Cold war weapons expert warns Wi-Fi may cause birth defects

[Jeff]

Cold war weapons expert warns Wi-Fi could cause generational birth defects

By Glenn Johnson, Postmedia News August 24, 2010 12:03 PM

A British scientist and former naval microwave weapons expert has waded into the debate over the safety of wireless networks in Canadian schools, warning if left unchecked, generations could face genetic disorders.

Barrie Trower, who specialized in microwave "stealth" warfare during the Cold War, was to lecture at the University of Toronto Tuesday night. His topic: safety concerns surrounding use of Wi-Fi systems in public schools.

While Health Canada maintains it is safe, Trower said there are no scientific studies that categorically state there is no harm from prolonged exposure. He also warns we could be threatening the health of future generations of Canadians who can be affected by microwaves at the DNA level.

"When I realized these same frequencies and powers (as weapons during the Cold War) were being used as Wi-Fi in schools, I decided to come out of retirement and travel around the world free of charge and explain exactly what the problem is going to be in the future," Trower told Postmedia News in an interview Tuesday. "Children are not small adults, they are underdeveloped adults, so there are different symptoms. What you are doing in schools is transmitting at low levels," said Trower, who teaches at Britain's Dartmoor College and holds a degree in physics.

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Health Canada was asked Tuesday to point out any studies that refute Trower's claims, but they were not immediately able to do so.

Trower said that's because no such document exists, nor has any country filed such a report with the World Health Organization or the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation, he contends.

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But Trower's contention about health risks was echoed last week by Magda Havas, a professor in the Centre for Health Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. She said other forms of microwave exposure — particularly cellphone towers — have been linked to cancers, heart problems, sleeping problems, skin conditions and short-term memory loss.

Children are also more likely to be vulnerable, due to weaker immune systems and because their bodies are still growing.

"It is possible, and I think it is even probable, that this exposure will have an effect on children," Havas said.

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Cold ... story.html