OT: can antennas for wireless Internet cause damage to health?

[Ed Greshko]

Norm wrote:

> I find it shocking the number of people that seem to feel it is funny to 
> die from a tumour in the head.  Can any of you imagine what it is like 
> to suffer a headache for several months that has an intensity of greater 
> than a bad migraine?  Unfortunately I do not need to imagine what it 
> feels like, nor do I need to imagine the after effects of having a 
> massive tumour removed from the head - I live them every day.

Unfortunately, I'm not as shocked as you are to find that some people find 
"humor" in another person's suffering.

> Many of the scientific studies  claiming there is no danger from emf are 
> funded by organization with vested commercial interests  in claiming 
> there is no danger.  Most if not all independent studies express the 
> opinion that the cumulative effect of long term exposure to emf may be 
> harmful and caution is advised.  The tobacco companies and others 
> companies have denied for years that their products were not harmful and 
> they even produced scientific studies to support their position, of 
> course now most realize that tobacco is harmful.
> Before I changed to IT I worked in the environmental services area, 
> during my years in the field the acceptable toxic level of many 
> chemicals was continually being moved lower, the list of previously 
> thought to be harmless chemicals increased constantly.  As an example 
> pcb were once thought to be great o clean automotive parts and mechanics 
> routinely used pcb washes to clean automotive parts.

As you noted, the "independent" studies are often paid for by companies 
looking for certain results.  That was the same in the chemical industry. 
But, as you noted, the acceptable levels have been reduced over the years 
and some chemicals are now banded.

However, when it comes to EMF we are bombarded by EMF constantly and from 
sources other than a WiFi antenna on a roof.  How many FM, AM, and TV 
stations area broadcasting?  How many CB radios are there?  Cellphone 
towers, police, fire, aircraft radio, power lines, ham radio stations, 
weather radar...are operating?  Do you watch a TV?  It emits "acceptable" 
levels of EMF.  There are just so many sources of EMF that it is hard to count.

I seriously doubt that the small addition EMF from the wireless antenna will 
add to the risk.  Short of living within a Faraday cage exposure to EMF is 
inevitable.

So far, the most reasonable post on this subject has been from Gene Heskett. 
  He has been in the broadcast industry for more years than some folks on 
this list have been alive.

I, for one, would not worry about it.  I think I have a greater chance of 
being hit by a car (especially in Taipei), slipping in the shower, or 
tripping over one of my cats.

Regards,
Ed

-- 
Somewhere, just out of sight, the unicorns are gathering.