No Antennas in My Backyard!
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 12.10.07
Cellular antennae on the roof of a building in Israel - a common sight.
Whether real or perceived, radiation from cellular antennas has become a serious environmental issue in Israel. So serious, in fact, that residents of buildings near antennas have been known to burn them down, and even riot, while cellular companies have begun to to hide antennas inside rented rooftop apartments! Last week regulations were approved regarding the controversial devices.
Under the new plan, cellular companies and local authorities will be responsible for reimbursing homeowners for lost property values. Smaller antennas will be installed in cities, and the public will be notified of new antennas. In addition, new antennas will not be allowed in natural habitats, and will be installed mostly on existing infrastructure, like telephone poles.
Several thousand cellular antennas currently operate in Israel, one of the most densely networked countries in the world. The general public is weary of these sites, especially when they are placed near schools, due to widespread anecdotal evidence of increased rates of illness in their vicinity. Property values have also been known to plunge up to 30% when antennas are placed nearby.
Government officials have tried to downplay the dangers of cellular radiation. One familiar argument is that cellular phones emit more radiation when they are further away from antennas. Therefore, the public interest demands as many antennas as possible, especially near schools (Hebrew link), where children talk on cell phones. The cellular companies, for their part, seek to vastly expand their networks of antennas, in order to support more advanced cellular services.
The science on the issue of non-ionizing radiation from cell phones and antennas is not yet so clear, but then again, weren't we told that about the science of climate change for so many years, until a "consensus" finally formed? Some studies do seem to indicate, however, that cellular phone use is linked to increased risk of illness, especially among children.
Burning the building down is great! When I heard the potential link between cell phone towers and bee colony collapse, I wanted to neutralize cell towers in my county. Still a little wary of too much radiation we collectively spew out with electronic devices.
Don't want an antenna? Get rid of your mobile. If no one in a certain area has a mobile phone, there's no need to put an antenna there.
Another bit of common sense: dense networks require less broadcast power. I'd much rather live in a place with a bunch of antennae than a place with just one.
We have one hidden inside a giant cross at a church.
This is great! Everyone should get rid of their cell phones. And land lines, too. And you know what? the post office uses trucks, so don't get any mail.
We should have all correspondences delivered by horses and bicycles.
And... not to forget the worst offender which is destroying the environment and society, STOP USING THE INTERNET! Every computer consumes thousands of pounds of fresh water and creates more pollution than the construction of an automobile! Not to mention the vast amounts of energy they consume. On top of which, they are made of toxic heavy metals, and computer screens give off harmful radiation and cause eyestrain that causes most people to need glasses.
Personally, I'm just going to roam the countryside with my bow & arrow.
"And you know what? the post office uses trucks, so don't get any mail."
I know this was in jest, but banning junk mail would be a good start. We burn gas to deliver junk mail, most of which goes straight into the trash where we burn diesel to haul it off to a landfill. :(
FYI, I would bet my PC has saved so much gas to make it worthwhile. Some people do useful things with them! It's saved trips to the library, trips to work that could be resolved from home, among other things!
"Burning the building down is great! When I heard the potential link between cell phone towers and bee colony collapse, I wanted to neutralize cell towers in my county. Still a little wary of too much radiation we collectively spew out with electronic devices."
I don't know if you intended this to be satirical or not but you do realize that shortly after the media picked that up the research group that they "got it from" said that it was a rough theory at best and not proven right? kinda a perfect way to point out that these people are also operating on shaky ground. I can't believe that property value actually drops 30 percent when they install a cell tower thats ludicrous