Ashevile – We love our electronic devices—computers, tablets, smartphones, and more—which make our lives easier and more connected—but at what cost? Are they really safe? What kind of testing has been done?
This was the topic on Thursday, May 23rd, when the Westreich Foundation presented The Hazards of EMF & What You Can Do About It. Discover Solutions for Safer Technology at the Ferguson Auditorium at AB Tech. Headlining the event was Devra Davis, Ph.D., MPH, with a panel that included local experts Zen Honeycutt (Moms Across America), Mary Anne Tierney (Blue Ridge EMF Solutions), and Dr. Natalie Sadler, MD, Psychiatrist. All of the speakers were there to teach people how to protect themselves and their loved ones from harmful EMF’s, cellphones, and 5G technology at home, at work, and at school.
Dr. Devra Davis
Dr. Devra Davis, the founder and President of Environmental Health Trust, an expert in epidemiology and toxicology, was Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services, among other accolades too numerous to mention. The first 50 people to sign in at the event received a copy of her new book, Disconnect: A Scientist’s Solutions for Safer Technology.
Testing and Dangers
The FCC’s human exposure to radio-frequency (RF) limits were set in the 1980s and 1990s, and testing was only done with heat, not radiation. Many electronic devices now measure far higher than approved levels. Davis’s talk pointed out that even Lloyd’s of London refuses to insure the telecom industry because of the dangers.
While recent studies outside the US show breast tumors in women (phone in bra), fertility problems in men (in pocket), and thyroid cancer, the most frightening are the dangers to children. There has been a fourfold increase in colorectal cancer in younger adults that is believed to be from devices in pockets and on laps. Children have thinner skulls than adults, and scans show that the RF energy goes farther through the brain.
Panel of Experts
Doctor Natalie Sandler works using a holistic approach out of her Black Mountain office. Due to personal issues with sensitivities to wireless energy, she is now working to see if her patient’s symptoms are due to EMF issues, which can manifest as headaches, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, forgetfulness, memory problems, and difficulty finding words. tinnitus, burning eyes, urinary frequency, heart palpitations, joint pain, rashes, and high blood pressure. Sandler said, “You need to sleep in a space that doesn’t have wireless WIFI, Bluetooth, or a smart power meter outside. Radiation may be one of the contributing factors, physically, emotionally, and mentally.”
Zen Honeycutt, whose son gets depression from RF energy, moved here to get away from excessive cell towers, only to find out that the technology director at Buncombe County Schools (BCS) had put WIFI access points in every classroom, exposing all of the kids to high levels of RF energy. Honeycutt and others showed BCS that instead of having forty routers per school, there could be three in the hallway and shielded. They could be turned down by 99% and still provide service to 1500 devices in the school. The schools did turn the power down.
Mary Anne Tierney, founder of Blue Ridge EMF Solutions, LLC, is an electromagnetic radiation specialist working to clean up a building’s biology. Her knowledge was stunning. She works to assess four types of EMFs using professional meters; mitigate to reduce or eliminate sources of EMFs and provide positive health outcomes according to clients’ health conditions, budget, and readiness to make changes; and create low-EMF sleep sanctuaries for adults, children, and infants to enable their bodies and brains to re-set and heal during sleep.
Solutions
Every expert said to reduce exposure to cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth devices, including earbuds, Alexa, headphones, wireless doorbells and thermostats, and all smart devices. Hardwire as much as you can. Set your phones and tablets on airport mode and use WiFi and Bluetooth only when needed. Keep devices away from the body, and do not sleep with your phone. Take a day off to digitally detox.
Ruth Westreich, President of The Westreich Foundation, shared, ”Asheville was so fortunate to have Devra Davis, PhD, MPH, and her team of renown experts share their latest research regarding the dangers of cell phone radiation, EMFs, and 5G. There has never been a question as to whether or not EMFs are hazardous. Thankfully, we have solutions to help us mitigate the dangers, and we have folks here in Asheville that can help us do that.” If you would like to consult with any of the local experts, all three can be found online.