EVIDENCE that mobile phones cause interference has essentially been anecdotal
in the past, but we now have it on the good authority of Britain鈥檚 Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) that cellphone radiation interferes with aircraft
electronics.
I am a regular customer of British Midland (BM) and fly each week from
Edinburgh to London when Parliament is in session. Twice, in the past month, I
have had to glare at neighbours, who insisted on using their mobile phones after
the captain had asked passengers not to do so. I don鈥檛 like making a scene in
the cabin, but I am concerned for the safety of all aboard the flight. So I was
most interested to read Paul Marks鈥檚 recent news piece on the CAA declaration
about cellphone radiation
(快猫短视频, 27 May, p 7).
I sent a copy of the article to Michael Bishop, chairman of British Midland,
and asked for his comment.
Bishop replied that the airline allows its passengers to use mobile phones
while their plane is on the ground, until its door is shut prior to aircraft
systems being activated for departure. 鈥淭he CAA evidence now supports the
prohibition of the use of phones in flight which has been in force for some
time,鈥� Bishop said. He agreed with Les Barclay, a government expert whom Marks
quotes, that the technology in the mobile phones will probably advance to the
stage at which they can be used without interfering with aircraft systems.
鈥淎lready one such telephone product is available and has been accepted for use
on board a non-British carrier,鈥� Bishop said. BM does not propose to change its
rules until the CAA has further advised it on this matter he said.
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Roll on the product that does not interfere with aircraft systems, but I
think that will be some time coming.
RESEARCHERS at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen are feeding cows and
sheep a daily dose of methane-munching bacteria in the hope that these will stem
the animals鈥� contributions to global warming, according to Andy Coghlan鈥檚 report
(快猫短视频, 15 April, p 6).
I asked Elliot Morley, the junior
minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), whether he
takes such research seriously.
Morley replied that Britain had agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
by 12.5 per cent as part of the European Union鈥檚 commitment under the Kyoto
protocol. MAFF expects to spend more than 拢1 million on R&D into
greenhouse gases produced by farming and ways of controlling these gases in the
current year, said Morley. A third of this money will go to work specifically
related to methane emissions. The Aberdeen team is investigating various ways of
reducing the gas from livestock by altering their diet. Any potential treatment
emerging is likely to require further development before it can be widely used,
as its cost-effectiveness for methane reduction, its effects on production of
meat and milk, and the practical circumstances in which it could be used, will
all have to be looked at, he said.
