Tin foil Herald
THE Herald’s coverage of 5G issues in the 9 May edition was woeful.
It was bad enough that the insane Thinking Allowed piece was published but just as bad was the article on page 3 (“Freo 5G debate”).
The article gave equal weight to the views of the tin-foil hat brigade peddling the conspiracy theory with the experts such as Professor Brendan Murphy and the World Health Organisation.
Unfortunately through social media all kinds of wacky and often dangerous theories are able to find an audience.
The Herald as a trusted local source of information must be better.
Or are we to expect that the Herald will soon be telling us that vaccines are dangerous, climate change is a hoax and the Earth is actually flat?
Luke Clarke
East Fremantle
The Ed says: If you’re so convinced the concerns of 5G opponents are so “wacky” why act as if their publication will have some unstated, devastating impact on us all? Given we included opinions from the World Health Organisation, chief medical officer and regulatory authority ARPANSA, surely the average punter will be able to make an informed choice. The best way to fuel a “tin-foil” conspiracy is to try to suppress it. And if it takes them a little longer than the chief medical officer to express their beliefs, so be it. The man’s got a sharp mind; you’d expect him to be concise.
Science, folks!
FROM last week’s Thinking Allowed (“Why There’s No Wifi in My Home”) it seems Fremantle may be heading down the same road as Mullumbimby and Byron Bay by embracing anti-5G theories which are completely at odds with scientific evidence.
Anyone in the Fremantle community who is losing sleep unnecessarily over 5G radiation claims would do well to avoid the dodgy and unmoderated YouTube sites which spread these (as well as other even more ludicrous) claims, and instead look for high quality, scientifically informed and independent news sources written by professional science journalists.
Two recent articles by technology writers for the Sydney Morning Herald and Guardian explain in detail why it’s scientifically impossible for 5G waves to have the effects on the human body claimed by the 5G activists.
In stark contrast to the unscientific 5G claims, there is now an overwhelming scientific consensus that humans are causing dramatic and irreversible damage to the earth’s ecosystem through greenhouse gas emissions. It’s significant that major environmental organisations which stake their reputation on their scientific credibility like Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Conservation Council (WA) are campaigning on climate change, not the bogus 5G issue.
It’s a great shame 5G activists don’t redirect their considerable energies away from the imaginary 5G problem and instead refocus on the actual problem of anthropogenic climate change which is now facing all of us.
Stephen Bennetts
Hamilton Hill
I’ll listen, but I hear the science
A KEY lesson our current crisis has taught us is that science and evidence-based decision seriously matter.
They’ve been essential in containing the spread of corona virus and should be essential in mapping our response to climate change.
Reputable science also shows that there is little evidence that 5G is a serious public health concern.
While I am willing to be part of a public forum on 5G if invited it will be to ensure that peer-reviewed scientific evidence informs the discussion.
Based on what I have read on the issue, I would suggest that there are more urgent and serious issues that the Fremantle community might want to address.
Brad Pettitt
Mayor of Fremantle
5G or not to be
DEAR Mayor and Councillors of Fremantle
I’m responding to Bobby Wilson’s suggestion in Fremantle Herald’s May 9 Thinking Allowed (“Why there’s no wifi in my house”) that readers contact you.
I’m doing so to suggest that you ignore her.
And please don’t follow Byron Bay’s example, there’s a widespread perception that Freo is full of basket-weaving nut jobs, and this would reinforce that stereotype.
Conspiracy theories are so depressing – why are people so suggestible? – And so tiring.
There are enormous health, social and economic challenges facing us right now. We don’t need distractions like this tinfoil hat nonsense.
Michael Wearne
(Fremantle resident and EMF insensitive)
Footy, baah
I SUGGEST the whole of the AFL be given a 10-year furlough on the moon.
C Dortch
Howard St, Fremantle