Green Living: the cost of not going green

They are referred to as EMFs, otherwise known as electromagnetic fields. As I sit here on my new laptop, it suddenly occurs to me that I am quite possibly being zapped in a far more intense manner than if I were at my desktop. As if the "dirty electricity" running rampant through our homes isn't enough, now we have to be concerned with the more dangerous wireless gizmos that keep our lives in running order...

Thought you might enjoy a bit of electromagnetic humor.

Oram Miller is a Building Biologist from Create Healthy Homes and specializes in reducing or eliminating Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs). He says, "you can't see them or smell them but they are out there causing issues. From increased rates of childhood leukemia to not getting a restful night's sleep, EMFs have an impact on all of us." They're caused by appliances, wiring, computers, TV, telephones, and everything considered electric or magnetic, with wireless technology being one of the biggest offenders.

I'm not going to address cell phones in this lens because they need a lens of their own. Just be aware that 2 minutes on the cell phone has proven to disrupt thinking patterns for a full hour afterward.

To give you a bit of background, electrical impulses are generated by the brain and are used for intercellular communication. Water and high mineral content in the body make it highly electrically conducive. All night long while sleeping in your bedroom, you are experiencing electrical exposure from external sources (wiring in the ceiling, walls and floors) and it is thousands of times stronger than your own body's electrical system. Long-term exposure to these high level electric fields can impair your body's ability to communicate within itself, and ultimately impact your health in a big way.

Rest assured, the experts at www.buildingbiology.net have put together a few simple precautions that could make a big difference in how well you sleep at night:

1. Don't use electric clocks in the bedroom. Use battery powered if they must be used near the bed. Many electric clocks produce high magnetic fields.


2. Use beds without metal. Metal frames and box springs amplify and distort the Earth's natural magnetic field, and that can disrupt your body's communication system.


3. Test for elevated magnetic fields throughout your home. Make sure there are no magnetic fields from appliances or poor building wiring. Magnetic fields can penetrate walls and interrupt the body's communication system


4. Eliminate or shield from radio frequency from portable phones or cell phones. They interfere with the body's immune system.


5. Shut off the circuit breaker to the bedroom. Also, if you can see your hand within 6 inches from your face, your bedroom is too light for sound sleep. Examine ambient light coming from window.

If you learn about some basic chemicals to look for on labels you can avoid or reduce exposure. Choose products that do not contain toxic, age accelerating ingredients, shop with this list handy so you can readily identify those nasty elements.

Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): A very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips skin's moisture and natural immune barrier. May cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, anesthesia, and coma.Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.

DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine): Skin and eye irritants, causing contactdermatitis. Easily absorbed through the skin and accumulates in body organs, even the brain. Used to create foam in products like shampoo, shaving creams, and bubble bath. Repeated skin applications resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

Dioxin: You will not see this chemical name on an ingredient listing. It is often contained in antibacterial ingredients such as triclosan, emulsifiers, PEGs and ethoxylated cleansers such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Dioxin literally modifies the functioning and genetic mechanism of the cell, causing a wide range of effects, from cancer to reduced immunity to nervous system disorders to miscarriages and birth deformity. The tiniest amount can cause damage, and our bodies have no defense against it. The most visible example was Yushchenko, the new Ukrainian President, who suffered from dioxin poisoning and seemed to age overnight.

DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): Just two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.

FD&C Color Pigments: Synthetic colors made from coal tar, containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.

Fragrances: Mostly synthetic ingredients, fragrances can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. Symptoms reported to the FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation. Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system.

Parabens: There are four types of parabens used as preservatives, and they aren't always called "parabens." Recently they have been detected in human breast cancer tissue. Parabens found in deodorants and antiperspirants are linked to breast cancer. Experts say parabens can demonstrate estrogenic-like activity in the body, which increases the risk of breast tumors and cancer." Parabens, as xenoestrogens, may contribute to sterility in male mice and hormone imbalances in females. Xenoestrogens (hormone disruptors) are suspected of contributing to early puberty in young girls and boys."

PEG (Polyethylene glycol): Made by ethoxylating propylene glycol. Dangerous levels of dioxin have been found as a manufacturing by-product of the ethoxylation process. PEG based ingredients are in a wide variety of personal care, baby care and sunscreens.

Phthalates: Xenoestrogens - hormone disruptors -commonly found in many products, although usually not listed on the labels. Health effects include damage to the liver and kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and early breast development in girls and boys.

Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: Petroleum plastics that act as surfactants (wetting agents and solvents). Easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. EPA considers PG so toxic it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and dispose of any PG solutions by burying in the ground. Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. There isn't even a warning label on products where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats. Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers and in 90% of personal-care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. SLS may also damage the skin's immune system by causing layers to separate, inflame and age.

Ticlosan: A synthetic "antibacterial" ingredient with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange! EPA registers it as a pesticide, posing risks to both human health and the environment. It is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion - that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools! Tufts University School of Medicine says that triclosan is capable of forcing the emergence of 'super bugs' that it cannot kill. Its widespread use in popular antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products may have nightmare implications for our future.

This list of information and quotations courtesy of the ToxicAlarm Guide, from The TOXICFREE® Foundation.