In todays Mail on Sunday Post comments at
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=463911&in_page_id=1774
http://tinyurl.com/3akzda
gary
(Forwarded by Adrian)
PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING THE PETITION BELOW - THANK YOU!
*Banning Incandescent Light Bulbs*
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to maintain the availability of existing incandescent lightbulbs until there are suitable non-fluorescent energy saving bulbs which can be tolerated by everyone including people with light sensitivity.
Health conditions which can result in severe and painful reactions to fluorescent low-energy bulbs and LEDs include lupus, ME, forms of eczema and dermatitis, XP, migraine, electrosensitivity and many more. These people will suffer increased ill health and total social exclusion if the ban on incandescent bulbs is implemented. Their home life, family life and social life will be severely disrupted and their access to employment, places of worship, cultural and educational activities will be removed.
Lightbulbs are essential items of everyday use. We need to encourage technologies that promote both environmental sustainability and human health and wellbeing. This is a serious and complex issue of public health, disability rights and human rights.
THE PETITION CAN BE VIEWED/SIGNED AT:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/righttolight/
For more information on the campaign visit:
http://www.spectrumalliance.org.uk
Please forward this message to contacts where possible
THANK YOU!
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New York Times, Letter to the Editor;
The two articles that appeared in the January 10th, 2008 issue of the NYT on energy efficient lights [Any other Bright Ideas by Julie Schefo and Remaking the Condo with Light and Air by Sidney LeBlance] were both interesting but they failed to mention one very important point. Some of these bulbs emit radio frequency radiation. This radiation flows through the air and along electrical wires contributing to dirty electricity. Some packages even have a warning about the radio frequency saying this light may interfere with radio reception. Indeed this is something that most people can test with a portable radio on AM. As you bring the radio close to an energy efficient bulb that produces radio frequencies the radio will begin to buzz. This is known as electromagnetic interference (EMI) and is a concern for anyone using wireless technology such as mobile phones or wireless computers.
But the real problem is that these frequencies are making people sick. Three independent groups in the UK, including the British Association of Dermatologists, the Migraine Action Association, and Epilepsy Action, have reported illness among their members who have tried energy efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFL). The most common symptoms are headaches-including migraines, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, ringing in the ears, eyestrain, nausea and skin irritations.
Not all energy efficient bulbs are the same. Some do not contribute to dirty electricity and do not produce radio frequencies and this includes a few compact fluorescent lights, some LEDs (light emitting dioxides) and some halogen bulbs. Unfortunately most of the bulbs on the market will make people sick. Reducing green house gases is important but doing it with flawed technology that will make the user ill is not the right course of action. If governments are going to ban the energy-inefficient but electromagnetically clean incandescent bulb, then they should also ban bulbs that produce radio frequency pollution.
I would encourage anyone who has recently purchased energy efficient bulbs and has since developed any of the symptoms mentioned above to test the bulb for radiation with a portable radio and if the radio buzzes to return the bulb to the retail store for a full refund. Even if our government hasn't done its homework, individual consumers can still make a difference.
Dr. Magda Havas, B.Sc. Ph.D.
Environmental & Resource Studies,
Trent University, Peterborough,
Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
phone: 705 748-1011 x 7882
fax: 705 748-1569
mhavas @trentu.ca
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=light+bulbs
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=CFL
