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The Independent |
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The circumstantial evidence of a connection between Sparrow decline and the introduction of Telecommunication Mast and Base Stations is strong. As the disappearance of the house Sparrow from the large cities correlates with the introduction of phone masts, the possibility that such cell masts (towers) are involved surely requires immediate investigation. |
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The high frequency RF fields produced a response in many types of neurons in the avian Central Nervous System (Annex 2) |
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Besides, some studies warn about the effects of these radiations on reproduction: Decreases in sperm counts and smaller tube development in rat testes (Dasdag et al., 1999) and increases in embryonic mortality of chickens, (Youbicier-Simo, et al., 1998). |
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Why have British Sparrow populations indeed collapsed in big cities but not in small towns?: The number of Telecommunication Masts in big cities and the use of mobile phones, in general, is much greater than in small towns. Big cities usually have more electromagnetic contamination, but this differs between areas (vicinity of Masts) and because of this the decline of these birds does not happen to the same degree in different parks or neighbourhoods or different cities. Small towns usually have the telecommunication masts located away from the urban centre because this is sufficient to maintain the coverage. Because of this birds are less affected in small towns and villages. |
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Telecommunication Masts usually are installed in high places in order to achieve more coverage for the signal. For this reason there is lower density power in lower places. These waves impact to the species in different ways depending on the breeding height, the height of singing, feeding, nest location, kind of nest etc. This is the reason for the decline of species that frequent roofs, aerials, phone wires or those with higher breeding height such us House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) Magpies (Pica pica), but not those that live near the ground and vegetation like Blackbirds (Turdus merula), Robins (Erithacus rubecula), Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes), or those that breed in cavities where they are more protected like the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus), Great Tit (Parus major), Coal Tit (Parus ater). Apart from that, it is likely that each specie will show different susceptibility to these radiations. |
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In November 1999, in Scotland over one third of all Scottish Local Planning Authorities adopted or publicly committed themselves in to adopting precautionary policies as a direct result, by choosing to keep transmitter masts away from schools and residential areas. |
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Two years later the demise of the House Sparrows appears to have been reversed in Scotland (Paul Kelbie 10/11/2001, The Independent). |
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It is most likely that the same will happen in Northern Ireland very soon as there will be Planning controls on mobile phones masts, and the new regulations will be stricter than any other region of the U.K. (Marie Foy, 11/4/2002, Belfast Telegraph). So we might expect an increase in House Sparrows and Starlings in Northern Ireland in the next few years. |
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The electromagnetic field is the perfect secret agent: you cannot see it, you cannot smell it, you cannot hear it, you cannot feel it and its effects are slow but relentless (Look report Stewart in http://icgmp.gov.uk and Annex 3, 4 and 5). |
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Birds tend to avoid places with high levels of electromagnetic contamination. Some “silence areas” clearly exists where there are no song males. |
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11% of the species of breed have disappeared slowly from the park (2 of 17) |
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The number of song males of several species have decreased. |
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