Letter: Health Is at Stake

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Letter to the Editor

With millions of Americans now working and learning at home, many of us are spending more and more time online. While the internet offers us many opportunities for communication, exploration and collaboration, in many homes it brings with it an unseen problem: exposure to radio-frequency microwave radiation (“wireless radiation”) that is emitted from all wireless devices, including laptops, tablets, game consoles and smartphones.

An increasing number of doctors and public health experts are recognizing that our almost-constant exposure to wireless radiation is impacting our health. Scientists at Yale University have linked fetal exposure to wireless radiation with abnormal brain development in lab animals, and a recent $30 million study by the National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health found “clear evidence” of increased cancer risk as well as DNA breaks associated with exposure to cell phone radiation. The evidence linking parotid gland tumors and certain types of brain cancer with the use of cell phones is strong and growing.

Studies have consistently shown that young children are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of wireless radiation, as are people with implanted medical devices and those with compromised immune systems. Because the radiation seems to impact our bodies at the cellular level, it can manifest itself differently in different people.

The good news is that there are simple and safe solutions to using technology at home. Virtually every home wireless router comes with an Ethernet connection, and all devices can be safely wired into the internet with inexpensive adapters. Ethernet “switches” can increase the number of available Ethernet ports, and smartphones can be set to “airplane” mode to greatly reduce radiation.

The pandemic we are currently experiencing is especially frightening because we can see its impact every day on TV and in our own communities. The threat from long term exposure to wireless radiation may not be as visible, but is also a threat to our health and safety.  Many of us in this community are concerned about the proliferation of new 5G-enabled wireless small cell antennas in our community and invite all those who share our concern to join us. Please visit 5gcrisis.com/and ehtrust.org for more information on how to get involved.

Lonnie Gordon