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Translation with SYSTRAN
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FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU, 8-06-2006
City of Frankfurt refuses wireless computer networks / The Union for Education and Knowledge (GEW - corresponding to the Teachers' Union) fears school failure due to exposure to radiation.
Shall school computers be wireless or wired up? The Frankfurt Local Education Authority and the Union for Education and Knowledge warn of health risks from radiation form wireless devices.
Frankfurt
Wireless laptops can be found in more and more classrooms in the federal state of Hesse, transmitting data via radiowaves, allowing students to communicate with each other and to surf the net without being bothered by cables.
The federal government of Hesse favours wireless networks (WLAN). This is cheaper than cabled networks, however, it uses high frequency radiation in the microwave range, which potentially carries a health risk.
"As long as the harmlessness of wireless communication has not been proven, we will not use it in Frankfurt schools", says Michael Damian, spokesperson of the Head of the School Department Jutta Ebeling (Green Party). "For years, we have been favouring cabled networks". Christoph Baumann, member of the Board of the GEW union in Hesse wishes that other schools in Hesse had the same point of view. A corresponding proposal shall be discussed at the next GEW board meeting. It says: "Due to possible effects on school performance, a healthy school should be not only smoke free, but also allow teachers and students to teach and study in a radiation free environment."
The radiating WLAN card of the computer is situated very closely to the body of the user. Furthermore, in a classroom situation, many computers are emitting radiation at the same time, which could lead to a substantial exposure of the students to mobile radiation. In addition, there are the access points, which have to be installed all over the school to handle the data transfer. They are permanently on and permanently emitting radiation. With regard to mobile radiation, there exist a multitude of studies showing a negative influence on the human organism.
A biologist informs the teachers
Enough reasons for the GEW union to inform teachers about the mobile phone/WLAN problem at school. Siegfried Schwarzmueller, teacher and building biologist, said at a conference in Frankfurt that people reacted in many different ways to the unnatural mobile radiation, and that this occurred at levels well below the official guidelines. According to Schwarzmueller, the effects found in scientific studies included EEC changes, lack of concentration, negative influences on the hormone, immune and central nervous systems, disruption of cell communication and opening of the blood-brain-barrier.
The results of the Europe wide REFLEX study, published in 2005, showed that mobile radiation could damage the genes of human cells. Schwarzmueller says that it is no longer possible to hide behind a compliance with the official guidelines, due to the now available research results. "The current state of scientific knowledge and politics contradict each other more and more. It is not a solution to simply wait and do nothing.. Especially with regard to children and adolescents who are still developing, we have to give priority to health. Radiation strengths which are proven to cause EEC changes have no right to be present in schools".
Karen Heinen
http://tinyurl.com/2p4ng4
Frankfurter Rundschau of 7-06-2006
Wireless Networks: Schools continue to use cable
Frankfurt · In Frankfurt's schools there will be no wireless networks in the short or mid term. The Local Education Authority did not wish to conduct a “large scale human experiment", said Michael Damian, spokesperson of the Head of the School Department Jutta Ebeling (Green Party). To date, "there was no proof that this technology was harmless". For this reason, it would not be used until proven harmless. There were laptops at schools, but they were connected via cable in most cases. In the past years, schools had been equipped with cables, especially to be connected to the citywide computer network. By now, four fifths of all schools were completely cabled, said Damian. The technical equipment cost circa Euro 300,000 per school.
News Report 22nd March 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2mnfzq
Bavarian Parliament recommends not to use WLAN
The Bavarian Parliament issued a recommendation to all schools in the Land to not install wireless LAN networks.
The Committee for Education appealed to schools to use cabled networks.
This recommendation was based on evidence provided during a hearing in Parliament with regard to mobile phone/wireless technology, which stated that children should not be exposed to radiation form WLAN. Members of all parties stressed that it was important to avoid potential damage in such an early phase of life.
The final decision whether to install WLAN or not remains with the bearer of the cost for such infrastructure {translator's note: the schools themselves} in the Land.
NB: The Federal Radiation Protection Agency had taken part in the parliamentary hearing and represented the point of view that children should not be exposed to unnecessary radiation at school.
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
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