Mobile phones, bees, and people. Radiation, nature, and health

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The debate surrounding mobile phones and suspected health problems, has been rumbling on for years now, and whilst a Danish study has concluded that there’s no cancer risk from mobile phone usage, a new study suggests that the increasing use of mobile phones could be having catastrophic effects on… the bumble bee.

You may already have seen on the news that beekeepers are noticing a decline in bee numbers, and while there are plenty of other environmental factors that are likely to be contributing to this, some scientists have suggested that radiation given off by mobile phones and other gadgets is interfering with bees’ navigation systems. This in turn disrupts their pollination cycle.

The Guardian rather cruelly concludes that bees and other animals “are not made unwell by changing fields, they simply have their navigational abilities thrown out of line. That, in turn, can lead to death because they are insects.

In fact, the article is making the point that there’s not yet any proven link between this and humans’ sensitivity to Wi-Fi and other electromagnetic sources.

Regardless, I’m still very concerned about these poor bees – and not just because I’d be lost without Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.

Andy Merrett
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