Objectors Missing the Point

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Objectors Missing the Point

This nonsense appeared in my local newspaper this week.

Carnoustie Today - News - JOY AS MAST PLANS ARE THROWN OUT

"OBJECTORS to mobile phone masts in Monifieth and Carnoustie were rejoicing on Tuesday night, after Angus Council's development control committee threw out applications for both burghs."

So why did these people object to the mast being built?

"Reasons for objecting included impact on health"

Sigh, okay let's leave to one side the fact that the "health implications" of mobile phone masts are probably the biggest medical fraud perpetrated on the British public since the "MMR jab causes autism" nonsense. Let's, just for the sake of argument, say that mobile phone masts are dangerous to your health. Are the objectors campaigning against mobile phone technology per se? No, they are not. Presumably, each objector - or someone in their family - has a mobile phone and that, on at least one occasion, has welcomed the opportunity to summon assistance to a break down, or been able to ascertain the whereabouts of an errant child. Therefore they do support the technology, just not near them as they think it's dangerous.

Doesn't that just show the intellectual bankruptcy of these people? If you believe that mobile phone technology is dangerous then what is the outcome of you successfully objecting to a new mast? Well, it means that the existing masts must be run at a higher power to provide the coverage that everyone (including the objectors) want.

The clever thing to do in this situation, is to campaign for more masts. Yes, that's right, more masts. When a company wants to build a mast near you, campaign to make them build two or even four, that way they can be run at half or quarter of the power that they are running at just now. Sigh, but no, that would be too sensible wouldn't it?

Technorati tags: Mobile Phone Masts, Health, MMR, Autism

Print | posted on Saturday, August 18, 2007 7:08 PM

Comments on this post

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@Andrew, of course there was nothing wrong with them. Check your phone as you are walking around, most of the time you have network connectivity, which means, most of the time, you are bathed in the signal from at least one tower. So if you had problems they would be constant, not just when you were near the tower you were objecting to.

Left by Gary on Aug 21, 2007 7:08 PM

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On a simmilar point Gary, there was a program on recently where scientists set up a mobile phone mast in the garden of a large house and got objectors to live there for a week. They had a big "switch on" on the first day and after a couple of days the objectors were complaining of sore head, itchy skin etc...

Only, they reveled at the end that the mast had never been active. :-)

Left by Andrew Wilson on Aug 21, 2007 1:08 PM

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@aon "Who the hell wants mobile masts sticking out everywhere?". Well all those people who buy mobile phones for a start. Check the numbers, we are by far in the majority. If you are in the minority of people who don't want them, then I'm sorry, but that's the joys of living in a democracy you'll just have to suck it down I'm afraid.

As for the health effects, I do live near a mobile phone mast. It also happens to be near a very important bird nesting area. So important that the RSPB survey it every year. What are the detectable effects of the phone mast? None. Nothing. Nada. Ever. Nor is there a big pile of dead wildlife at the foot of these masts either.

The mast in Monifieth that had (renewed) permission denied had been there for 10 years for goodness sake. Most people didn't even know it was there! Health effects reported in those 10 years? Zero!

You see, this is what happens when fewer and fewer people take science based courses at school :-(

Left by Gary on Aug 19, 2007 11:08 AM

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Laying aside the asthetics argument for a moment, you almost got to the mosr important point. If the mast is running at a higher power to communicate with the mobile phone then the mobile phone is doing likewise, and how far away is the mobile phone from someone's soft brain tissue?!?! Much closer than they think!

Even mobile masts csn be built to make them asthetically pleasing or to blend into their surroundings. I bet most people to even realise the number of phone masts they pass on a daily basis.

As for the objectors, who are espousing the damage to health argument, are they going to stop travelling just in case they are irradated by all those masts they pass by and are they going to bin their mobiles.I think not!

Left by John A Thomson on Aug 19, 2007 10:08 AM

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Whilst what you say is technically true, you completely ignore the human element in all this. Humans are governed not just by pure hard logic but also by soft traits like aesthetics. Remember what that is?
Who the hell wants mobile masts sticking out everywhere? Satellite dishes are bad enough. And as for the health effects of sticking a mast near a house. If you had a pregnant wife would you be willing to live near that thing when the evidence is not all in? We have got it wrong many times before. Mad Cows, Thalidimide. All safe at the time. Then, further down the line they revealed themselves to be a lot less than safe. Have faith in the science. But be sceptical as well.

Left by Aon on Aug 18, 2007 11:08 PM