Wireless technology doesn't sweeten the deal

I have wondered about this for a while - does wireless technology have any adverse effects on human biology? No-one can tell for sure but I figure the expanse of invisible wireless signals bombarding our bodies constantly throughout the day (and night) can't really be all that good for us. Does it cause me to lie awake at night with sleepless terror looming over my already ray-addled brain? Not mostly.

I also confess that I hardly even blink at the thought that if these technologies may just be having even a slight influence on my physiology, the impact they have on smaller critters must be proportionately higher. I don't really know and I often don't really care, but it appears to be true by the content of this article...

Will this put a slow-down on technology growth? Will it influence the world to rethink the way it does things? Will it make people consider dumping their second cellphone? Will it make a difference at all?

While I'm so busy trying to make a decision about what handset to get on my upgrade, I wondered if my choice would be influenced by this news - would I choose a less "deadly" phone for the honeybee's sake? Would anyone else? When it comes to the question of nature (and by inference through the pyramid of life, human survival), would anyone have the courage to skip on the latest tech in favour of a honeybee? Sadly, I fear the answer to this question is an emphatic 'no'...

2011/05/16

Are we to blame for the honeybee's demise?

The decline of honeybee populations around the world might be our fault – every time we use our cellphone to make a call, we might be killing a honeybee.

Gallo Images

The decline of the honeybee has been a focus in the science and wildlife media for a while, as there is no certainty as to what has been causing the deaths of bees - due to a condition that has been called Colony Collapse Disorder.
Scientists have been watching the decline of the honeybee population with interest, wondering whether humans are to blame for their demise. Now scientists have hard evidence that we certainly are the cause, and it is our cellphones that are to blame.
A new Swiss Federal Institute of Technology study has concluded that worker piping - that vital honeybee communication signal - is disrupted by cellular phone calls, and this causes them to become terminally confused and die.
The decline has mostly been attributed to chemical toxins, such as pesticides, which cause the death of colonies. However, this study is the first to show hard evidence of a technology-based cause for the deaths of the bees.
The disappearance of the honey bee is a serious situation, and it is bound to devastate the environment and humans. Honeybees' most important function is pollinating flowers, trees and crops, and without their hard work, the 70% of human food crops they pollinate will be impacted.
Citizens for Safe Technology, a group that aims to enhance awareness about the dangers of unsafe wireless technology, has said that wireless devices and technologies are known to affect human biology, and can certainly affect natural processes in the environment too.
This latest evidence has them - and should have you - asking what will happen when 4G is introduced: "Will the income from the sale of 4G frequencies make up for the loss in food production and the collapse of the honeybee?"
We all know the answer to this question, but what can be done about the situation? Is humankind destined for ruin because of their own technology?