Tuesday, February 1, 2011

International Warnings on Wi-Fi and Microwave Radiation


Appeals and Warnings by International Scientists, Doctors and Leaders against Wireless Radiation:


2012 Canada - BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC)
Passed two strong resolutions concerning microwave wireless radiation technology in schools:
Resolution 17 "calls on each Board of Education to have one public school at each education level (elementary, middle, secondary) that is free of Wi-Fi, cordless phones and cell phones. This school will only be equipped with wired computers and wired telephones for personal, educational and administrative purposes."
Resolution 18 calls on Boards of Education to "cease to install Wi-Fi and other wireless networks in schools where other networking technology is feasible."

2012 French Health Research
Demonstrated that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) substantially alter the physiology of the blood and brain of electrosensitive people and that the impact on these biological markers increases and decreases according to the intensity of EMF exposure. “We know with certainty that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not psychosomatic... independent and immediate action is needed to reduce people’s overexposure to EMFs.

2012 Switzerland: Physicians for the Environment (MfE)
From the medical point of view, it is urgent to apply the precautionary principle for mobile telephony, wifi, power lines, etc.”
http://www.safeinschool.org/2012/04/switzerland-physicians-for-environment.html


2012 The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, which represents 45,000 teaches, issued a research paper Monday highlighting some of their concerns surrounding Wi-Fi technology:
We do not know what the long-term effects of low-level non-ionizing radiation are on those who are exposed... No form of radiation can be deemed ‘safe’ as it depends on the constitution of the individual exposed, the amount of exposure as well as a sufficient amount of time to pass to observe any health effects that have a long latency period (i.e. cancer).”

2012 The American Academy of Environmental Medicine
"Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action... Children are placed at particular risk for altered brain development, and impaired learning and behavior."

2011 Health Canada
Health Canada "encourages parents to reduce children's RF (radiofrequency radiation) exposure from cell phones since children are typically more sensitive to a variety of environmental agents" and "there is currently a lack of scientific information regarding the potential health impacts of cell phones on children".

2011 The International Agency on Research of Cancer (IARC) at the World Health Organization classified "Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields" "emitted by wireless communication devices" as Type 2B Possible Carcinogen (possible cancer risk to humans). The WHO report concluded that "additional research is important"; and advised the public, particularly young adults and children, to “take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure”. This classification also includes Wi-Fi emissions.

2011 Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), called on European governments to “take all reasonable measures” to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially to radio frequencies from mobile phones, “and particularly the exposure to children and young people who seem to be most at risk from head tumours”.

According to parliamentarians, governments should "
for children in general, and particularly in schools and classrooms, give preference to wired Internet connections, and strictly regulate the use of mobile phones by schoolchildren on school premises”, and put in place information and awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of potentially harmful long-term biological effects on the environment and on human health, especially “targeting children, teenagers and young people of reproductive age”.

2011 Doctors W.A.R.N.
Doctors Wireless Radiation Network: Santa Fe, New Mexico
http://www.citizensforsafetechnology.org/Doctors-WARN,2,689
 

2009 European Parliament (European Union)
The followings are the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament at near-unanimous votes (559-22 votes in 2009 and 522-16 votes in 2008):
wireless technology (mobile phones, Wi-Fi / WiMAX, Bluetooth, DECT landline telephones) emits EMFs that may have adverse effects on human health... particularly to young people whose brains are still developing”.
"...the limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields which have been set for the general public are obsolete. They do not take account of developments in information and communication technologies or vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, newborn babies and children."
the EU Parliament "calls on the Member States to follow the example of Sweden and to recognize persons that suffer from electrohypersensitivity as being disabled so as to grant them adequate protection as well as equal opportunities."

2009 Porto Alegre Resolution - signed by over 100 scientists, organizations and advocates:
"We are concerned about the body of evidence that indicates that exposure to electromagnetic fields interferes with basic human biology and may increase the risk of cancer and other chronicdiseases. The exposure levels at which these effects have been observed are many times lower than the standards promulgated by  the International Commission for Non-Ionizing radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the IEEE's International Committee on  Electromagnetic Safety (ICES). These standards are obsolete and were derived from biological effects of short-term high intensity  exposures that cause health effects by temperature elevation and  nerve excitation discovered decades ago. Recent research indicates  that electromagnetic fields could cause detrimental health effects even at very low levels of exposure. The ICNIRP and IEEE/ICES standards are being supported and promoted by interested parties to avoid precautionary technical planning, precautionary laws, and precautionary advice to the public. We are deeply concerned that current uses of non-ionizing radiation for mobile phones, wireless computers and other technologies place at risk the health of children and teens, pregnant women, seniors and others who are most vulnerable due to age or isability, including a health condition known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
2008 Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
The members of the Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection emphasize ultimate urgency to defend children’s health from the influence of the EMF of the mobile communication systems. We appeal to the government authorities, to the entire society to pay closest attention to this coming threat and to take adequate measures in order to prevent negative consequences to the future generation’s health. ”

2008 Venice Italy Resolution 2008 - signed by 57 scientists:
"The non-ionizing radiation protection standards recommended by international standards organizations, and supported by the World Health Organization, are inadequate. Existing guidelines are based on results from acute exposure studies and only thermal effects are considered. A world wide application of the Precautionary Principle  is required. In addition, new standards should be developed to take various physiological conditions into consideration, e.g., pregnancy,  newborns, children, and elderly people. We take exception to the claim of the wireless communication industry that there is no credible scientific evidence to conclude there a risk. Recent epidemiological evidence is stronger than before, which is a further reason to justify precautions be taken to lower exposure standards in accordance with the Precautionary Principle. We recognize the growing public health problem known as electrohypersensitivity; that this adverse health condition can be quite disabling; and, that this condition requires further urgent investigation and recognition." http://www.icems.eu/resolution.htm
2002 Freiburger Appeal - signed by over 6000 doctors to date:
http://www.starweave.com/freiburger/


2002 Freiburger Appeal signed by over 6000 doctors to date:
"Out of great concern for the health of our fellow human beings do we - as established physicians of all fields, especially that of environmental medicine - turn to the medical establishment and those in public health and political domains, as well as to the public.
We have observed, in recent years, a dramatic rise in severe and chronic diseases among our patients, especially:
    * Learning, concentration, and behavioural disorders (e.g. attention deficit disorder, ADD)
    * Extreme fluctuations in blood pressure, ever harder to influence with medications
    * Heart rhythm disorders
    * Heart attacks and strokes among an increasingly younger population
    * Brain-degenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's) and epilepsy
    * Cancerous afflictions: leukemia, brain tumors
Moreover, we have observed an ever-increasing occurrence of various disorders, often misdiagnosed in patients as psychosomatic:
    * Headaches, migraines
    * Chronic exhaustion
    * Inner agitation
    * Sleeplessness, daytime sleepiness
    * Tinnitus
    * Susceptibility to infection
    * Nervous and connective tissue pains, for which the usual causes do not explain even the most conspicuous symptoms.
Since the living environment and lifestyles of our patients are familiar to us, we can see, especially after carefully-directed inquiry, a clear temporal and spatial correlation between the appearance of disease and exposure to pulsed high -frequency microwave radiation (HFMR), such as:
    * Installation of a mobile telephone sending station in the near vicinity
    * Intensive mobile telephone use
    * Installation of a digital cordless (DECT) telephone at home or in the neighbourhood
We can no longer believe this to be purely coincidence.."

2011 Boeing says Wi-Fi affecting Cockpit Display http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/03/10/Boeing-says-WiFi-affecting-cockpit-display/UPI-18081299795712/#ixzz1Gp8GKub1

2011 International Association of Fire Fighters' Position on the Health Effects from Radio Frequency/Microwave (RF/MW) Radiation in Fire Department Facilities
http://www.iaff.org/hs/Facts/CellTowerFinal.asp#ref23

2011 Warning from Karolinska Institute in Sweden:
Scientists Urge Halt of Wireless Rollout and Call for New Safety Standards: Warning Issued on Risks to Children and Pregnant Women http://electromagnetichealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Karolinska_Institute_press_release1.pdf   


2010 Speech by Barrie Trower (former Military Scientist for British Secret Service) on the Health Consequences of Microwave and Electromagnetic Wave
http://www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Barrie_Trower_SA.pdf

2009 Will Thomas - Radical Reflections on the Wireless Revolution
Vancouver Island University, November 29, 2009
Will Thomas is an award-winning investigative reporter with more than 35 years experience. Named by Time magazine as Art Bell's most popular talk-show guest, Thomas offers cogent, documented facts and insights into some of the biggest "under-reported" stories of our times. Thomas's writing and photography have appeared in more than 50 publications in 8 countries. Winner of four Canadian feature-writing awards, he is the author of All Fall Down: The Politics of Terror and Mass Persuasion, Scorched Earth, Bringing The War Home, Alt Health, Days Of Deception: Ground Zero and Beyond and Chemtrails Confirmed. 
Will Thomas' talk begins at 1' 42"  
  

2008 Decision of Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection"CHILDREN AND MOBILE PHONES:
THE HEALTH OF THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS IS IN DANGER"

2008 An open letter to Mayor Young and the Langford Council, Langford, B.C.
Re: Health effects of cell tower radiation
As I mentioned above, many potentially harmful effects, such as the stress response and DNA strand breaks, occur at nonthermal levels (field strengths that do not cause a temperature increase) and are therefore considered safe. It is obvious that the safety standards must be revised down to take into account the nonthermal as well as thermal biological responses that occur at much lower intensities. Since we cannot rely on the current standards, it is best to act according to the precautionary principle, the approach advocated by the European Union and used by the scientists involved in the Bioinitiative report. In light of the current evidence, the precautionary approach appears to be the most reasonable for those who must protect the health and welfare of the public.”

Wingspread Conference on the Precautionary principle: http://www.sehn.org/wing.html

German Government advises against WiFi:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/germany-warns-citizens-to-avoid-using-wifi-401845.html
http://www.icems.eu/docs/deutscher_bundestag.pdf

In 2010 the Hesse minister of education and cultural affairs (Germany) replies to a request regarding Wi-Fi in schools with the recommendation to prefer wired network solutions whenever possible.
http://download.bildung.hessen.de/medien/einrichtungen_medien/support/Drucksache_18_1924_Laptop_WLAN_Gesundheitsgefaehrdung_an_Schulen.pdf (in German but can be translated)

In 2007 the Bavarian parliament (Germany) recommended the use of wired networks in all Bavarian schools due to health concerns and had each single school informed about this recommendation by the state secretary himself. http://download.bildung.hessen.de/medien/einrichtungen_medien/support/Bayer-StaMi-Empfehlung-20070823.pdf 

The parliament of the Canton Thurgau clearly recommends since 2006 that schools use wired networks. http://wwwgrgeko.tg.ch/docs/00000064_00000E85_WEB.pdf (in German but can be translated with Google)

European Environmental Agency advises the precautionary principle for WiFi:
http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/radiation-risk-from-everyday-devices-assessed
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/eu-watchdog-calls-for-urgent-action-on-wifiradiation-402539.html

German Teachers' Union (Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft) warned against Wi-Fi in schools

Austria medical association pressing for a ban on WiFi in schools:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1549944/Warning-on-wi-fi-health-risk-to-children.html

Herouville St Claire Normandy removes WiFi from schools: http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/5670096/

(USA) Progressive Librarians Guild urges the precautionary principle for WiFi in libraries June 2008:
http://libr.org/plg/wifiresolution.php 

France: Paris City Council launched a study on WiFi June 2008 (in french):
http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2008/06/16/wi-fi-le-conseil-de-paris-lance-une-etude-surles-risques-sanitaires_1058950_651865.html#ens_id=1053227

UK: The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) with 160,000 members has called for a government investigation into the biological and thermal effects of "WiFi" networks:
http://news.scotsman.com/education/39Wifi-in-schools-may-give.5156371.jp

Penang Malaysia to study health effects of WiFi. October 2008: http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/5250937/

England: Health Protection Agency launches study on health effects of WiFi Oct 2007:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/13/internet.internetphonesbroadband

USA: Sebastopol CA. City Council chooses the precautionary principle and terminates contract for free city wide WiFi:
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080324/NEWS/803240314/1033/NEWS

Sebastopol Area WiFi petition: 
http://www.petitiononline.com/mufifree/petition.html 

European Parliament Sept 2008 voted 522 to 16 to adopt text: "is greatly concerned at the Bio-Initiative international report concerning EMFs, which summarizes over 1500 studies on that topic and which points in its conclusions to the health risks posed by emissions from mobile-telephony devices such as mobile telephones, UMTS, WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth, and also DECT landline ". "The limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields [EMFs] which have been set for the general public are obsolete." http://new.marketwire.com/2.0/release.do?id=901580

England schools dismantle wireless networks: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article642575.ece

England: Teachers union call to suspend WiFi in schools:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1039235/Suspend-wi-fi-schools-says-union-chief-followingreports-causes-ill-health.html

Bavarian state parliament advises schools against WiFi: (in German): http://www.buergerwelle-schweiz.org/fileadmin/user_upload/buergerwelle-schweiz/Mobilfunk/MF_03.07_Kein_WLAN_in_bayer._Schulen.pdf 

Glastonbury residents "Why WiFi" Campaign: http://www.glastonburynaturalhealth.co.uk/WhyWi-Fi.html

Ireland: Jan 2008 The City of Dublin Ireland did not install WiFi due to a EU law:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0109/wifi.html

WiFi code for Welch Schools:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/child-safetyfears-prompt-wifi-code-for-welsh-schools-403255.html

Frankfurt, Germany: Bans WiFi in public schools (in German):
http://www.buergerwelle-schweiz.org/fileadmin/user_upload/buergerwelle-schweiz/Mobilfunk/Frankf_Rund_keinWLAN.pdf

Hospital Techies urge limits on 'white space' WiFi:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9930441-7.html

Spain: Ecologists in Action statement on WiFi:
http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/spip.php?article11598
http://www.es-uk.info/news/20080319_belmonte_en.pdf

GreenWarriors of Norway oppose WiFi in schools:
http://www.miljovernforbundet.no/render.asp?rticleno=1471&segment=1&session=

Dr. Magda Havas open letter to schools and teachers on WiFi health risks:
http://www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/09_Havas_WiFi_schools.pdf

Austrian health director Dr. Gerd Oberfeld advising against WiFi: http://www.antennafreeunion.org/salzburg.pdf

Sweden Prof. Olle Johansson scientist WiFi letter: http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/pdfs/20070723_wifi_olle.pdf

Dr. George Carlo WiFi video:
http://www.mcs-international.org/red_alert_1_wifi_schoolchildren.html

Green party MEP/ concern with WiFi in schools:
http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/2007/10/12/green-meps-demand-investigation-into-wifi-inschools-after-study-links-electro-magnetic-fields-and-cancers/
 
(Canada) Dr. Magda Havas Report opposing WiFi in San Francisco:
http://www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/07_Havas_WiFi-SNAFU.pdf

The Gathering Brainstorm: http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1179

Dr. Jeff Fawcett: WiFi Blues:
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-WiFi-Blues&id=169261

WiFi in Schools UK:
http://wifiinschools.org.uk/index.html

Santa Fe Librarians letter supporting WiFi free Public libraries:
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Their-View-Librarians--Keep-public-library-Wi-Fi-free

"Wireless Networks (WiFi) Consumer Health and Safety Advice" EMFacts handout:
http://www.emfacts.com/wifi

For more International Warnings against Wi-Fi, please see: