Paul, I was unaware that it was "a well-established fact that the cell phone industry hires these loser trolls to post comments in response to these articles in order to try to influence public opinion". Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?

Now, in my experience people resorting to Ad Hominem attacks in discussion usually do so because they can't back up their own position.

Posted by Eamon | 11.11.08, 09:40 GMT

I believe that the main issue here is that the Education Authorities have a responsibility to protect children in their care - the risk does not have to be proven - but even a perceived risk requires action to protect the child. (Childrens' Act).

Unfortunately, we are witnessing a feeding frenzy by the wireless industry - and our children are on the menu.

Posted by Sylvia | 10.11.08, 18:16 GMT

WIRELESS NETWORKS

[German] Government warns about Wi-Fi

Wireless networks for home use have been advertised extensively
and as a result are popular. That should change, if people take the advice of the [German] Federal Government: WLAN-nets [Wi-Fi] in private households should be avoided, says the government in an answer to a request from the Green Party.
The crucial sentence in the answer of the government, which might raise questions among home wireless users and infuriate the industry, reads: "The Federal Government generally recommends keeping personal exposure to high frequency electromagnetic radiation as low as possible, which means choosing conventional cable links if possible, where ever radio-based solutions can be avoided."

In other words: The [German] Federal Government thinks that the beautiful wireless world, in which people sit down with their laptop on their knees, as seen in
countless advertising spots, is too dangerous.

Posted by Eileen O'Connor | 10.11.08, 10:45 GMT

Wifi uses a similar signal to mobile phones and using these for more than a few hours a day is known to cause a significant loss of male fertility, almost certainly due to DNA damage in the sperm.
While these are formed in huge numbers and are expendable,
if you have a daughter at a school with Wifi, the effects are potentially much more serious. All her eggs will have been formed before she was born and she will never have any more.

Posted by Dr Andrew Goldsworthy | 09.11.08, 16:22 GMT

UK The Health Protection Agency : WiFi
document that you are using to base your assessment of the WiFi is misleading. The statement that "a person sitting in a hotspot for a year would be exposed to the same amount of radiation from a 10 minute phone call." IS SIMPLY WRONG!
You can find the correct calculations on the www.powerwatch.org.uk website.

The BioInitiative Report that so concerns the European Parliament was written by experts - independent experts - who are not funded by the mobile telecommunications industry!

Mast Sanity are doing a valuable job buy raising awareness of the health issues.
I suggest that thos criticising Mast Sanity you read the BioInitiative Report - in full - and then explain exactly what parts you disagree with and why.

Posted by Elaine | 09.11.08, 16:03 GMT

News from the European Parliament in September 2008

The European Parliament has voted 522 to 16 to recommend tighter safety standards for cell phones.

In light of the growing body of scientific evidence implicating cell phone use with brain tumors, the Parliament says, "The limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields [EMFs] which have been set for the general public are obsolete."

The European Parliament "is greatly concerned at the Bio-Initiative international report concerning EMFs, which summarises over 1500 studies on that topic and which points in its conclusions to the health risks posed by emissions from mobile-telephony devices such as mobile telephones, UMTS, WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth, and also DECT landline telephones." Further, it points out the need to "address vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, newborn babies and children."

I cannot use WiFi enabled computer and cannot stop at hotels with WiFi. It gives me a terrible migraine!

Posted by Elaine | 09.11.08, 15:51 GMT

Anyone, who does some digging, and can read between the lines, will realize that government agencies are more concerned with protecting corporate profits than protecting our health. Moreover, it is also a well-established fact that the cell phone industry hires these loser trolls to post comments in response to these articles in order to try to influence public opinion.

Posted by Paul Doyon | 09.11.08, 04:19 GMT

The Health Protection Agency has stated that sitting in a wi-fi hotspot for a year results in receiving the same dose of radio waves as making a 20-minute mobile phone call.

I think that Mastsanity are, like many other special interest groups trying to keep themselves in business by trying to remain 'current' - no matter what the experts say.

Posted by Eamon | 08.11.08, 05:06 GMT

One day in the not too far distant future, "To be convinced" will almost inevitably be forced to admit that he/she is, indeed, convinced. I hope that when that time comes, it is not too late for the children now being irradiated. We really should not be allowing this.

Posted by Vivienne | 07.11.08, 18:48 GMT

Why are Mastsanty so frightened of an independant study, and how do they 'know' what the governments report will say? Do they think there is some big conspiracy to kill us all with Wi-Fi radio?? Sounds a bit like hysteria to me.

Modern technology has moved on a such a great pace, from the radio, or as many of us may recall our grandparents refering to it, the 'wireless', (yes, that's right, radio waves), to TV, home phones, mobiles and video phones, it's been phenomenal, but it's been about for long time.

But this artical is entitled 'WiFi in schools puts children at real risk', what a headline grabber!! The Wi-Fi used in schools is the same frequency and strength as the wireless telephone we've had in our homes for years, about one tenth the strength of a mobile phone signal and cannot even be put in the same documnet or discussion as microwave, which by the way is the same radio microwave as we all have in our kitchen!

I would rather wait for the finding of the report.

Posted by To be convinced! | 07.11.08, 14:34 GMT

Scientific studies are increasingly identifying potential health risks associated with mobile phone (pulsed microwave) technology and it is generally accepted that children are more at risk than adults owing to their thinner skulls, still to be fully developed immune systems, etc. There is very little difference between mobile phone and WiFi technology, and yet the latter is being introduced at schools as if there was no tomorrow. There might well not be for many of the children currently being exposed to WiFi's non-ionised radiation on a daily basis.

Let us not descend into merely comparing the dangers to children inherent in today's world, but take a responsible view on each potential risk as it emerges. WiFi should not be permitted in schools until it has been verified as safe to use. That may take some time - perhaps in the order of 10 years from now or maybe more - but so be it.

Posted by Vivienne | 07.11.08, 13:57 GMT

I have to agree with the comments here. Most places are within reach of a wifi signal these days. I spend my whole working day surrounded by wifi, and I haven't noticed any effects. Just because a few teachers start having migraines doesn't mean it is caused by wifi. What were the figures for teachers suffering migraines before wifi was setup in schools? Its just as well these people were not around when previous technologies came into the mainstream or we would still be sitting in cold stone houses lit by candles and playing the spoons to keep ourselves amused. You time might be better spent trying to stop kids from picking up real killer habits such as smoking.

Posted by Steven | 07.11.08, 13:24 GMT

TJ - The article is about WiFi, Not staff assaults.

Unfortunately, the government have already spoken on this issue. The government says that children under 12 should not use mobile phones because the child's brain is not fully formed and radiation may damage their growing brain.

However, they think nothing of putting WiFi in classes of children as young as 5 Years old. As one of the people who installed the WiFi in schools there is a fail safe mechanism that stops WiFi signals from afecting the children's growing brains when they are not in use. (The WiFi hotspot can be turned on and off).

I work in IT, and would not have a Wifi in my house, nor work in an office with one present. I have enough mobile phones around to fry my brain, let alone even higher strength WiFi.

Posted by Paul | 07.11.08, 11:13 GMT

Get that electricity out of them there schools too!

Posted by Eamon | 06.11.08, 10:03 GMT

You may be right Sarah but as you said yourself 'No one knows what the children are suffering as no one has done a health survey and no one will.'
Put everything that you have said, alongside the actual incidences of assaults and bullying that teachers and pupils are subjected to on a daily basis and your particular anxieties, perhaps, pale into insignificance.- sorry.
Alarming figures issued by the Dep. of Educ. reveal that during the school year to June 2007, 196 pupils from post-primary schools and 70 pupils from primary schools were suspended for assaults on teachers. Remarkably only five pupils were expelled. Obviously the majority, after ‘suffering’ a few days suspension, returned to sit in classes, in front of, the very same teachers they had previously assaulted! Imagine this situation being tolerated in any other workplace!
Now here is something that cannot be denied, can be be quantified, severely damages the health of children and staff, and is of great concern.

Posted by T J McClean | 06.11.08, 09:08 GMT