FREE ESSAY ON ELECTRO MAGNETIC FEILDS

ELECTRO MAGNETIC FEILDS

Technology and the individual:
How Electro- Magnetic Fields Affect our lives
Electricity is the building block of our society. Now more and more we are becoming
dependent on electricity from computers to microwaves, electric power is what keeps our
society running. Something that no one thinks about is Electro- Magnetic Fields or
(ELF's). While these ELF are being ignored slowly they are becoming a silent but deadly
killer in our society. Scene cancer and illness are becoming so common people are slowly
coming around about what ELF's are and what if anything can be done to stop or slow down
the effects of ELF's on our families and friends. Their maybe only few solutions to stop
ELF's infiltration on our society and only one or two alternatives were found to slow the
fields so they don't affect our health.
" In 1995 leaked a draft report by American Scientific committee conducted that millions
of people face an increased risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases from exposure
to fields 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 yet more people are
clueless about the effect of electro- magnetic fields on their health and about the
health of their children. The most common reaction of people when warned about ELF's is
that " we live far enough from the power lines that it isn't going to affect us." This
reaction is so common, but people don't realize that it's not just caused by power lines
and power plants it's also inside our homes.
The most common things in our homes are secondary causes not the power lines. Items such
as microwaves, computer screens, toasters, electric stoves, blenders and cellular
telephones. With these things in our homes are becoming so common that everyone has them
and it affecting our lives. " In the last 10 years the rate of cancer is becoming the
most 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% to 40% of childhood cancers and
10% to 15% of adult cancer.
Electric companies have a common reaction to these instances by denial. As we are
becoming more dependant on electricity, power transmissions are entering our lives in
greater strength. The power companies solution to the power demands is to increase the
amount of high-voltage power lines. The reason for high-voltage lines is "over great
distances high-voltage lines must be used in order to minimize losses, but in those
losses it's causing an increasing amount of cancers and sickness due to the use of these
high-voltage lines."(Plaz 229) This just shows the ignorance of the consumers ant greed
of the power companies for not accepting the responsibility of protecting the people.
In the sickness mentioned in the previous paragraph, what its called is "electrical
sensitivity (ES)." "ES is a form of chronic environmental illness triggered by exposure
to ELF's."(Perry 2) The symptoms are common among to days illnesses, but are or could be
caused by ELF's. They are "headaches, dizziness, buzzing and nausea."(Perry 2) Everyone
suffers from these ailments and if people you know suffer from these things, a look
should be taken at their living space especially in children. Common areas that can be
blamed is the kitchen due to all the appliances and the bedrooms near power lines or
power plants. Though their are measures that can be taken to decrease these illnesses,
but people are not informed to ELF's so no measures are taken.
Children and pregnane women are the major concern for ELF's. The reason that children are
susceptible to ELF's are their immune systems are not fully evolved and therefore their
white blood cells are not at full composed. Not having a fully developed immune system
leaves them open for the increased risk of cancer and ES. This was proven in a study done
by the New York utility industry of power lines. "This a five million dollar project
headed by Dr. David Carpenter of SUNY Albany concluded that up to 30% of all childhood
cancers may be linked to ELF's"(Safe 1) In pregnane women another study done by
independent lab's in the United States and Ontario Canada said that an "increase in cases
of SIDS"(Perry 1) and "incidents of adverse reproductive outcomes and birth defects in
newborns"(Ontario 1) are associated with high instances of ELF surroundings and in the
homes. With all this proof I've found it's hard to imagine that no actions are being
taken to reduce and stop these electro- magnetic fields infiltration of our homes and our
quality of life.
Trying to find solutions to stopping ELF's infiltration on our homes and lives was
complicated, due to the power 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
to protect yourself and your families.
The first solution is to look at your living areas. After you observed these areas make
judgements to where you sleep, especially with children. Sleeping areas are main idea for
protection. Move or place your children sleeping area as far from the kitchen and areas
of the house closest to power lines and power plants. Then adults make sure your 4 feet
from these areas. This is the ideal way to start in ways of protection. This solution
isn't fool proof though. It's just decreases the chance of sickness and cancer. Another
solution is the least likely to happen, but in some cases has worked. Talk on negotiate
with the power companies to move their lines as far from the house as possible. This
still doesn't totally protect you from the radiation in the home, but it helps you
chances to ward off ELF's infiltration in your life.
A third solution is from the " office of Technology Assessments of the Congress of the
United States"(Safe 1) They recommend a policy of "prudent avoidance". " What prudent
avoidance is; to measure the fields and 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 the places that are not."(Safe 1) Acting on the test and moving things
accordingly provides the best protection from ELF's.
The fourth solution is the most costly and the least practical. The idea is to use wind
or solar power to power your homes. By using these you can have low-voltage power lines
to supply your appliances 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 lines and
stored in houses by batteries, but the problem is the low-voltage lines cant travel the
distance of high-voltage lines and therefore most solar and wind power must be owned by
the individual to be useful."(Plaz 231) The cost and the reliance of the weather makes
these natural powers impractical and very expensive to own and to fix.
In conclusion I have found that ELF's exist in everyone's lives and action should be
taken to protect families. It should be known world wide about the effects of ELF's.
Power companies in the near future are going to have to make public that ELF's exist and
that they are dangerous in some instances are causing cancer and ES, but until the day
that the governments of the world make the power companies comply all we can do is
protect ourselves and warn other about the effects of ELF's. Lastly here are a few simple
things that we can do the protect ourselves from ELF's. Sit at least 4 feet from computer
screens, and make sure that we sleep 4 feet from any major household appliances and
children's bedrooms are farthest from power lines 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. Solar electricity: 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 electromagnetic feilds? 1989.
WWW.milligauss.com/why.html. Pg 1.
Bibliography
This is a paper on how electo-magnetic feilds affect our daily lives and what the effects
can be if exposed to them. Five scources six pages