Electricity is the building block of our society. Now more and more we arebecoming dependent on electricity from computers to microwaves, electric poweris what keeps our society running. Something that no one thinks about isElectro- Magnetic Fields or (ELF’s).
While these ELF are being ignored slowlythey are becoming a silent but deadly killer in our society. Scene cancer andillness are becoming so common people are slowly coming around about whatELF’s are and what if anything can be done to stop or slow down the effects ofELF’s on our families and friends. Their maybe only few solutions to stopELF’s infiltration on our society and only one or two alternatives were foundto slow the fields so they don’t affect our health. ” In 1995 leaked a draftreport by American Scientific committee conducted that millions of people facean increased risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases from exposure tofields from power lines, power plants and electrical appliances. “(Perry 1)With that quote we can see that this isn’t a new issue to our society, but yetmore people are clueless about the effect of electro- magnetic fields on theirhealth and about the health of their children. The most common reaction ofpeople when warned about ELF’s is that ” we live far enough from the powerlines that it isn’t going to affect us.
” This reaction is so common, butpeople don’t realize that it’s not just caused by power lines and powerplants it’s also inside our homes. The most common things in our homes aresecondary causes not the power lines. Items such as microwaves, computerscreens, toasters, electric stoves, blenders and cellular telephones. With thesethings in our homes are becoming so common that everyone has them and itaffecting our lives. ” In the last 10 years the rate of cancer is becoming themost common cause of death.
“(Perry 1) Though sunlight’s Ultra Violet Rays(UV’s) take the top spot for causing cancer ELF’s are attributed to 35% to40% of childhood cancers and 10% to 15% of adult cancer. Electric companies havea common reaction to these instances by denial. As we are becoming moredependant on electricity, power transmissions are entering our lives in greaterstrength. The power companies solution to the power demands is to increase theamount of high-voltage power lines. The reason for high-voltage lines is “overgreat distances high-voltage lines must be used in order to minimize losses, butin those losses it’s causing an increasing amount of cancers and sickness dueto the use of these high-voltage lines. “(Plaz 229) This just shows theignorance of the consumers ant greed of the power companies for not acceptingthe responsibility of protecting the people.
In the sickness mentioned in theprevious paragraph, what its called is “electrical sensitivity (ES). ” “ESis a form of chronic environmental illness triggered by exposure toELF’s. “(Perry 2) The symptoms are common among to days illnesses, but are orcould be caused by ELF’s. They are “headaches, dizziness, buzzing andnausea. “(Perry 2) Everyone suffers from these ailments and if people you knowsuffer from these things, a look should be taken at their living spaceespecially in children. Common areas that can be blamed is the kitchen due toall the appliances and the bedrooms near power lines or power plants.
Thoughtheir are measures that can be taken to decrease these illnesses, but people arenot informed to ELF’s so no measures are taken. Children and pregnane womenare the major concern for ELF’s. The reason that children are susceptible toELF’s are their immune systems are not fully evolved and therefore their whiteblood cells are not at full composed. Not having a fully developed immune systemleaves them open for the increased risk of cancer and ES. This was proven in astudy done by the New York utility industry of power lines.
“This a fivemillion dollar project headed by Dr. David Carpenter of SUNY Albany concludedthat up to 30% of all childhood cancers may be linked to ELF’s”(Safe 1) Inpregnane women another study done by independent lab’s in the United Statesand Ontario Canada said that an “increase in cases of SIDS”(Perry 1) and”incidents of adverse reproductive outcomes and birth defects innewborns”(Ontario 1) are associated with high instances of ELF surroundingsand in the homes. With all this proof I’ve found it’s hard to imagine thatno actions are being taken to reduce and stop these electro- magnetic fieldsinfiltration of our homes and our quality of life. Trying to find solutions tostopping ELF’s infiltration on our homes and lives was complicated, due to thepower companies incompliance to protect us. The government of the United States,Canada and United Kingdom have provided a couple of ideas that can be done toprotect yourself and your families.
The first solution is to look at your livingareas. After you observed these areas make judgements to where you sleep,especially with children. Sleeping areas are main idea for protection. Move orplace your children sleeping area as far from the kitchen and areas of the houseclosest to power lines and power plants.
Then adults make sure your 4 feet fromthese areas. This is the ideal way to start in ways of protection. This solutionisn’t fool proof though. It’s just decreases the chance of sickness andcancer.
Another solution is the least likely to happen, but in some cases hasworked. Talk on negotiate with the power companies to move their lines as farfrom the house as possible. This still doesn’t totally protect you from theradiation in the home, but it helps you chances to ward off ELF’s infiltrationin your life. A third solution is from the ” office of Technology Assessmentsof the Congress of the United States”(Safe 1) They recommend a policy of”prudent avoidance”.
” What prudent avoidance is; to measure the fieldsand act to reduce them”. (Safe 1) A way to measure these fields is with a”Guass meter this meter shows you which places in the home are safe and theplaces that are not. “(Safe 1) Acting on the test and moving things accordinglyprovides the best protection from ELF’s. The fourth solution is the mostcostly and the least practical. The idea is to use wind or solar power to poweryour homes. By using these you can have low-voltage power lines to supply yourappliances and household objects.
The flaw is the cost and practicality of them. “Using solar and wind power can used and transported with a low-voltage linesand stored in houses by batteries, but the problem is the low-voltage lines canttravel the distance of high-voltage lines and therefore most solar and windpower must be owned by the individual to be useful. “(Plaz 231) The cost andthe reliance of the weather makes these natural powers impractical and veryexpensive to own and to fix. In conclusion I have found that ELF’s exist ineveryone’s lives and action should be taken to protect families. It should beknown world wide about the effects of ELF’s.
Power companies in the nearfuture are going to have to make public that ELF’s exist and that they aredangerous in some instances are causing cancer and ES, but until the day thatthe governments of the world make the power companies comply all we can do isprotect ourselves and warn other about the effects of ELF’s. Lastly here are afew simple things that we can do the protect ourselves from ELF’s. Sit atleast 4 feet from computer screens, and make sure that we sleep 4 feet from anymajor household appliances and children’s bedrooms are farthest from powerlines as possible. Works Sited: DeWitt, John. Civic Enviromentalism:Alternatives to Regulation in States and communities Washington, DC:Congressional Quartly Inc. 1994.
Ontario Real Estate Association. “Electro-Magnetic Feilds. ” Electro Print Aug. 1998:p32 Plaz, Wolfgang.
Solarelectricity: an economic approach to solar energy. London: Butterworths. 1978. Perry, Stephen. Should we be Concerned? 1990.
WWW. powerwatch. org. UK/. pg. 1-3.
Safe Technologies Corporation Staff. Why be concerned about electromagneticfeilds? 1989. WWW.milligauss.com/why.html
