Lloyd Morgan

Environmental Health Trust is saddened to share the passing of two remarkable individuals who each played vitally important roles in promoting awareness of the need to reduce direct exposures to cell phones and led lives of service to others, Lloyd Morgan and Max Anderson.

Lloyd Morgan worked tirelessly and closely with EHT founder Dr. Devra Davis in producing a series of peer-reviewed publications that established the technical foundations for concerns about the safety of cell phones particularly with respect to children.

Former Berkeley City, California, Council Member Max Anderson refused to kowtow to pressures to back off of proposed legislation to promote the basic right to know about cellphone radiation — a right that remains on the books although it is not currently being enforced.

Working with another pioneer and bio-electromagnetics, University of Utah Professor Emeritus Om Gandhi, as well as Davis, Professor Alvaro De Sales, Associate Professor Claudio Fernandez, and others, Morgan not only created models of the child brain using state of the art technology employed by the FDA to set standards for surgery on the brain, but also spent countless hours explaining these models to federal state and local officials. This work was able to show that children absorb up to 10 times more microwave radiation into the bone marrow of the skull than adults and more than twice the exposure into the soft tissue of the brain. Because the child’s head contains more fluid and children’s head bones are softer with neurons lacking full myelination, they are much more susceptible to microwave radiation.  The American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, cited this work in their submissions to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), detailing concerns about why and how to protect young children.

Morgan carried out important scientific work and was fearless and ferocious in his efforts to communicate this to the public. In 2010, he was part of the indefatigable all-star team along with Ellie Marks and Harry Lehmann who relentlessly lobbied the city of San Francisco Board of Supervisors in support of the cell phone right-to-know law.  Initially led by Gavin Newsom, then-San Francisco mayor, the right-to-know law sought to post a notice wherever phones were sold informing consumers that phones emitted radiofrequency radiation and should be used at some distance off the body. While the city attorney agreed not to enforce the law, it remains on the books as a bona fide achievement that establishes a fundamental right to know about cell phone radiation.

Max Anderson, then a Berkeley City Councilmember, became convinced by Morgan, Marks, Dr. Joel Moskowitz, Cindy Franklin, founder of Consumers for Safe Cell Phones, and others to take up this cause. He remained a stalwart advocate seeking to protect children and those with sensitivities from exposure to wireless radiation, along with efforts to promote climate justice, and a more equitable world for those who lacked material advantages.

With the later addition of efforts from Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig, and with Anderson’s astute leadership, the city of Berkeley passed its own right-to-know law which was upheld despite challenges from the industry.  A Vietnam Veteran and advocate for those who lacked a voice in the civic arena, Anderson stood up to considerable pressure against his efforts. Local legislators face daunting demands on their time and often punt when it comes to technical matters. With Morgan as his expert, Anderson would not be cowed and would often consult EHT and others about the best strategies to protect children.

These two fine gentlemen gave freely of themselves so that others would benefit.  They are examples of the best of our country, as leaders committed to uplifting and protecting the vulnerable, and as tenacious voices for those lacking access to the inner workings of power. Morgan cut his activist teeth as an early anti-war worker at Berkeley, then a center of such efforts.  Anderson served his country during that same war, as did many young men unable to escape the draft. He emerged determined to take steps to promote a more equitable and just society through direct engagement in local government for three decades.

It was a true honor and great privilege to call these two giants of the field friends. They have left us tremendous legacies of hope and courage.  May their memories be forever a blessing.