Radiation Protection Policy Dominated by Industry-Tied Unscientific Lobby Organization ICNIRP
Press release from Diagnose Funk from April 29, 2021
Researchers criticize: the ‘International Commission for Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation’ (ICNIRP) is an extended arm of the mobile communications industry and a ‘closed club’ without democratic legitimation
Stuttgart, April 29, 2021: The environmental and consumer organization diagnose: funk reveals today how radiation protection policy in Germany is dominated by the industry-related and unscientific lobbying organization ICNIRP.
The English abbreviation ICNIRP stands for ‘International Commission for Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation’. The organization consists exclusively of self-appointed members who are often very close to the mobile communications industry. Scientists critical of cellular communications have never been included in the ICNIRP. The ICNIRP is based rent-free in a building of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Oberschleissheim, its scientific secretarial position is staffed by a manager from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.
“The facts are now clear: The ICNIRP, on whose specifications our cell phone limit values are based, is the extended arm of the cell phone industry and also a ‘closed club’ without democratic legitimation” , says Jörn Gutbier, chairman of diagnose: funk. “This is shown by the analyzes of several internationally recognized scientists and two MEPs. The results speak a clear language: The ICNIRP delivers the downplaying messages for the marketing of 5G, smartphones and WLAN routers, in that studies that prove health risks are either not included in the assessment, the results are generally questioned or are distorted. The German radiation protection policy can be led by the ICNIRP on a string and adopts its industry-friendly arguments. That has to be over! The Federal Office for Radiation Protection must end its cooperation with the ICNIRP. “
diagnose: funk refers to four new detailed analyzes of the ICNIRP (see below) by internationally recognized scientists and EU politicians as well as to the findings of the research network ‘Investigate Europe’.
Overview: https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1702
Analysis 1
Prof. Tom Butler, economic sociologist and engineer at University College Cork, reveals the influence of industry on global radiation protection policy.
Prof. Butler analyzes the history of the ICNIRP as a spawn and extended arm of the industry, as a “badly disguised organization” whose main task is to ” discard scientific findings in a targeted manner.” Butler documents health and safety guidelines, as in the early 1990s were issued. However, these guidelines were only based on thermal health risks. Research showing harmful effects of non-thermal exposures has been ignored. By 2020, the state of research on health hazards has expanded considerably. However, the guidelines from the 1990s remain unchanged. Butler demonstrates unethical behavior on the part of the institutional and organizational actors, which results in a significant risk to the health and well-being of adults and children.
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1683
Analysis 2
Prof. Dariusz Leszczynski, former head of the Finnish radiation protection authority and member of many international commissions: “ICNIRP issues safety guidelines for 5G mobile communications, which are vital for the telecommunications industry.”
In a blog post, Leszczynski comments on the limit values and statements of the ICNIRP on the safety of 5G. The core of his criticism: “ICNIRP issues security guidelines that are vital for the telecommunications industry. Anyone who claims there is no influence or interaction between the two can safely be called naive … There is insufficient research on 5G millimeter waves to claim that ICNIRP safety guidelines are science based and safety for all users after decades of exposure. “
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1686
Analysis 3
Lennart Hardell and Michael Carlberg from the Swedish Environment and Cancer Research Foundation: “Health risks from high-frequency radiation, including 5G, should be assessed by experts without conflicts of interest”
In an article in Oncology Letters 20:15, 2020, by Lennart Hardell and Michael Carlberg, the role of the ICNIRP in Swiss and international radiation protection policy is analyzed. Hardell / Carlberg uncover the conflicts of interest of the ICNIRP members. The reasons why hundreds of scientists called for a moratorium on the use of 5G radiation until a proper scientific assessment of the possible negative consequences has been carried out are ignored in the report of a group of experts from the Swiss government and in a publication by the ICNIRP. Hardell / Carlberg attribute this to a cartel of individuals who monopolize the evaluation committees and thus strengthen the zero-risk paradigm. Hardell / Carlberg: “We believe that this activity is to be classified as scientific misconduct” . And further: “The work results of the ICNIRP should at best be ignored, but under no circumstances should they be used to determine international limit values.”
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1697
Analysis 4
Report by MEPs Michèle Rivasi (Europe Ecologie) and Klaus Buchner (Ecological Democratic Party) on the ICNIRP: “The ICNIRP: Conflicts of Interest,” Corporate Capture “and the push to expand the 5G network”
This report was commissioned, coordinated and published by the two MEPs and financed by the ‘Greens / EFA’ group in the European Parliament. The authors write about the result: “The results of this investigation give us an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu: Many facts and processes that lead to the current situation, with the European authorities – from the European Commission to most of them Member states – just turn a blind eye to the real scientific facts and early warning signals. We have seen exactly the same scenario in the debates on tobacco, asbestos, climate change and pesticides … The ICNIRP claims that its members are independent scientists, acting free from the selfish interests of the telecommunications industry. With this report we show that the ICNIPR is playing with the truth in this regard or that this statement is simply a lie. … The ICNIRP is a science club with a passion for themselves, which lacks biological and medical expertise as well as scientific competence in specific risk assessments. “
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1701
https://klaus-buchner.eu/die-internationale-kommission-zum-schutz-vor-nichtionisierender-strahlung-interessenkonflikte-corporate-capture-und-der-vorstoss-zum-ausbau-des-5g-netzes/
In January 2019, the research network ‘Investigate Europe’ published its detailed research on the ICNIRP cartel in the Tagesspiegel.
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/1335
Contact for questions:
- Jörn Gutbier, first chairman of diagnose: funk, department of consumer protection, Tel. 0711-250869-1
- Peter Hensinger, first chairman of diagnose: funk, Science Department, Tel. 0711-250869-2
- Matthias von Herrmann, Press Officer, Tel. 0711-250869-4 or 0174-7497868
Press portal: https://www.presseportal.de/nr/134366
Diagnose: funk is an independent environmental and consumer protection organization in the German-speaking area that advocates protection against electromagnetic radiation. To this end, diagnose: funk clarifies the health-damaging effects of cell phone and WLAN radiation, among other things, and calls for future-oriented technical solutions for health-friendly telecommunications.
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diagnosis: funk / Bismarckstr. 63/70197 Stuttgart
Represented by Jörn Gutbier and Peter Hensinger.
https://www.diagnose-funk.org
