What Do Crowd Control, Burning Skin, Your Street Corner, and Superbugs Have in Common?

The short answer: 5G networks, which are coming to your town. Action Alert!

Recently we told you how telecom companies are working with the federal government to eliminate local control over the deployment of 5G networks, which are billed as the next best thing in wireless technology. Recent research pointing to the health implications of 5G technology reinforces the need to have local control over how it’s used, but more importantly asks the question of whether we should hit the pause button altogether.

5G technology will make wireless networks capable of more data streaming at faster speeds because it uses a broader frequency spectrum, as explained here. Whereas current 4G networks use up to 6 GHz, 5G will use frequencies between 24 GHz and 100 GHz, known as millimeter-wave frequencies. This means that the dozens of small cell towers that will be installed in your neighborhood will be emanating millimeter waves.

If that doesn’t sound scary, consider this. The Department of Defense has developed a non-lethal crowd control device called the Active Denial System (ADS). The ADS works by firing a high-powered beam of 95 GHz waves at a target—that is, millimeter wavelengths.  Anyone caught in the beam will feel like their skin is burning. The burning sensation stops once the target leaves the beam.

So, what we’re talking about with 5G technology is being exposed to the same kind of waves day in and day out, only at a lower power than the ADS. Have safety studies confirmed that such exposure is safe? No. As we saw in our previous article on this topic, the government seems more interested in helping the telecom industry railroad local communities who want to have a say over how or whether this tech gets installed.

There’s more. Research from a team of Israeli physicists has found that there are new problems to consider with exposure to millimeter waves. When the wavelength of the energy approaches the dimensions of our biological structures, i.e. our skin and sweat ducts, previous assumptions about the safety of energy radiation are no longer valid. The research shows that, with millimeter waves, our sweat ducts actually act like little antennas, which means we would absorb more of this energy into our bodies. Other research has demonstrated that short-term exposure to low-intensity millimeter waves affects human cell membranes and could even result in the proliferation of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Seeing as there has been virtually no research on long-term exposure to millimeter waves, the large-scale deployment of 5G technology is a massive experiment, and we’re the guinea pigs. There’s no opting out of 5G—in fact it will become more ubiquitous than wireless technology is right now. As Verizon boasts on its website, the “Internet of Things” will thrive on 5G technology. The Internet of Things refers to the expanding number of devices, appliances, utilities, and other technologies that collect, transmit, and share data through the internet. Essentially, many processes that have not previously relied on the internet will start to once 5G roles out: switching lightbulbs on or off with a smartphone app, driverless cars—even “smart cities” that will use wireless networks to collect and analyze data about the environment, traffic, water, transit, lighting, waste management, security, and parking. Millimeter-wave-emitting devices will saturate our environment, and the fact that we’re plunging head-first into deploying this technology without knowing the health consequences is shocking.

The government should stop being the industry’s henchman and stand up for ordinary citizens by demanding that research be conducted evaluating the long-term effect of exposure to millimeter waves before 5G technology is unleashed on the public.

Action Alert! Write to Congress and the FCC, demanding that research be conducted on 5G before it is deployed. Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2RW1Kdt via Aloe for Health

from https://ift.tt/2rBuDQE

They Listened: Organics and CBD Get Boost in Farm Bill

Plus, poison provisions removed from final bill. Action Alert!

The last few weeks of 2018 have seen some rapid developments for the Farm Bill, the huge piece of legislation that gets passed every four years and allocates almost a billion dollars over ten years. For natural health advocates, there are some good provisions in the bill, including the legalization of industrial hemp—which is an important step toward ensuring access to CBD oil—and measures aimed at stemming the tide of fake organics into the US.

These provisions were part of the Farm Bill that passed the Senate a few months ago, after the House passed its version. Now a compromise bill has been created and rapidly approved by both the Senate and the House.

The final Farm Bill legalizes hemp as an agricultural commodity and removes it from the federal list of controlled substances. It also defines cannabinoids (CBD) with a THC concentration of less than 0.3% as hemp, thus legalizing CBD oil that meets the 0.3% threshold. This is an important step in our campaign to fight for consumer access to CBD oil, a cheap, safe, effective, and non-addictive alternative to opioids for pain.

Remember, though, that this would only remove one of the two major threats to consumer access to CBD oil. Recall that a pharmaceutical company, GW Pharmaceuticals, has developed a CBD-based drug for a rare form of childhood epilepsy—which just received FDA approval. The FDA has said that CBD is not a supplement because GW filed an investigational new drug (IND) application on CBD before it was sold as a supplement—an agency position that we are fighting. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging that the government is proposing to remove one of the major hurdles to affordable CBD oil.

The final Farm Bill also includes provisions aimed at increasing oversight over the organic supply chain in an effort to curb the importation of fake organic grains that have been inundating the US market. It’s unclear whether this will really address the problem; as we’ve argued before, more regulations will not replace a will to enforce the law, which the USDA apparently lacks.  But, more serious oversight over the supply chain might help prevent some degree of fraud, so these measures could arguably help consumers.

Additionally, bad provisions that would have increased pesticide exposures, including allowing pesticides to be sprayed in drinking water, have been left out of the final Farm Bill. This is another big win for natural health advocates because it will reduce the amount of toxic exposures in the environment which, taken together, help make us chronically sick.

Now that the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, it will be sent to President Trump’s desk to sign. Let’s help it over the finish line.

Action Alert! Write to President Trump and tell him to approve the Farm Bill! Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2QslfO2 via Aloe for Health

from https://ift.tt/2GhlHKm

Banned for Use in War, But OK for Our Crops

Apparently the Geneva Convention doesn’t protect against use in domestic agriculture. Action Alert!

Researchers who recently examined studies sponsored by Dow Chemical and used by the EPA to approve chlorpyrifos, a type of insecticide, found inaccuracies in what the company reported to the agency. Worse, there is also evidence that EPA scientists pointed out these failings to agency officials, but were ignored. It is another example of industry using the power of the federal government to put profits before public health.

The researchers found that the lab used a two percent cut off to determine what was “statistically significant” through most of the study, instead of the customary 5 percent—meaning it would be more likely that exposure to chlorpyrifos would appear safe. The rat studies submitted to the EPA also did not model human exposure and potential brain impacts, among other failures.

To make matters worse, it appears that agency officials were warned by EPA toxicologists of the study’s problems. A memo sent to EPA management said that “The study was graded unacceptable due to an inadequate presentation of the statistical data analysis.”

Keep in mind, too, that the EPA is aware of evidence that found exposure to chlorpyrifos caused measurable differences in children’s brain function, on average dropping their IQs a few points. Some research has linked the pesticides to autism and other brain disorders. There’s also evidence to suggest that some children are more vulnerable to the chemicals than others due to their genetic makeup. These health effects should come as no surprise when we consider that chlorpyrifos were developed as a nerve gas during World War II by the Nazis, though they weren’t used in battle. Chemical weapons were prohibited by the Geneva Convention after WWI—so the chemical is too inhumane to use in war, but A-OK for our food, according to the government’s thinking.

The EPA is currently in the midst of a legal battle—to keep chlorpyrifos on the market. In August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to ban the chemical; the EPA has appealed the decision. It looks like the EPA will fight tooth and nail for you—if you’re one of the largest chemical companies in the world.

This is part of a much larger problem. To evaluate pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, the EPA relies on industry-sponsored studies that are supposed to follow agency guidelines. This clearly invites industry to design studies or manipulate the data to get the results they want. Additionally, industry studies are rarely available for peer-review because companies claim they contain confidential business information. Chemical companies are also known to sit on panels that advise regulators: a representative of DowDuPont served on the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee to the EPA, for example. It seems clear that the deck is stacked in favor of industry and against public health.

Stories like this show who the EPA really works for in our crony capitalist system.

Action Alert! Write to Congress and the EPA, telling them to ban chlorpyrifos. Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2RW1FGH via Aloe for Health

from https://ift.tt/2rCcfH7

What Do Crowd Control, Burning Skin, Your Street Corner, and Superbugs Have in Common?

The short answer: 5G networks, which are coming to your town. Action Alert!

Recently we told you how telecom companies are working with the federal government to eliminate local control over the deployment of 5G networks, which are billed as the next best thing in wireless technology. Recent research pointing to the health implications of 5G technology reinforces the need to have local control over how it’s used, but more importantly asks the question of whether we should hit the pause button altogether.

5G technology will make wireless networks capable of more data streaming at faster speeds because it uses a broader frequency spectrum, as explained here. Whereas current 4G networks use up to 6 GHz, 5G will use frequencies between 24 GHz and 100 GHz, known as millimeter-wave frequencies. This means that the dozens of small cell towers that will be installed in your neighborhood will be emanating millimeter waves.

If that doesn’t sound scary, consider this. The Department of Defense has developed a non-lethal crowd control device called the Active Denial System (ADS). The ADS works by firing a high-powered beam of 95 GHz waves at a target—that is, millimeter wavelengths.  Anyone caught in the beam will feel like their skin is burning. The burning sensation stops once the target leaves the beam.

So, what we’re talking about with 5G technology is being exposed to the same kind of waves day in and day out, only at a lower power than the ADS. Have safety studies confirmed that such exposure is safe? No. As we saw in our previous article on this topic, the government seems more interested in helping the telecom industry railroad local communities who want to have a say over how or whether this tech gets installed.

There’s more. Research from a team of Israeli physicists has found that there are new problems to consider with exposure to millimeter waves. When the wavelength of the energy approaches the dimensions of our biological structures, i.e. our skin and sweat ducts, previous assumptions about the safety of energy radiation are no longer valid. The research shows that, with millimeter waves, our sweat ducts actually act like little antennas, which means we would absorb more of this energy into our bodies. Other research has demonstrated that short-term exposure to low-intensity millimeter waves affects human cell membranes and could even result in the proliferation of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Seeing as there has been virtually no research on long-term exposure to millimeter waves, the large-scale deployment of 5G technology is a massive experiment, and we’re the guinea pigs. There’s no opting out of 5G—in fact it will become more ubiquitous than wireless technology is right now. As Verizon boasts on its website, the “Internet of Things” will thrive on 5G technology. The Internet of Things refers to the expanding number of devices, appliances, utilities, and other technologies that collect, transmit, and share data through the internet. Essentially, many processes that have not previously relied on the internet will start to once 5G roles out: switching lightbulbs on or off with a smartphone app, driverless cars—even “smart cities” that will use wireless networks to collect and analyze data about the environment, traffic, water, transit, lighting, waste management, security, and parking. Millimeter-wave-emitting devices will saturate our environment, and the fact that we’re plunging head-first into deploying this technology without knowing the health consequences is shocking.

The government should stop being the industry’s henchman and stand up for ordinary citizens by demanding that research be conducted evaluating the long-term effect of exposure to millimeter waves before 5G technology is unleashed on the public.

Action Alert! Write to Congress and the FCC, demanding that research be conducted on 5G before it is deployed. Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2RW1Kdt via Aloe for Health
from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2UB5Bye

They Listened: Organics and CBD Get Boost in Farm Bill

Plus, poison provisions removed from final bill. Action Alert!

The last few weeks of 2018 have seen some rapid developments for the Farm Bill, the huge piece of legislation that gets passed every four years and allocates almost a billion dollars over ten years. For natural health advocates, there are some good provisions in the bill, including the legalization of industrial hemp—which is an important step toward ensuring access to CBD oil—and measures aimed at stemming the tide of fake organics into the US.

These provisions were part of the Farm Bill that passed the Senate a few months ago, after the House passed its version. Now a compromise bill has been created and rapidly approved by both the Senate and the House.

The final Farm Bill legalizes hemp as an agricultural commodity and removes it from the federal list of controlled substances. It also defines cannabinoids (CBD) with a THC concentration of less than 0.3% as hemp, thus legalizing CBD oil that meets the 0.3% threshold. This is an important step in our campaign to fight for consumer access to CBD oil, a cheap, safe, effective, and non-addictive alternative to opioids for pain.

Remember, though, that this would only remove one of the two major threats to consumer access to CBD oil. Recall that a pharmaceutical company, GW Pharmaceuticals, has developed a CBD-based drug for a rare form of childhood epilepsy—which just received FDA approval. The FDA has said that CBD is not a supplement because GW filed an investigational new drug (IND) application on CBD before it was sold as a supplement—an agency position that we are fighting. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging that the government is proposing to remove one of the major hurdles to affordable CBD oil.

The final Farm Bill also includes provisions aimed at increasing oversight over the organic supply chain in an effort to curb the importation of fake organic grains that have been inundating the US market. It’s unclear whether this will really address the problem; as we’ve argued before, more regulations will not replace a will to enforce the law, which the USDA apparently lacks.  But, more serious oversight over the supply chain might help prevent some degree of fraud, so these measures could arguably help consumers.

Additionally, bad provisions that would have increased pesticide exposures, including allowing pesticides to be sprayed in drinking water, have been left out of the final Farm Bill. This is another big win for natural health advocates because it will reduce the amount of toxic exposures in the environment which, taken together, help make us chronically sick.

Now that the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, it will be sent to President Trump’s desk to sign. Let’s help it over the finish line.

Action Alert! Write to President Trump and tell him to approve the Farm Bill! Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2QslfO2 via Aloe for Health
from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2BktbX5

Banned for Use in War, But OK for Our Crops

Apparently the Geneva Convention doesn’t protect against use in domestic agriculture. Action Alert!

Researchers who recently examined studies sponsored by Dow Chemical and used by the EPA to approve chlorpyrifos, a type of insecticide, found inaccuracies in what the company reported to the agency. Worse, there is also evidence that EPA scientists pointed out these failings to agency officials, but were ignored. It is another example of industry using the power of the federal government to put profits before public health.

The researchers found that the lab used a two percent cut off to determine what was “statistically significant” through most of the study, instead of the customary 5 percent—meaning it would be more likely that exposure to chlorpyrifos would appear safe. The rat studies submitted to the EPA also did not model human exposure and potential brain impacts, among other failures.

To make matters worse, it appears that agency officials were warned by EPA toxicologists of the study’s problems. A memo sent to EPA management said that “The study was graded unacceptable due to an inadequate presentation of the statistical data analysis.”

Keep in mind, too, that the EPA is aware of evidence that found exposure to chlorpyrifos caused measurable differences in children’s brain function, on average dropping their IQs a few points. Some research has linked the pesticides to autism and other brain disorders. There’s also evidence to suggest that some children are more vulnerable to the chemicals than others due to their genetic makeup. These health effects should come as no surprise when we consider that chlorpyrifos were developed as a nerve gas during World War II by the Nazis, though they weren’t used in battle. Chemical weapons were prohibited by the Geneva Convention after WWI—so the chemical is too inhumane to use in war, but A-OK for our food, according to the government’s thinking.

The EPA is currently in the midst of a legal battle—to keep chlorpyrifos on the market. In August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to ban the chemical; the EPA has appealed the decision. It looks like the EPA will fight tooth and nail for you—if you’re one of the largest chemical companies in the world.

This is part of a much larger problem. To evaluate pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, the EPA relies on industry-sponsored studies that are supposed to follow agency guidelines. This clearly invites industry to design studies or manipulate the data to get the results they want. Additionally, industry studies are rarely available for peer-review because companies claim they contain confidential business information. Chemical companies are also known to sit on panels that advise regulators: a representative of DowDuPont served on the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee to the EPA, for example. It seems clear that the deck is stacked in favor of industry and against public health.

Stories like this show who the EPA really works for in our crony capitalist system.

Action Alert! Write to Congress and the EPA, telling them to ban chlorpyrifos. Please send your message immediately.

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2RW1FGH via Aloe for Health
from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2UKoAGy

2-Minute Warning December 11, 2018

5G : Crowd Control, Burning Skin, Your Street Corner, and Superbugs
Banned for Use in War, But OK for Our Crops
Fungi Could Be Next Big Threat to Human Health

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2SCZYxO via Aloe for Health

from https://ift.tt/2SFaMvb

2-Minute Warning December 11, 2018

5G : Crowd Control, Burning Skin, Your Street Corner, and Superbugs
Banned for Use in War, But OK for Our Crops
Fungi Could Be Next Big Threat to Human Health

from The Alliance for Natural Health https://ift.tt/2SCZYxO via Aloe for Health
from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2zRZcWA