No, we’re not going to resurrect “Unbelievable” (let it die, please). Nor are we going to try to get you on the G. G. Allin bandwagon (EMF isn’t the place to start, trust me — try Freaks, Faggots, Drunks & Junkies instead). This area is solely for discussion of the longstanding and contentious issue of the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields…
The EMF debate goes on, with no ‘definitive’ resolution either way. On one hand, there is ample evidence of the negative effects of EMF on biological systems. On the other hand, there are a large number of people who discount many of the more dire assertions of the anti-EMF crowd, casting such people as something like obsessive conspiracy theorists.
The nature of the Internet is such that looking for the answer may be the least effective way of finding it. Oh, you’ll find plenty of information — and some it may even be properly scientific and objective. The internet will also offer a world of suggestions for things to buy to make your life easier, or perhaps even something delicious to buy for a friend like gift baskets…. Regardless you’ll find a lot more opinion, whether it’s opinion expressed as such, or disguised as information.
We’d like to serve the cause of rationality, if possible, and provide you with the means to make up your own mind — rather than pelt you with propaganda to make you agree with my opinion (I do have one, as we all must, but I’ll try as hard as possible to keep it from coloring the presentation).
You probably already know this, but EMF stands for electromagnetic field. It’s actually a rather loose and somewhat nuanced term that refers to the energy field or area affected by an electromagnetic source.
However, that’s not really our intended usage of EMF. What we are concerned about is the potential of damage caused by certain of the electromagnetic fields created by human technology. These generally fall into some larger categories:
- low-frequency or ELF (extremely low frequency) EMFs, including power lines and standard electrical devices. A VERY disputed issue.
- powerful magnetic fields, such as MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, devices commonly used for medical scanning which may present other EMF dangers in addition to the magnetic field)
- RF and microwave radiation (mobile phones, Wi-Fi, TV, radio, etc.). The most numerous and prominent of the EMF concerns, and a topic of considerable debate.
- Ionizing radiation (Gamma rays, X-rays, radioactive materials, etc.). Fairly well-understood risks and protections, though there are exceptions (the potentially-dangerous level of cosmic radiation to which people on airplanes are exposed is not commonly known, for example)
Additionally, it may be the case that not enough people understand that there is a constant and relatively consistent level of exposure to electromagnetic fields/ radiation; what we know as ‘background radiation’.