Uh-oh, Could This Phones Revolution Really Be Harmful?
- May 24th, 2011
- Posted by EUEditor
Fresh agitation emerged this month over mobile phones, with the Council of Europe recommending a ban on them – along with WiFi * networks– in schools.
CAUTIOUS COUNCIL
Its statement is a draft resolution, for a non-binding position to be taken by its 47 member countries; though it concedes it is going ahead without conclusive proof, and telecommunications companies continue to insist there is no sign of harm.
The action is seen as precautionary because of persistent concern in the scientific community about potentially harmful effects of the ubiquitous transceivers on the brain, especially in early stages of its development, along with other notions, for instance about possible effects on fertility.
The Council of Europe, at Strasbourg, functions as a government-to- government organisation promoting human rights, with wide interests also reaching to education and health protection.
US TOO
A cluster of scientists based mainly in Turkey and Greece has joined in on the mobile telephones issue to say the burden of their research has been moving towards a conclusion that the devices are harmful.
They are citing studies including experiments with simulation software, and on animals.
A leader of the group, Prof. Nesrin Seyhan, of Gazi University in Ankara, is the National Representative on the Advisory Committee on electromagnetic fields, for the World Health Organisation (WHO).
ANY WAY OUT?
Dangerous of not, citizens of the world would find their addiction to mobiles, or cell phones, hard to overcome
The world has some 6.9-billion people, and more than 5-billion mobile telephones.
In The European Union, the United States, and some other countries including Australia, they have more of the phones than they have people in the country.
One sign of possible relief from anxiety could be the trend to screens (iPods, Blackberry and other brands) used with a conventional ear-piece; more chance of hands-free operating; less pressing of the (literally) hot handpiece against your ear; maybe less chance to fry the brains.
*WiFi stands for wireless connections for computers instead of having cables.
Reference
Consumeraffairs.com, LA, “Researchers say new studies confirm cell phone hazardsâ€, 23.5.11. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2011/05/researchers-say-new-studies-confirm-cell-phone-hazards.html, (24.5.11).
Council of Europe , Strasbourg, (home). http://www.coe.int/t/dc/av/default_EN.asp, (24.5.11).
Deutsche Welle, Bonn, “Council of Europe calls for limit of mobile phone, WiFi use in schoolsâ€, 17.5.11. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15083530,00.html, (24.5.11).
Wikipedia, SF, “List of countries by number of mobile phones in useâ€. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use, (24.5.11).