Reflective Blogging Question #4

• Consider the impact of personal networking devices, in terms of the environment. What do you think are the biggest areas of immediate impact?  How about long term impact?
• First off, personal wireless devices utilize electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the non-ionizing bands of the electromagnetic spectrum in their creation. The wireless infrastructure pumps continuous small amounts of radio-frequency radiation (RF) into the ambient environment.
• Ever since the invention of wireless networks, we has human beings have infused the Earth's surface with a layer of artificial energy exposures. The problem is that we do not yet know how this will effect the future of planet Earth. But one thing we can assume is that species of plants and animals have been having an alarmingly high extinction rate in the past decade. There are many outlying factors other than just the possible influence of RF.
• As wireless technology continues to improve, associations like CTIA, believe that wireless technology will improve environmental impacts in a variety of different ways:

1. Reducing material and energy used in production processes
2. Reducing energy consumed by products while in use
3. Using recycled or other lower-impact materials
4. Maximizing the use of existing products and systems
5. Safely reusing, recycling, or disposing of products or components

A statement made by www.bsr.org regarding the future of wireless technology: "The application of wireless technology has exciting potential in a wide range of areas, especially in its ability to reduce environmental impacts. New applications on the horizon, such as those enabled by machine-to-machine communications, could fundamentally change the way we live, work and play. We are hopeful that the wireless industry, with the right level of government involvement, will help make this a reality."