The BBC News has a great article up about what they term "wifi refugees," people who believe that they suffer from sensitivity to wifi and other electronic signals. Luckily for a select few, there is an area in the Appalachian mountains where wireless is banned.
The town of Green Bank, West Virginia (population 143) lies in the heart of the US Radio Quiet Zone. This is a 13,000 square mile area of the Allegheny Mountains which is kept wireless-free by the US Government, in order to prevent interference with their radio telescopes and other electronic monitoring systems.
(Question: do these massive telescope installations emit EMF? I would think that a device which is sensitive to wireless signals might be giving off a lot of them on its own, and would thus be counter-indicated for someone suffering from wifi sensitivity. Just wondering.)
People have been reporting wifi sensitivity since the earliest days of cell phones. As the cell phone and wireless infrastructure proliferates, the stories of sensitivity are, as well. Many people associate their illness with the wireless signals which are present in their workplace, which brings to mind the rise in "sick building syndrome" during the mid 1990's.
"Sick building syndrome" began when people started noticing that they felt unwell at their place of business. But as soon as they left the office, be it for the night or for the weekend, they felt fine. Industrial scientists were called in to investigate, and in some cases buildings were found to be harboring toxic mold. Once they found the mold they were beholden to remove it. Although I always wondered about the follow-up; did the removal of the mold cure the "sick building syndrome"? Or was its removal simply a placebo?
Certainly the symptoms of wireless sensitivity and "sick building syndrome" share many factors in common with the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks: stomach problems, headaches, difficulty breathing, dizziness, sweating, and so forth.
But if these people can find peace in the Allegheny Mountains, then more power to them. I wonder if this is going to start a new fad of "wireless tourism," special wifi-free cruise ships that take people out to the middle of the ocean. Or start a housing boom in the Allegheny Mountains. It would have to be off-grid, and therefore extremely eco-friendly, so that's a plus! I'm sure it's a beautiful place to live, and the local economy could definitely use the boost.
The town of Green Bank, West Virginia (population 143) lies in the heart of the US Radio Quiet Zone. This is a 13,000 square mile area of the Allegheny Mountains which is kept wireless-free by the US Government, in order to prevent interference with their radio telescopes and other electronic monitoring systems.
(Question: do these massive telescope installations emit EMF? I would think that a device which is sensitive to wireless signals might be giving off a lot of them on its own, and would thus be counter-indicated for someone suffering from wifi sensitivity. Just wondering.)
People have been reporting wifi sensitivity since the earliest days of cell phones. As the cell phone and wireless infrastructure proliferates, the stories of sensitivity are, as well. Many people associate their illness with the wireless signals which are present in their workplace, which brings to mind the rise in "sick building syndrome" during the mid 1990's.
"Sick building syndrome" began when people started noticing that they felt unwell at their place of business. But as soon as they left the office, be it for the night or for the weekend, they felt fine. Industrial scientists were called in to investigate, and in some cases buildings were found to be harboring toxic mold. Once they found the mold they were beholden to remove it. Although I always wondered about the follow-up; did the removal of the mold cure the "sick building syndrome"? Or was its removal simply a placebo?
Certainly the symptoms of wireless sensitivity and "sick building syndrome" share many factors in common with the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks: stomach problems, headaches, difficulty breathing, dizziness, sweating, and so forth.
But if these people can find peace in the Allegheny Mountains, then more power to them. I wonder if this is going to start a new fad of "wireless tourism," special wifi-free cruise ships that take people out to the middle of the ocean. Or start a housing boom in the Allegheny Mountains. It would have to be off-grid, and therefore extremely eco-friendly, so that's a plus! I'm sure it's a beautiful place to live, and the local economy could definitely use the boost.