Even while Saudi Arabia makes great strides in medical science, it is still encumbered by emotionally-driven pseudo-science, as this article from Saudi Gazette/Okaz makes clear. I don’t know just which ‘expert’ the honorable member of the National Society for Human Rights is consulting, but he might wish to take a look at reputable scientific reports from around the world which conclude the opposite of what he claims. Nor do I understand why he feels the need to create a panic—while dangling the image of monetary compensation—in front of the eyes of a society that is not terribly literate in science to begin with.
Of course, he’s far from the only person in the world to grab onto social panics. Both American presidential candidates pandered to a minority who believe—contrary to global studies to the contrary—that there might be a link between autism and vaccinations….
Communications towers ‘endanger public health’
Muhammed Saeed Al-ZahraniTAIF – The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) is investigating the dangers posed to the public’s health by mobile telephone communications towers in the Kingdom, with one member describing them as “time bombs”.
Hussien Al-Shareef, the NSHR Supervisor General in Makkah, has said studies conducted so far show that the towers, which are found in large numbers in most major towns in the Kingdom, do have harmful effects on health.
“The NSHR has provided the Saudi Telecommunications Company with all the necessary information on the matter,” Al-Shareef said.
“Talal Qesti, an NSHR member, has conducted a comprehensive study and will make public his conclusions at a symposium next Tuesday,” he said.
Al-Shareef said the public had a right to sue Saudi Telecom and seek compensation which, he said, “will be the largest compensation in the history of the Kingdom given the danger posed by the towers to the whole of society”.
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February:27:2009 - 12:28
I don’t dismiss the possibility of danger as glibly as some – I’ve worked in a lab that performed such testing, with interesting results – yet I do question why a “Society for Human Rights” is doing the investigation, rather than scientists.
February:27:2009 - 13:03
Solomon2: Investigations on towers or on cell phones themselves? Just curious and would appreciate links and/or citations.
February:27:2009 - 13:23
Cellphones. A good question, as tower research isn’t so concerned with near-field effects, but does involve higher power levels. Investigations about cellphone effects therefore do not apply to the towers themselves.
February:27:2009 - 14:51
The problem is the cell phones.But the joke is, that the closer you are to the nearest antenna the less problem it is.Beceause the recieving end in the phone doesn’t use so much energy.
That’s at least the information I’ve got from the cell phone engineers I’ve worked with.
But the problem is surely much bigger with old ( + 6) phones.