes cell phones are safe. He states that there is no data to support that cellphones are dangerous and that while cell phone use has increased exponentially, the incidence of brain tumors remains relatively stable.
He goes on to list the types of tumors for which there is no evidence including malignant and benign brain tumors, salivary gland tumors, and eye tumors. I wonder if he’s read the papers by Kundi and Hardell showing a statistically significant increased risk of these very tumors for which Dr. Stieg says there is no evidence. Obviously there is evidence but apparently Dr. Stieg is unaware of it.
The Hardell study reports that those at greatest risk are those under the age of 20 when they first started using a cell phone. Their risk of developing a tumor increases by 520%. So the comment that we have no evidence that young people are more sensitive is simply wrong.
A blog associated with this youtube video says “Follow the money. Verizon is a major donor to New York Presbyterian.” So I did. And what I found on page 61 in the 2006-07 Annual Report is that Verizon, the wireless giant, is a major donor to New York Presbyterian University Hospital just as the blogger suggests.
There is something unusual, perhaps it is synchronicity, in a part of this video. Listen carefully between the timer interval 2:45 and 2:55. What you are hearing is electromagnetic interference of the broadcast signal probably caused by a cell phone. The signal is strong enough to affect the audio recording device but, according to Dr. Stieg, it is far too weak to have any affect on the human body.
Dr. Stieg’s advice is that there is no need to take any precautions. Hope he’s right although I suspect he is wrong.
I wonder if fair and balanced reporting needs to be accurate and factually correct or if it just needs to present a different perspective to keep people confused.
This interview comes after a Senate Committee Hearing on Cell Phone Cancer Dangers in Washington. So what do the scientists at that hearing have to say? Click HERE to view the Senate Hearings on C-SPAN
