Global Union Against Radiation Battles WiFi from Space

Wed., Jan. 13, 2016

Global Union Against Radiation Battles WiFi from Space

By Jack O'Dwyer

Global Union Against Radiation Deployment from Space (GUARDS) is battling plans by Google, Facebook and SpaceX to launch and replace thousands of satellites to provide worldwide internet service. The group says the “harmful pulsed microwave radiation” violates human rights conventions due to the “serious biological effects and involuntary nature of the exposure.” Microwave radiation is the invisible platform that allows wireless devices including cellphones and WiFi to communicate. It is part of the radio frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum. GUARD says blanketing the earth with “harmful pulsed microwave radiation will destroy ozone and worsen climate change due to the emission of black soot from so many rockets. Combined with the detrimental effects RF radiation has on both flora and fauna, including bees, these global wireless projects are predicted to lead to environmental devastation and even widespread starvation.” Singled out for criticism is Google’s “Project Loon.” It would be a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space that would connect rural and remote areas to the internet. GUARD claims that the Federal Communications Commission, which sets radiation limits, uses standards set nearly 30 years ago. It quotes a recent study labeled “Captured Agency: How the FCC is Dominated by the Industry it Presumably Regulates.” It was written by Norm Alston for Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. NYC Project Worries Anti-WiFi Forces New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has made a deal with Google and Qualcom that will replace 7,500 pay phones with WiFi capable kiosks starting in July, according to a column in the New York Post Jan. 11 by Nicole Gelinas. The $200 million cost is being borne by the two companies. It involves placing hundreds of miles of new physical cable under sidewalks and streets. Pedestrians throughout New York will be able to have “free wi-fi,” says Gelinas. Websites such as Electric Sense urge computer users to replace WiFi with hard-wired Ethernet connections. Recommended is “going fully wired” by using a wired mouse and a wired keyboard. Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) generated by a laptop’s keyboard are to be avoided. Users should also stay at least three feet away from the screen. Users are advised to take a break from computers every 20 minutes and to wash their faces after a computer session. “Particles of radiation attach themselves to your face,” says Electric Sense. Cellphone Warnings Abound on Web Websites including the one hosted by Dr. Joseph Mercola abound in warnings about cellphone use. Children are advised only to use cellphones in “dire emergencies.” When not in use, the phones should be placed in airplane mode or turned completely off. The cellphone stand should be unplugged at night and kept several rooms away from where most activities take place during the day. “Never bring a cellphone into the bedroom,” is one piece of advice. The base and phones transmit signals 24/7, it is said. Electric Sense says cellphones should never be used in a moving vehicle such as a bus or car since the device will work extra hard to bring in a signal. Use of a cellphone in a car is advised against because RF radiation “is magnified by the metallic structure—the Faraday Cage effect,” says Electric Sense. The Mercola website urges cellphone users to be considerate of others by not using them in public places such as a doctor’s office, courtroom or public transportation. “Don’t use cellphones near children,” it also advises. Other advice is that cellphones should only be used where there is a strong signal because otherwise the device has to work extra hard to bring in a signal.

Category: Public Affairs

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