Environmental Health Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)
If You Love This Planet: Electropollution and Global Survival
By Chris Anderson and Walt McGinnis
We are electromagnetic beings. Electromagnetism is who we are, what we are. The energy that flows through our nerves, our brains, our digestive systems, even the energy that causes our heart to beat is electricity. We could not think, walk, see; we could not even have been conceived if it were not for the electrical energy that creates cell division. We do not just use electricity in our bodies to function. Electricity is in us, is part of us, it is the essence of our being.
But somehow this scientific fact, that electricity is the energy of life, has escaped the public consciousness. It seems as if it is a too big an idea to comprehend. The thought that your body is fundamentally electrical, well, it just blows your mind. It changes almost every concept we have, about nature, about the universe and our existence. It took Chris and I years of study and debate and reflection to come to a place that we are even able to glimpse the possibilities of a electromagnetic universe.
To understand what electricity is and how it works we have to go back to the time when living cells were first created. Since the beginning of life on earth, plants and animals have existed in exquisite harmony with the earth's natural electric and magnetic fields. Natural electric fields are caused by lighting as it strikes the planet hundreds of times per hour. Natural magnetic fields are produced by the Earth and the solar system. Natural radiation, unless distorted by geological or other underground anomalies, is generally beneficial to humans and has played a central role in our evolutionary development. This leads us to the central problem. The natural electrical functioning of our bodies in it's natural electromagnetic environment is being disrupted by exposure to artificial, manmade, Electromagnetic Radiation.
In the past 100 years humans have launched into the environment very powerful and lethal EM Radiation from electrical equipment. Controversy over power lines is just one example of public awareness of this issue. Cellular phone antennae and cell phones are perhaps an even worse threat, and as well recent research has shown that most homes have elevated levels of EM Radiation due to wiring errors. The health risks for all life forms are growing at an alarming rate, due to the ever expanding use of electricity and especially with the rapid development and use of wireless technologies. Since the inception of cell phone technology levels of man-made EM radiation has increased by as much as 100, 000 times for the whole planet. According to Dr. Robert Becker, a founder of EM Radiation research, " the greatest polluting element in the earth's environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields. I consider that to be far greater threat, on a global scale, than [global] warming, or the increase in chemical elements in the environment." (ABC Radio Network, May 2000)
We think society as a whole will have to comprehend this global environmental threat very soon in order to stave off a environmental disaster that could lead to the extinction of our race. We stand on the threshold of a global catastrophe due to manmade electropollution. This is a very frightening scenario but if we don't let fear block our ability to act, we still have a chance to save ourselves and our planet.
EM Radiation 101
First we have to understand the nature of electromagnetic radiation. Science has developed a theory to explain what energy is and how it works. Energy takes many forms, such as light, heat, sound, electricity, and nuclear activity, to name but a few. Radiation is the term used to describe energy in motion radiating away from its source. It is expressed in wavelengths, calculated along what is called the electromagnetic spectrum. There are many wavelength magnitudes along the spectrum, which include everything from earth's own natural pulsations, to electric power, to visible light, to cosmic events.
Ionizing verses non-ionizing radiation
The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation consists of very short wavelengths (like X-rays), which have enough power to knock electrons off their nuclear orbits and therefore can cause permanent damage on the cellular level, such as cancer or genetic mutations. Non-ionizing radiation consists of longer wavelengths with generally less power and is considered incapable of knocking electrons off their orbit around the nucleus. Energy is directly related to the inverse of wavelength. The longer the wave, the less energy it posses; the shorter the wave, the more energy it posses. Although less powerful with it's shorter wavelength than ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation is capable of causing a host of biological effects, so it is far from harmless.
Non-ionizing EM Radiation emanates from all manmade electrical devices, with the fields varying in strength and frequency depending on the size and type of equipment. An electromagnetic field is the area in which EM Radiation exists. A light bulb emits very little EM Radiation, while power lines, cellular phones or transmitters emit much higher levels. In understanding EM Radiation, it is these non-ionizing bands created by our man-made electrical technology that are the focus of EM Radiation Testers.
So how does man-made electropollution affect me?
The importance of electricity to the functioning of the human body is explained by B. Blake Levitt (Electromagnetic Fields p. 110): "Every time a muscle moves, there are electrical neuronal discharges; brain waves are electrical and all the sensory information that moves through the body to the brain is electrical. Those chemical messengers called enzymes which keep the whole organism of the body informed about various aspects of itself are electrically influenced; cell division is electrical; the signal for the body to initiate wound healing and bone growth is electrical and the heartbeat is electrical."
Dr. Robert Becker, in his book The Body Electric, Electromagnetism and The Foundation of Life, says, "A knowledge of life's electrical dimension has yielded fundamental insights into pain, healing, growth, consciousness, the nature of life itself, and the dangers of our electromagnetic technology." Twice nominated for the Nobel prize in medicine and a trailblazer in electromagnetic research, Dr. Becker has explained the choices we face in learning to use electromagnetism to promote good health rather than destroy it. It is clear that electromagnetic (EM) radiation produced by the use of modern technologies is disrupting the essential functioning of our bodies.
In 1996 the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) published a study (see references below) which noted that "exposure to EMFs has been linked to increased risk of diseases, including cancers such as childhood leukemia". Faulty house wiring was shown to be the cause of 50% of the elevated levels of EM Radiation. EM Radiation has also been found to increase the risks of miscarriage, adverse pregnancy outcomes, cataracts, sterility, Alzheimer's disease, chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and heart disease (Blake Levitt, Electromagnetic Fields - A Consumers Guide, Chapter 10) EMR can also suppress the production of melatonin, a crucial neurohormone which protects DNA against damage caused by free radicals, regulates the endocrine organs and stimulates the immune system. A growing number of people have become clinically electrically hypersensitive, due to overexposure to EM Radiation. These people do not tolerate common levels of EM Radiation, in much the same way as others have developed multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) following chemical overexposure. It should also be noted that EM Radiation can work in synergy with toxic chemicals, creating more potent bio-effects than each agent separately.
Back to Science Class
Higher frequencies versus lower frequencies and magnetic fields versus electric fields. It is sometimes helpful to distinguish between extra low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields - associated with the usage of electricity, and the higher frequencies from sources such as radio and TV broadcast signals, microwave ovens and cellular phones. In the lower frequencies, we can further dissect EM Radiation into both electric and magnetic components. For the EM Radiation detective each are detected and mitigated in different ways. Magnetic fields are generated when current flows and are measured in milligauss (mG). They penetrate most things including our bodies. The 1996 CMHC study found that faulty wiring, the major source of low frequency magnetic fields in homes, schools and workplaces, is entirely correctable. The International Institute for Bau-biologie and Ecology estimates that in North America, one in four rooms are mis-wired.
Common wiring mistakes are known to be fire, shock and health hazards, and are routinely made by homeowners and electricians alike. They can only be discovered by detective work with a gauss meter (such as the Tri-Field meter). With a meter, an EMF tester or an educated amateur can pinpoint these electrical code violations and see to their correction by an electrician. Electric fields, measured in volts per metre (V/m), do not depend on current flow and exist wherever electric charges are present, such as in house wiring and appliances - even while no electricity is used. Most consideration of health impacts is related to magnetic fields, because they so readily penetrate the body - interfering with basic cellular functions. Although electric fields have not been as thoroughly researched, they also penetrate and affect the body. Electric fields are attracted to conductive objects, including people, and cause current flow in the body, upsetting its natural electric signal systems and ion balance.
In modern buildings, with wires in floors, ceilings and walls, electric fields are always present, created even by wiring that is up to Electrical Code standards. They are detectable in the body through a "body voltage" measurement. Checking electrical fields is an essential aspect of a health-related EMR survey. Preventive measures would include locating wires away from where people spend time, using metal clad cable or EMT conduit, and having relay or demand switches which turn off circuitry feeding sleeping areas when no power is needed. Some protection could be obtained by placing beds away from walls, away from electrical appliances and service panels and meters.
"Cell" Phones
In the past couple of years the cell phone industry has moved away from using the word cell and is now using the term wireless. They want to distance their product from a term that has been traditionally used to describe a fundamental unit of living tissue, especially since their product has a devastating effect on live cells. They know that if the general public understood what these devices do to the cells in their bodies they would never accept the risks of using them. The problem is the very same radiation that is used to transmit messages through the air also passes through your body.
EM Radiation from higher frequency sources such as cell phones travels further than from lower frequency sources and is easily absorbed by the body. For areas near the source of higher frequency EM Radiation, both a magnetic and a electric component can be measured, in amps/meter (A/m), and volts/meter(V/m), respectively. Power density is the term used for measurement of the far field zone of radiation, measured in milliwatts per sq. centimeter (mW/cm2). This measurement is based upon the ability of EM Radiation to heat human tissue.
The Wireless Industry, Propaganda and Lies
Cell phone companies are massive and have sophisticated propaganda skills able to manipulate the unaware easily. If reality does not suit them (i.e., cell phones are killing people) then they manufacture a reality in which cell phones are safe and necessary by using their influence in the media.. Here is the reality they wish to suppress :
The cellular phone industry has done research on the safety of microwave radiation over the past several years, spending at least 25 million dollars. Results of this research is now being used against them in United States courts in much the same manner as what happened in the tobacco industry.
Health Canada refuses to conduct research independent from the electrical industry that it is supposed to regulate.
The federal government collects over hundreds of millions of dollars per year in licensing fees for cellular phones.
The Federal Government has total jurisdiction over the placement of cell phone towers. The only other area that they have complete control is the military. When it comes to cell towers the Telecommunications Act is used like its the War Measures Act of the airwaves. This situation threatens the sovereignty of communities, is undemocratic, and moreover it is fundamentally and morally wrong.
The media rarely report negative health effects of Electromagnetic Radiation because it is either directly owned by companies like Cantel and ATandT, or accepts their advertising.
Reducing Exposure
As well as testing for EM Radiation inside buildings it is also necessary to analyze exposure levels from background sources such as power lines. Cell phones and transmitters are now also a major source of electropollution. To avoid exposure from these, ban cell phones from your home as you would tobacco and keep the transmitters away from your neighbourhood. This might sound a little radical but it may save yourself or the life of a loved one. Prudent avoidance, as recommended by the CMHC and the US Environmental Protection Agency, involves replacing, eliminating or keeping distant from electrical devices and appliances, especially high-risk equipment such as cordless and cellular phones, microwave ovens and fluorescent lights.
Furniture and office equipment can be arranged to avoid electro-polluted zones such as the main electrical service panel and the main feed wires, computer monitors, fax and copy machines and the like. The bedroom is the most crucial area, because we spend so long there. During sleep the body can be exposed to EM Radiation from sources such as clock radios, metal-cased lamps, or wiring. All electrical devices should be located away from bed sites and ideally homes should be wired to allow EMR-free sleep, rest, work and play areas.
Medical Practice Unaware
EMR exposure is still largely an unknown area in public health and is rarely even mentioned as a factor in the development of illness, despite decades of research pointing to an association. Unfortunately, complementary medicine has yet to appreciate the severity of the EMR problem. Although many alternative specialists are changing their ways, many more use cell phones, microwaves, diathermy machines and fluorescent lights - all major electopolluters. Medical practitioners usually do not ensure that their patients reduce EM Radiation exposure as part of a natural therapeutic regimen. This missing element in treatment protocol could greatly help patients suffering undiagnosed electrostress and should be an essential component in any natural healing approach.
Inadequate Regulation
Most experts assure the public that fears about EM Radiation are groundless. Yet all of the research is done with funding from industry with strong vested interests in an outcome which will not disrupt their business. Industry-funded studies indicating little risk from EM Radiation are used by regulatory authorities to justify lack of action to protect public health. Health Canada does no independent research and relies on industry and the military for safety data on new technologies. Safety thresholds for exposures are set far higher than a precautionary approach would indicate.
Canadian EMR guidelines, (Safety Code Six), are based on the inadequate "thermal model", concerning dosages which heat tissue - which occurs at exposure levels thousands of times higher than levels shown to promote illness. The Canadian government considers levels up to 1, 000 milligauss in the lower frequencies, to be safe, whereas an exposure limit of 2 milligauss for children was suggested in the 1995 draft report of the US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement. In the higher frequencies, exposures levels of 1 mW/cm2 is considered safe by Health Canada which is 10 billion times greater than the natural background level. Non-thermal exposures, at amazingly billions of times lower than those allowed by Safety Code Six and as low as 10 pW/cm2, have been shown to have negative biological effects.
Industry Canada collaborates with industry to refute claims of adverse health effects from EMR, while collecting millions of dollars in licensing fees- over 125 million dollars for cellular phones alone, in 1999. Licensed electricians and inspectors are not taking adequate measures to ensure the safety of Canadians. Wiring and inspection procedures should require the use of gauss meters to recognize and correct EM Radiation risks from wiring errors. The corporate owned media has yet to engage in serious investigative journalism about the health issues associated with increased levels of EM Radiation exposure.
"Denial is an ugly word" - Ace Ventura, Pet Detective
Government and industry are not protecting our interests, so we must educate and protect ourselves. Industry strives to sell the products that people want. The reality is that many people want to use electrical devices and wireless technology because of the great increase in convenience and other benefits offered. It seems that we can not deal with another global environmental health threat. But people may make very different choices if they are able to overcome their fears and thus appreciate the extent of the EM Radiation problem. Imagine the market for cellular phones disappearing due to lack of demand.
A raised level of awareness is required for people to make informed and responsible decisions about their use of technologies involving EM Radiation health impacts. It is up to each of us to take practical steps to educate ourselves, raise the level of public awareness, and demand change from government and industry. The first step is to come out of denial and face the issue squarely. Our well being and that of future generations is at risk due to exposures to ever higher levels of EM Radiation. As Robert Becker has said: "With no understanding of the relationship of these fields to living organisms, we have produced a global environmental alteration that has profound implications for human health" (Cross Currents, p. 217).
Walt Mc Ginnis / Chris Anderson
References
1. Becker, Robert, The Body Electric, Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life, 1985.
2. Becker, Robert, Cross Currents, 1990.
3. Begich, Dr Nick and Manning Jeane, Angels Don't Play This HAARP, 1995.
4. Grant, Lucinda The Electrical Sensitivity Handbook, 1995.
5. Brodeur, Paul, The Great Power-Line Cover-Up, 1993.
6. Firstenberg, Arthur, Microwaving Our Planet, 1997.
7. Michrowski, DR Andrew et al, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Survey of EMF Levels in Canadian Housing, 1996.
8. Levitt, B. Blake Electromagnetic Fields - A Consumers Guide, 1995.
9. Pinsky, Mark A. The EMF Book - What You Should Know About Electromagnetic Fields 1995.
10. Prata, DR Stephen, EMF Handbook, 1993.
11. Riley, Carl, Tracing EMFs, 1995
