Save Malaysia Stop Lynas

Today’s posting has got nothing much related to the features of the iPhones or news about the iPhone. The only reason why it has any relation to the iPhone is because the iPhone uses a type of rare earth metal in its Production. Although the iPhone uses the rare earth products, we the iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers are still very strongly opposing the move by the Pahang State Government to allow Lynas Corporation to setup the world’s largest rare earth refinery plant at Gebeng(about 25km away from Kuantan).

What are rare earth?

Rare earth metals or elements consist of a set of 17 chemical elements in the Periodic Table. They are not that rare actually. However, they are not normally found in concentrated and economically exploitable form and hence the name rare earth.

Why are we opposing this so strongly?

There are many reasons for it. Below are just some of them:-

1.  We simply do not want HISTORY to repeat itself. Knowing that there was a failed Rare Earth plant in Perak, Malaysia sometime back which was forced to be closed because of a court order. The company who setup the Asian Rare Earth plant in Perak is currently still spending millions of dollars to clean up the mess. There are marked increase in the number of people that suffered from leukemia and other birth defects after the plant started its operation. So, why in the world are we still considering another rare earth plant in Gebeng, Pahang? Do we not learn our lessons? or are there any other hidden agendas?

2.  While most rare earth elements are harmless in its natural state, they are normally mixed with radioactive elements(uranium and thorium). To extract these valuable rare earth metals, strong acids are used in the separation process leaving behind harmful wastes which will be dumped in areas surrounding Gebeng. There will be an estimated of about 100 tonnes of Thorium wastes that will be generated each year. In addition to that, Thorium has a half life of 14 billion years. Yes, it is billion and not million. What it means is that it will take 14 billion years for the substance to undergo the decay process to decrease to half. In lay man terms, we will not likely see any significant decrease within our lifetime and many generations to come.

3.  All these radioactive wastes disposal will have an impact on the local industries like the Fisheries, Agriculture, Tourism, Housing, Swiftlet and many others. Yes, the Lynas plant will employ about 350 local folks to work in the factory but what is this 350 new jobs compared to the damage that will be done to the many industries that will be affected. There is really no logic for this! Good Foreign Direct Investment will also not come in because of this causing many more potential jobs to be lost in the long run. In addition to that, Lynas will also enjoy a 12 years tax holiday which means that all their profits in Malaysia will be tax free for 12 years. Our country really earns nothing from Lynas for all the shit that they are going to dump in our country. i think this is really “Niamah” like what our Mr. Patrick Teoh used to say…..

To find out more about the potential hazards that may be caused by this rare earth refinery, please view the below video:-

There are many people around Gebeng and Kuantan who are very unhappy with this rare earth refinery plant:-

Below is the NTV7 coverage of the rare earth refinery in Gebeng(Mandarin) – Part 1 and Part 2:-

Below is the video coverage on Malaysian protest against Lynas:-

Below is the Aljazeera coverage on the Lynas rare earth processing plant in Malaysia:-

i think enough has been voiced out by Malaysians and it is now TIME to bring this to the attention of the internet world! Let’s spread the awareness about the Lynas rare earth processing plant in Gebeng to the rest of Malaysia. Together, we can avoid Malaysia to be used as a dumping site for Lynas.

Let’s Save Malaysia and Stop Lynas. Please share this with your facebook friends or if you are a blogger, please publish an article about this issue so that others in the blogosphere will also be aware of this issue. Together we can make a difference to our next generations!

Mobile phones radiation is a common concern among many people and there have been many studies on the effects of mobile phones on our health. This posting is to make it clear on what are the things that we need to be aware of (for example. SAR, EMR etc) and how to make phone calls safely.

What is SAR?

A mobile phone’s Specific Absorption Rate or more commonly known as SAR, can be described as measurement of the absolute levels of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body while using the device. All mobile phones emit radio frequency power and the SAR differs by handset model.
For a mobile phone to get FCC authorization and be sold inside the usa, the maximum SAR level must be lower than 1.6 watts per kilogram. Within Europe, the amount is limited to 2 watts per kilogram, while Canada permits no more than 1.6 watts per kilogram. The lower the SAR, the better is the phone in terms of safety.

This posting is more for awareness only. We are in no way implying that mobile phone use is harmful to your health. In fact, iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers strongly believe that the radiation from the use of mobile phones in general is not harmful. Having said that, there are ways in which we can decrease our risks further by following several of the recommendations here.
Study abounds, presently there is still absolutely no definitive proof as to whether mobile phones lead to undesirable overall health effects in humankind. Although some reports have observed a potential connection relating to long-term (a decade or longer) mobile phone use and brain tumors, reduced sperm count, along with other health conditions, other studies have observed absolutely no such consequences. The technology will continue, and we’ll continue to keep track of the results, however it may take many years of thorough study before studies really confirm anything at all.

If you are concerned with decreasing your SAR exposure, it is possible to take a number of simple steps. You may sms rather than calling, make use of a speakerphone or ear phones whenever you can, as well as carry your mobile phone at least one inch from your body (ensuring the antenna is actually facing away from you). In case you are expecting a baby, it is best to refrain from carrying a mobile phone close to your belly. Some experts also caution against utilizing your mobile phone in areas having a poor signal because mobile phones produce much more radiation during those circumstances. Young children, with smaller sized and thinner skulls, ought to reduce mobile phone use, and people of all ages should not sleep with an active phone close to the bedside or underneath the pillow.
Purchasing a mobile phone having a lower SAR may make you feel more at ease, however, there is no guarantee that it is inherently safer. Also, note that although Bluetooth headsets emit much weaker radiation compared to mobile phones, there’s still a small amount being transmitted.

The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level measured with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands (the same phone can use multiple bands during a call), and that different testing bodies can obtain different results.

The SAR values for the iPhones are as follows:-

Apple iPhone 3G :  1.38

Apple iPhone 3GS:  0.79

Apple iPhone 4 :  1.17 to 1.18

For other models of phones, you can either check the user manual to get the SAR reading or the check out the below website:-

http://reviews.cnet.com/2719-6602_7-291-1.html?tag=

How a mobile connection is established?

When you make a call, the electromagnetic radiation(more commonly known as “EMR”) will be transmitted from your mobile phone antenna which is then received by the closest base station unit. The signal is then transmitted from the base station to the switching center in order to check the authentication of the caller and receiver. Thereafter, the switching center will transmit the signal to the closest base station to the receiver. The base station then transmit the electromagnetic wave to the receiver mobile antenna. Once this is established a call is successfully made when the receiver accepts the line. The 2-way communication connection is then fully established.

When the caller make a call or when the receiver receives the call, radiation is transmitted by mobile phones antennas in all directions. The energy is distributed around the antenna and most of it is lost in space. Some of the energy is projected to the base station while some is incident on the human body.

Below is a slideshow on how to make phone calls safely. Hope all of you will find it useful:-