Letter: Electromagnetic fields are all around us, affect health

Editor,

In normal Whidbey life, the typical exposure of a child or adult to high-frequency, wildly pulsing, invisible, strong electromagnetic fields (EMF) is everyday common.

We walk and sit through millions of times more EMF than occurred in our environment just 10 years ago, when the iPhone debuted. EMF sources, wifi, cell phones, computers, bluetooth, “smart” machines and toys, etc. Many persons don’t seem to feel it at all, some feel mysteriously fatigued at odd times, some have chronic sleep problems, others even experience unexplained nosebleeds, mood swings and anxiety — some even elusive buzzing in the head.

Called “EMS,” for electromagnetic sensitivity, very prominent effects afflict perhaps 10 percent of the population, by many estimates. Exposures are cumulative, so many others still have these symptoms in their futures. Like with second-hand smoke, asbestos, mercury/lead, radon, and various chemicals in earlier times, and even today, industry now denies there is any health effect from all the radiation of our electronic toys.

Yet, there are now literally thousands of research projects, many peer-reviewed, in the last 10 years that confirm that there are mechanisms in our cells that respond adversely to this radiation. However, our industry-captured Federal Communications Commission, using an antiquated 1996 criterion related only to heating effects, pronounces that all of this is safe. A group on Whidbey Island, of which I am one founding member, C.L.E.A.R., which stands for Citizen League Encouraging Awareness of Radiation, held an event recently and showed a well-regarded and well-produced video summary of the EMF problem. It has special concern for our youths who are drenching themselves at home and school with strong electronic waves in their laps and at their ears and surroundings.

Called “Generation Zapped,” it also gives many simple remedies that can be used to cut exposure to a fraction of the usual.

Maark Wahl

Langley