War-gaming- wireless industry using tobacco tactics:
The tactics used by the wireless industry to discredit research showing potential harm from cell phone radiation are similar to those used by the tobacco industry to cast doubt on the link between smoking and cancer.
One of the key strategies used by the wireless industry is “war-gaming” the science, as outlined in a leaked memo from Motorola to their PR company Burson-Marsteller in 1994. The memo details how the industry planned to discredit researchers, minimize the findings, and calm the public. They developed a list of “independent” experts to reassure the public that cell phones were safe.
The industry also sought to delay or halt research that could potentially show harm, prevent other scientists from replicating studies, or carefully select scientists who would produce favorable results. The industry also worked to convince the press and the public, via industry-selected scientists, that any findings showing harm were of marginal importance and with questionable relevance in regards to the question of whether cell phones are safe for humans.
One of the main criticisms was that the studies were not conducted at cellular frequencies and were of questionable relevance. However, in reality, many of the studies have been conducted at frequencies relevant to cell phones and other wireless devices.
The article exposes the wireless industry’s tactics of “war-gaming” the science to downplay the risks associated with cell phone radiation, just as the tobacco industry did with cigarettes.
In other articles, we have talked about the relationship between the industry and the scientist George Carlo, who was handpicked by the industry to defuse a public-relations crisis in the early 90s. This is the stage of war gaming, where things start to get really nasty, and harm is done to great researchers in the field!
The following article concludes that wireless technologies do have risks but rather puts focus on the global industry behind cell phones and the industry’s long campaign to make people believe that cell phones are safe. The wireless industry has used tactics to downplay the risks associated with cell phone radiation, just as the tobacco industry did with cigarettes.
In this short audio clip Biochemist Jerry Phillips explains how he was hired by Motorola to study the effects of the RF Radiation emitted by cell phones. The relationship between himself and his employer was great in the initial stages, but it started to sour as soon as he started submitting the research data to Motorola. The negative results were not to Motorola’s liking, and they started to discuss what spin they could put on it, before progressing to tactics such as telling him what to do, how to write, what to say, and finally how to do the work.
The contract with Motorola became impossible to continue with when they urged him not to publish his findings which exposed the negative effects of cell phone use. Phillips decided to go ahead and publish the work against the wishes of Motorola in 1998, and this upset the revolving door former FDA executives now at Motorola. As Phillips points out, it is virtually impossible for scientists to perform honest and unbiased telecommunications studies, as the only money available for research comes from the telecommunications industry, and they always ensure that the results of the studies conform to their liking.
This excerpt is from the documentary Public Exposure: DNA, Democracy and the “Wireless Revolution”, which examines the economics, the politics, and the potentially irreversible health effects caused by cell phones and cell tower microwave technology. If you wish to learn more, Public Exposure: DNA, Democracy and the “Wireless Revolution” can be seen below
Motorola Caught War-Gaming Science On Cell Phone Radiation
Scientists like Dr Henry Lai at the University of Washington risk having their careers destroyed by publishing studies about the health hazards of cellphones, cellphone towers and Wi-Fi (see http://www.seattlemag.com/article/uw-scientist-henry-lai-makes-waves-cell-phone-industry and http://www.psrast.org/mobileng/mobilstarteng.htm#junk). Lai wasn’t even thinking about cellphones when he published a study in 1995 about DNA and memory damage in rats exposed to EMR from radar equipment – until a whistle blower leaked an internal Motorola memo about their plan to institute “war games” to get him fired and cut of his grant funding. Although the University of Washington president resisted their request to fire Lai, lack of funding has forced the scientist to discontinue his EMR research.
In this leaked Motorola memo in the words of Motorola executives, they claimed to have succeed in “War-Gaming ” the Lai-Singh Experiments proving DNA damage at below so-called safe exposure levels – the smoking-gun reveals itself as legitimate researchers are constantly countered by wireless industry propagandist. Numerous attempts to discredit peer-reviewed research indicating consumer health risk have failed, but often they succeed in confusing the public’s perception of wireless health risk in general.
Former senior White House health adviser and internationally regarded epidemiologist Devra Davis revealed that the cellphone industry is knowingly exposing us to dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation. No small problem when you consider that of the roughly 7 billion people on this planet, about 6 billion of us now use mobile phones.
FAQ: What is the cell phone industry “Wargame” memo, and how does it relate to the link between cell phone radiation and cancer?
The cell phone industry “Wargame” memo was a 1994 internal memo from Motorola to their public relations company, Burson-Marsteller, outlining a clear strategy to “war-game” the science behind the link between cell phone radiation and DNA damage discovered by researchers Henry Lai and N.P. Singh in the 1990s. The memo reveals how the industry planned tactics to discredit the researchers, minimize the findings, and calm the public.
The industry’s three-point plan was to delay or halt Lai and Singh’s DNA research, prevent other scientists from replicating the study, and convince the press and the public, via industry-selected scientists, that the DNA study results were of marginal importance and with questionable relevance in regards to the question of whether cell phones are safe for humans.
The memo also includes the plan to tell the media that until the work was replicated and interpreted, any conclusions about the significance of the study were pure speculation. The industry further notes that even if the DNA breaks were found, there is no evidence of increased cancer rates.
This memo highlights the industry’s efforts to “wargame” the science and discredits studies linking cell phone radiation to cancer. It illustrates the importance of examining all studies and being vigilant against the possibility of industry influence.