The editorial on cell towers (Herald, Jan. 21) cannot stand unchallenged! It’s insulting to those of us who for over two years researched the world’s most authoritative sources on radio frequency emissions and their impact on human and animal life. Your editorial – and the views of our elected officials – show concern only for the visual impact of cell tower proliferation and none for their impact on living things.

Doesn’t the code of ethics in journalism require a balanced presentation of facts? What unbiased, credible sources can you cite supporting the statement that cell towers are safe? The Federal Communications Commission? The telecommunication companies? The FCC hasn’t updated its studies since the Telecommunications Act was adopted in 1996. That act gave the telecommunication industry carte blanche to install as many cell towers as it wants – anywhere – and with a free pass on the potential impact on our health and environment.

When the act was enacted, only about 30,000 cell towers existed, and no Smart Meters (devices also emitting radiation). Today, there are hundreds of thousands of towers and millions of installed Smart Meters! You can’t use the same studies and rules when the numbers have dramatically changed.

It’s all about greedy corporate profits! Listening to the big corporations’ claims of safety is reminiscent of the tobacco industry’s denial about the hazards of smoking. Do people honestly believe we can subject our small children, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, pets and wildlife and our own bodies to this unprecedented accumulation of radiation without consequences?

The health concerns and complaints aren’t just coming from a few “smoke signal” devotees in Durango; there are hundreds of thousands of people being affected by the unbridled RF emissions injected into our environment worldwide. Well-respected medical doctors, professional organizations (e.g., WHO) and the American Academy of Environmental Health, to name a few, have all expressed concerns about the health impacts, and independent studies have supported their concerns.

Do we listen to the people getting sick or do we listen to the people getting rich? You decide!

Angela Andersson

Durango