Product Description

Cell Towers and hidden "stealth" antennas are cropping up all over, despite vehement objections from community members. Health & safety questions arise, but are often dismissed by the very people entrusted to protect community welfare - planners and zoners - who have been told they cannot consider such questions. But safety concerns about radio frequency radiation (called RF) used in all wireless technology, spans decades. Those concerns have yet to be resolved despite our increasing exposures. "Cell Towers" cuts through the rhetoric to address the complex issues of low-level RF. With chapters contributed by prominent research scientists, government officials, engineers, and attorneys, the book is the most comprehensive and balanced resource available for lay people today. Questions answered include: Are the health concerns justified? What does the science really say? What are the roles of the lead government agencies: EPA & FCC? Are the RF exposure standards reliable? Are they current? What are other countries doing? Are humans the only concern? What about millions of birds killed annually when they collide with towers? What about property devaluation? Liability? Case law? What can communities do? What are good zoning regulations? Are we on an environmental collision course with ambient energy?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #540024 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 358 pages

From the Publisher
We quote the following endorsements: "Finally, a publication dealing with the very timely and important issue of cell towers. Following Levitt's excellent overview of the problem, the book takes us through relevant scientific and regulatory issues in a thorough, easy-to-understand manner. This is an essential reference work for laypersons, as well as those in science, policy development, regulation and legislation." -Jerry L. Phillips. Ph.D., Bioelectromagnetics consultant; former Research Scientist, Cancer Therapy & Research Center, San Antonio, Tx and Pettit Memorial VA Hospital, Loma Linda CA

"The continued proliferation of this radiation constitutes one of the most significant alterations of the natural environment, with the possibility of major impacts on human health. Ms. Levitt's compilation of the presentations of the Cell Towers Forum - along with additional scientific evidence, up-tp-date regulatory provisions, and abstracts of pertinent legal decisions - is unbiased, authoritative and represents the opinions of recognized experts in the bioeffects of electromagnetic radiation. This book should be required reading for all planning boards, environmental groups, and concerned citizens." -Robert O, Becker, M.D., Biomedical sciences consultant; author of "The Body Electric" and "Cross Currents."

About the Author
B. Blake Levitt is an award-winning journalist who has specialized in medical and science writing for nearly two decades. She has researched the biological effects of non-ionizing radiation since the late 1970's. A former New York Times writer, she has written widely on medical issues for both the lay and professional audience. Her work has appeared in nu-merous national publications.

She is the author of Electromagnetic Fields, A Consumer's Guide to the Issues and How to Protect Ourselves (Harcourt Brace, 1995), for which she won an Award of Excellence from the American Medical Writ-ers Association. Ms. Levitt is also the author of 50 Essential Things To Do When The Doctor Says It's Infertility (Penguin, 1995), and the co-author of Before You Conceive, The Complete Prepregnancy Guide (Bantam, 1989), for which she also won an Award of Excellence from the American Medical Writers Association.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1

Telecommunications Technologies - An Overview: Wireless Convenience? Or Looming Environmental Problem?

By: B. Blake Levitt

Towering Questions

Cell Towers. They seem to be popping up everywhere, like inter-galactic mushrooms. We see them inappropriately placed in residential neighborhoods, on school grounds, on pristine ridgelines, along beautiful country roads and scenic highways - usually over the vehement objec-tions of neighbors, parents, and environmentalists. Towers are often reluc-tantly sited in these hallowed places by the very people we have elected to protect our communities.

Many of our municipal agents have been intimidated by an onerous provision in a federal law - called Section 704 of the Telecom-munications Act of 1996, and by an aggressive telecommunications industry that threatens to sue at the hint of a rejected application. Towns, fearing staggering legal bills, have come to think their hands are tied and that somebody's neighborhood must be sacrificed for the sake of the larger community.

But with so many new antenna arrays needed to support more and more wireless buildout, everybody's neighborhood now faces "sacrifice." No neighborhood, scenic vista or historic structure is off-limits.

Municipal agents feel maddeningly frustrated and powerless in the face of a multi-billion dollar industry that appears to have Congress on its side. It is as if we have become candles in the wind of the wireless jugger-naut, even though serious scientific uncertainty about the safety of this technology continues to exist.

No community is unaffected by cell towers today. Siting them is one of the most contentious areas of land-use law in America, as well as in many European countries where far more stringent exposure standards have been set for ambient environmental radiofrequency radiation - the area of the electromagnetic spectrum used for this wireless technology.

Just a few short years ago this was not the case. Indeed, the rapacious buildout of this technology caught most communities completely by surprise.

How did we get to this place where we feel we have lost funda-mental control over our most cherished right to protect the health, safety and welfare of our communities, and to preserve our property values? How real are health concerns regarding this technology? How can we re-store our rights? What is reasonable to ask in light of the fact that many Americans want cellular service?

A one-day conference was held in Litchfield County, Connecticut, on December 2, 2000, featuring speakers with extraordinary expertise, to help answers such questions. This proceedings book from that conference hopes to share that expertise with a broader audience. No community should be without this information because one thing is certain - millions of people love cell phones, but no one loves the infrastructure needed to support a wireless, civilian phone system. New wireless technologies are already out of the gate - wireless TV, wireless computers, wireless faxes, wireless modems, to name a few. All will require additional spectrum and antennas with accompanying radiation - with no clear understanding of the biological consequences to humans or to other species.

It is imperative that we acquire far more wisdom in balancing the competing needs of those who want such services with those who do not want to live near the infrastructure, including the recognition that it may be time to fine-tune the technology away from ground-based networks al-together.

Customer Reviews

500 million guinneapigs? A much needed book!
The wireless age has exploded and people are using the cell phones everywhere and anytime and as it seems without concern about disturbing other people. It is a social disturbance as well as a handy tool to keep in instant and constant contact, two sides of the same coin. But what about the health concerns? Some people get serious headaches and sensation of heat when talking more than a few minutes. The cell phone is radiating microwaves, like your microwave owen, only not as much... But what if, I repeat IF, also non-thermal levels of microwaves are dangerous? Then the health problem for the world is GIGANTIC! Okey, for cancers to emerge we will have to wait at least ten more years to know for sure...

This book gives information about these health concerns by some of the most important researchers in the field.

Highly recommended for anyone to know more about the facts behind the debate in the media!

Just in time! - Lots of great information on cellular issues
The tip of the iceberg? A very timely and much needed review of current health and legal issues surrounding today's cell phone technology- from authoritative sources with lots of great references. If you have a cell tower near you or proposed for your church steeple or neighborhood, you won't want to miss this book! Some of the potential biological impacts are quite surprising!

the best resource book available on cell tower issues
If a tower is coming to your area and you need to jump on a quick learning curve, this book is a must have. Buy it and be sure your town officials get a copy, give one to your library. This book has proven to be an invaluable resource on all of the issues related to cell tower sitings, including health, property devaluation, and environmental effects.
Ms Levitt's editing results in a very clear read of some highly technical data. She presents a balanced overview of the cell tower situation and provides an important addendum of websites and currant case law for further research.
This is the best cell tower resouce book available today.