A concerned Penangite has just sent me this article from the Independent in the UK:
EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Sunday, 16 September 2007Europe’s top environmental watchdog is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol.
The warning, from the EU’s European Environment Agency (EEA) follows an international scientific review which concluded that safety limits set for the radiation are “thousands of times too lenient”, and an official British report last week which concluded that it could not rule out the development of cancers from using mobile phones.
Professor Jacqueline McGlade, the EEA’s executive director, said yesterday: “Recent research and reviews on the long-term effects of radiations from mobile telecommunications suggest that it would be prudent for health authorities to recommend actions to reduce exposures, especially to vulnerable groups, such as children.”
The EEA’s initiative will increase pressure on governments and public health bodies to take precautionary action over the electromagnetic radiation from rapidly expanding new technologies. The German government is already advising its citizens to use wired internet connections instead of Wi-Fi and landlines instead of mobile phones.
The scientific review, produced by the international BioInitiative Working Group of leading scientists and public health and policy experts, says the “explosion of new sources has created unprecedented levels of artificial electromagnetic fields that now cover all but remote areas of the habitable space on Earth”, causing “long-term and cumulative exposure” to “massively increased” radiation that “has no precedent in human history”.
It says “corrections are needed in the way we accept, test and deploy” the technologies “in order to avert public health problems of a global nature”.
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The moment we are born, we are bound to die. Yet humans continue to give birth to their young ones knowing that the ultimate consequence is so certain and deadly. Road accidents kill 1.2 million people globally a year and injured 40 times this number. Yet motor vehicles are streaming out of the factories every day and Malaysia has our own national car. Smoking killed 3 million people worldwide. Yet smoking is allowed in most, if not all, countries. Why should smoking not banned? There is yet confirmed evidence that WiFi and WiMAX had killed any people. If there is… Read more »
Sorry…forgot to include the link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6676129.stm
Agree with hoyohoyo….why are you being so selective? Here’s an article to counter this… Wi-fi health fears are ‘unproven’ Wireless working is becoming part of daily life Scientists have said there is no evidence to suggest a link between the use of wi-fi and damage to health. BBC programme Panorama found that radiation levels from wi-fi in one school was up to three times the level of mobile phone mast radiation. The readings were 600 times below the government’s safety limits but there is ongoing debate about wi-fi use. Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency, has said… Read more »
http://medicine.com.my/wp/?p=4679
go check it out…
Penang is a very small island. Like five minutes in every direction where i live i can walk into a wifi place or internet cafe to go online. Not enough meh? Need more ah? For who? For what? For the monkeys in the forest in Teluk Bahang maybe?
The retired couple from Scotland living to my right doesn’t need it la; the retired couple from Korea living to my left also don’t need it la. For our future generations issit?
The people who oppose wifi most probably are mad at Lim Guan Eng because he didn’t consult them first. They think LGE just went ahead and approved it without much thought. Reminds me of the Sierra Club in the USA. They have an organization that opposes anything that gives people fun. They even make up fake stories of a certain species of a non-existent bird that may become extinct if people keep camping at a forest area. Even Greenpeace would announce that a manufacturer of mobile phones were using hazardous materials in making the phones. But mostly, their main cause… Read more »
I have a solution to those that oppose the wifi coverage for the State of Penang. Wear tin foil hats. Here’s where to get them at http://www.ericisgreat.com/tinfoilhats/. They are protective helmets in the same way as those who ride bikes wear helmets for protection from road falls. Better than getting your brains frazzled, right? You may look foolish at first, but you’ll live longer. And don’t worry what other people say. You are already better than those that don’t wear tin foil hats cos’ you’ll have longer lives. And you won’t have to worry about smoke emissions from cars, too,… Read more »
The questioning that we cannot be getting WiFi for free is good. What are the hidden costs (besides possibly being fried by the RF waves)? * Who pay for it (installation, operation, bandwidth, maintenance, upgrade)? * How are they paying for it? * From what sources are the funding from (upfront and ongoing)? * What kind of contracts are being written between the Penang government and the private contractors? * For how long a period is the contract? * Will the Penang government make the proposals, plans, contracts available online for all to see (CAT)? * What happens when too… Read more »
Hi Hoyohoyo,
You are extremely right about selective picking informations to suit with their argument. Hence, reading various views are necessary before deciding on the action taken. I believe CM has done that.
Dear Readers,
We need to understand what’s the ultimate objective. Some say WiFi radiation leads to health hazard. Then what???
Dear Anil,
Any comments on the nuclear thingy in Malaysia? Honestly, I am extremely more concerned about that
And by the way, I do think that the CM should consult on experts, and not just Google… actually not just CM, best if the journalists can help doing so too…
Can one article tell the stories?
I did a Google, there are more recent report than this… there are way more articles… some say yes, some say no…
And why everyone just selectively posted those which sided to their own arguments?
My marine conservation class told me, the problem with information explode is that everyone can go out there picking information that suits themselves, while deliberately dismiss the others… The conflict of interests is always there…
If we still don’t make any step to improve our facilities in order increase our competitiveness in this era of knowledge economy, I believe that very soon in the future, we will concern about whether we could make enough money to survive than being killed by the radiation.
Let us do whatever is right
To right all that are clearly wrong
The least we can do is to shed the light
To help the blind see and the weak be strong
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 260908
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Fri. 26th Sept. 2008.
We all die one way or another No matter what you want to say Do many surveys and study groups We die when our times arrive Embrace technologies The signs of living in time Atmosphere now full of many ills You name it – smog, pollution, acid rain Even without Wifi…………. We know our times are fixed…….. So why worry unnecessary? Go and take it enjoy your life We all scared to die It is written we would have to go One way or another; no second guessing Just don’t be a fool living under the coconut shell When The… Read more »
Tobacco industry had duped governments and unsuspecting public for decades with all their scientific research. One thing we can learned from this experience is that supportive scientific studies can be bought for a price. Very few scientists could resist the lure of research grant – that’s their rice bowl and path to fame and fortune.
Hey Anil, Years ago – I think in the late nineties – there were already studies around saying that mobile phones were not as ‘tame’ as we’d been led to believe. Apparently, hands-free stuff makes it worse. And their towers? Yikes! But the phone companies came out with their counter studies.So which to believe? Use with caution, I guess. And now, these new concerns about Wifi. Thirdworldpeople has a good point: before jumping on the bandwagon, we should at least learn from those who’ve been at this longer – and so don’t make the same mistakes. Yes, I really would… Read more »
The whole of S’pore’s been wired up for what, the last 5 years at least?
We haven’t heard of any cases of wifi radiation spontaneous brain combustion, frazzled ear-lobes and fried cochlear, burn-out injuries, deaths or increase in cancer etc have we?
Or does the CAP have another motive? Perhaps they think there should be no competition to Telekom.
Set the right safety standards and maintain regular checks and enforcement and all should go well. After all, radio waves were discoverd over a hundred years ago and started the communication revolution – God’s gift to mankind!!
http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
http://donplaypuks
Just open it to public debate not thru cyberspace. Surely Aliran can handle this with Penang state govern to support and get to the bottom of this issue. Real or otherwise, the end state is to find out the benefits against other issues in particular health threats.
Actually, thirdworldpeople have the privilege of learning from their counterparts in developed countries and not repeat mistakes.
Tapi sayang nya, we have thirdworld mentality cos we are thirdworld people mah, so we just follow blindfolded.
Get real! Do you honestly think we are finally getting something for free? I don’t.
To those who raised objection to the Wi-fi project, I think the safest thing for them to do is to dig a 6 ft hole and jump into it,
that is the safest!!!
Come on, we are on the 21 century, be realistic and sensible otheriwse please pack and live in the jungle, fresh air and greenery, no risk no exposure of radiation whatsoever. Happy?