In Part 2 of this article I covered the safe alternatives to CFL’s; in particular the highly efficient LED lamps. I also introduced solutions to the issue of “dirty electricity” in the home environment.

Because there are such a wide range of adverse health effects that are reportedly linked to the use of CFL’s, I felt this issue warranted a section on its own.

Could CFL’s REALLY
be making you sick?

You just might find the answers to your problem in this report.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

nausea,          dizzy spells,          joint pain,
blurry vision,          anxiety,          eye pain,  
headaches,          migraine,          or skin rashes?

The symptoms listed here are among many reported by consumers who claimed that CFL’s were the cause of their problems. They reported that often dramatic symptom relief occurred when CFL’s were removed.

Earlier this month a Canadian investigative TV series “16:9 The Bigger Picture“ published a story of their continued investigation into the possible dangers of using those curly fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s).

After 2 years of demanding answers from Health Canada (Canada’s equivalent of the FDA), and other research and health officials abroad, the “16:9″ Team have compiled some startling information that we all should be aware of.

Their recent 2-part television series entitled “Shedding Some Light” addressed two main areas of concern.

                    1. UV Radiation
                         2. Electro-magnetic Emissions

Part 1 – Shedding Some Light: (8min 20sec)

Instructions To view Part 1 of the 2-part television series. Click on the 16:9 image (opposite). A new window will open and the video will start after a 30 second commercial. 

Summary of Part 1.
(UV Radiation)

FINALLY, the test results from Health Canada are in. They declared that CFL’s were SAFE. However, according to the “16:9″ report, Health Canada also WARNED to keep at least 30cm away from the CFL light source due to the UV radiation. The results of the study were to be found on the Natural Resources Canada website.

Health Canada recommends
to limit CFL exposure to 3.3 hours

According to the “16:9″ program, the recommendation of Health Canada was to limit CFL exposure to 3.3 hours, as skin reddening may occur due to UV exposure. Their tests showed that 50 minutes of exposure to an exposed coil CFL at 3cm distance would equal the recommended daily UV exposure limits. CLICK HERE to view Health Canada’s The Safety of Compact Fluorescent Lamps page.

On that page, there is a statement that infers that people who have Lupus, other auto-immune disorders or skin sensitivities may have issues with the bulbs.

Tests Conducted in the United Kingdom: 
A UK health researcher stated that their tests had revealed that about 1 in 5 CFL bulbs  emitted “unusual levels of UV light” and they ALSO recommended that it was prudent to limit time exposure with CFL’s.

Covered, double-envelope CFL bulbs,
showed much lower levels of UV than the open curly bulb.

Summary of Part 2.
(Electromagnetic Emissions and Dirty Power Tests) 

Unlike the “old school” testing methods, Swiss researchers were commissioned to develop new techniques for more direct measurement of the affect of Electro-magnetic emissions upon the human body itself. Their claim is that this research provides the most extensive testing ever done on CFL’s.

Instructions To view Part 2 of the 2-part television series. Click on the video image (immediately below). A new window will open (as it did for Part 1,) but this time you need to click on the small video screen “Seg 2″ just below the main viewing screen. This will shift the video program to Part 2. (and, of course, more commercials to enjoy)

Part 2 – Shedding Some Light: (7min 24sec)

Rather than just measuring emissions in the air (like Health Canada did), the Swiss researchers measured what the EM emissions could do to the human body.

Dr. Mark Douglas stated that if the emissions were high enough they could stimulate nerves and muscles to the point it could cause problems. The severity of this would vary from person to person.

The Swiss researchers concluded that the emissions
from CFL Lamps COULD pose a health problem, even
though the lamps did meet International Guidelines.

Another researcher Magda Havas of Trent University (regarded as the leading researcher in the field) agrees with the Swiss researchers and feels that the International Standards are set too high and that is the reason why so many people are reporting adverse health issues with the bulbs.

CONCLUSIONS: At the very least, it has been acknowledged that “sensitive” people could experience adverse health effects. The only way to tell if CFL’s are implicated is to turn them off for a period of a few days and see if symptoms abate.

Dirty Electricity Video 

If you wish to view the more detailed report done by the “16:9″ Team in early 2009, click on the links below for Parts 1-3 of the series entitled “Dirty Electricity”   (the links will open in a new window).

      Dirty Electricity – Part 1 – Rays of Rash (CLICK HERE) 
       Dirty Electricity – Part 2 – Dirty Energy  (CLICK HERE) 
       Dirty Electricity – Part 3 – Reaction To The Rays (CLICK HERE) 
         
Part 4 of this Series is pulled in separately to this page as it deals specifically with locating concentrated points of Electro-magnetic pollution in your home environment. Perhaps you’ll be as shocked as the lady in the video whose house was being tested.

As more information surfaces on this topic I will post more, but for now, if you’ve read and watched everything in these three posts on the topic, you’re sure to be among the small percentage of people who are aware of this information. Tell your friends about this issue and send them to this blog.

Be Aware

As more and more new technologies are developed and rushed to market, it becomes increasingly harder for any regulatory bodies to keep pace with the complexities and subtleties of how they affect and interact with the delicate systems of the human body.

We simply cannot afford to assume everything is “safe”, just because it is available on the market. (”Caveat emptor” – Let The Buyer Beware).

I enjoy technology too, just like most people; there are lots of “pluses”, but it can be a “slippery slope” to some growing problems as this relatively small topic has uncovered.

Here is some ancient Chinese wisdom that I have found helpful to remember; “For every front, there is a back.”   For every “convenience” of modern life, there is a “flip side”; there is a “price” we have to pay for that convenience. The bottom line is this;

It’s simply prudent to BE AWARE of the cost 
before running up a “bill” that you cannot repay.

Better than have me rave on trying to describe to you what’s what, I’ve lined up a few videos that convey the message quite nicely. I found them quite eye-opening and as well as educational.

This first one  features Editor-In-Chief of EcoGeek.org, Hank Green. He conducts quite an amusing 5-minute demonstration and comparative assessment of the ZetaLux, EvoLux and CL-3 against CFL  and Incandescent Bulbs.

In addition to learning a thing or two about these bulbs, you’re quite likely to crack a smile every now and then too. Check it out.

Once you start looking around at LED’s you’ll notice that they carry a price tag in stunning contrast to what you have been used to. However, price per unit in comparison to the cheap and inefficient lighting we’ve been used to, is no comparison of real VALUE or long-term savings.

This post features the EarthLED Bulbs.
They all come supplied with a comprehensive 3 Year Warranty. 
Their rated life exceeds 25,000 Hours!!! 

Let’s see .. working that out at 4 hours per day, that’s over 17 years of use. Leave them switched on for 8 hours a day and you’ll still get over 8 1/2 years. On top of this, remember that you are also SAVING a HUGE amount on your electricity bill each year; which translates into significant dollars.

CICK HERE for a good info page on the advantages of LED lighting

The following 1 minute video demonstrates their durability. This is quite dramatic compared to what we have been used to in the old “incandescent world”.

LED’s to Replace Fluorescent Tubes

Most people are not aware that there are now also LED tubes to replace the standard Fluorescent Tubes (EarthLED DirectLED T8, T10, & T12) as demonstrated in the following 80 second video clip.

I don’t know about you, but I was quite impressed when I discovered all this. One comforting thought is that prices are sure to come down on these items as demand and production increases.

It’s now looking VERY much like a more eco-friendly and sustainable future definitely includes LED lighting as a high priority. I just need to get used to shifting my VALUE perspective a bit when considering bulb replacement in the future. We’ll just have to start .. one bulb at a time.

I must remember that quote by Helen Keller
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

How are your business and lifestyle choices impacting on
your health, your family and the ones you care about?

Amidst the pressures of this world to strive, to expand, to grow, to consume more and more, it is so easy to forget the whole reason you’re doing it all in the first place.

You may already have learned this powerful lesson and be right on track. If so, I applaud your alertness.

If not, I hope that the following 3 minute video, by New York Times best-selling author Mark Albion, will help you reconnect to a more wholesome perspective on all your activities.

Your whole being and those who love you,
will thank you for it when you do.

If you want to investigate this viewpoint further, have a listen to the the following 3 minutes interview with Mark Albion as he describes a broad outline of his book.

In his early days Mark’s message was introduced with “All of you here are going to make a living. The question here is, how are you going to make a life?”

This has now evolved into “You have the freedom to really be able to live a fulfilling life. How are you going to go about doing that?’

Mark’s book “More Than Money: Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer: Redefining Risk and Reward for a Life of Purpose” guides the reader to answering the above questions for himself.

Out of 25 reviews on AMAZON.com, Mark Albion’s book has received an average of a 5 STAR RATING .

To order “More Than Money: Questions Every …..” or to read the reviews on Amazon CLICK HERE.

In Support of Sustainable, Wholesome and Empowered Living.
Cheers, Sven

Here’s a quick “heads up” to a book that looks like it provides a perfect compliment to what I wrote about recently in “The Local Food Economy and Health”  Part1, Part2 and Part 3.

It’s called “Kitchen Literacy – How We Lost Knowledge of Where Our Food Comes From and Why We Need To get It Back”

I acknowledge that I haven’t read the book myself, but, after researching and preparing this report, it’s definitely going on my list of books to read.

Reviews of Kitchen Literacy
You can find reviews from seven people on Amazon.COM. The average rating there is 4.2-Stars out of a possible 5-Star Rating. Another independent reviewer reports her opinion CLICK HERE.

The following 4 minute VIDEO overview of Kitchen Literacy by author Ann Vileisis herself, gives a good sense of what it’s about.

With corruption and other shenanigans so evident today
at regulatory, corporate and commercial levels, 
why wouldn’t you want to take 
MORE personal responsibility
for your food supply?

It looks like Ann Vileisis’ book will help to fill in the gaps for those who want to know more about “What happened? How did we ever get in this situation?”

If you’ve read the book yourself, please leave a comment about your thoughts on it. We’d all appreciate your input.

Otherwise, check out your local library or bookstore for a copy. Here is the link again if you shop at Amazon.COM.

In Support of Sustainable, Wholesome and Empowered Living.
Cheers, Sven

Acknowledgements:  [Thanks to BooksXYZ for the quality book cover image.]

Are You Disconnected From Your Food Source?
If you have been brought up in the city environment, it’s easy for you to consider everything around you as a normal and natural part of life.

It’s not until you are forced out of that environment for the first time, that the true realities of life hits home.

If your only exposure to eggs where by seeing them come in cartons of twelve, how would you associate these with the rear end of a chicken?

Do the rows of rows of pint and liter cartons of milk in the refrigerated section of the supermarket give you any clue that the contents have issued forth from the udders of cows?

When a child grows up with his hero-sponsored box of multicolored breakfast cereal, how does he make the connection with anything natural? Artificial and plastic is a more likely association, don’t you think?

After all, if you’ve had no experience with country living or farms, and have known little else but packaged and processed foods from the supermarket, how would you be expected to?

There are many surveys that have been done on this subject and the results are quite startling. The following example was conducted by the Linking Environment And Farming (L.E.A.F) organization. The study showed that of 1,073 adults surveyed, 22% “did not know bacon and sausages originate from farms.”  This story, “What Would Old MacDonald Say?” was reported by the BBC News (June ‘07).

Do you think this kind of “disconnect” from one of life’s most basic systems is healthy?

…. But there’s more here
than just the disconnection.

Consider this:

1. How could you then possibly make informed decisions about your food and your own health? 

2. How would this affect your ability to correctly choose your political representative and their support of various food-related policies suggested by the government?

Lacking that crucial, reality-based background, your main source of information would then come from what you are told through advertising and what’s written on the box or packaging. How much of that is clear. open, honest, helpful information?

In many cases, we are NOT given
complete information on product packaging
solely because of economic and political reasons.

Labeling requirements are a huge topic now in many countries as various lobby groups fight over what can and cannot be included on labels.

These issues range from the complex labeling of GMO foods through to the relatively simple labeling of ”Country of Origin”. 

These issues are voted for or against by parties, according to what each vested interest gains or loses by the suggested labeling change, not necessarily by what’s best for the consumer. 

Do You Feel Comfortable Not Knowing?

A recent survey conducted in a local mall in Wellington New Zealand found that of 100 shoppers quizzed, not one was able to correctly name the country of origin of these eight whole foods: - bacon (2 packs), sweet corn, capsicum, prawns, peanuts, porter house steak and dried peaches. None were labeled with Country of Origin.

Would you care to know if any common food in your kitchen was grown locally or was sourced from some unknown country overseas?

Ignorance is Bliss?

Many have openly stated that they prefer to hold to the old adage that “ignorance is bliss”.

This stance may help to delay the pain that is triggered by waking up to the evils of the world, ….. but at what cost?

The Cost of Ignorance. 

1. potential risk of irreparable harm to oneself and others.

2. It effectively removes your unique perspective and input towards any solution.  

Be informed.
Give ignorance a miss
and
VOTE with your DOLLAR$.

$Vote$$Vote$

Every dollar $pent, is a vote ca$t
for the product or $ervice that you purcha$e.

As a former store owner, I know, first hand, that the profitability of my store depended on providing what my customers wanted. If their buying habits changed and they stopped buying what I currently stocked, do you think that I did everything I could to stock what they now wanted? You bet !!

In Part 3 (below) of the following video, Building A Local Food Economy, Ken Meter acknowledges the ground swell of interest in supporting local food economies.

Especially uplifting, is Ken’s account of the sound progress being made. People are waking up at a grass roots level and things are happening. Check it out (only 5 min in length).

What You Can Do – Ken’s Action Steps:

1. Decide what you feel is right to eat and what is highest and best for your body.

2. Decide where you will now source that food?  Build relationships with local growers and organizations etc.

3. Decide who you will consistently support with your dollars?

4. Look for ways that you can help the system be stronger. eg. extra financial support, volunteering time, becoming active in the movement etc.

If you watched the above video, you heard Ken Meter mention the work of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farms and how they are getting very popular all over the country. I’ll be doing a post on this topic shortly as well. It’s exciting stuff !!

In Support of Sustainable, Wholesome Living.
Cheers, Sven