Canadian Parliament is considering so-called right to know legislation
WASHINGTON – Despite a preponderance of scientific evidence, there are still pockets of people holding onto the notion that radio frequency energy could present public health concerns.
In Berkeley, Calif., the city council unanimously passed a measure requiring stores that sell wireless devices to post a notice which reads: “If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is on and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF radiation. This potential risk is greater for children. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual for information about how to use your phone safely.”
Berkeley is not alone in being alarmed by wireless radiation.
In Montgomery County, Md., a group of parents protested the installation of Wi-Fi routers in local schools. A move that was supposed to facilitate making it easier for the county’s 151,000 students to harness the power of the Internet as part of their learning experience, had the unintended consequence of drawing the ire of some parents.
The district has already begun moving on plans to issue 40,000 laptops and tablets to students instead of textbooks or notebooks.
“I just don’t see the benefit that they get by being irradiated for 30 hours a week at school,” Laura Simon, one of the parents, told a local news station.
Lisa Cline, another concerned parent, said, “While I’m concerned about the Wi-Fi radiation, I’m a little more concerned that the county’s not concerned.”
According the National Cancer Institute: “Although there have been some concerns that radio frequency [RF] energy from cellphones held closely to the head may affect the brain and other tissues, to date there is no evidence from studies of cells, animals, or humans that radio frequency energy can cause cancer. It is generally accepted that damage to DNA is necessary for cancer to develop. However, radio frequency energy, unlike ionizing radiation, does not cause DNA damage in cells, and it has not been found to cause cancer in animals or to enhance the cancer-causing effects of known chemical carcinogens in animals.”
The National Institutes of Health’s position is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, the World Health Organization and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Despite all of the well-researched evidence to the contrary, governments still enact “right to know ordnances.” The latest assembly to undertake such legislation is the Canadian Parliament.
