Wednesday, 23 April 2014
What do you know about Today's Wireless World?
Info about the digital devices we use every day and how to 'connect' more safely
Agenda
May 8th, 2014, Belmont School, 7:00 - 9 p.m.
7:05-7:35 Summary of global, peer reviewed science (Martin Blank, PhD)
7:35-8:05 Emerging environmental sensitivity to wireless signals (Kerry Crofton, PhD)
8:05-8:35 Creating healthy and sustainable living environments in our high tech world (Katharina Gustavs, Cert. EOH Building Biology Consultant IBN)
8:35-9 pm Questions and Answers 9 pm Closing Comments
'Doctors for Safer Schools' is an international, non profit, advisory board of health and research professionals. Their sole objective is to provide accurate, evidence based information to parents, teachers, administrators and government officials to facilitate further understanding and best practice on matters related to children's health.
Associate Professor, Martin Blank, PhD, Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University
http://www.physiology.columbia.edu/MartinBlank.html
Dr. Blank earned his two PhDs from Columbia University, NY, and the University of Cambridge, UK, and now acts as a special lecturer upon his retirement in 2011. During his long tenure at Columbia, Dr. Blank had 11 short-term appointments at universities around the world, as well as at 5 industrial research labs that include the US Office of Naval Research; the last 30 years spent researching the bio cellular effects of radio frequency, electromagnetic radiation. Dr. Blank has published over 200 papers on the subject and has served on the editorial boards of several medical research journals, most recently as a peer reviewer for the Royal Society of Canada's report on wireless safety (Apr.1 2014).
Kerry Crofton, PhD, Psychology, health and wellness educator, author http://safertechsolutions.org/
Dr. Crofton has thirty-five years of professional work that includes: a clinical practice; writing a weekly newspaper column on wellness issues; co-producing a television program on heart health; and authoring several books. For several years, she has focused on electro-pollution, working with prominent experts to bring the latest science and health recommendations together for Safer Tech Solutions.
Katharina Gustavs, Cert. EOH Building Biology Consultant IBN http://www.buildingbiology.ca/
Katharina received her certification from the Institute of Building Biology + Ecology Neubeuern IBN, Germany; and the Environmental and Occupational Health Program at UVic. She is an advisory board member with the Competence Initiative for the Protection of Humanity, Environment and Democracy; and in 2013, coauthored recommendations for the environmental quality of healthy schools issued by the Collaborative of High Performance Schools (CHPS) a leading green building standard in the US.
For more on the topic of health and technology, a few links for your consideration:
-
Doctors for Safer Schools http://doctorsforsaferschools.org/
-
Safe Schools 2012 Report: UK http://wifiinschools.org.uk/resources/safeschools2012.pdf
-
Canadians for Safe Technology (C4ST) http://www.c4st.org/
-
Safe in Schools http://www.safeinschool.org/
-
Environmental Health Trust http://ehtrust.org/
Being a critically engaged user and consumer of media is an essential part of active citizenship in the 21st century. Our children, immersed in our digital world, need our help in developing the knowledge and skills to manage in today’s world. Here are some resources that can help:
www.screensmart.ca www.mediasmart.ca - www.bewebaware.ca
- www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/parent-media-education
Friday, 28 March 2014
School Boards are guilty of "Willful Blindness" i
Ten
reasons why handheld devices should be banned for children under the age of 12
Wireless Tablets Are
Even Worse Than Cell Phones
Even
Apple's own Important Product Information Guide won't tell
you that their product is safe to use. Read it carefully.
Have
you read your Safety Manual and Disclaimer for your Cell Phone because if you
don't follow the instructions the cell phone company is saying they are not
liable.
Must
Watch!
"Willful
Blindness
is a legal concept which means, if there's information that you could know and
you should know but you somehow manage not to know, the law deems that you're
willfully blind. You have chosen not to know.
Dr
Anthony Miller to Toronto Council re: RF Exposure (4min)
RF exposure
should be classified as a 2A (probable carcinogen), not a 2B (possible
carcinogen).
BRIEF TO THE EXPERT PANEL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA REVIEWING SAFETY CODE 6
A
Canadian Teachers’ Federation Brief on Wi-Fi exposure in Canadian classrooms
“The Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) is a national alliance of provincial and territorial teacher organizations that represent nearly 200,000 elementary and secondary school teachers across Canada. As part of our role, we not only advocate for teachers but for students in their care as well.
Health Canada has established a level they consider as safe for public exposure to Wi-Fi radiation. This public exposure level is used by Industry Canada when determining the safe level of exposure in the workplace. Our concern is there appears to be varying viewpoints as to the potential danger of exposure. We recommend that a more prudent approach be taken especially in workplaces such as public schools where children are required to be present for a significant amount of time.
In September 2013, the CTF undertook an on-line survey of teachers in Canada. We received over 3,800 responses from classroom teachers currently working in Canadian schools. The survey explored three main areas: how Internet is accessed in school and how that access affects pedagogy; information provided by school boards regarding the use of Wi-Fi in school; and, teachers’ perceptions regarding the safety of Wi-Fi.
Internet Access in School
The vast majority of teachers reported that their school had access to either a hard-wired connection or both a hard-wired connection and a wireless connection. Only 8.5% of respondents reported they only had access to a wireless connection. When asked which access they would prefer, a majority of respondent teachers (76.6%) preferred access to both a wired and wireless connection.
In terms of the use of internet for instruction, the majority of teachers agreed that, if wireless was present in the school, it was used by both teachers for direct instruction of students and by students for educational purposes on devices that could not connect to the Internet by a wired connection. This being said, the majority of respondents also agreed that the educational objectives could be met with a wired connection (54.1%) and/or with a wireless connection that could be turned off when not in use (79.3%).
Communication with the School Community
One major concern expressed by teachers who responded identified the lack of communication around the use of Wi-Fi technology in the school. Some 58.3% of respondents stated that very little or no effort has been made by employers to inform and educate teachers about the presence and safety of Wi-Fi in school. An even greater percentage of respondents (70.2%) reported little or no effort was made to educate parents. Teachers were not aware of parent communities expressing concern about Wi-Fi in schools. Only 7.3% of respondents indicated they had heard concerns expressed by parents.
Teachers’ Perceptions regarding the Safety of Wireless Technology
Respondents were asked the extent to which they were concerned regarding the potential health risks related to the use of Wi-Fi in schools. Approximately one-third of respondents were at least somewhat concerned. The more telling response arose, however, when teachers were asked if precautions should be taken to limit exposure of Wi-Fi to students and teachers. Some 31.5% agreed that precautions to limit exposure should be taken, 30.1% disagreed and 38.4% did not know. There is a lack of education on the issue.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The CTF is concerned about the lack of definitive research regarding the adverse health effects of Wi-Fi radiation. Decisions regarding exposure to Wi-Fi should be based upon sound science. Given the relative "newness" of broad Wi-Fi coverage and the difficulty in controlling variables in this type of research, we propose a prudent approach to the use of Wi-Fi, especially where children are present.
Our poll of teachers clearly indicated that pedagogical needs could be met in schools with an approach that limits exposure to Wi-Fi. For example, many schools use a mobile cart of laptop or tablet computers. That cart could include a wireless access point that is powered on when necessary and turned off at other times. Schools could continue to be "hard wired" and wireless internet access could be provided as needed. Of those teachers who indicated they were not concerned at all about potential health risks of Wi-Fi; one-third thought that at least some
precautions should be taken to limit exposure.
Recommendations
That
Safety Code 6 include a recommendation for prudent use of Wi-Fi whenever
possible including the recommendation to limit consistent exposure in schools
by turning off wireless access points when not in use.
That
Safety Code 6 exposure thresholds be based upon both thermal and biological
effects of exposure to Wi-Fi
Also
evident in our polling was the fact that teachers and school communities have
not been informed regarding the implementation of Wi-Fi and any inherent
potential hazards. In the absence of a definitive statement regarding the
safety of Wi-Fi that addresses concerns raised through social and regular
media, teachers are rightly concerned for their personal safety and the safety
of the children in their care.
Recommendation
That
the Expert Panel recommend an education program regarding the relative safety
of Wi-Fi exposure and that appropriate resources be developed to educate the
public regarding ways to avoid potential exposure risks of Wi-Fi access points
and devices.
Monday, 24 March 2014
March 2014 Update
New Flyer! Do you
know where the WiFi/Bluetooth Antennas are on your child's iPad?
Did you know...
When an iPad’s WiFi is turned on, it emits a burst of microwave radiation approximately every four seconds. That makes 900 blasts per hour in the child’s hands, on their lap, or at their face and does not include any additional data signals resulting from uploading and downloading activities. The beacon signal from the iPad occurs every 4 seconds even when the user is not accessing the Internet.
When an iPad’s WiFi is turned on, it emits a burst of microwave radiation approximately every four seconds. That makes 900 blasts per hour in the child’s hands, on their lap, or at their face and does not include any additional data signals resulting from uploading and downloading activities. The beacon signal from the iPad occurs every 4 seconds even when the user is not accessing the Internet.
Schools crack down on video streaming
How much of our money ear
marked for ‘Education’ is being used to pay for video streaming movies and
games for our children to be entertained on their wireless devices during
school?
Peter Parker and Olle Johansson - The Richie Allen Show: WiFi in schools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKBvEP6k5IQ
Calculated omissions by cell phone industry citing pickles in IARC Group 2B - Specifically Traditional Asian Pickles
Next time the industry attempts this kind of misdirection; the full facts can set there cord straight.
http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/2803/
Health Canada – Additives in Food
Coffee - in IARC Group 2B -
(urinary bladder)
Data
has shown that women of childbearing age and children may be at greater risk
from caffeine.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/caf/food-caf-aliments-eng.php
February 2014 Update
Wi-Fi in Schools: Dr. Stephen Sinatra M.D. FACC board-certified cardiologist – Wireless Microwave Radiation – new Cardiac Risk Factor and Electro-sensitivity – new Medical Condition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V9WuM5q-x0
INVISIBLE THREAT - The Link Between Wireless Radiation and a Host of Serious Illnesses
WiFi – The Invisible Killing Fields
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2014/01/31/wifi-invisible-killing-fields/
Digital Portable Phones and Microwave Radiation on the Electrosensitive
An older video but very informative – March 23, 2010
January 2014 update
American
Academy of Environmental Medicine - Wireless Radiofrequency Radiation in
Schools
The peer reviewed, scientific literature
demonstrates the correlation between RF exposure and neurological, cardiac, and
pulmonary disease as well as reproductive and developmental disorders, immune
dysfunction, cancer and other health conditions. The evidence is irrefutable.
The Top Cell Phone Radiation Safety Stories of 2013
The American Academy of Pediatrics submitted a
letter to the FCC that urged the adoption of standards that protect children's
health and well-being from radiation emitted by cell phones and other wireless
devices.
WHO International
Stakeholder Seminar on Radiofrequency Policies
The profit-driven telecommunications industry is
trying to do away with this precautionary approach, with the proliferation of
phone masts throughout the world and growing use of mobile phones by all
members of society including children and pregnant woman, without any prior
warnings of the dangers associated with untested and unregulated technology,
thus endangering untold millions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)