To the editor:
Anyone who wonders about health risks in relation to B.C. Hydro's smart meters should be much more concerned about the imminent implementation of a WiFi network in Vancouver. Shaw Communications and Cisco are building a WiFi network that will "blanket public areas" (Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Sun, Sept. 15) by spring 2012.
Super WiFi systems use an extremely strong signal, which can penetrate concrete structures. There has been no relevant safety testing of the rapidly developing WiFi technologies. Existing standards are based on less powerful signals, and measure their effect on adult bodies with a maximum exposure of six minutes. There is increasing evidence that prolonged-or in the case of WiFi networks- 24/7 exposure poses significant health risks, and there is no way of protecting ourselves or our children from exposure. As a parent, I am profoundly concerned about the unavoidable exposure of children, whose small, rapidly growing bodies are particularly at risk of environmental health impacts.
Dr. Martin Blank, a Columbia University professor in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, has stated that "the scientific evidence tells us that our safety standards are inadequate, and that we must protect ourselves from exposure to EMF."
Steve Irwin, Vancouver
