| Power to the People Comment
Doctor Gerald Draper is an obviously intelligent man who has recently
added to the body of research that has been carried out in Britain into
the links between electro-magnetic fields — around electricity pylons and
the like — and childhood leukaemia.
According to Dr Draper’s studies children living within 200 metres of
high-voltage power lines are 70 per cent more likely to develop leukaemia
than similar children living more than three times that distance away.
He also found that those living between 200-600 metres away had a 20
per cent increased risk of developing leukaemia.
Research published in the United States as long ago as 1979 first suggested
that there could be a link between overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia.
The scientists at the time were researching the effects of electric wiring
in American homes where magnetic fields in the home are higher than here
in Britain.
Since then there have been some 20 different studies carried out on the
links between overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia.
According to Dr Draper, the key words are “possible risk”. And most scientists
believe that if electricity is a factor in the link between overhead power
lines and childhood leukaemia, it is but one of several potential links.
Dr Draper says that four per cent of children in England and Wales live
within 600 metres of high voltage power lines at birth, and that if a link
does exist, about one per cent of childhood leukaemia would be due to the
lines.
But, hold on a minute. Let’s not get bogged down in ifs, buts and maybes.
One clue as to whether the eminent Dr Draper believes that there is a possible
link or not can be gathered by the answer to the question: Would Dr Draper
move house to live with his family in a new home with overhead power lines
just metres away?
Unscientific the question may be, but Dr Draper says that he would not
move house on the basis of his research.
The scientists’ frank and honest answer gets more to the heart of the
perceived link between overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia than
all the pages of all those reports on the matter dating back to 1979.
Retired demolition contractor Dermot Finnigan from Mayo has seen the
value of his dream four-bedroom home set in four acres of land in Sale,
Cheshire, drop from its £1million value last year to just £400,000 today.
This is because of the blight put on his property after a decision by
the National Grid to install an electric pylon with overhead power lines
that overlook his designer home.
If intelligent people like Dr Draper will not consider buying Mr Finnigan’s
house, doesn’t it really say it all?
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