Dear Friends,
I presume you are aware of the meeting to be held in Luxemburg on February
24, 25 and 26, organized by the European Commission (EC) and WHO, to define
the Precautionary Principle application for EMF.
I forgot to put you in copy of the mail I have sent to some people in
France, Austria and Luxembourg, as answer to a mail from Raoul Treigner.
May be you received it with additional comments (in Spanish) by Miguel
Muntané on January 27.
In our mail (in French), we made comments about the
aims of the European Commission concerning the radiation protection limits
wich have to be standardized at the level of the ICNIRP recommendation!!
The information about that meeting can be found at the following address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/health/phevents.htm
So, I hope some well known independent scientists will participate in
that meeting. Now, it's time for the citizens to argue in favour of a
real application of the Precautionary Principle.
Thanks very much for your attention and for your help!
Best regards,
For TESLABEL Coordination,asbl
http://www.teslabel.be
Jean Delcoigne
Secretary
teslabel.delcoigne@wanadoo.be
The following is taken from the introduction to the
web site "Electrical Pollution Solutions" and is one of the
most informative ones on the topic of "dirty power", a problem
that also effects Australia to a great degree.
Go to http://www.electricalpollution.com/intro.html
and have thorough read as well as the links to other useful sites.
Don Maisch
Introduction to Electrical
Pollution
"Dirty" power: The world's largest health
experiment. What you don't know can kill you.
Electricity today is not a simple 60 Hz electrical
signal. The increased use of modern electronics and other non-linear,
time-varying loads has over-loaded the distribution system with high-frequency
electrical pollution that causes "dirty" power. "Dirty"
power is widely recognized to be a problem for industry. The July 5, 1999
issue of Fortune states that "Dirty power costs U.S.0 industry anywhere
from $4 billion to $6 billion a year, according to Karl Stahlkopf, a vice
president at the utility financed Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)."
Alliant Energy even sent out an informational leaflet in electrical bills
entitled "Energy Basics: Power Surges" which states "Low-level
power surges won't melt parts or blow fuses, but they can cause "electronic
rust," gradually degrading internal circuitry until it ultimately
fails." and "Small surges won't leave any outward evidence,
so you may not even be aware they're happening - even though they may
occur dozens or even hundreds of times each day. "
During day to day living countless finely tuned electrically
mediated reactions occur constantly in order to keep our bodies running.
It is unreasonable to believe that "dirty" power can cause substantial
damage to home electronics and industrial equipment and not affect the
finely tuned electrical interactions in our bodies. In fact, the findings
in the paper Dirty Electrical Power Affects Cows (condensed from "Relationship
of Electric Power Quality to Milk Production of Dairy Herds," in
press, by Donald Hillman, Dave Stetzer, Martin Graham, Charles L. Goeke,
Kurt Mathson, Harold H. VanHorn, and Charles J. Wilcox) show that the
number of high frequency events correlates closely with milk production
e.g. greater numbers of high frequency events correlated with lower milk
production and lower numbers of high frequency events correlated with
higher milk production. In addition to causing health problems directly,
this high-frequency pollution also leads to another source of problems:
ground currents.
History of Electrical Pollution
In the 1950's, the National Electrical Safety Code
(NESC) required a neutral wire to return current to the utilities. This
was not required in rural areas until 1960. It is forbidden by the NESC
92D for the earth to be used as the neutral return. In fact, on page 152
of the NESC Handbook Fourth Edition it says, "When earth returns
were used in some rural areas prior to the 1960's they became notorious
offenders in dairy areas because circulating currents often caused both
step and touch potentials." It concludes "these have adversely
affected milking operations by shocking the cattle when they were connected
to the milking machines, and have affected feeding." These are exactly
the issues that farmers face today.
How can there be dairy or human health problems due
to electricity returning through the earth, since we do have a neutral
wire now?
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has allowed the
utilities to install grounding rods on the neutral return wire, instead
of increasing the size of the neutral wires. (Overloading of the wires
is a fire hazard and installing grounding rods is less costly on a short-term
basis than upgrading the neutral.) Current then flows down the grounding
rods and through the earth back to the substation when the wire is over
loaded. A Minnesota study found that over 70% of the current returns to
the substation via the earth in some areas. Dr. Duane Dahlberg's paper
entitled "Why Ground Currents" briefly discusses the origin
and health ramifications of electrical ground currents citing many industry
, university, and independant studies. In 1957, 10 billion Kilowatt-hours
of electricity were sold statewide. In 2000, 65 billion Kilowatt-hours
of electricity were sold statewide. Assuming problems occurred prior to
1960 with a total earth neutral return, all current returning via the
earth, 10 billion Kilowatt-hours of electricity flowing through the earth
caused health problems for cattle. Now, assuming that 70% of the electricity
returns via the earth in 2000, there are 45 billion Kilowatt-hours returning
through the earth in 2000. This means that there is nearly five times
as much electricity returning through the earth now than there was in
1957. In effect, we are being exposed to more electrical pollution now
than we were in the 1950's when the neutral wire became a requirement.
These numbers show conclusively why loopholes need
to be closed and better enforcement of the regulations is needed. According
to the NESC no objectionable current flow is allowed down the grounding
rod, however the NESC left objectionable undefined. This has left it up
to individuals to prove that current flow that occurs is objectionable.
Legislation like Wisconsin Rep. Barbara Gronemus's 2001 AB 754 would take
the onus off of individuals by providing a concrete definition of objectionable
i.e. "a steady state of current for five seconds or more." Defining
objectionable in this manner means there would be no current flow allowed
on the neutral grounding wire except under fault conditions e.g. lightening
strikes.
Why do we need larger neutral
wires compared to phase or "hot" wires?
We use power differently today than in the 1950's.
An increasing percentage of electricity is used for non-linear, time-varying
loads (e.g. electronics like TVs or computers, dimmer switches, and variable
speed motors). Non-linear, time-varying loads distort the sine wave causing
high frequencies. The distorted sine wave or "dirty" power sees
a higher resistance on the wire, so a larger return wire is necessary.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) addressed
this in the IEEE Standard 519-1992 which states that modern loads require
a neutral wire 225% of the size of the phase wires. At this time in the
United States, it is unusual for the neutral wire to even be the same
size as the phase wires. Most of the neutrals are half the size of the
phase wires. The electricity that cannot flow on the neutral, because
the neutral is too small, travels back to the substation through the earth.
Can anything be done besides
increasing the size of the neutral?
Yes, in addition to outlining the sizing of the neutral
necessary for modern electronic loads, the IEEE 519-1992 discusses other
techniques for improving power quality. It addresses the use of filters
to decrease distortion. It also grants the utilities the right to deny
service to major power-quality polluters if they do not clean up the power
to certain specifications before they return it to the line. This can
be done relatively inexpensively at the source and would substantially
relieve the overloading of the neutral wire. At this time few of the utilities
in the United States have exercised that right.
How can there be zero current
on the neutral grounding wires?
There are isolation devices that allow current down
the down-grounds in fault or lightening situations, but would act like
an open circuit (an example of an open circuit is a light switch in the
off position) under normal circumstances. Installation of these devices
on all the down grounds would be one way to ensure no current returns
to the substation via the earth while maintaining the safety benefits
of a grounded system.
How does "dirty"
power affect you?
Unlike the electrical earth currents of the 1950's,
electrical earth currents today are not a clean 60 Hz sine wave. They
are as "dirty" with high frequencies as the power that returns
to the substation. They are the return current that does not flow on the
wire. As the prevalence of non-linear, time-varying loads increases, the
return power and the earth currents get dirtier. High frequencies cause
health problems at very low voltages in part because the energy is higher
with higher frequencies. Because of the high frequencies, modern electrical
ground currents are actually worse for you at the same voltage than the
"clean" electrical earth currents that caused problems in the
1950's. Ground Currents: An important factor in electromagnetic exposure
by Dr. Duane Dahlberg deals in detail with the importance of exposure
to electrical ground currents. We are all in contact with electrical ground
currents when we do such everyday activities as wash the dishes, shower,
or sit on the lawn. Did the utilities ask your permission to make you
part of an electrical circuit?
In addition to being part of an electrical circuit
because of the electrical earth currents, each person is capacitively
coupled to the wires running around them through the walls, floor, and
ceiling of the building where they live or work. Electrical engineers
know about capacitive coupling, but they have also been taught that the
result is insignificant. They have not read or choose to ignore publications
like Cross Currents by Robert O. Becker, MD in which he discusses the
extreme sensitivity of the human body to electromagnetic fields/radiation
and Electromagnetic Fields and the Life Environment by Karel Marha, Jan
Musil, and Hana Tuha in which they describe the symptoms humans experience
with chronic exposure to high frequencies. The description of the symptoms
of exposure to high frequencies in Electromagnetic Fields and the Life
Environment touches on all of the most minor and puzzling symptoms of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), as well as, all of the widely accepted
ones.
The symptoms of CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Gulf War Syndrome
are all virtually identical to those of Radio Wave Sickness. In addition
to causing Radio Wave Sickness, exposure to high frequencies seems to
be linked to a myriad of health problems including depression, Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD), cancer, infertility, miscarriages, birth defects,
allergies, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and Lou Gehrig's Disease.
In fact, the California Department of Health study "Final Report
of the California EMF Program: An Evaluation of the Possible Risks from
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFS) from Power Lines, Internal Wiring,
Electrical Occupations, and Appliances" concludes that exposure to
powerline emf is a risk factor for these illnesses. The news has been
full of speculation over why the rates of these ailments have increased
over the last several years. The experts seem unable to find a cause.
There is, however, a logical reason. If you look at the statistics, the
proportion of electricity used for non-linear, time-varying (electronic)
loads has been on the rise and continues to rise. The growth in non-linear,
time-varying loads seems to relate proportionally to the increase of modern
ailments listed above. There is evidence linking exposure to high frequencies
to each of these modern ailments. Until recently only a few people realized
the source of the exposure. People are becoming sick who should not be
at risk. Unbeknownst to them, they are being exposed to high frequencies
through exposure to "dirty" power. Without an oscilloscope or
a meter, it is impossible for the average person to detect. (See the simple,
easy to use Ubiquitous Pollutant Meter outlined in "A Ubiquitous
Pollutant"). Electricity is the most widely accepted and most poorly
understood of the modern conveniences.
Symptoms of Radio Wave Sickness (excerpted from No
Place To Hide April 2001): Neurological: headaches, dizziness, nausea,
difficulty concentrating, memory loss, irritability, depression, anxiety,
insomnia, fatigue, weakness, tremors, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling,
altered reflexes, muscle and joint paint, leg/foot pain, "Flu-like"
symptoms, fever. More severe reactions can include seizures, paralysis,
psychosis and stroke. Cardiac: palpitations, arrhythmias, pain or pressure
in the chest, low or high blood pressure, slow or fast heart rate, shortness
of breath. Respiratory: sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma. Dermatological:
skin rash, itching, burning, facial flushing. Ophthalmologic: pain or
burning in the eyes, pressure in/behind the eyes, deteriorating vision,
floaters, cataracts. Others: digestive problems; abdominal pain; enlarged
thyroid, testicular/ovarian pain; dryness of lips, tongue, mouth, eyes;
great thirst; dehydration; nosebleeds; internal bleeding; altered sugar
metabolism; immune abnormalities; redistribution of metals within the
body; hair loss; pain in the teeth; deteriorating fillings; impaired sense
of smell; ringing in the ears.
Can "dirty" power
cause over-billing?
Yes, "dirty" power can cause the utilities
to over-bill you for the power you use. The standard disk-type electrical
rate meters were designed for "clean" 60 Hz power. They are
standardized for measuring "clean" 60 Hz power. With the dramatic
increase in non-linear, time-varying loads the power that is delivered
to your house or business is no longer "clean" power. The "dirty'
power can cause the rate meters not designed for use with "dirty"
power to read inaccurately.
Stop Electrical Pollution
The only known cure for Radio Wave Sickness is to stop
being exposed to high frequencies.
The Solution: Both the Electrical Power Research Institute
(EPRI) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
have identified remedies for electrical ground currents. Formulate and
enact legislation in each state requiring utilities to use identified
remedies to eliminate electrical ground currents and clean up "dirty"
power.
In Wisconsin, Rep. Barbara Gronemus has introduced
legislation that defines the desired endpoint - no current on the grounding
rods except during fault situations - and allows the utilities to pick
the best solution for each situation. Wisconsinites call your representative
and senator and ask them to be strong supporters of Rep. Gronemus's Electrical
Pollution Bill (2001 Assembly Bill 754).
If you are not sure who your senator and representative
are or how to reach them, call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472.
This truly is a bill that was introduced on behalf of all citizens of
Wisconsin.
SNIP check out the web site for more!
http://www.electricalpollution.com/intro.html
Allergenic GM Papaya Scandal
How Prof. Joe Cummins uncovered the great scandal of
how US regulatory agencies approved a GM papaya even though it carries
a viral gene known to be a potential allergen.
Recently the United States regulatory bodies - Department
of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS),
the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) - united in approving the commercial production of 'Sunset' transgenic
papaya that's resistant to papaya ringspot virus. It is modified with
a gene for papaya ring spot virus coat protein, the expression of which
prevents the virus from replication by silencing the virus' own gene [1].
The possibility that genetically modified (GM) crops
may introduce novel allergens has been raised by many critics, and as
part of the approval process, potential allergens have to be identified
before the crops are released commercially. But the GM papaya was approved
despite a recent report [2] showing that the papaya ringspot virus coat
protein is a potential allergen because it contained a string of amino
acids identical to a known allergen.
The US General Accounting Office (GAO) Report to Congress
on Genetically Modified Foods [3] assured Congress and the public that
the regimen of safety tests submitted to the FDA are adequate. "Companies
that may wish to submit new GM foods for FDA evaluation perform a regimen
of tests to obtain safety data on these foods, the degree of similarity
between the amino acid sequences in the newly introduced proteins of the
GM food and the amino acid sequences in known allergens, toxins, and anti-nutrients."
GAO believed that when the sequence of a transgenic protein is found to
be similar to that of allergens, further studies would be carried out,
at the very least, before the GM crop or product is commercially released.
I contacted James Maryanski of the FDA by e-mail on
22 January, to alert him of the allergenic potential of the papaya virus
coat protein and the relevant publication. In his reply (27 January),
he wrote, "FDA and EPA are aware of this recently published paper,
though we have not had an opportunity to fully assess the findings of
the paper. FDA is conducting a review of available scientific literature
and intends to use this information to prepare draft guidelines for industry.
Please note that the traits used to confer resistance to viral disease
in papaya are pesticidal traits (plant incorporated protectants) regulated
by EPA, not by FDA."
So, I was sent off to EPA, and guess what I found.
The EPA's public information stated that coat protein of papaya ringspot
virus and the genetic material necessary for its production had been granted
"an exemption from the requirement of tolerance" [4] in 1997,
which essentially means it is exempt from safety assessment, based on
the belief that the material was safe for consumption by humans and animals.
No mention was made of recent study on the amino acid sequence of the
virus protein. For its part, the USDA APHIS also awarded Sunset Papaya
a non-regulated status [5] in 1996, because the reviewers believed that
the GM crop was not harmful.
These bureaucrats remind me of the old jive doggerel
by J. Cramer and J. Whitney, Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens, "One
night Farmer Brown was takin' the air Locked up the barnyard with the
greatest of care. Down in the henhouse somethin' stirred When he shouted,
"Who's There?", this is what he heard. There ain't nobody here
but us chickens, there ain't nobody here at all. So calm yourself, stop
that fuss, ain't nobody here but us There ain't nobody here but us chickens,
there ain't nobody here at all"
GAO seems to be woefully misinformed about the safety
assessment of GM crops, and may have modeled itself after giant accounting
corporations such as RD Anderson.
This is a wakeup call for Congress and the public everywhere,
who may have been misled into believing that GM food is the most strictly
regulated of all foods, and that the US regulatory system is the best
in the world.
1.Tennant P, Fermin G, Fitch M, Manshardt R, Slighton
J and Gonsalves D. Papaya ringspot resistance of transgenic Rainbow and
SunUp is affected by gene dosage, plant development, and coat protein
homology. European Journal of Plant Pathology 2001, 107, 645-53.
2.Kleter G and Peijnenburg A. Screening of transgenic
proteins expressed in transgenic food crops for the presence of short
amino acid sequences identical to potential, IgE-binding linear epitopes
of allergens. BMC Structural Biology 2002, 2, 8-19.
3.United States General Accounting Office Report to
Congressional Requesters "Genetically Modified Foods" GAO-02-566
May 2002.
4.Rules and Regulations. Coat protein of Papaya Ringspot
Virus and the Genetic Material Necessary for its Production; Exemption
From the Requirement of a Tolerance. Federal Register August 22,1997 62,
44572-75.
5.USDA-APHIS Petition 96-051-01P for the determination
of nonregulated status for transgenic sunset papaya Lines 55-1 and 63-1
Finding of No Significant Impact September 1996.
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/PapayaAllergy.php
see also
http://www.idealist.org/en/ip/idealist/MessageBoard/MessageViewer/default?
MB_MESSAGE_ID=216&SID=1551b46d800f2a5fb6751b97d683815f&MESSAGE_BOARD_ID=366
Corporate takeover of US voting
system
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/020203G.voting.mach.htm
Study of Toxins Says U.S.
Children Are at High Risk
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-toxics1feb01,0,4127546.story
Informant: Don Maisch
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