Interview: Informed Consent on EMFs

We’re interested in sharing the opinions of EMF (electromagnetic field) experts and would like to introduce you to Martin Novotny. Based on his lecture in April 2019 and the feedback he received, he decided to open up a non-profit company that would provide ‘informed consent’ to all mobile technology users, lecturing at schools on the dangers of EMFs and the risk of digital dementia. Martin plans to hold an international conference in Prague (May 2020) on EMF and he wants to stop the rollout of 5G. There are no independent studies to prove 5G is safe.

Q1: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Yes, of course! I’m 49ish (feel like 30) and I live in Prague (Czech Republic). I’m the father of two boys, I’m a husband, geek non-plus-ultra, transformation coach, biohacker, gastronaut, nutritarian, health detective, and infovore. 

As well as the site EMF Smog (created to spread awareness in relation to EMF exposure), I have a blog (sorry folks, both sites are only available in Czech). I also contribute to other online and printed magazines. I got into electromagnetic fields (EMFs) approximately one year ago when I realised that this is yet another wide-spread man-made trigger contributing to most of the chronic diseases out there. I’m on Facebook (facebook.com/vyvazenezdravi) and Twitter (twitter.com/vyvazenezdravi) too if you’d like to get in touch with me to discuss EMF and ways you can protect yourself. 

Q2: A lot of people are asking about the safety of 5G. What is your position on it? To what extent do you think the public are aware of the consequences of 5G? 

With existing evidence to prove the harmful effects of current bandwidths i.e. 2G/3G/4G/LTE or WiFi, Bluetooth, and no independent study on how 5G affects health, one must agree that the only way forward is to take precautions and wait until clear evidence is available. Unfortunately, the general public are not aware of any of the health consequences as this is successfully suppressed by telco lobbyists.

What I am missing completely is ‘informed consent’, besides a couple of lines of information in mobile phone instruction manuals or within a phone’s settings. There are only a few independent and strong (in communication) opponents in what seems to be the biggest gamble with human health, EMFs are a threat to human kind.

Q3: There is a big push for countries to increase their limits under the threat that current technologies won't be able to satisfy the demand for data consumption. Is it at all realistic that more countries will halt 5G development due to health concerns like Belgium did? Is the push from industry side is so strong that it seems like a lost cause and it will be on each of us to shield ourselves from it?

I do not think that the ‘real people’ movement against the insidious 5G rollout will always follow the route that Belgium did in Brussels. We can see examples from Sacramento, USA, where the rollout had to happen first in order to start all of the protests. I do not agree that anyone should be a guinea-pig, but it seems that this inevitably helps others to start fighting for their rights before something happens in their vicinity. 

To answer the second part of your question - I do not think the battle is lost. We have to unite in our effort to be heard. Current technologies are good enough for most of the fields pinpointed by proponents of 5G, there is no need for faster streaming, no need for online crop surveillance, etc. We have to speak out loud about all of the pros and cons. We need to supplement governments in providing that informed consent to the general public in order to make sure they understand that they are going to exchange their health for ‘convenience’ (autonomous vehicles, holographic calls, etc.) Will it be worth it? I don’t think so.

Q4: What do you think about phones with a low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values? Do you think it makes sense to choose the phone with a low SAR level if we want to minimise the exposure to electromagnetic fields?

First of all, I think that that whole 1953 premise that the only thing that can happen when exposed to EMF is a heat effect is totally false. Still having this rule in place after 50+ years, in terms of our relatively short history of man-made electromagnetic fields, is like still believing that the world is flat. There are enough evidence-based facts that show the non-thermic deleterious effects of EMF. Also, studies show that these effects occur at levels way below current standards and the number of minutes/hours we spend exposed to EMFs has skyrocketed since the introduction of SAR levels as such. 

We need to re-evaluate current limits and make sure that all new technology complies with it. And if there is a phone that already matches this (low level radiation, sustainable technology, no blue-light exposure), go for it! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Q5: What other advice can you share with people when it comes to minimising electromagnetic smog (electrosmog) in our lives?

There is so much more that can be said about this. First of all, take a precautionary approach and simply assume that EMF exposure is in fact harmful. This mindset will trigger a lot of steps that you can take in areas which you can influence, such as the amount of exposure within your home or maybe even in your working environment. Go wired or at least switch off the WiFi router signal when not needed. Use headphones instead of talking with your phone next to your head. Shield your home (paints, window foils) if needed. Make mindful decisions on a daily basis. Join in discussions and debates, become part of the movement against more EMF exposure or the validation of current exposure limits. 

Based on Erica Chenoweth (Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government researcher) it only takes 3.5% of the population to tip the scales and launch an effective civil movement! Become part of this small group, your children, grandchildren and the next generations will appreciate it (and your body as well)! Buy a low-level SAR phone, even a ‘dumb’ one is in fact a smarter choice than a ‘smart’ phone! The word ‘smart’ does not go hand in hand with ‘harmful’!

Q6: There is so much disinformation on the topic, many sources conclude that we have no research to prove that we should be worried. Which research do you recommend we familiarise ourselves with? Which research is the most alarming, from your perspective?

Stating that ‘there is not enough evidence to prove that EMF is harmful’ is either a lie or pure ignorance (response from PHE UK to the petition ‘Launch an independent enquiry into the health and safety risks of 5G’). There is surely more research to be done, I would pinpoint the work and lectures of Olle Johansson, Martin Pall and Magda Havas, all widely available on YouTube.

Q7: What difficulties do researchers face when they want to determine if there are negative health implications related to mobile phone radiation?

The main problem, which will surely become an unavoidable obstacle which coincides with the 5G rollout, is to connect mobile phone radiation with health deterioration or with specific diseases, to prove causality, not just correlation. 

Most of the diseases that are right now being associated with EMF exposure are multifaceted from the trigger point of view -  EMFs, chemical sensitivity or toxicity, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, vaccines, etc. so it is nearly impossible to run credible studies that would be able to eliminate all the other triggers, it might even be considered as unethical. Moreover, with the specificity of 5G waves and density of small cell antennas it would be an impossible task to define a control group that would not be impacted by 5G signals.  

Thank you Martin!

We’re so glad Martin was able to contribute to the discourse on EMFs and 5G with us. If you’re interested in sharing your experiences or writing a guest post for us, send us an email via hello@mudita.com!

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