Radio-frequency pollution: a brewing global health crisis
January 14, 2009 by Mi Kai Lee
Filed under Environment, Feature stories, Freedom, Health, Safety, Technology
Why do people think that cell phones are safe to use?
If you think that cell phones, wireless computers, microwave ovens, and similar conveniences are perfectly harmless, then consider this.
We are finally learning that the U.S. Navy has for some time been doing sonar experiments in the oceans and that this is causing serious harm to cetaceans, such as whales. Why? Because whales, for instance, communicate among themselves using sound, which travels hundreds of miles through the oceans. Without such communication they will perish because they cannot find one another to mate, or whatever else whales do together.
The reason, of course, is that they cannot hear each other with the sound pollution of the Navy’s sonar. It is like trying to hear someone talking with an ambulance or police car screaming past. The problem is pretty obvious.
Back in the late eighties, a biologist friend of mine kept talking about the work of pioneer electrobiologist Robert O. Becker, and kept warning me against using a microwave oven (which I had then). He explained how living cells use microwave frequencies to communicate from cell to cell, and how if that communication is interfered with by background microwave pollution, the biological system will start to fail, because the cells cannot carry out their basic functions. He was adamant that this was a very serious health danger and refused to have a microwave oven.
I have to tell you that at that point I was unaware of such thinking. I got a microwave oven from the first shipment of microwaves to Canada back in 1972. I used it for everything, until I learned that in the late seventies a Swiss scientist had done experiments showing that microwave ovens were a health hazard, and soon after that they were banned in Russia. Later I learned more about how microwaves denature your food — essentially rendering it toxic — by changing the physical molecular structure of proteins, etc. Now that is pretty scarey.
I suspect it was my early exposure to microwave ovens that later caused me to become overly sensitive to them. I get a sick stomach in seconds if I am within a room’s length of a microwave oven, cell phone, wireless local area network, or one of the newer portable phones.
This has caused some very funny situations occasionally. Sometimes I am in a store, checking out let’s say, and suddenly the phone rings and they pick up a portable. I have learned by experience to get out of there real quick, and so I head across the room or out the door, and then wait and watch to see when they get off the phone. Sometimes I just say I’ll be back in a bit. You could never do this where you are not known, but in my small town it works, thank goodness.
Oh yes, we all like the convenience of cell phones, but no one is willing to have the towers in their back yard. So they camouflage them to look like anything but what they are — pollution by stealth. After Telus installed masts in our village, I found that I feel dragged out after a few minutes downtown, in an otherwise very inviting local village.
In addition to not getting anyone’s consent before polluting our living spaces, the cell phone industry has also been using another form of pollution to suppress discontent — information pollution. There are some good studies out there showing that cell phones pose a significant health risk, but they are overwhelmed by the huge amount of disinformation, confusion and just plain junk science “proving” that the technology is perfectly safe… except maybe we should not expose the developing brains of children to it. To what? If these devices are so safe, then they should be safe for all ages!
To their credit, people do recognize that using cell phones while driving can cause accidents. But is it due to not paying attention to the road, or is it due to general brain fog caused for some people by intense exposure to microwaves?
In the early part of this decade I lived in Nelson, a charming small town in the BC interior. It was a noisy place to live, but otherwise a fun place. That was before cell phones and wireless Internet. Now the aura of Nelson is so stifling with radio-frequency pollution, I cannot get out of there fast enough. It is disheartening to watch a small town die this way.
Lastly, I must tell you about Mall-Wart. They are of course leading the pack in using RFID to track everything that moves. Five years ago it made me ill to go into their store. But since then it has got much worse, and now I just don’t/can’t go there. When I really need something that is not available anywhere else, I send someone in for me who can tolerate it. On the last such venture I noticed that I had to stay several hundred feet away from their store to not feel the effects. That is quite a distance.
I used a photo of a young, white, pretty female with cell phone attacking her brain cells to dramatize how the technology companies program us subconsciously to make an association between good things and their products. Now maybe this girl is a bitch, but she looks sweet, doesn’t she. Just like a cell phone.
Sonar is produced by high intensity sound waves, a completely different thing from the low level electromagnetic fields that is the topic of the rest of the article.
When we are outdoors we are bombarded with a wide spectrum of low and high power electromagnetic fields from natural sources, primarily from the Sun. Unless we are living beside high power transmission lines the RF that we receive from human sources is likely small in comparison to that from natural sources. For millions of years humans have somehow coped with these natural sources of electromagnetic fields before spending an increasing amount of time indoors.
Extensive scientific research has failed to prove a health risk from low level electromagnetic fields such as those produced by light bulbs, cell phones, and microwave ovens. The World Health Organization has a series of fact sheets on electromagnetic radiation including one that is focused toward individuals such as Ms Lee who are may be sensitive to electromagnetic fields. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html
Dear Ross,
Like I said in response to your comments on “Does microwaved food cause obesity?”, I don’t think science is very good at proving negatives.
As for low-level RF effect on humans – um, I wouldn’t exactly call the radiation from cell phones, wifi, microwave ovens, cell towers, and the like “low level”. They are just not high enough to fry everything in sight. If people can feel them, then they are not “low”, in my opinion. And the body itself is much more sensitive than what we detect with our conscious senses.
Yes we live in a sea of all kind of frequencies. Every time there is a solar storm or a gamma ray burst we certainly do notice that. But the difference between natural background radiation and artificial frequencies and frequency patterns is a huge difference for biological systems – systems that have supposedly evolved in the presence of the first, but not the second, to which they are ill-adapted.
Don’t forget also that a cell tower is blasting out microwaves all the time, while a solar flare may only do so for a few hours. There’s a big difference in terms of long-term biological response.
It seems you missed my analogy about sonar. The point is that the whales cannot communicate in all that noise. Similarly, cells in biological systems cannot communicate in all the RF noise of microwave and general RF pollution.
I said nothing about solar storms nor flares that are somewhat rare events.
Actually, the amount of elecromagnetic energy from the sun that hits the Earth is remarkably constant and very powerful (see the explaination of the solar constant in my last paragraph).
The sun dwarfs other sources of electromagnetic energy that most of us are exposed to daily. This energy bathes the planet in the form of heat, radio waves, light, UV and gamma waves (the sun emits the entire spectrum of eletromanetic frequencies although there is selective absorption of certain frequencies, particularly UV, by the atmosphere). The sun gives us daylight, drives plant growth, and provides the energy to create weather and climate. Without solar energy there would be no life on Earth.
As biological creatures humans react to this solar radiation bath in both positive and negative ways – producing both vitamin D, suntans, sunburns, and melanoma. When some individuals do not receive enough sunlight seasonal affective disorder occurs.
Microwave ovens and cellphones produce lower energy radiation than that of visible light and much lower than ultraviolet radiation.
“The solar constant is the amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area, measured on the outer surface of Earth’s atmosphere in a plane perpendicular to the rays.[2] The solar constant includes all types of solar radiation, not just the visible light. It is measured by satellite to be roughly 1,366 watts per square meter (W/m²)(per day),[3] though this fluctuates by about 6.9% during a year (from 1,412 W/m² in early January to 1,321 W/m² in early July) due to the earth’s varying distance from the Sun, and typically by much less than one part per thousand from day to day.” Source Wikipedia.org
Have you nothing else to do but pick holes in what someone has to say? I did not write that story to prove anything. It was intended to convey my experience, and to stimulate thought.
I always presume that the reader is capable of deciding for themselves what rings true for them. There is a whole big Internet out there to look things up in, so I don’t feel I need to provide all the nitty gritty background.
You are obviously one for whom my story does not ring true, and that’s ok. You are quite entitled to your own truth, but it is not necessarily that for everyone.
Despite what either of us says, people are not stupid. They will decide for themselves what feels true for them.
The microwaves from a cell phone are in some ways dissimilar from background radiation. That would perhaps account for why under ordinary conditions background radiation does not bother people, but in many cases cell phones do.
Could this be because cell phones operate on very specific frequencies, whereas the background radiation is across a broad spectrum?
Could it be because cell phone emissions are modulated, unlike natural radiation?
Could it be because cell phone emissions come in bursts, unlike background radiation (excampt gamma ray bursts)?
Could it be because, of the entire spectrum of background radiation, microwaves are only a small part, but when emitted from a cell phone they are the entire ‘spectrum’?
Could it be because the emissions from a cell phone are coming from a nearby point source, whereas the radiation striking the earth is broadly dispersed?
Could it be because radiation exposure causes physiological entrainment to the characteristics of radiation, but in the case of artificial radiation sources such entrainment results in patterns that are not healthy — because the radiation is on and off, coming in bursts, modulated, and on a specific frequency?
Could it be because life on earth has evolved with background radiation and has adapted to it, but it has not evolved any adaptation to the (very different) emission patterns presented by RF pollution?
One thing is obvious — a growing number of people are becoming so sensitive to RF pollution that they become chronically ill and have to seek refuge in less polluted areas, which are becoming hard to find.
Just like people knew that cigarettes caused cancer decades before it was officially admitted, so there is a prevailing popular notion that cell phones are bad for your health and probably cause brain cancer.
You can rationalize it all you like, but in the end people sense that cell phones are not good for us, and intuition like this commonly proves reliable.
Takes a long time to find the ‘Truth’ upon this planet, but finding this website is a victory. Thank You
By the way foods placed in the microwave still in retailers containers can cause Cancer.
Bye and thanks a billion
Billd
Please take the time to view our video and read more info for our story. We have witnessed that the technology we are living with has infiltrated our lives and environment without proper knowledge of the impact it has on our environment, wildlife, health and wellbeing. We do not have the trained experts to properly test, measure and diagnose in order to protect our global society. Myself, family and our animals wellbeing and lifestyle is being greatly compromised by this unmitigated problem. The burden should not be on us monetarily to fight for mitigation of this environmental pollution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLtygxIaFs
“I have no doubt in my mind that at the present time, the greatest
polluting element in the earth’s environment is the proliferation of
electromagnetic fields.
I consider that to be far greater on a global scale, than warming, and
the increase in chemical elements in the environment.”
Dr Robert O. Becker, M.D.
twice nominated for Nobel Prize of this research.
From electricalpollution.com
I am passing on the letter below because it critical that people be aware that these “Smart” meters are dangerous. It is not just theoretical. I know people who are quite ill from being exposed continuously to the level of transmitted microwave frequencies. Not having the meter on their own house is better, but they are still continuously exposed by other people’s meters and have been unable to recover completely as a result. This is a dangerous technology and should not be installed on anyone’s home. Public outcry has stopped it before and would again. If you are in a neighborhood targeted for “Smart” meter installation, you should make sure your neighbors also get the information below. (The “smart” meters that transmit over the power lines are not better. They still result in significant exposure to high frequencies.)
Please sign the petition below:
http://wavr.org/petition/ToObama.php
It is far easier to prevent smart meter installation, than to get them removed, so please take the time to educate yourself by reading the information below, pass it on to friends and relatives, and sign the petition at the link above.
Catherine
From: SArjuna@aol.com
Date: April 1, 2009 3:56:54 PM CST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Utility “smart meters” harm health.
Below is my letter to the editor of our small local paper. So far, he’s printed every letter I’ve written, so I hope this will inspire some other folks to refuse the meters. And to think about their other wireless
exposures.
To the Editor,
Residents in our area are receiving a postcard from We Energies informing them, in small print, that We Energies personnel will be by soon to attach a radio-broadcasting “smart meter” to our homes. The purpose of this is to save WE Energies personnel from having to get out of their vehicle when they occasionally come by to read our electric meter, as they will be able to cruise a neighborhood and pick up the radio-broadcast information right from their vehicle.
The meters emit a pulsed signal every 14 seconds, continually, that will saturate your body, your home and also your neighborhood, as they have a range of 1/4 mile. This in spite of the fact that only very occasionally will a truck drive by and pick up the information. This may appear “smart” to We Energies, but residents who allow these meters will pay a hidden price, as their health will be affected.
Epidemiological studies from Israel, Germany, Netherlands and Spain document a greater risk of cancers and symptoms classified as electrosensitivity (ES) for people who live within 400 meters of cell phone antennas. The frequencies for cell phone antennas range from about 800 MHz to 2 GHz and overlap with those of “smart meters,” which operate at 920 MHz.
Symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, such as poor short-term memory, difficulty concentrating and problem-solving; as well as dizziness, vertigo, tremors, facial flushing, skin rashes; chest pressure, rapid heart rate or disturbed cardiac function, depression, anxiety, irritability, frustration, insomnia, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and tinnitus.
Pulsed transmissions are the type that most actively disrupts brain function. For more information, please see http://tinyurl.com/55286a and also download Professor Andrew Goldsworthy’s executive summary of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields at http://www.radiationresearch.org/research.asp. Some important points include:
1. Well-replicated studies show that weak electromagnetic fields remove calcium ions bound to the membranes of living cells, making them more likely to tear, develop temporary pores and leak. (This “binding” is electrical in nature. This is why EMF and RF can disrupt it, disrupting calcium metabolism.)
2. DNAase (an enzyme that destroys DNA) leaking through the membranes of lysosomes (small bodies in living cells packed with digestive enzymes) explains the fragmentation of DNA seen in cells exposed to mobile phone signals. When this occurs in the germ line (the cells that give rise to eggs and sperm), it reduces fertility and predicts genetic damage in future generations. This leakage can have all sorts of unwanted biological effects totally unconnected with their so-called thermal effects. These include allowing foreign materials, such as toxins, carcinogens and allergens to enter cells more easily. Also, the leakage of digestive enzymes through their internal membranes can damage the DNA, leading to the formation of genetically aberrant cells. When this occurs in the sex organs, there is a loss of fertility. Also, genetically damaged cells in any part of the body can be carcinogenic, although this may not become evident until later in life when the natural ability of the immune system to deal with them deteriorates.
3. Leakage of calcium ions into the cytosol (the main part of the cell) acts as a metabolic stimulant, which promotes the growth of tumors.
4. Leakage of calcium ions into neurones (brain cells) makes them more inclined to transmit nerve impulses. This makes the brain hyperactive so that it is more difficult to get to sleep and we may get stress headaches, pain and other neurological symptoms. It also degrades the signal-to-noise ratio of the brain making it less likely to respond adequately to weak stimuli.This may cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In adults, it may be partly responsible for the increased accident rate when people use cell phones while driving. You are four times more likely to have an accident, even with hands-free types. Another effect of brain hyperactivity is to speed our reaction times to outside stimulation. However, because some of the nerve impulses are false, it tends also to cloud our thinking; we lose concentration and become more easily distracted.
Although electrically sensitive individuals experience symptoms upon exposure, others are likely to experience them gradually, as the biological effects of exposure are cumulative. We will have to pick up the pieces as people’s health deteriorates, their ability to do work that requires concentration declines and learning disability problems in children increase. It will be much more costly in the long run to deal with the health problems than it would be to take our time and consider a way to lessen exposures of this kind, such as by having these systems report over the phone line, via fiber optics or (at the very least) have the transmitter turn on only when the mobile data-collecting unit is at work in the area, then turn off again.
No one wants to be put at a greater risk of developing cancer and people with ES certainly don’t want to be exposed to more radiation. The money We Energy saves won’t be worth the price we will pay.
We Energies does not have a right to summarily inform us that they are about to fasten a radio-broadcasting unit to our home. They ought to be requesting permission. And we have every right to refuse.
I called the 800 number on the card we were sent and was told that we “had to” have this unit attached to our home. When I replied that we certainly do not have to, I was put on hold. After a few minutes the employee returned and informed me that they will not attach this broadcaster to our home, but will read our meter as usual.
In the best interest of your health, you may wish to do the same.
Shivani Arjuna
http://www.LifeEnergies.com
Smart meters are coming to BC Hydro customers in British Columbia.
• Smart Metering & Infrastructure Program
If you have concerns, the time to speak up is now.
Ross MacDonald does a good job of understanding radio frequency science except for one point: he has bought the telecommunications industry line that as long as the microwaves are transmitted at LOW POWER LEVELS, then all is fine.
An electromagnetic wave consists of two things: the electric current used to power or push and the magnetic frequency of the carrier wave. A related fact is the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation or RFR, i.e. the former which is powerful enough to heat tissue and the latter which is not. The industry claims that because non-ionizing radiation frequencies will not heat tissue, they will not harm you.
This is a non-sequitur scientifically. It’s like saying because we can’t see x-rays, they can’t harm us. As Kai Lee points out, non-ionizing radiation at microwave frequencies (900 Mhz and higher) has been shown to have effects on biochemical communication between cells, a disruptive effect that creates a potentially cancer-favourable environment for biological organisms.
This is the whole pinnacle upon which the trillion-dollar wireless industry rests: this logical fallacy regarding non-ionizing radiation being safe. We have been exposed to yet another consumer product that has had NO LONG TERM SAFETY TESTING simply so that a corporation can exercise its supposedly God-given right to make fantastic profits.
It is unacceptable. In Europe, corporations are held accountable for the downstream environmental and health impacts of their products. French superior courts are upholding the rights of citizens to have cell phone masts removed from playground and school areas. Germany has issued an advisory against children using cell phones or WiFi, as has Russia, as has Israel and the UK. We are simply behind the curve in North America because our government and media are in thrall to the almighty Corporation.
Dear Arthur,
That great post above from Sandaura makes a few other important points. One is that PULSED microwaves are more biologically active, and another is that the carrier frequency has a big effect through resonance.
And of course that post makes the point that Becker made 30 years ago — that low level radio frequency interferes with inter and intra cellular communication. The Sandaura links now have some support for that in terms of cell leakage due to replacement of calcium with potassium, an effect they attribute to induced resonance from typical carrier frequencies in the 16Hz range.
Anyway, does anyone really believe that something capable of cooking food in an oven is harmless to biological things outside that oven? Until proven otherwise we need to presume — using the precautionary principle — that no radio frequency pollution is safe, at any level.