I’m allergic to wi-fi waves

Torture ... wi-fi makes Steve Miller ill

Aricle on http://www.thesun.co.uk

By DAVE MASTERS
Published: 24 Jul 2009

FOR Steve Miller a trip to his local High Street is a living hell that makes him sick, dizzy and confused.

Pubs make him feel the same and he can't use trains, airports or hotels without experiencing head-banging agony.

But Steve doesn't suffer from some strange phobia. He is allergic to wi-fi.

And sadly for him - and the other two per cent of the population with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity - the number of people pumping out the wireless internet signal is on the rise.

Steve said: "I feel like an exile on my own planet. It's almost impossible to find somewhere without wi-fi nowadays.

"If I fancy a pint I have to travel three miles to the only pub in my area that doesn't have it. I can't just go to the shops because huge parts of the High Street affect me.

"If I go somewhere, I can instantly sense the wi-fi and have to leg it."

Being extra-sensitive to this "electrosmog" has made moving house a nightmare for Steve, as stray signals from neighbouring buildings could make him ill.

It has also cost the top DJ thousands of pounds in lost income.

Steve, who had a residency at huge Ibiza club Pacha before his allergy, said: "I've missed out on loads of European DJ gigs as I can't find accommodation without wi-fi. Most hotels have it, as have all the airports. I can't even catch a train because they have it."

Steve is safe in his current home, a detached house in a village near Falmouth, Cornwall, as it is isolated and has 18in-thick granite walls.

But since he and girlfriend Linda decided to move, it has been hard to find anywhere remote enough to avoid signals.

Steve said: "I can't live within 50 yards of anyone. I wouldn't be able to stand it feeling ill in my own house.

"There's no medication you can take."

Steve - better known to clubbing fans as Afterlife - now carries a wi-fi detector with him wherever he goes so he can avoid problem areas.

Steve only realised he suffered from the condition two years ago after turning up at a mate's studio that had recently installed wi-fi.

He and his pal were both feeling ill with headaches and dizziness and struggling to concentrate so they turned off the machine to see if they felt better... and they did.

Steve said: "Some of my friends, or members of their family, are equally affected by wi-fi but are only just starting to notice as its use spreads.

Headaches

"Even now there's very little education about it."

There is no hard evidence that wi-fi is dangerous to your health.

But just three months ago teachers called for it to be banned in schools over health fears, and for a Government investigation into the biological and thermal effects.

A couple of years ago the German government even urged people to avoid wi-fi in favour of "conventional wired connections". Steve believes the issue needs looking into and that many people are suffering from his condition without realising.
He added: "I certainly believe most of the headaches people get at work are caused by it.

"I've spoken to friends who work in offices who have ended up living on painkillers because of their daily headaches. They tried turning off their transmitters and found their headaches stopped.

"There's a lot of anecdotal evidence that the radiation has made people feel ratty and tired, caused disrupted sleep, rows and even the break-up of relationships.
"I'd advise people to turn off their wi-fi at home and see if it changes the way they feel. They just might get a surprise."

退后原來是向前

article in http://teongee.blogspot.com
2009年6月17日


上周提到武吉安滿村三埃采金的爭論。既得利益集團、受影響村民和立法者的糾纏。當問題得用科學的根據來下定論時，問題便產生了。那是因為科學有它的盲點、有它的不足。既得利益集團常常以一句“沒有具體的科學根據”，四兩撥千斤的擺脫受影響的百姓的哭訴。

這便是一個名副其實的濫用科學之名來達到私利的典型例子。進一步的思考“沒有具體的科學根據來證明有危害”這句話的同時，也意味著“沒有具體的科學根據來證明絕對安全”。在還存著爭論的事件上，人民的利益，尤其是健康，應該是不能被妥協或輕視的。

科學根據真的那樣的難以得到嗎？學醫和學科學的都懂，科學的研究是需要時間、經費和人力資源的。科學研究的結果不是賭場里的開盤，非大則是小（不是黑便是白），常常里頭便硬是有個灰色地帶。科學研究更不是煮快熟麵。涉及的研究范疇包括了在子宮內（in utero）、在活體內（in vivo）、在體外（in vitro）和流行病學（epidemiology）。

一位在國外生活的網友對我說，在西方國家，沒有明言可以碰的工業，你最好別碰。不然會被環保團體、衛權份子，搞到你傾家蕩產。而在發展中國家，沒說不可以做的，你就可以放手一搏。搭通天地線，自有護航者為你開路。在發展中國家，主流思想是“發展是硬道理”。誰反對發展，誰便是阻止國家進步繁榮，誰便是斷人衣食。因為這樣的刻板思維，很多時候我們的基本權益便被擱置在一旁。

因為三埃采金事件的爭論，我想到一群默默的在面對著電磁波輻（electromagnetic fields）的危害而做出努力的非政府組織的成員。這個名為“電磁波輻射醒覺運動”的組織自動自發的給人民提供有關電磁波輻射危害的訊息和如何的減低有關輻射對人體所帶來的負面影響。

對于這個手提電話、電訊塔、家用無線電話和無線上網（WiFi）所涉及的電磁波輻射，幾乎所有的使用者都不認為它會對人體帶來危害。一部份的人認為，若是有危害的話，政府或是業者一定把它給禁了。再說，似乎從來沒有媒體真正的傳達過有關電磁波輻射危害的訊息。因為大多數人的主觀成見和不積極探索新知識，很多時候大多數人，尤其是知識份子，常常妄下定論。

我從這個組織的負責人拿來一大疊的資料。接觸了幾位國際上研究電磁波輻射的學者和專家、翻閱了許多的研究報告、接觸了受電磁波輻射影響的電磁波敏感群，才驚覺這個我每天都在接觸和使用的科技，我對它的認識是這么的有限。尤其是防范和安全措施的知識，近乎等于零。

今天幾乎所有城鎮的每個角落，電訊塔林立。仿佛一百巴仙的無線電話的涵蓋率便是一項成就、便是步向先進國的象征。政府都很寬容業者，總是讓業者在低障礙下設立它們的電訊塔。如今政府打著縮短城市和鄉鎮數碼知識的鴻溝，大力推廣和落實全州無線上網。今天我們居住的四周布滿著了其實可以用有線電話和有線上網來減少的電磁波輻射。

我一直在強調，孩童生活和學習的地方，尤其是學校、圖書館、病老者養病的地方、我們休閑和運動的公園與忙碌了一整天後歇息的住家，其實不需要也不適合被這個電磁波輻射每天24小時的籠罩著。

當西方國家漸漸的將電訊塔和無線上網發射器搬離學校和密集的住宅區時，我們卻打著朝向先進之名將全州給籠罩在電磁波輻射底下。我想到這首禪詩：手把青秧插野田，低頭方見水中天，六根俱靜方為道，退后原來是向前！

School Wi-Fi Campaign:Hérouville-Saint-Clair freed from wi-fi microwave radiation at 2450 MHz

A Council technician takes away the first wi-fi antenna




The first wi-fi antenna removed is handed over symbolically to the mayor Rodolphe Thomas


29 04 2009:
The mayor of the second largest city in Calvados
is removing the wi-fi network from local schools.

School Wi-Fi Campaign:Removal of all the wi-fi antennas
Replacement with Exthernet wired connections

Hérouville-Saint-Clair freed from wi-fi microwave radiation at 2450 MHz

Furthers link http://www.next-up.org/France/Calvados.php#1

Holland: Doctors issue an appeal against radiation risks

Article in next-up.org

Holland:
Doctors issue an appeal against radiation risks:
"Reduce exposure to ElectroMagnetic Fields"

On 8 April 2009, 50 doctors presented an appeal to Dutch political
leaders and government health authorities at The Hague.

On the basis of their experience and observations, they call for
measures to be taken to minimise exposure to artificial radiation from
electromagnetic fields.

The signatories note a general increase in serious medical conditions
of unidentified origin. This increase in health problems and illness
parallels the explosive increase in exposure to radiation from
electromagnetic fields in the environment.

This appeal is a request to reduce exposure to these artificial fields
and a plea for a more careful use of electrical and wireless
technologies. In addition it calls for a policy based on independent
research and expert opinions published in international scientific
journals.

The signatories are all doctors, general practitioners, medical
scientists and specialists.

Among them is the general practitioner Dr Liesbeth Adriaansens, who
recounts some of the cases from her practice. More evidence comes
from a patient who describes the symptoms they have suffered as a
result of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

The symptoms that patients and scientists ascribe to low and high
frequency electromagnetic fields include palpitations, problems with
concentration and memory, headaches, fatigue, stress, sleep
disturbances and so on. These sometimes improve with simple
measures such as replacing a cordless DECT telephone by one with
a wired connection. Some scientists link electromagnetic exposure to
a risk of Alzheimer's disease and cancer. The commonest sources of
electromagnetic fields are relay antennas, wi-fi, cordless phones,
electric wires, etc.

Given that there is still no adequate information on the health hazards
of EMFs available to the public, in spite of the mounting accumulation
of scientific proof, the Dutch organisations the National Platform on
Radiation Risks, the Foundation for the Electro-hypersensitive and
the Report on Environmental Health and Telephones for Children
have decided to publish in the near future an information booklet on
'Using a mobile phone safely'.

For more information:
Alex Swinkels – Dutch National Platform Radiation Risks
T. : +31-181-785587, .
info@stralingsrisicos.nl, www.stralingsrisicos.nl

Dr. J-P. Mossink and Dr. Liesbeth
Adriaansens during the presentation of
the Appeal to the media.

The mayor of the second largest city in Calvados is going to remove the wi-fi network from local schools.

Article in
www.next-up.org

27 April 2009

The mayor of the second largest city in Calvados is
going to remove the wi-fi network from local schools.


HEROUVILLE-SAINT-CLAIR (AFP) — The town council of Hérouville-Saint-Clair (Calvados-Normandy) is going to remove the wi-fi network (wireless Internet) in its schools before the end of the year, it announced on Monday, four days after the launch of the "Radiation Round Table" in Paris.


"We are going to apply the precautionary principle. Our
job is to protect people's health," declared the mayor
Rodolphe Thomas during a press conference.

In this new town of 24,000 inhabitants situated on the
outskirts of Caen, the wi-fi network has provided local
schools with a wireless connection to the Internet, via the
town hall. The dozen sites concerned will now have
independent Internet access.

In addition the Council are going to finance ten or more
measurements of electromagnetic fields in the town, at a
total cost of 4-5000 euros, added Laurent Mata, chief
deputy mayor in charge of sustainable development.

The intention is to change or relocate certain antennas if
the radiation is too intense. "We'll take them to court" if the
phone companies refuse to do this, affirmed M. Mata.

The mayor of Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Rodolphe Thomas

In September Hérouville Saint-Clair is going to launch a
campaign about the precautions to take to protect oneself
from radiation, aimed at the general public, the telecom
operators and the landlords "who receive 1500-2500
euros per month for the rent of the roof where the relay
antenna is installed", according to M. Mata. He estimates
that overall these plans will cost the town 15,000 euros.

Criirem (Centre for research and independent information
on electromagnetic radiation), which claims to be the only
independent organisation taking measurements of
electromagnetic fields, has indicated that about 20 town
and city councils in France have asked them to carry out
assessments of this kind.

A relay antenna installed on the roof of an apartment
building in Hérouville-Saint-Clair (Calvados) 27 04 2009


click

Untested technology

Article in http://www.wiredchild.org

Untested technology

Cordless phones, Wi-fi, digital baby monitors and other wireless products have become ubiquitous. While their health effects are largely untested, there have been numerous studies of the effects of the electro-magnetic radiation emitted from these devices. All scientists agree that this radiation is dangerous at high levels but it is hoped that the low levels emitted from these household devices are safe. We are not convinced.

Radiation 24/7

The levels of radiation emitted from mobile and cordless phones on standby, and of wi-fi routers, digital baby monitors and bluetooth are a fraction of those of a mobile or cordless phone in use on a call. But this does not mean they are safer.

The radiation exposure from wireless products is a "chronic" exposure, constantly at a low level rather than short bursts of high power. There is evidence that this type of exposure might be more damaging in the long-term. It is thought that when the body first experiences a new source of radiation, it reacts by strengthening its immune defences, but then the immune system begins to weaken progressively as the radiation exposure continues. Read more at http://www.wiredchild.org/sciencealias/43-what-the-science-tells-us/69-health-effects-.html

There is evidence that long-term chronic exposure to electro-magnetic radiation has a range of health effects. We also know that children are more vulnerable than adults.

The German and French governments have advised against the use of wireless products like wi-fi and cordless (DECT) phones at home. Read more at http://www.wiredchild.org/government-alias.html#Germany

A phone mast in your home?

The clearest evidence that this day-in-day-out low-level exposure might be dangerous is from the studies of the health effects of mobile phone masts. Two studies have shown significantly increased levels of cancers amongst those living within a few hundred meters of a mobile phone mast. Other studies have demonstrated a host of other symptoms linked with exposure to mobile phone mast radiation.  One study has shown directly that wi-fi can affect children's cognitive skills like memory, attention and reaction time.

The radiation exposure from a wi-fi router at 5 meters' distance, a cordless DECT phone base unit at 3 meters' distance, or digital baby monitor at less than 1 meter are all experienced at roughly the same level as a mobile phone mast only 150 meters away. If any of these are closer, for example if you sleep with a cordless phone next to the bed, it is equivalent in radiation terms to being only about 50 meters away from a mast. Read more at http://www.wiredchild.org/parents/58-which-products-are-most-dangerous.html

There is now much annecdotal evidence of people experiencing symptoms in the short term, like headaches, nausea, dizziness and loss of concentration. Read more... For this reason, some government and public bodies have stopped the introduction of wi-fi in some public places and schools.

Read more about the health effects of cordless (DECT) phones at http://www.emfacts.com/papers/dect.pdf...

Wifi may be more damaging to some people than mobile phones...

Cumulative exposure

Even if the power level of one wireless router or computer is small, a child's environment may include many of these devices at once. Radiation exposure from a wi-fi system comes from the router and each of the computers. A cordless DECT phone emits radiation from the base stations and the handsets. A mobile phone on standby, or worse on a call, also adds to the radiation "load". 

At school, a set of wirelessly connected computers in a classroom is known to result in exposures much higher than one computer being used alone. The radiiation level has been found to be equivalent to being in the main beam of a mobile phone mast (which official guidelines state should not fall on school grounds without the consent of parents and the school). In 2007 a BBC Panorama programme found that the readings next to a classroom laptop showed radiation at double the level experienced only 100 metres from a mobile phone mast. This exposure from wi-fi is additional to mobile phones, cordless DECT phones and bluetooth used around the children in schools.

So at any one time a child may be exposed to cumulative levels of radiation much higher than each product emits alone. They may be exposed constantly at school and at home, even when asleep.

Formative exposure

This exposure generally starts young and continues throughout children's lives. Children are now being exposed to wireless products from a very early age and often throughout their developing childhood and teenage years. This is experimental - no-one has any idea of the cumulative effect of such long-term exposure starting at such a formative age.

We know from the scientific studies relating to mobile phones that children are more vulnerable to this type of radiation, absorbing more radiation than adults through their thinner skulls. Given the many studies that show this radiation could be very dangerous, do we not have a duty to protect children from the possibly serious future health effects of this exposure?

Read about the dangers of mobile phones at http://www.wiredchild.org/sciencealias/43-what-the-science-tells-us/66--what-the-science-tells-us-mobile-phones.html

Read more about children's greater vulnerability at http://www.wiredchild.org/sciencealias/43-what-the-science-tells-us/66--what-the-science-tells-us-mobile-phones.html#children

Read more about this global experiment at http://www.wiredchild.org/sciencealias/43-what-the-science-tells-us/59-children-as-guinea-pigs.html

Re: Free wireless Internet plan remains in limbo

Letter by Carl Katz to the Editor in Vancouver Courier on Wi-Fi Projects

To the Editor:
Re: Free wireless Internet plan remains in limbo, April 10

I am astounded that our city councilors are still trying to find a way
to roll out Wi-Fi in pubic buildings without considering the emerging
body of science that is saying that Wi-Fi represents a considerable
health risk.

I have heard those in favour of pubic Wi-Fi cite the World Health
Organization (WHO) and Health Canada (who bases their radiation safety
guidelines on the WHO’s guidelines) and as two public bodies that say
Wi-Fi is safe and falls within their safety guidelines. In reality, Wi-
Fi does fall within these guidelines, however there are the following
important points to consider:

Health Canada’s Safety Code Six is based on thermal guidelines. It
allows human tissue to increase in temperature by one degree Celsius
over a six minute period when exposed to microwave radiation. All the
deleterious health effects from microwave radiation that are
documented in current peer reviewed research occur at levels thousands
of times lower than Safety Code Six. Some of these health effects
include headaches, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, sleep
disturbances and unexplained anxiety. At a biological level, leakage
in the blood-brain barrier, DNA breakage, and disruption in
intracellular communication have all been documented.
If you watch the BBC Panorama episode “Wi-Fi: A Warning Signal” at
mastsanity.org, you will hear Sir William Stewart, U.K.'s top
scientist and former science adviser to Margaret Thatcher and Tony
Blair saying the WHO is wrong about safe levels of non-ionizing
radiation and that the whole basis of their safety limits are
inadequate to protect the population, especially our children.

Ditto for the German government, who in 2007 warned all citizens not
to use Wi-Fi. Then there are Doctors Gerd Oberfeld and Henry Lai, who
are world renowned for their research into electromagnetic radiation
and biological effects - they both said they would pull their children
out of any school that had Wi-Fi. Professor Olle Johansson of the
world renowned Karolinska institute in Sweden, has found biological
effects at radiation levels lower than those associated with Wi-Fi.
In 2002, following research on wireless radiation in the ‘90’s, the
global insurance industry pulled liability coverage for the health
effects from wireless technology. Given that insurance companies
quantify risks and then associate a dollar value on that risk, this
represents a huge liability issue for cities, school boards and anyone
who rolls out wireless technologies – they are virtually uninsured.

Last December, in an effort to improve traffic flow for buses by
wirelessly controlling traffic signals, Translink rolled out a Wi-Fi
network along Main Street from 57th Avenue all the way downtown, with
no public consultation or transparency. This Wi-Fi network subjects
all residents and businesses along Main street to radiation without
their awareness or consent. Now there is serious talk of putting Wi-Fi
into all community centres in Vancouver, which will expose our
children, the employees and the general public - all the while schools
all over Europe are pulling out Wi-Fi based on the aforementioned
warnings. Lakehead university in Thunder Bay has held off on
implementing campus-wide Wi-Fi for the same reasons.

City council and the city of Vancouver must take a step back and look
at independent the body of research that is clearly saying we may have
a huge public health problem in the future. For the sake of our
children and all our citizens, the City of Vancouver must apply the
Precautionary Principle, and hold off on implementing this technology.
Anything less would be irresponsible.


Carl Katz
Vancouver