Showing posts with label Wifi in schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wifi in schools. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Wired Schools - FREE Online Roundtable Event - Cancer/Depression/Anxiety/Suicide at Schools - Exploring Causation & Solutions
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Friday, June 14, 2019
Research shows lower test scores for fourth graders who use tablets in schools
Reboot Foundation questions the use of technology in education
A mounting body of evidence indicates that technology in schools isn’t boosting student achievement as its proponents had hoped it would. The latest research comes from the Reboot Foundation, which released a study in June 2019 that shows a negative connection between a nation’s performance on international assessments and 15-year-olds’ self-reported use of technology in school. The more students used technology in schools, the lower the nation ranked in educational achievement.
In the United States, the results were more complicated. For younger school children, the study found a negative tie between the use of tablets in school and fourth-grade reading scores. Fourth-grade students who reported using tablets in “all or almost all” classes scored 14 points lower on the reading portion of a test administered by the federal government than students who reported “never” using classroom tablets. That’s the equivalent of a year of education or an entire grade level. Meanwhile, some types of computer usage among older students could be beneficial. Eighth graders who reported using computers to conduct research for projects had higher reading test scores than those who didn’t use computers for research.
“We see a lot of spending everywhere on tablets, computers, counting the ratio of computers per student,” said Helen Lee Bouygues, who founded the Reboot Foundation in 2018. Bouygues wants schools to pay more attention to how they are using technology.
"Technology is not bad in general,” she said, “although I would argue for younger children, it’s questionable whether it has benefits.”
Reboot aims to increase the teaching of critical thinking in schools and by parents at home. Bouygues said she started the foundation in reaction to the rapid spread of fake news on the internet and the inability of citizens to distinguish reliable sources from propaganda. She said she wanted to learn if technology was a problem for younger students and commissioned data analysts at an outside research firm, the Learning Agency, to conduct this quantitative analysis.
The study found that the more hours American students spent daily on computers doing English language arts, the lower their reading scores. That was true for both fourth-grade and eighth-grade students and across school poverty levels. Math scores didn’t deteriorate as much as computer usage increased. Previous research has generally shown more promise for education technology in math than in reading.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) first detected a negative relationship between computer usage in schools and student achievement on its 2012 tests known as PISA, or Program for International Student Assessment, which are taken by high school students around the world every three years. But computer usage in schools was still novel then. The current Reboot Foundation study replicates those findings using 2015 PISA test data, showing that the worrisome trend persisted with increased computer use in classrooms.
Mild computer use, however, might be beneficial. The Reboot study found, for example, that French students who reported using the internet at school for up to 30 minutes daily scored 13 points higher on the PISA math assessment than students who reported not spending any time on the internet during class. But reading scores turned sharply negative for students who spent more than a half hour on the internet daily. This pattern — a bit of technology may be beneficial but a lot is not — was also seen among eighth graders in Reboot’s analysis of U.S. student data.
It’s unclear, from this analysis, whether computer usage in schools is causing student performance to rise or fall. The study wasn’t able to see what happened to student test scores before and after the introduction of technology and compare those with similar students who continued to toil with pencil and paper. These sorts of simple comparisons between technology use and test scores might be misleading if weaker, lower income students are more likely use computers in the first place.
Reading scores are lower for fourth graders who use tablets frequently at school, but not for eighth graders. Source: Reboot Foundation
Indeed, the researchers found that American students in high-poverty schools, where more than three quarters of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, use computers slightly more than students in wealthier schools. There was insufficient student survey data for the United States on the 2015 PISA so the researchers scrutinized another highly regarded test, the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among low-poverty schools, 44 percent of fourth graders never used computers. Among high-poverty schools, 34 percent of fourth graders never used computers.
Even among similar students, with the same level of poverty, the researchers found that those who used technology more for certain activities had lower test scores. Indeed, the achievement gap between those who use computers more and those who use computers less was largest among low-income students, hinting that the group that’s most likely to be using technology is possibly the most harmed by it.
Computer usage in U.S. schools ranges widely but very few students are using it for many hours a day, which seems to produce the most negative test results. In fourth grade, 41 percent of students say they spend less than 30 minutes a day on the computer for English work and 34 percent say they use a computer for half an hour. In eighth grade, computer use increases, with only 38 percent of students spending less than 30 minutes a day for English work. Another 29 percent use it for half an hour and 21 percent use it for one hour.
When I first started covering education in 2011, philanthropic foundations were funding projects to introduce technology to schools. Some were founded by tech entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates and Adam Dell. Reboot, based in Paris and funded by Helen Lee Bouygues, a former consultant at McKinsey & Co. and her husband, French industrialist Bruno Bouygues, is emblematic of a pushback against that early wave out of concern that technology is changing education and society for the worse. Reboot’s mission to promote the teaching of critical thinking highlights a popular buzz phrase in education that can encompass everything from logic skills to the ability to analyze and evaluate information.
“With the expanded use of digital technology,” said Helen Lee Bouygues, “it becomes more important to teach critical thinking so that we don’t fall into traps of buying into fake news.”
Source
School wireless safety bill passes state senate
Today, June 13, 2019, the Oregon State Senate passed SB 283, which directs the Oregon Health Authority to review independently-funded scientific studies of the health effects of exposure to microwave radiation, particularly exposure that results from use of wireless network technologies in schools.
The bill also directs the Oregon Department of Education to develop recommendations to schools in this state for practices and alternative technologies that reduce students’ exposure to microwave radiation that Oregon Health Authority report identifies as harmful.
The bill is expected to also pass in the House, following compelling testimony from the Chair of the Health Committee, Sen. Laurie Monnes-Anderson. Monnes-Anderson has championed this issue for many years while facing ridicule and disrespect from other legislators.
The issue has come to the fore as reports of cancer clusters in schools near cell towers and using wireless microwave technology, as faculty and students increasingly report being stricken with microwave sickness in schools, at alarming rates.
The bill also directs the Oregon Department of Education to develop recommendations to schools in this state for practices and alternative technologies that reduce students’ exposure to microwave radiation that Oregon Health Authority report identifies as harmful.
The issue has come to the fore as reports of cancer clusters in schools near cell towers and using wireless microwave technology, as faculty and students increasingly report being stricken with microwave sickness in schools, at alarming rates.
--
80th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2019 Regular Session
Senate Bill 283
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the measure.
Directs Oregon Health Authority to review peer-reviewed, independently funded scientific studies of health effects of exposure to microwave radiation, particularly exposure that results from use of wireless network technologies in schools and to report results of review to interim committee of Legislative Assembly related toeducation not later than January 2, 2021.Specifies requirements for review.
Directs Department of Education to develop recommendations to schools in this state for practices and alternative technologies that reduce students’ exposure to microwave radiation that Oregon Health Authority report identifies as harmful.
Declares emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to exposure to radiation in schools in this state; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1)(a) The Oregon Health Authority shall:
(A) Review peer-reviewed, independently funded scientific studies of the health effects of exposure to microwave radiation, particularly exposure that results from the use of wireless network technologies in schools or similar environments; and
(B) Report the results of the review to an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly related to education not later than January 2, 2021.
(b) The review described in paragraph (a) of this subsection must, at a minimum, consist of a literature review of peer-reviewed, independently funded scientific studies that examine the health effects of exposure to microwave radiation on children.
(2) The Department of Education shall develop recommendations to schools in this state for practices and alternative technologies that would reduce students’ exposure tomicro-wave radiation that the review described in subsection (1) of this section identifies as harmful.
SECTION 2. This 2019 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2019 Act takes effect on its passage.
--
SB 283
Oregon Legislative Information 2019 Regular Session
--
Do we need warnings on Wi-Fi?
by Joanne Zuhl, Street Roots News, Feb 8, 2019
It’s everywhere. The electrosmog of radiofrequencies, electromagnetic radiation and all the Wi-Fi glory that keeps our world humming along. It’s not just pulsing from our digital products, but ever-present, in ever- increasing levels, moving faster, farther and stronger with each passing year.
What could possibly be the harm in that?
A few lawmakers in Salem are choosing to err on the side of caution. Three bills in the Oregon Legislature would lay down new rules to better inform Oregonians about the radiofrequencies from these devices and help limit their exposure to children in schools.
State Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham), along with Reps. Alissa Keny-Guyer (D-Portland) and Carla Piluso (D-Gresham), have sponsored Senate Bill 283, which would require the Oregon Department of Education and public and private schools to distribute information about the potential health risks of wireless network technology. The information would have to be distributed to employees, students and parents or guardians of students.
The bill also directs the Oregon Health Authority, or OHA, to examine peer-reviewed, independently funded studies on the effects of exposure to microwave radiation in schools and similar environments, particularly exposure that results from the use of wireless network technologies. The OHA would then use that information to create guidelines for school events that outline the hazards of exposure to microwave radiation and how to use wireless devices more safely to reduce risk.
“I strongly believe we need to start the discussion on possible health risks associated with digital devices and their use in schools,” Monnes Anderson told Street Roots.
The state senator referenced a report from Kaiser Foundation Research Institute on the evidence of health risks linked to electromagnetic field exposure.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2017, showed that exposing pregnant women to non-ionizing radiation from magnetic fields at the higher end of an otherwise normal spectrum resulted in a significantly higher rate of miscarriage.
Two other bills introduced in the state Senate by Monnes Anderson – Senate Bills 281 and 282 – would require digital product manufacturers to label their products with information about any health risks and direct the state Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority to conduct a study to determine health standards to govern student use of computers, mobile digital devices and other electronic media in classrooms. Senate Bill 282 also calls for developing policies that would allow a parent to give or deny consent for their child to participate in school course work that involves extensive work with these digital devices and electronic media, and offer alternatives.
Among the possible health risks to be labeled in SB 281 are addictions, microwave sickness, and dangers specific to children and pregnant women.
These bills mark a milestone in the debate about the safety and risks associated with wireless technology – a debate that at its extremes swings from allegations of incomplete or flawed science to willful negligence and corporate cover-ups. But at the very least, the three bills before the state Legislature raise the question of how much we really know about the ever-increasing electromagnetic radiofrequencies that we can’t seem to live without.
Morrison said this is the third time he’s tried to have this legislation introduced, and he hopes it will ultimately mean that internet connections in schools will be hard-wired and cordless phones and other wireless devices will be removed from classrooms.
“I am happy with the bill, but of course not happy until wireless tech is out of the schools, as it is in many countries throughout the world,” Morrison said. But, he said, the influence of corporate donations, federal backing of tech companies and public opinion are working against him.
Deb Mayer said she authored the other two bills on labeling and allowing parents to opt their children out of digital-laden coursework. Mayer is with Parents Across America Oregon, the state chapter for the national organization that works to improve conditions in public schools.
“While product manufacturers already instruct consumers of safer ways to use the devices, it is buried so deep within the product that most people don’t know it exists,” Mayer said. “We’re just asking them to make warning labels visible, list the possible health effects, and make age recommendations. … We’re asking that schools determine devices are safe before requiring our children to use them.”
Mayer said the bills have already brought out a vitriolic response from people.
“People love their cellphones and other screens and don’t want to believe there is a downside to them. They tend to ignore the message and attack the messenger. Personally, I have nothing to gain by taking on this issue, but to ignore the environmental welfare of our children at school is unconscionable. Too much is at stake.”
The Oregon Department of Education is neutral on the bills, said Marc Seigel, ODE communications director. Seigel told Street Roots that the department “does not distribute any information about cell towers to the districts, nor does ODE collect data on their emissions.”
Portland Public Schools receives money from leases with AT&T and T-Mobile for six cell towers at Beaumont Middle School, Grant High School, Green Thumb, Alliance High School/Meek Campus, Rigler Elementary School and Roosevelt High School. It does not monitor or receive information on the radiofrequency emissions from these towers, according to PPS public records officer Ryan Vandehey. Vandehey said PPS believes is up to the carriers to monitor the emissions. Wi-Fi is provided in all PPS buildings through a network of routers.
Eileen Park with the mayor’s office said the city of Portland doesn’t monitor the emissions from the 118 wireless facilities on utility poles in the city’s right-of-way, and it doesn’t know how much is being emitted.
The American Cancer Society says there is very little evidence to support the idea that cell tower emissions cause health issues and cancer. But it also says very few studies have focused specifically on cellular phone towers and cancer risks. What studies it does reference show no demonstrative correlation.
In 2011, the World Health Organization’s Interagency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from cellphones as a “possible human carcinogen.” That designation was based on a specific increased risk to glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, and still falls short of meeting the more significant “probable human carcinogen” designation. More recently, a study published in November by the federal National Toxicology Program showed high exposure to radiofrequency radiation caused cancer in male rats. But applying those results to human implications is problematic, and cellphones are placed next to our bodies, while radiofrequency emissions are all around us.
The Kaiser report also references a year-long project by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, conducted by the National Toxicology Program, that also showed an increased risk of cancer associated with Wi-Fi radiation exposure.
The National Toxicology Program, or NTP, investigation is reportedly one of the more comprehensive studies on the issue. The study, which lasted more than 10 years, concluded that “there is clear evidence that male rats exposed to high levels of radiofrequency radiation like that used in 2G and 3G cellphones developed cancerous heart tumors.”
The NTP notes the results cannot be directly compared to the exposure that humans experience using a cellphone because of the higher levels of radiation involved, compared to normal cellphone use. The study did not investigate the next generation in wireless technology, or 5G.
Regarding the proposed legislation, Monnes Anderson points to the warning Deustche Telekom – the owner of T-Mobile – puts on its Speedport Smart home Wi-Fi router. The passage, in German in the operating instructions, cautions owners from placing their Speedport routers “in the immediate proximity to bedrooms, children’s rooms, living rooms (means also common rooms or lounges, i.e.) in order to keep the exposure to electromagnetic fields as low as possible.”
“There are so many advantages of using Wi-Fi but we have a responsibility to discuss this topic, to make sure we are not exposing our children to undue harm, make school districts aware of the issue, and encourage the industry to do more research,” Monnes Anderson said.
In 2015, the French National Assembly voted to limit public exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technology. The French law bans Wi-Fi and wireless devices from “the spaces dedicated to home, rest and activities of children under 3 years old.”
In 2014, Belgium banned the sale of cellphones to children 7 and younger as a safety precaution. In Spain, various parliaments and municipalities have also passed resolutions aimed to limit electromagnetic exposure to young children. Other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, have either passed or are researching related policies to curtail the proliferation of these products among children.
There is no federally developed national standard for safe levels of exposure to radiofrequency energy in the United States, according to the FCC. The FCC does, however, set safe exposure levels for all wireless communication devices based on the absorption rates into the body, which vary according to products.
For years in the ramp-up to 5G, doctors have been outspoken against its implementation without more investigation into its impact. A group of more than 180 scientists and doctors from 35 countries have appealed to the European Union to place moratorium on the 5G roll-out across Europe “until potential hazards for human health and the environment have been fully investigated by scientists independent from industry.” The signees say 5G will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place. “(Radiofrequency – electromagnetic frequency) has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment,” the doctors state in their appeal.
The FCC authorizes and licenses devices, transmitters and facilities that generate radiofrequency radiation and has jurisdiction over all transmitting services in the U.S. except those specifically operated by the federal government. It does not, however, have jurisdiction over health and safety issues.
The FCC says that the radiofrequency emissions from antennas used for cell transmissions are at exposures that are well below safety limits and that there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students. When it comes to cellphones in particular, the jurisdiction for determining safety falls with the Food and Drug Administration. On its website, the FDA has said that it cannot rule out the possibility of risk but that the risk is probably small.
The FCC, in its campaign to “ensure the United States wins the global race to 5G,” has passed new rules to streamline the installation of 5G, “small cell” infrastructure by overriding state and local regulatory barriers. The rules, approved Sept. 26, 2018, mandate time limits for state and local reviews, and in some cases waive fees if the FCC deems them barriers to deploying service. And numerous states have followed suit, enacting legislation to further nullify local control and streamline the implementation of 5G networks. Oregon is not one of those states.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has repeatedly protested the FCC’s order on 5G, calling it “an unprecedented federal intrusion into local (and state) government property rights that will have substantial and continuing adverse impacts on cities and their taxpayers, including reduced funding for essential local government services, and needlessly introduce increased risk of right of way and other public safety hazards.”
Multiple cities, including Portland, have protested the ruling and threatened to sue the FCC.
*An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to the tower emissions as "radioactive." The term "radiation" in relation to electromagnetic radiation and radiofrequencies does not mean radioactive.
Email Executive Editor Joanne Zuhl at joanne@streetroots.org.
What could possibly be the harm in that?
A few lawmakers in Salem are choosing to err on the side of caution. Three bills in the Oregon Legislature would lay down new rules to better inform Oregonians about the radiofrequencies from these devices and help limit their exposure to children in schools.
State Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham), along with Reps. Alissa Keny-Guyer (D-Portland) and Carla Piluso (D-Gresham), have sponsored Senate Bill 283, which would require the Oregon Department of Education and public and private schools to distribute information about the potential health risks of wireless network technology. The information would have to be distributed to employees, students and parents or guardians of students.
The bill also directs the Oregon Health Authority, or OHA, to examine peer-reviewed, independently funded studies on the effects of exposure to microwave radiation in schools and similar environments, particularly exposure that results from the use of wireless network technologies. The OHA would then use that information to create guidelines for school events that outline the hazards of exposure to microwave radiation and how to use wireless devices more safely to reduce risk.
“I strongly believe we need to start the discussion on possible health risks associated with digital devices and their use in schools,” Monnes Anderson told Street Roots.
The state senator referenced a report from Kaiser Foundation Research Institute on the evidence of health risks linked to electromagnetic field exposure.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2017, showed that exposing pregnant women to non-ionizing radiation from magnetic fields at the higher end of an otherwise normal spectrum resulted in a significantly higher rate of miscarriage.
Two other bills introduced in the state Senate by Monnes Anderson – Senate Bills 281 and 282 – would require digital product manufacturers to label their products with information about any health risks and direct the state Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority to conduct a study to determine health standards to govern student use of computers, mobile digital devices and other electronic media in classrooms. Senate Bill 282 also calls for developing policies that would allow a parent to give or deny consent for their child to participate in school course work that involves extensive work with these digital devices and electronic media, and offer alternatives.
Among the possible health risks to be labeled in SB 281 are addictions, microwave sickness, and dangers specific to children and pregnant women.
These bills mark a milestone in the debate about the safety and risks associated with wireless technology – a debate that at its extremes swings from allegations of incomplete or flawed science to willful negligence and corporate cover-ups. But at the very least, the three bills before the state Legislature raise the question of how much we really know about the ever-increasing electromagnetic radiofrequencies that we can’t seem to live without.
•••
The man behind the bill is no stranger to controversy on the matter. David Morrison, a Portland book dealer, has been fighting for greater recognition of the impact of radiofrequency emissions on children ever since a tower was installed at his daughter’s middle school. Morrison sued Portland Public Schools in 2011, seeking to have the equipment removed. That lawsuit was dismissed in federal court by U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman, who ruled that the suit was challenging safety standards set by the Federal Communications Commission and that only the FCC has the authority to hear complaints regarding its rules. Portland Public Schools maintained that the radiation levels emitted from the Wi-Fi equipment were below federal standards.Morrison said this is the third time he’s tried to have this legislation introduced, and he hopes it will ultimately mean that internet connections in schools will be hard-wired and cordless phones and other wireless devices will be removed from classrooms.
“I am happy with the bill, but of course not happy until wireless tech is out of the schools, as it is in many countries throughout the world,” Morrison said. But, he said, the influence of corporate donations, federal backing of tech companies and public opinion are working against him.
Deb Mayer said she authored the other two bills on labeling and allowing parents to opt their children out of digital-laden coursework. Mayer is with Parents Across America Oregon, the state chapter for the national organization that works to improve conditions in public schools.
“While product manufacturers already instruct consumers of safer ways to use the devices, it is buried so deep within the product that most people don’t know it exists,” Mayer said. “We’re just asking them to make warning labels visible, list the possible health effects, and make age recommendations. … We’re asking that schools determine devices are safe before requiring our children to use them.”
Mayer said the bills have already brought out a vitriolic response from people.
“People love their cellphones and other screens and don’t want to believe there is a downside to them. They tend to ignore the message and attack the messenger. Personally, I have nothing to gain by taking on this issue, but to ignore the environmental welfare of our children at school is unconscionable. Too much is at stake.”
The Oregon Department of Education is neutral on the bills, said Marc Seigel, ODE communications director. Seigel told Street Roots that the department “does not distribute any information about cell towers to the districts, nor does ODE collect data on their emissions.”
Portland Public Schools receives money from leases with AT&T and T-Mobile for six cell towers at Beaumont Middle School, Grant High School, Green Thumb, Alliance High School/Meek Campus, Rigler Elementary School and Roosevelt High School. It does not monitor or receive information on the radiofrequency emissions from these towers, according to PPS public records officer Ryan Vandehey. Vandehey said PPS believes is up to the carriers to monitor the emissions. Wi-Fi is provided in all PPS buildings through a network of routers.
Eileen Park with the mayor’s office said the city of Portland doesn’t monitor the emissions from the 118 wireless facilities on utility poles in the city’s right-of-way, and it doesn’t know how much is being emitted.
•••
Kaiser Foundation’s 2017 study, as reported in Scientific Reports, concluded pregnant women exposed to wireless radiation at the higher levels present in the real world experienced a rate of miscarriages nearly three times higher than the general population. According to the study, which concluded that “accurate measurement of MF (magnetic frequency) exposure is vital for examining health effects,” exposure “could have adverse biological impacts on human health.”The American Cancer Society says there is very little evidence to support the idea that cell tower emissions cause health issues and cancer. But it also says very few studies have focused specifically on cellular phone towers and cancer risks. What studies it does reference show no demonstrative correlation.
In 2011, the World Health Organization’s Interagency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from cellphones as a “possible human carcinogen.” That designation was based on a specific increased risk to glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, and still falls short of meeting the more significant “probable human carcinogen” designation. More recently, a study published in November by the federal National Toxicology Program showed high exposure to radiofrequency radiation caused cancer in male rats. But applying those results to human implications is problematic, and cellphones are placed next to our bodies, while radiofrequency emissions are all around us.
The Kaiser report also references a year-long project by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, conducted by the National Toxicology Program, that also showed an increased risk of cancer associated with Wi-Fi radiation exposure.
The National Toxicology Program, or NTP, investigation is reportedly one of the more comprehensive studies on the issue. The study, which lasted more than 10 years, concluded that “there is clear evidence that male rats exposed to high levels of radiofrequency radiation like that used in 2G and 3G cellphones developed cancerous heart tumors.”
The NTP notes the results cannot be directly compared to the exposure that humans experience using a cellphone because of the higher levels of radiation involved, compared to normal cellphone use. The study did not investigate the next generation in wireless technology, or 5G.
Regarding the proposed legislation, Monnes Anderson points to the warning Deustche Telekom – the owner of T-Mobile – puts on its Speedport Smart home Wi-Fi router. The passage, in German in the operating instructions, cautions owners from placing their Speedport routers “in the immediate proximity to bedrooms, children’s rooms, living rooms (means also common rooms or lounges, i.e.) in order to keep the exposure to electromagnetic fields as low as possible.”
“There are so many advantages of using Wi-Fi but we have a responsibility to discuss this topic, to make sure we are not exposing our children to undue harm, make school districts aware of the issue, and encourage the industry to do more research,” Monnes Anderson said.
In 2015, the French National Assembly voted to limit public exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technology. The French law bans Wi-Fi and wireless devices from “the spaces dedicated to home, rest and activities of children under 3 years old.”
In 2014, Belgium banned the sale of cellphones to children 7 and younger as a safety precaution. In Spain, various parliaments and municipalities have also passed resolutions aimed to limit electromagnetic exposure to young children. Other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, have either passed or are researching related policies to curtail the proliferation of these products among children.
There is no federally developed national standard for safe levels of exposure to radiofrequency energy in the United States, according to the FCC. The FCC does, however, set safe exposure levels for all wireless communication devices based on the absorption rates into the body, which vary according to products.
•••
Ready or not, 5G is coming to a neighborhood near you. It’s been billed as being 100 times faster than the current 4G technology, but it also will rely on a new network of antennas and significantly higher frequency spectrum bands called millimeter wave frequencies. Reports on this impending network have said the frequencies are higher, but they also have a shorter range. The shorter range means more antennas, closer together – as many as 300,000 more antennas across the country, according to a report by CBS.For years in the ramp-up to 5G, doctors have been outspoken against its implementation without more investigation into its impact. A group of more than 180 scientists and doctors from 35 countries have appealed to the European Union to place moratorium on the 5G roll-out across Europe “until potential hazards for human health and the environment have been fully investigated by scientists independent from industry.” The signees say 5G will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place. “(Radiofrequency – electromagnetic frequency) has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment,” the doctors state in their appeal.
The FCC authorizes and licenses devices, transmitters and facilities that generate radiofrequency radiation and has jurisdiction over all transmitting services in the U.S. except those specifically operated by the federal government. It does not, however, have jurisdiction over health and safety issues.
The FCC says that the radiofrequency emissions from antennas used for cell transmissions are at exposures that are well below safety limits and that there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students. When it comes to cellphones in particular, the jurisdiction for determining safety falls with the Food and Drug Administration. On its website, the FDA has said that it cannot rule out the possibility of risk but that the risk is probably small.
The FCC, in its campaign to “ensure the United States wins the global race to 5G,” has passed new rules to streamline the installation of 5G, “small cell” infrastructure by overriding state and local regulatory barriers. The rules, approved Sept. 26, 2018, mandate time limits for state and local reviews, and in some cases waive fees if the FCC deems them barriers to deploying service. And numerous states have followed suit, enacting legislation to further nullify local control and streamline the implementation of 5G networks. Oregon is not one of those states.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has repeatedly protested the FCC’s order on 5G, calling it “an unprecedented federal intrusion into local (and state) government property rights that will have substantial and continuing adverse impacts on cities and their taxpayers, including reduced funding for essential local government services, and needlessly introduce increased risk of right of way and other public safety hazards.”
Multiple cities, including Portland, have protested the ruling and threatened to sue the FCC.
*An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to the tower emissions as "radioactive." The term "radiation" in relation to electromagnetic radiation and radiofrequencies does not mean radioactive.
Email Executive Editor Joanne Zuhl at joanne@streetroots.org.
Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety
Website: https://www.saferemr.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaferEMRTwitter: @berkeleyprc
Friday, June 07, 2019
Violence in Schools: Exploring Causation & Solutions
“The greatest crisis that America faces today, as big as any of our environmental crises is the chronic disease epidemic in America’s children. The generation of American children born after 1990 is arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country. With chronic ailments and pediatric rates of some chronic conditions that are the highest in the world.”
-Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Chairman, Children’s Health Defense
REFERENCE LINKS: Mentioned in Video Message: WND: Law would let schools diagnose kids ‘mentally ill’ https://www.healthnutnews.com/wnd-law... “Virtual Autism” May Explain Explosive Rise in ASD Diagnoses by Marilyn Wedge, PhD https://www.madinamerica.com/2017/08/... LINK to WIRED SCHOOLS Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Wired... - JOIN US TODAY! LINKS TO STUDIES: There are more than 1,000 scientific studies conducted by independent researchers from around the world concerning the biological effects of RF radiation. Here we present some of the most recent. https://www.americansforresponsiblete... Screen Time in Schools – Camilla Rees – on Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS8Bn... The WHO Coverup that is Costing us the Earth https://www.emfoff.com/cover-up/ Dr. Magda Havas: Wi-Fi in Schools is Safe. True or False? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v75s... Millennials Besieged by Chronic Illness: From Age 27, It’s All “Downhill" https://childrenshealthdefense.org/ne... Arthur Firstenberg - 5G, Birds, Bees, and Humanity https://emfrefugee.blogspot.com/2019/... Mass shootings likely linked to psychiatric meds https://www.healthnutnews.com/mass-sh... Does Your Child Have Symptoms of Wi-Fi Exposure at School? https://nebula.wsimg.com/a18e5b6de473... “It’s Time to EMF off!” What is electro-sensitivity and why are so many people getting sick? In this powerful four-minute video, Lewis Evans explains how the microwave radiation in our environment (from Wi-Fi, cell towers, mobile phones and other wireless devices) is affecting our health, brains, environment, food supply and viability as a species. Four minutes that could save your life. https://www.youtube.com/watchv=yHbYE_... A Message to Schools about Wireless http://electromagnetichealth.org/elec... “Turn if Off 4 Kids” Initiative Toolkit http://www.nacst.org/turn-it-off-4-ki... 10 Elements of an Electromagnetically Clean and Conscious School http://manhattanneighbors.org/wp-cont.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Wi-Fi Free School Spotlight
Santa Fe Waldorf School – Santa Fe, New Mexico
K-7 is completely Wi-Fi free, cell phones not allowed for students.
K-7 is completely Wi-Fi free, cell phones not allowed for students.
Currently accommodating children with EHS and MCS with great success.
Santa Fe county (and many other cities in New Mexico) are Smart Meter Free
https://www.santafewaldorf.org/
Searching for a Wi-Fi free school for your children?
Check out EHT’s List of Wi-Fi Free Schools here:
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Tablets out, imagination in: the schools that shun technology
Parents working in Silicon Valley are sending their children to a school where there’s not a computer in sight – and they’re not alone
In the heart of Silicon Valley is a nine-classroom school where employees of tech giants Google, Apple and Yahoo send their children. But despite its location in America’s digital centre, there is not an iPad, smartphone or screen in sight.
Instead teachers at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula prefer a more hands-on, experiential approach to learning that contrasts sharply with the rush to fill classrooms with the latest electronic devices. The pedagogy emphasises the role of imagination in learning and takes a holistic approach that integrates the intellectual, practical and creative development of pupils.
But the fact that parents working for pioneering technology companies are questioning the value of computers in education begs the question – is the futuristic dream of high-tech classrooms really in the best interests of the next generation?
A global report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggests education systems that have invested heavily in computers have seen “no noticeable improvement” in their results for reading, maths and science in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) tests. The OECD’s education director, Andreas Schleichersays: “If you look at the best-performing education systems, such as those in East Asia, they’ve been very cautious about using technology in their classroom.”
“Those students who use tablets and computers very often tend to do worse than those who use them moderately," he adds.
Other reports have raised concerns about the potentially negative impact of social media on young people, and the disruptive behaviour associated with use of mobile phones and tablets in the classroom is being examined in the UK.
Beverly Amico, leader of outreach and development at the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, explains that their approach uses “time-tested truths about how children learn best”. Teachers encourage students to learn curriculum subjects by expressing themselves through artistic activities, such as painting and drawing rather, than consuming information downloaded onto a tablet.
For example, a typical lesson for fourth grade students might include learning about Norse mythology by making their own pictures of the stories, acquiring problem-solving maths skills through knitting or practising a modern language by playing a game of catch.
Amico insists that this more creative approach to education brings lessons to life and is far more effective than showing students a series of images on a screen.
“Lessons are delivered by a human being that not only cares about the child’s education, but also about them as individuals,” she says. “What do you remember as a child in the classroom? It is usually field trips, getting your hands dirty in a lab or a beautiful story. Those are the things that stay with you 50 years later.”
Waldorf classrooms are also designed to make students feel relaxed and comfortable, with natural wooden desks and plants. The idea is to remove the distraction of electronic media and encourage stronger engagement between teacher and pupil during lessons.
Amico claims one of the reasons parents working in the digital industry are choosing a lo-tech, no-tech education for their children is that it teaches students the innovative thinking skills many employers desire. She adds that students weaned on technology often lack that ability to think outside the box and problem solve.
Sarah Thorne, head of the London Acorn school, also questions the assumption that limiting or removing the use of technology in class will have a negative impact on student’s future employability.
Students under the age of 12 at the school in Morden, London, are banned from using smartphones and computers, and watching TV of films at all times, including during holidays. The school’s ethos is of a “gradual integration” of electronic devices throughout the child’s development with students allowed to watch television once they reach 12 years old and then only documentaries that have been previously vetted by parents. They cannot watch films until they are 14; the internet is banned completely for everyone under 16 – at home and and at school; and computers are only to be used as part of the curriculum for over-14s.
It may sound draconian, but Thorne believes taking a more considered approach to the use of technology in class allows teachers to help students develop core skills such as executive decision making, creativity and concentration – all of which are far more important than the ability to swipe an iPad or fill in an Excel spreadsheet. Besides, Thorne adds, much of the technology considered cutting edge today is likely to appear primitive in tomorrow’s world.
“School is a learning journey and you want to make it as complex, rich and interesting as possible. The problem with instant information is that the ease with which you can get from A to B and find the answers doesn’t reflect real life,” she says.
“In terms of concentration in class, we tend to have very little chatting because they are engaged in their learning. Children at our school are very absorbed in their work and that’s because we give them the space to do that.”
Thorne claims feedback from students about the restrictions has been positive; younger pupils relish the opportunity to play and even teenagers who have transitioned from a mainstream school admit they are happier.
Restricting the use of technology is also a challenge for 21st century teachers, used to the easy accessibility of resources and information that the likes of interactive whiteboards and computers allow.
“It is hard work,” admits Ian Young, a class teacher at Steiner Academy Hereford, where digital devices are only introduced into classrooms after students have reached secondary school age. Even then they have a limited role in learning. According to Sylvie Sklan, the school’s chair of governors, this ethos is informed by a belief that digital devices inhibit imaginative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans and have no place in the education of young children. Again, children are encouraged to learn through play and artistic activities.
Young explains they keep attention by filling lessons with a mixture of different activities whether that’s illustrating books or quiet reading.
“You definitely have to be a lot more creative in how you deliver a lesson,” he says. “You have to work with your voice more, whether it is loud or quiet, to give them incentive. You need to make sure you keep them interested in what’s coming next. That is the craft.”
He adds: “Teaching is about human contact and interaction. I don’t think we are doing children any favours by teaching them through machines at that young age.”
The schools of the future series is funded by Zurich Municipal. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled “brought to you by”. Find out more here.
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