San Francisco passes the nation's first cell phone radiation law

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Schadenfroh

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Mar 8, 2003
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Get enough people riled up about harmless signals, fluoride in the water, mercury (the harmless preservative variety) in vaccines or GMOs and you get to pass laws that defy scientific reason.

http://www.dailytech.com/San+Franci...ass+Cell+Phone+Radiation+Law/article18752.htm
The San Francisco board of supervisors, or council, voted 10-1 to approve a measure to force vendors to pay to put stickers on products or put up signs detailing how much radio wave radiation is dished out by various products. Supervisor Sophie Maxwell notes, "This is about helping people make informed choices."

John Walls, vice-president of public affairs for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), disagrees. His organization, which represents cell phone makers, is opposed to the measure. He states, "Rather than inform, the ordinance will potentially mislead consumers with point-of-sale requirements suggesting that some phones are 'safer' than others, based on radio frequency emissions."

While this might look harmless on the surface, it will only turn into a marketing gimmick. If the cell phone is emitting dangerous levels or radiation, do not allow it to be sold. A requirement to state the emission level, despite being in a harmless range, will hurt sales of certain safe cell phone models and drive up the cost of manufacturing cell phones since each company will try to produce the "lowest emission level" for marketing purposes only (since it will have no real benefit).

This is also why vendors should not be required to include "warning" labels about ingredients being derived from a GMO, if it is safe, then do not try to scare the consumer. If it is dangerous even in normal portions, then either do not sell it or put a surgeon general's warning on it like smokes. Consumers should not be inappropriately frightened if a product has been proven safe by extensive studies.

For those of you that want to read a nice debunking of "the dangers of cell phone radiation," I found this overview to be most informative (has references provided):

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4117

That being said, I freaking hate cell phones.

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-Schadenfroh (AT Administrator)
 
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