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TV and radio personality, Janey Lee Grace, gives her personal views to CANCERactive on the dangers of the electro-smog that surrounds us, with some simple tips on what steps she takes to protect herself and her family.
"We must learn to balance the material wonders of technology with the spiritual demands of our human race."
It’s a worrying fact that we’re exposed to more pollution in our own homes than when we’re outdoors. Building materials, toxic chemicals in our cleaning and personal care products, not to mention smoking, using air fresheners and the effects of Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMF’s), all add up.
Now I don’t intend to pretend to be scientific enough to give you the full low down on electro magnetic frequencies (EMF’s) but I believe it’s one of the biggest health issues facing us today, and it’s not rocket science to realise that our homes are full of all kinds of electro pollution that could to a greater or lesser extent be having a detrimental effects on our health and wellbeing.
Electro Smog
E-smog is a very apt description for this problem but remember the notorious smogs that blighted London at the turn of the 20th century, could actually be seen, prompting people to do something about it! There have been many investigative programmes looking at the effects of this increasingly present e-smog,, the results of which seem to range from ’no real health risk’, to the ’silent killer of the 21st century’. One could argue that we do seem to be making ourselves guinea pigs in the biggest mass biological experiment of all time, future earth inhabitants may look quizzically at an array of electronic gadgets and wonder why we exterminated our species! There’s no proof that it isn’t a risk, and personally I believe we would be prudent to err on the precautionary side.
Of course it’s not viable to give up our technological lifestyles. Most people own mobile phones, cordless telephones, Wi-Fi, computers, microwave ovens and an array of electronic equipment. Outside our windows there will undoubtedly be a mobile phone transmitter within sight and although the government line is that there is no proven health risk from exposure to mobile phone or tetra phone masts, unfortunately (getting marginally technical here) their safety guidelines are based on the assumption that the only harmful effect of microwaves is that they will ’cook’ you at high enough power levels, where there is much research claiming damaging biological effects at well below the levels that cause heating. So what is being concocted in effect, is allegedly ’safe’ levels of exposure as guidelines for us all, whereas the reality is that there is much disagreement as to where those levels should be set, as well as much variation in different countries as to how levels are measured, and what really is a safe level of exposure.
Where are the EMF’s in your home?
As well as the high frequency radiation from transmitters and Wi-Fi, rather worrying are the ’fields’ created by seemingly innocent items in your house such as cordless phones. Unlike mobiles, which transmit unwanted radiation only when in use, the base stations of cordless phones are transmitting powerful signals 24 hours a day, desperately trying to seek out their little receiver friends dotted around your house.
It’s been said that the radiation from cordless systems flying around our houses is 100 times more dangerous that using mobiles. Alisdair Phillips of Powerwatch the Independent Consultants and Lobbyists for safety protection from electromagnetic fields and co-author of ’The Powerwatch Handbook’, Piaktus Books Ltd said. ’Cordless phones are now the standard in most households, and, like mobile handsets, they emit microwave radiation - from both the base unit and the handset itself - that is alleged to cause brain tumours, breast cancer, dementia, DNA damage, concentration problems, memory loss, mood and behavioural changes and fertility problems’.
DIY Shield yourself where to start
To find the nearest Tetra or G3 transmitter to you go to www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk and check your house for electro pollution. Rent or buy electric and magnetic meters from www.healthy-house.co.uk. They’re simple to operate, and you can run a 15 minute check and find out any possible problems.
In a domestic situation, EMF’s are impossible to escape from completely. Short of wrapping ourselves in a lead duffel coat or installing a Faraday Cage (a highly sophisticated EMF screening system), what can we do?
Some people are affected by e-smog so badly they can’t live in certain areas near mobile phone masts or power lines. Some report headaches when using cellular phones and many people just notice a huge difference in their well being when they get away from their usual environment away from the electro pollution of their city or office, perhaps out into the countryside (though these days that’s not immune either).
If it’s serious for you look into metal fibre woven net screens for your mattress and around your bed, you can buy a geo-pathic stress neutraliser and even radiation shielding paint but these are expensive measures. However, the most effective long term cure is earth acupuncture which works in exactly the same way as traditional acupuncture except you treat the meridians of the earth with large, wooden needles rather than the meridians of the body with small, metal needles.
The most important time to protect yourself though is during sleep, as EMF’s interfere with the delicate neurological balances and mechanisms necessary for your body to ’repair’ itself we spend a third of our lives kipping! TV’s, computers, radios, in fact anything that you plug in emits radiation that can affect your sleep patterns. Change your halogen bedside lamp for a standard one, because it’s the transformers that emit a ton of EMF’s and odds on that’s on the floor right under your head! Get an old style alarm clock and don’t use your mobile to wake you up!
In true ’imperfectly natural’ style you don’t have to absolutely eliminate everything electrical. It’s all a bit of sticking plaster on an ocean but there are some precautionary measures I’d suggest:
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With general electronic equipment - put houseplants close by. Spider plants are excellent (and don’t need too much talking to) and Peace Lilies have been proven by NASA scientists to remove formaldehyde from the air to 30 feet
* Place unpolished clear quartz crystals near your computer to soak up pollutants
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Sounds too obvious but minimise your mobile and cordless phone use.
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Switch off your Wi-Fi at night.
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Use a Blocsoc anti-radiation cover on your mobile phone, this is the single most effective shield and they come in all sizes and colours.
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Pop a Phoneshield on your cordless phone base station and a Compushield on all computers and laptops.
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Take the supplement Asphalia for natural sleep, it’s a natural version of melatonin devised to help protect against EMF’s and as an added bonus it’s a natural sleep aid
To summarise with this very complex subject, scientific communities are continuing to disagree in all areas, so revert to your own instincts, and ask yourself ’could there be a problem?’ My view is that there definitely is, and precaution is the sensible option.
If this area interests you one of the leading experts in this area is Roger Coghill and you will find articles by him, and Chris Woollams on this web site.
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This article first appeared in Get Fresh Magazine 2010. An extended version also appeared in icon magazine Volume 9 Issue 3.
Janey Lee Grace is the author of ’Look Great Naturally without ditching the lipstick’, Hay House, and runs a website of natural alternatives at www.imperfectlynatural.com