Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response
On Apr 9, 2014, at 1:47 PM, Gogan, James P wrote: > Well, it's that time of year again, wherein we get the following contact from > one faculty member or staff member (out of tens of thousands of students, > faculty and staff): > Apparently Salon thinks it’s that time time of year again also: http://www.salon.com/2014/04/12/your_cellphone_is_killing_you_what_people_dont_want_you_to_know_about_electromagnetic_fields/ A friend sent me the above link earlier today, and I wonder if it will stir up any discussion on campus. I’ve merely skimmed the article so far, but seems to be saying just to minimize exposure until we have more data. No more specific recommended actions, at least not in this excerpt. Of course, the title and introductory paragraphs seem to maximize the drama. Steve Bohrer Network Admin, ITS Bard College at Simon's Rock 413-528-7645 ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response
We recently had a similar complaint and our Health and Safety Department came up with a good write up I thought, tying in the fact that our APs are FCC compliant and sourcing other sites such as OSHA, WHO and FDA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): OSHA maintains information relative to radiofrequency via its web-site: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/. There are no specific OSHA standards with regard to radio frequency or microwave radiation. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). Evaluates the effect of emissions from FCC-regulated transmitters on the quality of the human environment. At the present time there is no federally-mandated radio frequency (RF) exposure standard, however devices must be tested and registered as FCC compliant. The FCC maintains information on its web-site: http://transition.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html Since 1996 the FCC has required that all wireless communications devices sold in the United States meet its minimum guidelines for safe human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) energy. The FCC’s guidelines and rules regarding RF exposure are based upon standards developed by IEEE and NCRP and input from other federal agencies (like OSHA and EPA). All wireless devices sold in the US go through a formal FCC approval process to ensure that they do not exceed the maximum allowable SAR level when operating at the device’s highest possible power level. The World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Fact Sheet on Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs304/en/ From the WHO Fact Sheet: "A common concern about base station and local wireless network antennas relates to the possible long-term health effects that whole-body exposure to the RF signals may have. To date, the only health effect from RF fields identified in scientific reviews has been related to an increase in body temperature (> 1 °C) from exposure at very high field intensity found only in certain industrial facilities, such as RF heaters. The levels of RF exposure from base stations and wireless networks are so low that the temperature increases are insignificant and do not affect human health." Food and Drug Administration (FDA) information page on radiation emitting products: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/HomeBusinessandEntertainment/CellPhones/default.htm Chris Chamberlain Associate Director Network Engineering Oakland University On Apr 9, 2014, at 1:47 PM, Gogan, James P wrote: > Well, it's that time of year again, wherein we get the following contact from > one faculty member or staff member (out of tens of thousands of students, > faculty and staff): > > " I am an adjunct faculty member and I would like to have a meeting with > someone that is charge of the WiFi system on the UNC-CH campus. I believe > that there is a significant health risk to all students and faculty around > this type of radiation. I would like the opportunity to bring solid research > and professionals before you to present the materials. This cannot be > ignored. The liability is too great to all of the students and faculty." > > And just like folks that come up with "scientific studies" that there's no > climate change and the Earth is 7,000 years old, of course he has research > links to back his claims. > > Before I go digging out what studies and replies we've used in past years > when this has come up, I was wondering (a) how many of you also have to deal > with this and (b) has there been anything more recent in terms of research we > can point to than what I dug up years ago? > > Thanks in advance > > -- Jim Gogan / ITS Comm Tech > Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill > > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response
You could link them vendor datasheets showing that typical microwave units are 1,000+ watts over a small area while your average indoor AP at max power is 200 milliwatts (23 dBM) over many square feet. Or just procure them one of these: http://euclidgarment.com/KVGARD/KVGard.html Kitri -- University of Oregon On 4/9/14 11:24 AM, Turner, Ryan H wrote: > > I think that papers from wireless vendors are pretty much going to be > untrustworthy (like the studies from the cigarette companies years ago > that said cigarettes are not addictive). I think seriously researched > medical journal papers are going to be on the most solid ground. > Trying to hunt those down now ;) > > > > Ryan H Turner > > Senior Network Engineer > > The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill > > CB 1150 Chapel Hill, NC 27599 > > +1 919 445 0113 Office > > +1 919 274 7926 Mobile > > > > *From:* The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv > [mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Lee H Badman > *Sent:* Wednesday, April 09, 2014 1:57 PM > *To:* WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU > *Subject:* Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" > response > > > > Every WLAN vendor has their own white paper on this, but they all say > the same thing. I also sat through a course not so long ago that laid > waste to the notion of dangerous Wi-Fi. > https://www.acgih.org/resources/press/emr-webinar_pr.htm is excellent, > and puts the topic to bed. > > > > -Lee Badman > > > > *From:*The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv > [mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Gogan, James P > *Sent:* Wednesday, April 09, 2014 1:48 PM > *To:* WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU > <mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU> > *Subject:* [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response > > > > Well, it's that time of year again, wherein we get the following > contact from one faculty member or staff member (out of tens of > thousands of students, faculty and staff): > > > > " I am an adjunct faculty member and I would like to have a meeting > with someone that is charge of the WiFi system on the UNC-CH campus. I > believe that there is a significant health risk to all students and > faculty around this type of radiation. I would like the opportunity to > bring solid research and professionals before you to present the > materials. This cannot be ignored. The liability is too great to all > of the students and faculty." > > > > And just like folks that come up with "scientific studies" that > there's no climate change and the Earth is 7,000 years old, of course > he has research links to back his claims. > > > > Before I go digging out what studies and replies we've used in past > years when this has come up, I was wondering (a) how many of you also > have to deal with this and (b) has there been anything more recent in > terms of research we can point to than what I dug up years ago? > > > > Thanks in advance > > > > -- Jim Gogan / ITS Comm Tech > > Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill > > > > ** Participation and subscription information for this > EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > > ** Participation and subscription information for this > EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > > ** Participation and subscription information for this > EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response
On climate change, I think the argument is over whether the change is cyclical or not, and who has the burden of proof when advocating shared political and economic changes because of it. I don't think the argument is over whether change has or is happening or not. When it comes to scientific studies of all kinds, the old adage "Never trust any statistics you haven't manipulated yourself" I have always found to be not very far from the truth. :) On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 10:47 AM, Gogan, James P wrote: > Well, it's that time of year again, wherein we get the following contact > from one faculty member or staff member (out of tens of thousands of > students, faculty and staff): > > > > " I am an adjunct faculty member and I would like to have a meeting with > someone that is charge of the WiFi system on the UNC-CH campus. I believe > that there is a significant health risk to all students and faculty around > this type of radiation. I would like the opportunity to bring solid research > and professionals before you to present the materials. This cannot be > ignored. The liability is too great to all of the students and faculty." > > > > And just like folks that come up with "scientific studies" that there's no > climate change and the Earth is 7,000 years old, of course he has research > links to back his claims. > > > > Before I go digging out what studies and replies we've used in past years > when this has come up, I was wondering (a) how many of you also have to deal > with this and (b) has there been anything more recent in terms of research > we can point to than what I dug up years ago? > > > > Thanks in advance > > > > -- Jim Gogan / ITS Comm Tech > > Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill > > > > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] time for the annual "wifi will kill us" response
When people have concerns, we point them to the following: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/radiation/nirad.htm#WiFi Regards, Christina On 04/09/2014 01:47 PM, Gogan, James P wrote: > Well, it's that time of year again, wherein we get the following contact > from one faculty member or staff member (out of tens of thousands of > students, faculty and staff): > > > > " I am an adjunct faculty member and I would like to have a meeting with > someone that is charge of the WiFi system on the UNC-CH campus. I > believe that there is a significant health risk to all students and > faculty around this type of radiation. I would like the opportunity to > bring solid research and professionals before you to present the > materials. This cannot be ignored. The liability is too great to all of > the students and faculty." > > > > And just like folks that come up with "scientific studies" that there's > no climate change and the Earth is 7,000 years old, of course he has > research links to back his claims. > > > > Before I go digging out what studies and replies we've used in past > years when this has come up, I was wondering (a) how many of you also > have to deal with this and (b) has there been anything more recent in > terms of research we can point to than what I dug up years ago? > > > > Thanks in advance > > > > -- Jim Gogan / ITS Comm Tech > > Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill > > > > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > -- Christina Klam Network Engineer Institute for Advanced Study Email: ck...@ias.edu Einstein Drive Telephone: 609-734-8154 Princeton, NJ 08540 Fax: 609-951-4418 ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
