New paper: The WHO EMF Project: Legitimating the Imaginary of Global Harmonization of EMF Safety Standards
NOTE: David Mercer, the author of this paper was my supervisor at Wollongong University for my thesis The Procrustean Approach.This is well worth a read!
Don
The WHO EMF Project: Legitimating the Imaginary of Global Harmonization of EMF Safety Standards
DAVID MERCER
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Engaging Science, Technology, and Society 2 (2016), 88-105
Abstract (excerpt)
An important topic for studies of STS and globalization are the ways “global” institutions create
and attempt to implement health guidelines and safety standards to address risks associated with
new technologies. In the following discussion this topic is examined through a case study of the
activities of the World Health Organization’s Electric and Magnetic Field Project (WHO EMF
Project). EMF exposures are associated with telecommunications and electrical infrastructure,
most notably high voltage power-lines, radio and cell towers and the use of mobile telephones.
The controversy over setting international safety standards and health guidelines has simmered
for a number of decades. The mainstream “regulatory science” position has been that it is
unlikely EMF’s constitute a significant health risk and therefore minimal regulatory intervention
or significant precautionary considerations are required. A small but persistent stream of
scientific studies nevertheless have continued to raise significant health concerns and have led to
calls for regulators to build stronger precautionary approaches into EMF standards and
guidelines.
and attempt to implement health guidelines and safety standards to address risks associated with
new technologies. In the following discussion this topic is examined through a case study of the
activities of the World Health Organization’s Electric and Magnetic Field Project (WHO EMF
Project). EMF exposures are associated with telecommunications and electrical infrastructure,
most notably high voltage power-lines, radio and cell towers and the use of mobile telephones.
The controversy over setting international safety standards and health guidelines has simmered
for a number of decades. The mainstream “regulatory science” position has been that it is
unlikely EMF’s constitute a significant health risk and therefore minimal regulatory intervention
or significant precautionary considerations are required. A small but persistent stream of
scientific studies nevertheless have continued to raise significant health concerns and have led to
calls for regulators to build stronger precautionary approaches into EMF standards and
guidelines.
SNIP
Read the post here.
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