Subscribe to our Blog
Tin foil hats for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
Here's a strange story out of Ontario. According to The Globe and Mail, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has taken the position that schools should stop installing wireless Internet systems, due to fears about the effect of electromagnetic radiation on children's health. Yet it has been proven beyond a doubt that WiFi poses no dangers to people, children included (this column from the excellent site Skeptic North provides links to the research).
In the Globe article, a parent says her son's headaches stopped this fall after she moved him to a new wireless-free school. The Skeptic North column provides several possible explanations for this phenomenon, and I will add another possible cause - mould. These two articles (here and here) from our archives deal with this mostly-ignored but very real health threat.
One thing is sure - history will show that the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association is making a big mistake here. Let's hope they don't start issuing tin foil hats to teachers and children in the meantime!
The first link is about “Staples: Improve, don’t eliminate, testing in schools”
I read the article yesterday about the Ontario Teachers’ federation is pushing to eliminate Wi-Fi technology, and replacing it with wired technology.
Much of their information and ideas come from a few European counties and where the education systems, have virtually replaced all Wi-Fi technology. Funny thing, kids are still having headaches, running noses, and now the education powers to be, are focusing on the design and materials used in our schools. In Finland’s schools, wood is the common design material, and not wall board and paint. Has anyone heard of being allergic to wood? But everyone has heard of other allergies such as paint fumes, reactions to cleaning material, and mould. My whole family is sensitive to mould, and the toxic mould with less than 5 minutes of exposure, a reaction that requires medical treatment.
Putting that all to the side, removing Wi-Fi technology, will not lessened the exposure to radio wave frequencies. Electric Magnetic Radiation of all frequencies are found everywhere on Earth, in our homes, schools, and where ever electricity is being used.
The science research has not answered any of the questions dealing with long-term exposure of electromagnetic radiation. Although, it is recommended that children and adults, are not attached to devices such as ear plugs, cell phones, 24-7 or sleep with an electric alarm clock and radio within 6 inches from head, because whenever there is a electric current, there is EMR . Neither would I used an electric blanket, but millions do, without getting a headache.
People should be more concern with ionizing radiation than non-ionizing radiation such as Wi-Fi.
On the American EPA site, on radiation.
http://epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/index.html