The old pear-shaped incandescent bulbs known as GLS (General Lighting Service) are almost a thing of the past and very difficult to source. They were actively replaced in the United Kingdom as far back as 2011 and even banned by the European Union in 2019. LEDs are available almost everywhere in Australia, but GLS bulbs are very difficult to source even in lighting shops, but for the time being, they are still available in bulk online. I purchased a box of 100 X 60-Watt GLS bulbs but could not find any more powerful ones, ie 75 Watt for purchase. I removed all the LED lights in our home and refitted the old stash that I had stored for the last 20 years in our power room. Picture 1 shows the LEDs that I removed.
Whilst GLS bulbs are less energy efficient, researchers advise that they emit colour in the light spectrum more conducive to better health than the LEDs. (refer links below)
The two major reasons why I replaced the new, very energy efficient technology with the old technology included, 1. “Blue light scatters more in the human eye than the longer wavelengths of yellow and red, and sufficient levels can damage the retina”. And 2. “lighting affects our normal circadian physiology, how this could lead to some serious health consequences and most recently how lighting the night affects sleep”.
Both quotes are taken from this site LED streetlights: Doctors issue warning | CNN but there is no limit to online conversation regarding the effects of modern man’s increased exposure to blue light. , A number of clinical studies have concluded that the blue light generated form LEDs is a risk factor for the onset of age-related macular degeneration resulting in significant sight loss.
There are consequences to our increased exposure to the newer energy efficient LED lighting. “In the case of white LED light, it is estimated to be five times more effective at suppressing melatonin at night than the high pressure sodium lamps (given the same light output) which have been the mainstay of street lighting for decades. Melatonin suppression is a marker of circadian disruption, which includes disrupted sleep”. The above quote was taken from this site: Increase in LED lighting ‘risks harming human and animal health’ | Environment | The Guardian
GLS bulbs are far from perfect. Like most electrical devices, they generate unwanted EMF’s. Our testing did show that GLS bulbs produced less unwanted EMFs and therefore a safe distance from the lighting source was achieved more easily as the unwanted effects of both E and H field EMFs decline exponentially as distance increases.
Within the last 2 weeks of writing this article I conducted an audit in a granny flat which was located very close to an 11000-volt AC supply to a larger rural block where a pole mounted transformer supplied the dwelling and other building 240 volts AC. Merely sitting on a chair on the veranda had the EMF flashing red for a significant E field EMF. Living directly under high voltage such as the 33000 volt power lines is very well known not to be advantageous to good health.
Some houses would never be cheap enough for to live in regardless of how magnificent the view may be.
The effects of electric fields can be reduced by having a living area shielded with simple building materials, but a magnetic field will pass through almost everything and cannot be easily contained.
And who would want to live consistently in a danger zone anyway?
Unwanted EMFs are generated in every modern household. People who value their health more than convenience or trends can mitigate many of the potential harmful effects within the home by being aware of the potential exposure and engage in behaviour that can greatly reduce harmful exposure.
Sensible behaviors include distancing yourself from the source of any significant EMF and that includes distancing yourself from not only AC powered technology and gadgets but DC technology including your smartphone. “Smartphones have been shown to produce harmful radiation that disrupts the system of some self-regulatory processes, such as our biological clock or heart rhythm. As a result, sleeping with our phone next to us may induce nightmares, difficulties sleeping, and other issues. In fact, it has the potential to be harmful to your mental health. Furthermore, sleeping with your phone next to you may damage your body’s functioning by reducing the production of many essential hormones required for everyday activity”, quote taken from Is It dangerous to Sleep Near Your Smartphone? Jagruti (jagrutirehab.org)
Whilst one might argue that exposure to a little bit of non ionising radiation is not going to kill you, if you have an environment where you are drowning in a sea of EMFs, then being exposed to a little bit of non ionising radiation consistently over a long period of time is actually a lot of non ionising radiation and no one will argue that that is good for you.
An overview of the effects of ionising and non ionising EMFs can be seen here Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer – NCI
Sleeping within 10m of your home’s Wi-Fi router will have you exposed to consistent unwanted and unsafe EMF’s. At high density accommodation sites like multistoried units or even frequently living in close proximity on those ever reduced sized suburban blocks has residents exposed to EMFs from many neighbour’s appliances including Wi-Fi routers.
You cannot completely eliminate your exposure to EMFs in our modern world even if you moved into a cave in a third world country. Well, … maybe you can, but that would be extreme behaviour. The plan for those in the western world and increasingly more in “less developed countries” as even hungry refugees feeling war torn provinces appear to have better phones and data plans that I have; should be to reduce all EMF exposure wherever possible, (and there are four EMF, not just the E and H fields that the meter I have measures. More info here including the following two quotes: https://beatemf.com/what-is-a-high-emf-reading/).
Luckily and quite predictably, the 80/20 rule prevails being that biggest reduction in exposure can be achieved with a small effort with significant improvement by following these two tips.
(The two quotes mentioned above include;
(1) Use distance to your advantage, and
(2) Eliminate unnecessary tech.
Now that you know that smoking compromises your health and that exposure to EMFs is also a known health risk, it is up to you to act on that information.
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Moreton Bay residents can access weekly tips from John on Community Radio 101.5 FM Friday Mornings at 10:10am
John Lynn