Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/health-...006-11-22.html


Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless computer
networks amid fears
that they could damage children's health.
More schools are putting transmitters in classrooms to give pupils wireless
access from laptops to the
school computer network and the internet.

But many parents and some scientists fear that low levels of microwave
radiation emitted by the
transmitters could be harmful, causing loss of concentration, headaches,
fatigue, memory and
behavioural problems and possibly cancer in the long term. Scientific
evidence is inconclusive, but
some researchers think that children are vulnerable because of their thinner
skulls and developing
nervous systems.

At the Prebendal School, a prestigious preparatory in Chichester, West
Sussex, a group of parents
lobbied the headteacher, Tim Cannell, to remove the wireless network last
month. Mr Cannell told The
Times: "We listened to the parents' views and they were obviously very
concerned. We also did a lot of
research. The authorities say it's safe, but there have been no long-term
studies to prove this.

"We had been having problems with the reliability of it anyway, so we
decided to exchange it for a
conventional cabled system."

Vivienne Baron, who is bringing up Sebastian, her ten-year-old grandson,
said: "I did not want
Sebastian exposed to a wireless computer network at school. No real evidence
has been produced to
prove that this new technology is safe in the long term. Until it is, I
think we should take a precautionary
approach and use cabled systems."

At Ysgol Pantycelyn, a comprehensive in Carmarthenshire, parents aired their
concerns to the
governors, who agreed to switch off its wireless network. Hywel Pugh, the
head teacher, told The
Times: "The county council and central government told us that wireless
networks are perfectly safe,
but as there were concerns we listened to them and decided that the concerns
of the parents were of
greater importance than our need to have a wireless network."

Judith Davies, who has a daughter at the school, said: "Many people campaign
against mobile phone
masts near schools, but there is a great deal of ignorance about wireless
computer networks. Yet they
are like having a phone mast in the classroom and the transmitters are
placed very close to the
children."

Stowe School, the Buckinghamshire public school, also removed part of its
wireless network after a
teacher became ill. Michael Bevington, a classics teacher for 28 years at
the school, said that he had
such a violent reaction to the network that he was too ill to teach.

"I felt a steadily widening range of unpleasant effects whenever I was in
the classroom," he said. "First
came a thick headache, then pains throughout the body, sudden flushes,
pressure behind the eyes,
sudden skin pains and burning sensations, along with bouts of nausea. Over
the weekend, away from
the classroom, I felt completely normal."

Anthony Wallersteiner, the head teacher of Stowe School, said that he was
planning to put cabled
networks in all new classrooms and boarding houses.

Professor Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency,
said that evidence of
potentially harmful effects of microwave radiation had become more
persuasive over the past five
years. His report said that while there was a lack of hard information of
damage to health, the approach
should be precautionary.

"JOHN" wrote in message
...

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/health-...006-11-22.html


Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless
computer networks amid fears
that they could damage children's health.

These fears are totally unfounded. This has nothing to do with kids' health.
Rather, it has to do with parents' ignorance.

Jeff

In article zz1zh.9$4_5.6@trnddc05, Jeff wrote:

"JOHN" wrote in message
...


http://www.worldhealth.net/p/health-...006-11-22.html


Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless
computer networks amid fears
that they could damage children's health.

These fears are totally unfounded. This has nothing to do with kids' health.
Rather, it has to do with parents' ignorance.

"Totally unfounded" is a strong claim, Jeff. I think you're probably
right, but I've always been a bit uncomfortable about wireless
networks. I'm OK with microwaves inside a microwave oven; when
they're coming out of a transmitter near me, and are doing so all day
and night, I do get to wondering.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"If George Bush were my dad, I'd be drunk in public so often that
James Baker would have me killed." -- Bill Maher on the Bush twins

"David Wright" wrote in message
et...
In article zz1zh.9$4_5.6@trnddc05, Jeff wrote:

"JOHN" wrote in message
.. .


http://www.worldhealth.net/p/health-...006-11-22.html


Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless
computer networks amid fears
that they could damage children's health.

These fears are totally unfounded. This has nothing to do with kids'
health.
Rather, it has to do with parents' ignorance.

"Totally unfounded" is a strong claim, Jeff. I think you're probably
right, but I've always been a bit uncomfortable about wireless
networks. I'm OK with microwaves inside a microwave oven; when
they're coming out of a transmitter near me, and are doing so all day
and night, I do get to wondering.

Although the energy is in the microwave range, what evidence is there that
radiation in the range used by wireless networks is harmful at the strength
used (less than 1 W)?

Jeff


-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"If George Bush were my dad, I'd be drunk in public so often that
James Baker would have me killed." -- Bill Maher on the Bush twins

In article %B%zh.1369$E71.900@trnddc04, Jeff wrote:

"David Wright" wrote in message
. net...
In article zz1zh.9$4_5.6@trnddc05, Jeff wrote:

"JOHN" wrote in message
. ..


http://www.worldhealth.net/p/health-...006-11-22.html


Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks

Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless
computer networks amid fears
that they could damage children's health.

These fears are totally unfounded. This has nothing to do with kids'
health.
Rather, it has to do with parents' ignorance.

"Totally unfounded" is a strong claim, Jeff. I think you're probably
right, but I've always been a bit uncomfortable about wireless
networks. I'm OK with microwaves inside a microwave oven; when
they're coming out of a transmitter near me, and are doing so all day
and night, I do get to wondering.

Although the energy is in the microwave range, what evidence is there that
radiation in the range used by wireless networks is harmful at the strength
used (less than 1 W)?

That's the big question. It gets worse if we talk about cell phones
that are emitting microwaves with a power of several watts. Yes, I
know that wireless networks for home use are less than a watt, and the
only way you'd even get close to that is to hover over the
transmitter, but I do sometimes wonder about long-term but nearly
continuous exposure to smaller amounts of microwave radiation.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"If George Bush were my dad, I'd be drunk in public so often that
James Baker would have me killed." -- Bill Maher on the Bush twins