After reading an article in a local newspaper here in Malta which was titled 'No evidence of health risks from base stations', I asked myself this question as I have in the past, who shall I believe the government and the telecommunication industry or the increasing number of scientists saying the opposite to what is mentioned in the article. I know that the government and telecommunication companies are making millions and millions from new technology while the scientists on the other hand, many of which have worked all their lives on different types of radiation, are only interested in safeguarding the general public. At least this is my opinion, from the research I have made as a concerned parent for my children's health, as we have a mobile base station less than 10m away from my children's bedroom and another about 30m away. After reading about so many different reports indicating that THERE ARE long term and short term health effects how I can not be concerned. So now are the government and telephone companies [that own the antennae] going to accept liability should something happen to my children Do the people that say they are harmless have one on their roof Do I trust the ICNIRP guidelines which are what the Telecommunications industries all over the world are using so no one get in their way The telecommunications industry claims cellular antennas are safe because the RF/MW radiation they produce is too weak to cause heating, i.e., a "thermal effect." They point to "safety standards" from groups such as ANSI/IEEE or ICNIRP to support their claims. But these groups have explicitly stated that their claims of "safe RF/MW radiation exposure is harmless" rest on the fact that it is too weak to produce a rise in body temperature, a "thermal effect." There is a large body of internationally accepted scientific evidence which points to the existence of non-thermal effects of RF/MW radiation. Internationally acknowledged experts in the field of RF/MW radiation research have shown that RF/MW transmissions of the type used in digital cellular antennas and phones can have critical effects on cell cultures, animals, and people in laboratories and have also found epidemiological evidence (studies of communities, not in the laboratory) of serious health effects at "non-thermal levels," where the intensity of the RF/MW radiation was too low to cause heating. They have found: > Increased cell growth of brain cancer cells > Increased single- and double-strand breaks in DNA, our genetic material > More childhood leukemia in children exposed to RF > Changes in sleep patterns and REM type sleep > Headaches caused by RF/MW radiation exposure > Neurologic changes > Decreased memory, attention, and slower reaction time in school children > Increased blood pressure in healthy men > Damage to eye cells when combined with commonly used glaucoma medications So who shall we believe I think we need to do our own research carefully as we are only told what some want us to hear! I think we, all the Maltese people and general public, have the right to know both sides of the story and not have the Antennae forced upon us and our children. Other countries are taking precautionary actions by not putting them in residential areas and schools. While here in Malta [According to the Development Notice Order 2007 Class 7.1 which states that these Mobile Antennae can be erected WITHOUT A PERMIT up 10 metres] we are advancing using the 'Guinea Pig' approach and just waiting to see what happens in the future and we are the Guinea Pigs! Just look at how long it took for laws to be established about second hand smoking and now everyone at least has the choice but my children [with EMF exposure] don't have this choice because according to WHO, ICNIRP, the phone companies and the Government the, Mobile Phone Antennae are harmless and because we were unlucky enough to have two neighbors wanting the Phone companies benefits while over 100 people in the neighborhood signed a 3 petitions against them. You then may say 'But we are so small, where can we put them The cheapest option is always the best answer I guess! Put them on peoples homes and if the neighbors don't like it, so what! The Local Council will help, but we are told 'Sorry everything is according to the law'! But the whole neighborhood is against them, look we all signed the petition! But yet again 'Sorry everything is according to the law. I am not against technology and economic growth and I do have a mobile phone but I won't let my children use it and I won't use it for long periods but I have no choice over the antenna. It is right over my children's bedroom and I am against that and I know this is only the beginning, once they are installed more is added, then more go up and more is added! Keep an eye on the rooftops and see for yourself but remember if it isn't you or your children, Malta is small and there can always be one on your brother or sister's roof somewhere else. Again I ask myself 'Who shall I believe'