While reading the article on wireless technology by Mayor Nancy Cooper in the Feb. 28 issue of the Shuswap Market News, my initial flush of appreciation rather immediately changed to a blush of dismay.
She states that our local government council “recognizes” and is “aware of … citizens’ concerns,” yet, simultaneously, she suggests strongly that they can do nothing about these concerns: “Local governments have no authority.”
Perhaps they have not been given “authority” in this federally-regulated area, but they have been given a voice – by us the citizens — to speak up and to take a stand on our behalf.
In the face of a multitude of studies and much documented research showing the extreme dangers of pulsed microwave radiation, council continues to excuse its compliance with the wireless industry by quoting Health Canada and Safety Code 6.
With regard to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emissions, Safety Code 6 is so far behind other responsible standards in the world that it would be laughable if it didn’t allow for so much suffering and ongoing injury to so many.
Last updated sometime in the ’70s, it was not meant to address pulsed microwave frequencies. The technologies in question were restricted to military applications – they were not in use by the public at large.
Our civic leaders must be encouraged to think outside the fog of industry’s big box. Applying the precautionary principle would ameliorate not only the staggering list of serious health issues strongly correlated to EMR exposure near cell antennae, but also the social problems related to public safety, security, and privacy.
We need our leaders to be proactive on this issue. It is so much wiser (not Smarter) and much less costly to speak up and say no now than to try to remove cellular towers and infrastructure later.
Shelley Corbin
