Frank Clegg is by no means a tech-averse Luddite, tilting at the windmill of relentless progress. In fact, his 14 years as Microsoft Canada CEO, and later as an effective activist for several grass-roots causes, make him uniquely well suited for the quest he has championed since 2012: raising awareness about the potentially harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless technology.
Clegg first became aware of the dangers of electromagnetic radiation when a group of concerned neighbours called his attention to some cell towers erected near his Oakville, Ontario home. He took radiation readings and discovered they were off the charts. And yet both international and Canadian governments seemed unaware and unconcerned about the hazards, which some scientists believe may be as harmful as cigarette smoke or asbestos.
Clegg’s advocacy group, Canadians for Safe Technology, or C4ST, is particularly alarmed about the coming of 5G, since the technology requires small cell antennas that could end up beaming RF radiation into every living room, kitchen and child’s bedroom across the country. In Clegg’s view, it’s not about calling a halt to progress, but in seeking a moratorium at least until Health Canada’s guidelines are updated for the 21st century and safer alternatives are developed.
There are 2 main strategies to follow in protecting yourself and your family:
- Distance is your friend
- Create a safe-haven in your residence
Distance is your friend
All wireless devices carry a manufacturer’s warning on the minimum distance required for the device to be held from the human body in order to meet Health Canada’s and Industry Canada’s guidelines. For cell phones, it ranges from 5mm to 15mm. baby monitors are in the range of 20 cm, Samsung states “to ensure compliance with RF exposure guidelines the Notebook PC must be used with a minimum of 20.8 cm antenna separation from the body”. Keep devices in airplane mode with Wi-Fi off as much as possible. Download content and watch offline as much as possible.
Create a safe-have in your residence
We are bombarded by many sources of RF radiation as soon as we leave our home. Our bodies, esp. children’s bodies, have an incredible ability to heal and repair. You should optimize the time your family is in your residence to maximum this rest, repair, and healing action. Remove all devices as much as possible from areas of sleep or high activity, esp. the bedroom. Get in the habit of using devices in a wired fashion. Connectors are available now for your phone to connect to a wired line. If you must have a wireless router, put it on a timer so it is off when you are sleeping.
C4ST’s Safety Tips
- Don’t sleep with an active cell phone near you. Turn to airplane mode with W-Fi off.
- Keep cell phones and tablets away from small children.
- Replace a wireless baby monitor with a wired monitor.
- Remove all cordless phones, and replace with wired ones. Opt out of any smart meters. If possible, keep your analog utility meter or request its return.
- Remove all cordless phones, and replace with wired ones.
- Mothers to be, keep all wireless devices away from your abdomen.
- Distance is your friend. Keep cell phones away from your head (use the speaker or air tube earbuds; not Bluetooth) and out of your pocket, bras, etc.
- Do not use personal “wearable” wireless devices. If necessary, keep their use to a bare minimum.
- Replace wireless home Wi-Fi with wired options. If impossible, put the router on a timer to turn off at night. Remove from high-use and sleeping areas.
