Free Wifi comes to East Oxford Community Centre

Is anyone else concerned about Radiation emitted by the wifi access points ??

There is a considerable amount of it which may cause some side effects in people inside the EOCC on a regular long term basis. Please be vigilant of yourselves just in case some of you are sensitive to the pulsing microwave energy.

No-one is able truthfully to say this microwave radiation is safe. Sir William Stewart in his MTHR comprehensive government safety report referred to it being “simply not possible to say that there are no potential effects on the human population”.
In January of this year 2005 he said:
“We said in the The Stewart report its not possible to say categorically that there are not health effects but what has come out from the industry is that mobile phones are safe…they have been very selective about what they said about the report.”

He pointed out that sub-groups of the general population vary, some are more susceptible and may even find fatally toxic what others shrug off. He refuses to allow his own grandchildren mobile phones, children are a likely sensitive sub-group.
Those with pre-existing medical conditions, like extra-sensitives, seem more seriously compromised, their immune systems are already working overtime. Cancers, thyroid problems, ME, MS, CFS are all suspected of being worsened or promoted by the extra invisible stress thrust on us, on our bodies and brains by external and toxic electromagnetic emissions.

There is lots of science on this, lots of evidence, but the companies keep claiming there is no proof. Well, the tobacco companies still say that, as do lead additive manufacturers for petrol. As Mandy Rice-Davies the sixties call girl famously said, “They would say that wouldn’t they?” It is complicated and difficult to prove environmental links, too many variables, anyway there is no-one left in the west to act as neutral controls as we are all exposed, dangerously, in this gigantic real-world experiment.

Such regular spikes and troughs as seen on graph screen type displays of these signals can disrupt our biological systems, especially if you live 24/7 near a source and try to sleep within range of the invisible, pulsing, danger hammering its effects unseen but rhythmically and continuously. Reactions are very difficult to predict in a living system, we have varying abilities to recuperate and slough off stress, including the electromagnetic. We can recover even from major trauma, but we do have our limits - especially as regards a long slow insidious poisoning of our bodies. Children are now born into this ‘electrosmog’ as it is called, us older adults have spent most of our lives without it, it worries many scientists how this longer term exposure will affect young forming bodies and brains.

If you are concerned we recommend the hiring of a monitor, a simple meter to read off the levels of your local electromagnetic fields, especially where you or your loved ones sleep.

Jools

p.s. sorry I don't want to put a dampner on things but I think it should at least be thought about. It is possible to get shielding which won't affect the signal outside (www.powerwatch.org.uk) If anybody inside the building feels a change.

Yes, I am trying to build support for a wireless Oxford mesh.

Based on the Philadelphia (  http://www.wirelessphiladelphia.org/ ) model I've done a few calculations. So far I've bought a domain name (wirelessoxford.org) and spoken very briefly, at the Green Winter Fayre in fact, to the Phone Co-op and a couple of major ptoential business users, but very little else - I've been busy. If I am elected to the City Council in May I will be promoting the idea there with some urgency. I do believe that it would be a leap forward for Oxford.

And to Jools - I am aware of the issues claimed and was at one point a supporter of CAMEO (Campaign Against Masts in East Oxford), but I am also led to believe that Wi-Fi electromagnetic pattern is somehwat different again - much lower power and not the same pulsing radiation as is identified as particularly potentially problematic with cell phone networks.

Also, since it is quite common to pick up the next door neighbour's Wifi router through the wall I don't see how you can insulate yourself from it at the moment anyway.

Jock

if your not going to say anything useful and not even bother to read my post properly please don't say anything at all.

I read your post. In the main I was commenting on Hamish's question about whether anyone was trying to do a wireless mesh for the whole of Oxford as some cities are doing.

I addressed part of your comment insofar as it relates to concerns about such a wireless mesh, not just the EOCC. Since they go through walls now, I don't see how you can be aware whether you are in someone else's wireless cloud or not at present - whether you are walking down the street or sitting in bed drinking tea.

The reason they are unlicensed, unlike mobile phone frequencies, is because they are not even regarded as potentially harmful radiation AFAICS.

So what do you mean...if I am not going to say anything useful?

you said..

""I addressed part of your comment insofar as it relates to concerns about such a wireless mesh, not just the EOCC. Since they go through walls now, I don't see how you can be aware whether you are in someone else's wireless cloud or not at present - whether you are walking down the street or sitting in bed drinking tea.

The reason they are unlicensed, unlike mobile phone frequencies, is because they are not even regarded as potentially harmful radiation AFAICS.""

Well that's not quite true is it Jock. There are people concerned and there are people affected (potentially with Cancer). I wouldn't call what's in EOCC low power now would you? What this country has licenced "low power" is still concidered dangerous in Switzerland and in other countries througout the EU.

There are also detectors which will show how strong the signal is in a hot spot. I would suggest that the people responsible for setting it up also have a responsibility to make sure that it will not affect those who are working there all day every day.

There is also shielding available in the case of finding that the signal strength is too strong.

All radiation is potentially harmful and so it must be used with great care and responsibily by those who choose to. Don't just dismiss it and say i'm lead to believe blah blah blah. A great many people have been lead to believe many things in the past which were simply not true. Do some more reading and then see if your still not concerned.

Maybe you could point me to some research on Wi-Fi specifically (ie not mobile phones). As I was under the impression that Wi-Fi signals had more in common with a television set than with a mobile phone - or like the sort of walkie talkie childrens' radio sets.

Whilst I don't share the concerns of CAMEO any longer, I would not want to start a campaign for a complete socialised wireless infrastructure across the city if it were going to be as contentious as mobile phone technology currently is. But I don't personally believe that it is or at least that if it is it is guilt by association with the wrong "nearest equivalent".

Mobile phone networks can not seriously be compared to consumer wifi equipement. Althought they operate in relative similar frequency bands, the cell phones use a lot high power transmissions.

A typical modern mobile phone transmits less than 1 watts. Older phones gave out around 3 watts but as technology has improved and the number of cells increased the power required has fallen. The old analogue system had handsets giving out almost 4 watts but the tended to be huge expensive bricks and people probably didn't have them pressed to their heads for too long.

The issue of pressing phones to your head is probably the most important difference between wifi and cell phones. You don't strap a laptop to your head! However, take a look at bluetooth headsets for an example of a microwave device that is worn on the head.

So, wifi devices give out less than 10% of the power of a mobile phone and they are not attached to the head. But there is another major difference.

Each wifi node (assuming it meets legal standards) will only tansmit about 60 - 100 miliwatts (if you shop around you can find ones that do 200mw), this is not only 10% of the typical mobile phone but it is a fraction of 1% the power used by most repeater stations used by mobile phone networks.

Although the latest 3G network uses considerably less than the other networks, most repeaters stations give out between 20 and 100 watts and are known to cause serious damage to a human body in close proxity. Notices warning you of the transmissions are legal required around the equipement.

So, even the lastest 3G basestations, which may use as little as 3watts, have radiation levels over 200 times greater than a wifi access point.

Basically, it is pointless to try to compare the real dangers of standing near a mobile phone mast, and the potential risks of holding a mobile phone to you brain for hours on end, with the notition that you might be effected by these low powered wifi networks.

This is a discussion that has come up a few times while I have been installing wifi in offices and public spaces have looked for seruseas studies on wifi on the net but haven't found any, if some one can point to some that would be very interesting. I don't mean mobile phones as they are a very different issues - any per-review reports on wifi pacifically?

hi hamish

i found out about this project in brighton - maybe they're worth talking to for advice?

www.piertopier.net

cheers
simon

I just wondered if there had been any survey of potential users? I probably would use it, but i live outside the area.

(note to Jock - you don't get my vote)

and on the sober matter of wifi and health - sadly google is full of superficial 'news' coverage and blog nonsense. i even tried a few registration-required specialist databases and still got nowhere. i do turn my AP off when not using it but that's to save power, any health benefits are a bonus.

There is a plan to offer wireless access across Oxford from The Cloud. According to their press release, it was surpossed to start in March 2006, but there hasn't been any recent news about it.

 http://www.thecloud.net/pr/news_view.asp?ID=361


And now a quick plug for my website Oxford WiFi. It contains a list of commerical access points across Oxford :)
http:// www.oxfordwifi.co.uk/