New Mexico group tries to ban Wi-Fi

A group in New Mexico is asking the state authorities to remove Wi-Fi from all public buildings, claiming that the technology can cause allergic reactions.

The group wants to start by removing Wi-Fi from libraries and then from all other public buildings.

Members of the group claim to be "electro-sensitive" and deserve to be able to live without Wi-Fi. As such they are being "discriminated against" under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"I walk in, get a headache and I get chest pain and it doesn't go away right away," said group member Arthur Firstenberg.

Firstenberg is a well known activist in the area, and author of Microwaving Our Planet: The Environmental Impact of the Wireless Revolution.

He claims that the telecommunications industry has "suppressed damaging evidence about its technology since at least 1927".

Government officials have dismissed the fears as groundless, although they are checking the legal situation.

"It is not 1692, it is 2008 and Santa Fe needs to embrace this technology. It is not going away," said city councillor Ron Trujillo.

See also:

Panorama report on Wi-Fi was 'misleading'

BBC complaints body rules against programme makers  03 Dec 2007

UK government to investigate Wi-Fi fears

Lack of studies causing worries in Whitehall  15 Oct 2007

Germans told to dump Wi-Fi

Environment minister warns of potential health risk  10 Sep 2007

Wi-Fi safety concerns slammed as melodramatic

Panorama documentary 'misleading' rather than informed  22 May 2007

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