FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY Vol. 56 I Issue No. 18 I Mumbai I October 28 – November 3, 2014 I Pages 8 I r3/- Rotarians learn about the ill effects of cell phone radiation In last week’s meeting, Dr. Davis expressed her concerns on the effects of radiation on human health r. Devra Lee Davis, M.P.H., Ph.D, is recognised Dinternationally for her work on environmental health and disease prevention and is an award-wining scientist and writer. A Presidential appointee and the recipient of a bi-partisan Senate confirmation, Davis was the Founding Director of the world’s first Center for Environmental Oncology and currently serves as President of Environmental Health Trust, a non-profit organisation devoted to researching and controlling environmental health threats. PP Rtn. Gul Kripalani addressing Rotarians and Rotaryannes Davis thanked Rotarians for their presence at the meeting despite the oncoming festive season. She said that on her brief tour of the country, she discovered that people in India not only understand the severity Dr. Devra Lee Davis at last week's meeting of the issue, but also has a devoted group of scientists and microwave radiation. I know engineers who are working Rotarians extend their support towards making a change. She to a lot of significant things and I said, “A child’s brain absorbs hope that you will do the same for twice as much radiation as an these scientists.” adult’s. Men with the heaviest While radiation is a dangerous use of cell phones have the thing, Davis said that she is not lowest sperm count. You may not anti-technology. She said, “I have appreciate this but India has been a phone myself but there are doing significant work in this field. ways of using it safely. Let me "The Indian Medical Research explain to you how this works – L to R: Honorary Secretary Nandan Maluste, Guest Speaker Dr. Devra Davis, President Council has a major study the electromagnetic spectrum Shailesh Haribhakti, PP Rtn. Kalpana Munshi and Rtn. Nanik Rupani underway, examining a number goes all the way from gamma of bio-markers and chemical x-rays to the microwave. A cell causes biological damage. So on a call. Keeping your phone indicators of health in people who phone has damaging effects no matter how you have been switched off for long intervals are light, medium and heavy cell because the nature of the cell using your phone until now, you and using it only as an answering phone users, taking in account phone signal is irregular and this can start putting them on airplane machine gives you control over the exposure they get from the irregularity over dozens of years mode here on, unless you are your privacy as well as your TODAY'S SPEAKER: VINEET RAI October 28 to November 3, 2014 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org 1 Dr. Devra Davis receiving the token of appreciation from President Shailesh Haribhakti Honorary Secretary Nandan Maluste, Dr. Devra Lee Davis and President Rtn. Shailesh Haribhakti health as there is no radiation India. Davis said that Rotarians being transmitted to your device could play a constructive role in when it’s switched off or on bringing this to the light of the day airplane mode. These solutions and ensure that technology can may seem too drastic to you right develop safely and with lesser now, but they are much better to side-effects. implement now, than suffering She said, “We support from something serious at a later research in developing countries stage in life." because you can do so much She went on to explain how more in developing countries. President Rtn. Shailesh Haribhakti addressing Rotarians constant exposure to radiation A cell phone should not be held can damage hearing, increase against your body for hours at a the risk of brain cancer and a time. You have in Mumbai, a very number of other things. “One of distinguished otolaryngologist, the things to be aware of is that Dr. Divya Prabhat, who has unfortunately, there is not a lot reported several cases of young of research done in this field. All men with permanent hearing the safety standards for today’s loss from having used their phones are 18 years old. phones for several hours a day. "The simplest advice I can Phones contain warnings to give you is that distance is avoid exposure to the pregnant your friend. All the data about abdomen but seldom do people cell phone safety standards pay heed to such warnings. generated so far have been by Keeping the phone in your shirt the companies making these or pant pockets gives you four to devices and we need to have eight times more exposure than independent laboratories certify when it is in use!” Programme Committee Head Nanik Rupani introducing the speaker such reports which also stands In closing, Davis requested to be a tremendous business Rotarians to take her advice very opportunity", she said. seriously. She said, “The Israeli’s "Unfortunately in India, you used to be the world’s heaviest have transmission antennas on users of cell phones in the 1990s buildings that are not the tallest in and their government reported their areas and because of this, a very unusual kind of cancer you are facing the exposure 24 caused because of the excessive hours a day, four days a week usage. These are the warnings for years and years. If you are that have been showing up only located close to a cell phone now and we must learn to use our tower, you may get unsafe phones as wisely as possible. I exposure too”, she added. urge you to share this information Although the government with your family members and officially recommended antennas anyone else whose brain you on the tallest buildings in every care about!” area, these recommendations President Rtn. Shailesh Haribhakti aand Dr. Devra Lee Davis are not being considered in 2 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org October 28 to November 3, 2014 Monthly report of the Interact Committee and Interact schools he monthly meeting of short skits promoting cleanliness. collected about 150 toys from the 4C conference to be held Interact Schools was held The best skits will be performed across the city. on December 13 at the school, Ton October 10 at the at “Art in the Park”, to be held on Gopi Birla School reported their upcoming cupcake sale Cathedral & John Connon November 22-23 at Priyadarshini on the cleanliness drive intiated project and a music concert to be Senior School where President Park in Malabar Hill. by them, following the Ganpati organised in April at NSCI. Shailesh Haribhakti was the The schools in attendance festivities.They also undertook HVB School spoke about their keynote speaker. spoke about some of their a project called Helpers League program on eco-friendly Ganpatis Interact Committee is activities. Scholar School where they helped school peons and encouraging pre-primary promoting cleanliness drives discussed their visit to Tata with cleaning before and after children to make Ganpatis out of amongst all Interact Schools who Memorial Hospital and a toy drive school hours. Cathedral & John clay or paper. have been invited to organise organised by them where they Connon High School spoke on Donors to the Rotary Club of Bombay Charities Trust No. 3 (2014-15) NAME CAUSE AMOUNT Rtn. Farokh Bulsara Cancer Aid `24,000 Rtn. Dr. Rumi Jehangir Birthday Donation `10,000 Rtn. Dr. Asad Khan Birthday Donation `5000 Rtn. Kirit Kamdar Birthday Donation `5000 October 28 to November 3, 2014 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org 3 4 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org October 28 to November 3, 2014 October 28 to November 3, 2014 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org 5 Visit to Devi Haso Thadani Community Centre ast Dist. Governer Lata Subaraidu and PP Kalpa- Pna Munshi arranged for three past presidents (2013- 14) of the Rotary Club of Bombay to see the Devi Haso Thadani Community Centre and 121 low-cost shelters called kutirs. The visit was made along with managers from Habitats for Humanity who implemented the project. The visit to Shilonde, located near Dhanu village and Talvada Medical Cen- tre, lasted for over 12 hours during which, all present appreciated the sustainability of the project implemented by Munshi on behalf of Dist. L to R: Rtn.Shyamniwas Somani, IPDG Rtn. Lata Subraidu, PP Rtn. Kalpana PDG Lata Subaraidu's name plate at the 3140 (140 clubs). Munshi and IPP Rtn. Nirav Shah entrance of the community centre IPDG Rtn. Lata Subraidu, IPP Rtn. Nirav Shah, PP Rtn. Kalpana Munshi and Rtn. Shyamniwas IPP Nirav Shah and Rtn. Shyamniwas Somani at the shelter site Somani IPP Rtn. Nirav Shah and Rtn. Shyamniwas Somani IPDG Rtn. Lata Subraidu and Rtn. Shyamniwas Somani 6 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay | www.rotaryclubofbombay.org October 28 to November 3, 2014 99 year old Rtn. Haso Thadani had donated R26 lakhs for this project. 20 houses, each costing R80,000 were built at a total cost of R16 lakhs. The cost of the Devi Haso Thadani community centre was R10 lakhs completed on September 1, 2014. Medical camps and other activities are to be conducted in the premises from October 2014 onwards. Rotary Club of Bombay was represented by three people namely PP Kalpana Munshi, IPP Nirav Shah and Rtn. Sham Soma- ni. District 3140 was represented by PDG Lata Subaraidu.