[LINK] EMF Health problems

[Stewart Fist]

Jim asked:

> 
> But I haven't been following the issue as closely as you.  So, do you use a
> mobile, and what's your recommendation?

No I don't own a mobile, but that's because I work at home and have no need
for one. My wife has one that she uses about twice a week, and my son has
one permanently attached to his ear (against my strong recommendation).

However, the use of CDMA rather than TDMA systems, and the proliferation of
towers, means that handsets are now working at power levels only a fraction
of those of a decade ago, which is a good thing.


I think we need to get some sense of proportion into the whole discussion.

1. If we haven't seen a rash of obvious health problems after thirty years
of massive use of cellphone handsets, then it is unlikely that cell-phone
towers are creating a serious mass-population health problem, since the
power-density from a tower is about one-millionth that from a handset, on
average. (although exposure times are longer)

The fight against towers is probably lost, and it was always a dubious
health concern anyway.


2. WiFi is also unlikely to be a problem for much the same reasons, because
exposure is about the same as the cell-tower average, not the
handset-against-the-head.

Schools, however, should preference cables over radio links

3. WiMax might be a problem, because of the greater transmission power
requirements.  It needs to be watched.


4. Since fast-growing cells are the most likely to suffer DNA damage from
cellphone-type radiation, then it makes no sense to let kids use cellphones
for many hours a day.  They should certainly be banned in the schools
themselves.

However, I do see the value that parents and kids get out of them carrying
phones, and this creates a real dilemma.  My gut feeling is that kids should
not have mobiles until time establishes safety, but common-sense tells me
that they will despite the legitimate fears of many scientists.

Brain tumours appear to be on the rise worldwide (and not just because of
better detection), and no one has yet found an explanation.  That doesn't
mean that in the absence of evidence, we incriminate cellphones -- as many
activists do.

But it does suggest we need an active government advertising campaign to
limit the time kids use them for voice. (SMSing probably isn't a problem -
not held against the head)

Of course, we won't get an ad campaign from either a Liberal-Coalition or a
Labor government.  So we must only hope that there is no rash of problems in
twenty years -- and accept that there are other things in the environment
which are potentially more dangerous in the long-term.

Smoking, for instance.


-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458