Children grow rapidly, and so does our technology. With new wireless technologies emerging every year, one question is on many parents’ minds: how might these devices affect our kids? One organization is tackling this issue head-on to provide information and advocacy to parents who share this concern.

The Children’s Health Defense (CHD) is leading the way in advocating for safer wireless technology. Modern technology has brought about amazing conveniences, but it has also raised concerns about impacts on health and the environment due to electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation. 

The CHD is taking a stand through education, advocacy, and legal action against regulatory agencies. Are you wondering how EMFs could be potentially impacting your family? CHD is here to provide answers and solutions.

Knowledge is power, and the Children’s Health Defense believes in equipping everyone with the information they need to make informed choices. Through the research and resources they share, CHD helps shed a light on:

• Health and Environmental Risks: Studies suggest potential links between prolonged EMF exposure and health concerns, ranging from sleep disturbances and mental health challenges to more serious, chronic physical conditions .

• Regulatory Limits: Agencies like the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. set limits on EMF exposure, but are they enough? Many experts argue they’re outdated and don’t adequately protect from the potential impacts of EMF exposure.

• Privacy and Surveillance : Concerns over wireless technology aren’t limited to EMFs. It’s also about our data. The CHD raises awareness about how much personal information is being collected and tracked.

• The Science Behind EMFs: The CHD provides resources to help parents understand what EMFs are and how they could potentially impact children.

  
  

The Children’s Health Defense empowers people and communities to take action against the potential risks of wireless technology. While we wait for regulatory agencies to catch up to the research and make changes to current safety limits, individuals can make a difference in raising awareness and taking action to educate others on the impacts of EMF exposure.

The CHD provides a wealth of shareable resources to inform and educate on the dangers of unchecked wireless expansion.

Through organizing local chapters, the CHD helps bring communities together. Their website also has a section dedicated to listing local “Safe Tech” groups for each state. Anyone wanting to get involved in local movements can join and support community initiatives to take action against unchecked expansion.

CHD shares easy-to-implement strategies for families to lower their EMF exposure. These simple changes in our tech habits can lead to big impacts over time:

• Use wired internet instead of Wi-Fi.

• Avoid holding your phone directly against your ear or carrying it in your pocket.

• Activate airplane mode when you don’t need to be reachable to disable the signal.

• Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in addition to using airplane mode.

• Unplug your Wi-Fi router and other devices at night or when not in use.

• Create a “sleep sanctuary” by keeping phones and wireless devices out of your bedroom.

• Limit the amount of time you spend on devices.

• Opt out of smart meters and other smart home devices.

One of the most significant contributions CHD has made to the fight against wireless radiation is the legal battle against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for failing to update its EMF safety guidelines. The FCC adopted their current guidelines for “safe” EMF emission levels in 1996. These guidelines center around protecting consumers from adverse health effects occurring due to thermal effects, which refers to temperature change in body tissue. However, research suggests there could be potential harm from EMF radiation that has nothing to do with thermal effects.

On February 2, 2020, the CHD filed a case against the FCC challenging its decision to not review their 25-year-old emissions guidelines that regulate the radio-frequency (RF) emissions from wireless technologies. The CHD was joined by nine other petitioners in this lawsuit, including Professor David Carpenter M.D., a public health expert who co-edited one of the most complete reviews of the science behind RF effects – the BioInitiative Report.

The U.S. Court of Appeals announced its decision on August 13, 2021. The court determined that the FCC failed to consider the non-cancer evidence regarding adverse health effects resulting from wireless technology when it decided the 1996 guidelines for RF emissions protected public health. According to the court’s decision, “The FCC completely failed to acknowledge, let alone respond to, comments concerning the impact of RF radiation on the environment… The record contains substantive evidence of potential environmental harms.”

Beyond its landmark case against the FCC, the CHD has been involved in other litigation efforts to protect both individuals and communities by challenging corporate and governmental overreach. CHD has filed lawsuits against telecom companies for failing to disclose health risks associated with wireless technology. They have challenged government mandates on smart meters. And they have supported communities pushing back against 5G towers being constructed in an area that’s home to a number of endangered species.

Wireless technology isn’t going away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use it safely. CHD is leading the charge by educating the public and advocating for better safety guidelines, and we can take steps to further this movement too. Stay educated, share what you learn, and take action in your community to support CHD’s efforts to ensure a safer future.

Stay informed, and be part of the change!