Dr. Weeks’ Comment: A well-informed colleague sends me this fine argument for your consideration. Thanks for your excellent summary, Lloyd!
WiFi in schools – Is it such a good thing?
by Lloyd Burrell
WiFi is the way of the world. It represents progress. It’s just such an easy way to connect up to the Internet. It’s in most homes, offices, airports, trains, cafes etc. So I’m sure that most parents regard the installation of WiFi in their child’s school as a good thing.
But the fact that it’s pretty much everywhere doesn’t make it right. And the fact that if you went out and asked 100 parents if they were in agreement with WiFi being installed in their kids school a majority would be in favor, doesn’t make it right either. The truth is installing WiFi in schools is quite wrong. Very wrong.
What’s wrong with WiFi?
We’ll all know what’s so great about WiFi. But do you know what so wrong about it? Here’s the thing; WiFi devices, like computers and wireless routers, emit radiofrequency (RF) microwave radiation typically in the 2.4 GHz range. This RF radiation is a man-made electromagnetic field that uses the exact same frequency as a microwave oven.
These wireless devices contain transmitters and receivers that send information back and forth in the air. This RF radiation effortlessly penetrates walls and ceilings. It also effortlessly penetrates our bodies.
The argument has always been ”˜WiFi is safe because the radiation levels are very low and there’s no heating effect’. The radiation may be very low and there may be no heating effect but WiFi assaults your body 24/7. There are thousands of peer-reviewed, published studies that report biological effects from RF radiation.
The recently published “http://www.bioinitiative.org BioInitiative Report 2012, written by 29 independent scientists from around the world, details many of these studies. It also details what these chronic (24/7) exposures are leading to, not just the ”˜C’ word but also Autism, Fetal Exposure, Fertility, Alzheimer’s Disease, other neurological and autoimmune disease effects not to mention http://www.electricsense.com/4043/electrical-sensitivity-research-diagnosis-and-treatment electrical sensitivity
Even the very conservative http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf World Health Organization (WHO) has classified radiation from devices like cell phones and WiFi as a ‘Possible Human Carcinogen’ (Class 2B). This puts WiFi radiation in the same category as diesel engine exhaust, some pesticides, and some heavy metals. As Dr. Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust http://ehtrust.or points out “We would never let a child play with some pesticides, heavy metals, or diesel engine exhaust. Yet people are giving their children cellphones. It makes no sense.”
What’s so wrong with WiFi in schools?
All of the above, but it gets worse. An hour of WiFi radiation for a child does not equal an hour for an adult. The effects are much more profound on children. Studies show children are much more vulnerable to RF radiation exposures due to their thinner skulls, undeveloped immune systems, rapidly dividing cells, and higher water content. The studies also say the effects are cumulative.
WiFi has only been around about 10 years. But for some kids they’ve been exposed to this man-made radiation all their lives. And they will be exposed to it all their remaining lives. They may seem fine now but there is a latency period associated with these exposures. It may take 10, 20 years or more before the ill effects are felt.
What can be done?
Wireless rocks. Kids love it, parents love it, and schools are just following in the wake of this movement. Without substantial public pressure schools won’t look at the research. They are not interested in the research they are too busy listening to the industry propaganda put out by the mainstream media.
What can you do? Get wise on this issue. Don’t take my word for it go and do your own research. The Telecom industry is successfully putting out the message that WiFi is safe. It’s not.
An alternative solution is readily available: linking laptops to the Internet via a cable. Hardwiring might cost a little more, but it allows our kids to access the technological learning tools without being exposed to this potentially lethal form of radiation. Say no to WiFi in schools.
Author
Some years ago Lloyd Burrell developed a sensitivity to all things electrical brought on initially by using his cell phone. He has spent the last 10 years researching the effects of electromagnetic fields. He writes on the subject of EMFs and health on his website www.electricsense.com and he is the author of ”˜Beating Electrical Sensitivity – The Path To Tread”