RECENTLY this magazine reported some alarming findings by Fiorenzo Marinelli and his team in Bologna on the relationship between the radio waves emitted by mobile phones and the growth of tumours (快猫短视频, 26 October 2002, p 9). Such findings reinforce the caveat that a British government committee, led by William Stewart, gave when it reported its findings on the dangers of mobile phones in 2000 (快猫短视频, 13 May 2000, p 5). The committee cautioned that although all the evidence so far suggested mobile phones presented no detectable risk, people should take care until more evidence was available. In this light, I asked Hazel Blears, a public health minister, what she thought of the Italian findings.
Blears said that the Stewart group had recommended the setting up of a substantial research programme, guided by an independent panel. The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme is now at work with joint government and industry funding. Stewart chaired the committee of 15 specialists until Professor Laurie Challis of the University of Nottingham took over. Details of the projects funded by the MTHR can be found at .
The minister added that the National Radiological Protection Board鈥檚 Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation is reviewing scientific findings on the potential health effects of radio waves published since the Stewart report. The review should be finalised this year. Elsewhere, the WHO is reviewing the effects of such radiation as part of its International Electromagnetic Fields Project and is expected to report in a few years, added Blears.
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Perhaps the best tactic is that whenever possible, we should all use landline telephones. Too often we just grab the handy mobile phone.
SALTWORT is a bush growing widely on salt marshes around the world and according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, it could be a valuable and nutritious food source (快猫短视频, 28 September 2002, p 17). Its seeds are not only tasty but also full of nutritious proteins, unsaturated oils and edible starches. Wondering if saltwort might be farmed and at the same time help improve land choked with salt, I asked Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the possibilities.
Michael said that under Britain鈥檚 Countryside Stewardship Scheme, farmers are paid to manage their land in environmentally sympathetic ways that enhance the landscape, encourage wildlife and protect historical features. This includes options for the management of coastal areas, such as salt marshes and intertidal habitats. Although the FAO鈥檚 news encourages farmers to use such habitats, their priority is to develop them in a sustainable way. Any commercial uses would need to be compatible with this.
The Rural Enterprise Scheme 鈥� one of 10 schemes within the England Rural Development Programme 鈥� could provide funds to farmers wanting to diversify into saltwort. While the primary aim of the scheme is to help them adapt to changing markets and opportunities, it also has a broad role in supporting the rural economy, heritage and environment. Currently, there is no market for saltwort, so a farming project depending on it is unlikely to prove commercially viable, said Michael.
Considering the goodies contained in the seeds of this humble plant, I鈥檓 sure the saltwort holds great promise for farmers everywhere, but I would not want to see salt marshes damaged.
