Electronic Pollution

dasa · February 17, 2003

National Association for Scientific and Cultural Appreciation:

Electronic pollution. The hidden dangers.

From television and radio waves, to mobile phone emissions and a thousand and one other sources we are being bombarded by a constant stream of electronic pollution. But is this pollution harmful?

Although environmental pollution is largely thought of in terms of toxic gases and dangreous substances, we believe there is now another more insiduous source of pollution which can be added to this list. Yet unlike pollution created by exhaust fumes or factory waste this pollution can neither be seen nor smelt. As such its effects are hard to determine, yet logic alone should be enough to assess its potential hazards.

Swamped by emissions.

We are talking here of the threats to health posed by the burgeoning number of radio signals and electronic emissions, particularly from the incredible rise in mobile phone usage. The reality is that the atmosphere around us is swamped by hundreds of thousands of these emissions. We are being bombarded by them every moment of our lives, and it seems the height of naivity to imagine this electronic chatter is having no effect on us.

Growing Problem

A look at the wide range of such emissions gives a sobering insight into the problems we are creating. As well as millions of new mobile phone rs, the air is also saturated with radio, television, and satellite broadcasts. The number of stations and channels is growing by the day. Then add to this signals from TV remote controls, microwave ovens, as well as computer games, faxes, photo copiers, scanners, and printers, and and you have an environment that is already overloaded with electronic emissions.

Future hazards.

The bewildering thing is there are no plans to curb this pollution; just a chillingly complacent attitude that what cannot be seen cannot do damage. This it must be recalled was the attitude to nuclear energy. Initially it was looked upon as clean and safe and when voices of protest were raised these were dismissed as extremist. Yet the trouble with electronic pollution is that so far, apart from us, no-one has yet appreciated the future hazards.. Even worse is that by the time this problem is identified it will be difficult if not impossible to tackle.

Inevitable symptoms.

We believe the effect of electronic pollution will be apparent in a large number of ways. Predominantly these will be manifest in a growing list of psychological complaints including confusion, panic, paranoia, strong mood swings and violent and aggressive behaviour. Complaints of this nature have already seen a marked rise in incidence, and we believe that in the coming years this trend will escalate quite dramatically. Electronic pollution may also cause benign and malignant tumours as well as a wide number of physiological complaints that will be hard to account for.

Carelessly ignored.

The fact is that this is a situation we should have never been faced with. Proper research should have elimated the possibility of harmful eletronic effects. But then with so much money involved it was always inevitable that such concerns would be carelessly brushed aside.

Gauracandra · February 17, 2003

I wouldn’t at all be surprised by electronic pollution. What concerns me also is noise pollution. You are constantly surrounded day and night by disruptive sounds, even if your mind filters them out on the conscious level, they must still exist unconsciously.