Arthur Firstenberg

Arthur Robert Firstenberg (born May 28, 1950, Brooklyn, New York) is an American activist on the subject of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.[1] He is the founder of the independent campaign group the Cellular Phone Task Force.[2] His 1997 book Microwaving Our Planet: The Environmental Impact of the Wireless Revolution was published by the group.[3]

Contents

Education

Firstenberg was a Westinghouse scholar who received a BA in mathematics from Cornell University in 1971 and continued into medical school from 1978 to 1982. Firstenberg did not complete medical school due to illness, which he attributes to electromagnetic hypersensitivity brought on by receiving over 40 diagnostic dental x-rays.[3][4]

Campaign against microwave technology

Since 1996, he has argued in numerous publications that wireless technology is dangerous[5] and that "the telecommunications industry has suppressed damaging evidence about its technology since at least 1927."[6] The World Health Organization says that "[there is] no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects."[7]

In 1997, the Cellular Phone Taskforce was the lead petitioner in a challenge to the Federal Communication Commission's RF radiation exposure limits, which was joined by dozens of other parties including the Ad-Hoc Association of Parties Concerned About the Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Health and Safety Rules ("AHA").[8] The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled for the FCC. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which was supported by an amicus curiae brief written by Patrick Leahy and Jim Jeffords, was denied.[9]

In May 2008, he and other groups accused the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico of discrimination against those allergic to EM radiation for having free wireless networks in city buildings.[10][11]

In January 2010, he filed a lawsuit against his neighbor, seeking damages of $530,000,[12] for "refusing to turn off her cell phone and other electronic devices."[13] He claims that electromagnetic fields from his neighbor's cell phone are destroying his health, and that her charging laptop keeps him up at night.[12] He states that he has been made homeless as a result.[13]

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ Curiel, Jonathan (2007-01-14), Worries cell phones could damage your cells, San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/14/INGGENGN9T1.DTL, retrieved 2010-02-28 
  2. ^ Firstenberg, Arthur; Molloy, Susan (July 1, 2002), "Electrical Sensitivity" (Accessed Mar 1, 2010), Latitudes 5 (4) 
  3. ^ a b Firstenberg, Arthur (1997) (Accessed March 1, 2010), Microwaving Our Planet: The Environmental Impact of the Wireless Revolution, Cellular Phone Task Force, ASIN B0030L4IBI ASIN: B0030L4IBI 
  4. ^ Scheeres, Julia (January 22, 2002), "Mendocino, CA: Microwave Hot Seat", Wired, http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/news/2002/01/49841?currentPage=all 
  5. ^ Firstenberg, Arthur (January 2006), "The Largest Biological Experiment Ever" (– Scholar search), Sun Monthly, http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2006/Firstenberg-EMF-Experiment1jan06.htm 
  6. ^ Firstenberg, Arthur (Summer, 1997), "Microwaving Our Planet, Cellular Assault" (– Scholar search), Earth Island Journal 12 (3), http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/new_articles.cfm?articleID=202&journalID=47 
  7. ^ World Health Organization Factsheet (May 2006), Electromagnetic fields and public health, World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html, retrieved 2007-05-03 
  8. ^ OpenJurist 205 F3d 82 Cellular Phone Taskforce v. Federal Communication
  9. ^ O'Connor, Jared (2003), "National League of Cities Rising: How the Telecommunications Act of 1996 could expandTenth Amendment jurisprudence" (Accessed March 2, 2010), Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review 30 (2): 275–314, http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bcealr/30_2/02_FMS.htm 
  10. ^ Schwartz, Gadi; Panas, Joshua (2008-05-20), Group wants Wi-Fi banned from public buildings, http://kob.com/article/stories/S451152.shtml?cat=517, retrieved 2008-05-24 
  11. ^ Pein, corey (June 24, 2009), "Tuned Out" (– [1]), Santa Fe Reporter 36 (25), http://www.sfreporter.com/stories/tuned_out/4736/ 
  12. ^ a b Ray, Bill (January 11, 2010), "Santa Fe man demands half a mill for being near iPhone", The Register, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/11/iphone_health/ 
  13. ^ a b Sharpe, Tom (January 7, 2010), "Wi-Fi foe sues neighbor for using electronics", The New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Wi-Fi-foe-sues-neighbor-for-using-electronics