A special risk factor has been identified for children
by Frederick Sinclair
Our children spend significant amounts of time on school busses, getting to school and home, to and from sporting events, and on class trips. Many students are equipped with hand held cell phones of various configurations, learning tablets and lap top computers. All of these devices rely on wireless connections to towers and antennas, with microwave power output dependent on proximity to the connecting source. Signal weakness and interference becomes a problem along school bus routes. School busses are essentially rolling metal boxes with glass windows. Testing has also shown that usage of multiple wireless devices on airplanes and inside metallic vehicles results in a cumulative and multiplied exposure from reflection and bouncing around the cabin of microwaves. Previous Sun articles have documented impacts by providing links to numerous scientific and health study sources. The facts indicate that the exposure of adolescents to wireless microwave radiation is more dangerous than adult exposure. This is due to multiple biological factors during the early developmental stages of life.
The federal Communication Commission (FCC) has opened the reauthorization process of the E-Rate Program for public comment. This government granting of reduced rates and incentives for schools and libraries, to assist them with access to all aspects of computer based information systems, is, in and of itself, a very beneficial government program to assist in providing economical access to learning tools and information. A significant change, however, to the eligible equipment, eligible for subsidy, includes the installation of Wi-Fi on school busses. New York State has also proposed incentives for local schools to purchase and install wireless Wi-Fi systems on school busses. There are several reasons to take a long hard look at allowing such increased exposure of our children to microwaves:
- The FCC notion of bridging a professed “homework gap” onboard school busses is illusory. Anyone who observes children on school busses will observe them engaging in animated discourse with fellow students. Such interaction creates and maintains social bonding. Providing Wi-Fi and enhancing student on bus use of mobile devices will distract them from this important socialization process.
- Children and adolescents are vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of social media addiction. Injuries include eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trouble sleeping, trauma, stress, obsessive compulsion, disruptive and impulse-control disorders and self harm.
- Are students going to use the school bus ride to do homework or is the FCC increased access to the internet going to further children’s exposure to injurious social media platforms and the associated addictions? Social media platforms’ negative effect on children have been the subject of recent congressional hearings, A coalition of 41 state attorneys general have filed in federal court (The Social Media Cases) and the District of Columbia has filed the (AG Complaint: October 24 2023), both asserting that technology companies have designed their platforms to be addictive, likening them to tobacco and the opioid crisis.
- The FCC has failed to comply with an appellate court decision requiring that FCC reexamine its Radio Frequency Exposure Limits in relation to its effect on children.
- The science is settled on the adverse effects of Wi-Fi radiation exposure on children. A special risk factor has been identified for children “ due to their smaller body mass and rapid physical development, both of which magnify their vulnerability to known carcinogens, including radiation.” ( see: https://ehtrust.org/educate-yourself/children-and-wireless-faqs/ )
Our local school District should not include Wi-Fi on our school busses, regardless of the incentives and dollars dangled before them. Under loco parentis, our school administration has the duty to keep our children safe while under their supervision. Parents, that want to protect their children, should contact their School Board and administrators, to request a balanced weighing of and opportunity to comment on the potential impacts of Wi-Fi radiation exposure of our children during school bus transport. For access to the full 22 page joint public comment, being submitted to FCC, including the complete analysis of issues and 124 links to scientific proof and health studies, contact fpsinclair@yahoo.com and it will be forwarded to you free of charge in a digital file.
