An engaging, poignant, and comprehensive introduction to electropolution.

(I know this looks long but you really only need to read about half way to get the horror show {Pardon my subjectivity. In the future I'll keep it to a minimum} )

(I don't know when this was written)

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THE COSMIC ITCHING POWDER

David S. Walonick, Ph.D

Feeling stressed? Maybe a little edgy?

There's a reason... and it might not be what you think.

This is a very scary story. If The Invasion of the Body Snatchers
made you squeamish, then don't continue. Put this down now and
forget about it. Heed my warning --- this story is so strange
that it should not be told to the weak at heart. Its about
science, technology, stress, intolerance, sickness, and the
invasion of the cosmic itching powder. Fasten your seatbelt.
You're about to embark upon a voyage into the bizarre. But most
of all, remember...

It's out there right now. Invisible and silent. The cosmic
itching powder is doing it to you.

Science fiction? Unfortunately not.

Most social scientists recognize the stress that humanity is
experiencing. Only a few have hypothesized that it is being
caused by the systemic effect of electropollution. This is the
theory of the cosmic itching powder. I admit that its a somewhat
untraditional theory. In fact, most people consider it simply too
fantastic to be possible. It is, however, a theory grounded in
generally accepted scientific principals, and represents a
synthesis of many ideas developed by other scholars.

Deep beneath the surface of the Earth is a spinning core of
molten iron. This rotational energy creates a dipole magnetic
field around the planet similar to a bar magnetic. Our compass
registers a north and south pole.

Ninety-three million miles away, the sun is emitting lethal
high-energy atomic particles. These particles, often called the
solar wind, travel through space and crash into the magnetic
field of the Earth. The impact creates a strong magnetic field
distortion. The resulting structure of the Earth's magnetic field
is known as the magneto-sphere.

The Earth's magneto-sphere protects us from the deadly radiation
emitted by the sun. Without it, life could not exist. On the side
of the planet closest to the sun, the magnetic field is
compressed by the impact of the solar particles, and on the side
away from the sun, the field stretches out into a long tail. The
result is that most solar radiation is either trapped in the
Earth's own magnetic field, or diverted harmlessly around and
away from the Earth.

As the Earth rotates to produce a twenty-four hour day-night
cycle, the magnetic field at any given location changes (.2 - .6
gauss). During the day, the magnetic field is compressed, and at
night, it is diminished. The rise and fall of the magnetic field
corresponds to our biological rhythms.

Observing our own circadian rhythms makes it clear that we are
somehow synchronized with the rotation of the Earth. In fact, it
may be possible that life itself evolved as a result of Earth's
fluctuating magnetic energy field. Complex organic molecules can
exist in two mirror-image forms... a left-hand and right-hand
molecule. When we create these compounds in a test tube, we
always get a fifty-fifty mix. All living organisms, however,
contain only one kind. Recent magnetic techniques have
successfully produced all left or all right-handed molecules. It
may be that magnetism played a role in the creation of the first
DNA... the origin of life.

In addition to the twenty-four hour cycle, there are several
other weaker magnetic cycles. As the solar wind crashes into
Earth's magnetic field, billions of watts of energy are released
in the form of ionizing radiation and other electromagnetic
radiation. Some of the radiation becomes trapped in the Earth's
magnetic field, and begins to bounce back and forth between the
magnetic North and South poles. These extremely weak magnetic
ducts make up the background radiation of the Earth. This
radiation is always present, and roughly corresponds to the
dimensions of our planet. The Earth itself is resonant at about
ten hertz, and this is the prominent frequency in the natural
background radiation.

Prior to the twentieth century, all electromagnetic radiation was
of natural origin. The biosphere was an ocean of weak
micropulsations. Organic life evolved in harmony and
synchronization with the energy fields that existed. They
provided the pulse for the evolution of life.

For thousands of years, we developed in the presence of these
organic energy fields. The Earth was a part of us, and we were
able to feel its heartbeat. Our bodies and minds were
synchronized with the energy cycles of our natural environment.
The entire biological organism evolved in the presence of these
fields. Gravitational changes from the moon created a
twenty-eight day lunar cycle. Magnetic changes from the rotation
of the Earth created a twenty-four hour circadian cycle. Our
brains became synchronized with the resonant frequency of the
Earth itself, a ten hertz magnetic wave created from the energy
from the sun. This alpha brain-wave frequency is associated with
feelings of relaxation, peacefulness and harmony.

We remained in communion with our environment until the beginning
of the twentieth century. As the "Electronic Revolution"
unfolded, the environment was bombarded by cosmic itching powder
--- non-natural electromagnetic radiation.

Sixty hertz power transmission lines criss-crossed the country,
and radio waves were beaming music into our homes. For the first
time in history, man-made emissions overpowered the low-level ten
hertz wave that had synchronized our brains since the dawn of
time. We gradually became lost... out of touch with our
environment. It was difficult to notice at first, and it didn't
happen suddenly.

We can't blame the government for what happened next. There is no
way the Federal Communications Commission could have known about
the deadly effects of the frequencies they assigned to the new FM
radio and television technology. Radio and television stations
sprang up across the country in metropolitan areas.
Unfortunately, the peak resonant frequency of the human body is
in the middle of the FM radio and television bands. Cancer became
a common disease.

Electropollution is out there. No scientific investigator would
deny this fact. Its measurable and quantifiable. The question is
how, and to what extent, does it affect us.

The most significant effect of electropollution has been to
produce chronic stress in all living organisms. This has had
profound effects on our total physical and mental well-being.
Physically, our immune systems are weakened and we are more prone
to disease. We have seen significant drops in fertility levels,
and increases in birth defects and impaired brain functioning.
Mentally, we are in a constant state of stress. Our rationality,
as a species, is in question. Humanity is stressed out.

Stress is a catalyst for intolerance, one of the most important
social issues facing the world. Intolerance often leads to
violence. We will always have ethnic, religious, and
philosophical differences. If we can learn to tolerate each
others differences, we may survive as a planet. If we don't, we
shall surely destroy ourselves.

The notion of an invisible energy force affecting us is not as
strange as it might first seem. Millions of women report similar
PMS symptoms during their twenty-eight day lunar cycle.
Electropollution acts like an itching powder, directly affecting
our subconscious mind... below our level of perception. It just
makes us edgy. Everyone is affected to some degree, but some
individuals appear to be more sensitive than others.

Electropollution levels in technologically advanced areas have
become so intense that they completely overpower the natural
background energy of the Earth. The result is that humanity has
lost its communion with the Earth. We have lost our feeling of
oneness with the planet, and we have allowed the poisons in our
environment to reach critical levels.

During the first half of this century, it became clear that
biological organisms are indeed physically sensitive to some
forms of electromagnetic radiation. Symptoms included burns,
fevers, eye cataracts, brain tumors, leukemias and chromosomal
abnormalities. The military established safety limits based on
the thermal heating effects of radiation (i.e., burns and
fevers). Other non-thermal effects were ignored, even though
their existence was well documented. In 1966, the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) adopted the military
standards for civilian exposure in the workplace.

These standards were brought into question by the scientific
community almost immediately. In the early 70's, the Oregon
Health Sciences University, in conjunction with the Environmental
Protection Agency, found a significant correlation between the
incidence of leukemia in Portland and the intensity of FM radio
waves. The EPA took no action, but throughout the 70's,
scientists around the world reported finding significant
biological effects from very low levels of electromagnetic
radiation.

By 1980, the military and civilian standards were being
challenged. In order to quell the rising controversy, the U.S.
Air Force funded an expensive animal study to prove that chronic
exposure to low levels of electromagnetic radiation were not
dangerous. The laboratory rats were "gnotobiotic" animals,
delivered by cesarean section, and raised in a sterile
environment to be free from germs and viruses. The radiation
levels in the experiment were twenty times less than the military
and civilian safety standards. It was a shock to the entire
scientific community when the experimental group developed over
three times as many malignant tumors as the control group.
Electromagnetic radiation (the kind that you're being exposed to
right now), can cause or trigger cancer.

In 1986, the Department of Public Health in Honolulu learned that
cancer rates were higher in nearly every area where a broadcast
tower was located. No action was taken by the State of Hawaii.

By 1988, researchers at the University of Texas had found that
electric-power company workers had an incidence of brain tumors
thirteen times that of the normal population. The tumors were
specifically linked to the sixty hertz fields that the workers
were exposed to. This is the same sixty hertz field that emanates
from the power lines around the country. In 1991, two Swedish
studies and one U.S. study again confirmed the link to cancer.

Over the past thirty years, many thousands of well-designed
research studies and replications have conclusively proved that
low levels of electromagnetic radiation have strong biological
effects on humans. The two most prominent effects are increases
in stress and cancers. We have also been able to identify changes
in brain neurochemicals and genetic abnormalities.

It turns out that all these effects are caused only by extremely
low frequency radiation. The ELF frequencies occupy a very narrow
portion at the bottom of the electromagnetic spectrum (0-100
hertz). These are the frequencies that the Earth uses to
communicate with her offspring. With the exception of lightning,
all natural electromagnetic emissions from the Earth are in the
ELF portion of the spectrum.

Human beings are receivers and transmitters of energy. Our cells
show the same crystalline properties of the earth we evolved
from. Crystals have the ability to manipulate energy. They can
convert, store, rectify and control energy. All living organisms
exhibit these same properties at macro and micro levels. In 1992,
scientists discovered microscopic magnetite crystals scattered
throught the human brain. This magnetic substance was the missing
link. It provided a possible answer as to how this communication
could be possible. Recent studies suggest a mechanism of action
involving cyclotron resonance where the magnetic energy field
concentrates its effect on biologically important ions, such as
sodium, calcium, potassium, and lithium.

Are non-ELF frequencies safe? No. It turns out that, regardless
of their frequencies, all man-made electromagnetic fields produce
the same biological effects. Radio waves and microwaves of all
frequencies are carriers of ELF signals. The ELF's modulate the
radio signals and "ride" them around the planet. The magnetite
crystals in the brain sense the changing electromagnetic energy
field, and through some yet unknown mechanism, the brain
demodulates the signal and responds to it.

The loud jungle of non-natural electropollution makes the signals
of the Earth and cosmos pale in comparison. We have literally
been cut off from our natural environment by the overpowering
bombardment of electromagnetic pollution. Non-natural
electromagnetic energy is everywhere on the planet. It is
generated by our technology. There's no place you can go to
escape from it.

It is not enough to simply identify societal problems. A good
theory must be able to provide solutions, or at least directions
for further study. The theory of the cosmic itching powder is no
exception.

Human sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation is a
well-documented fact. However, social policy makers will not
address the issue unless public pressure is applied.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal
Communications Commission must join forces to re-evaluate the
current civilian exposure limits. New standards need to be
implemented that reflect current scientific knowledge. The
Surgeon General should issue a general health warning to the
public. These things will not happen, however, until the public
perceives the seriousness of the problem. The need for public
education is obvious.

The scientific community must initiate a full scale effort to
educate the public regarding this public health risk. The most
immediate need is to disseminate information on "practical
prudent avoidance techniques". These techniques involve taking
measures to avoid magnetic field exposure that entail little or
no cost. In other words, finding simple ways to reduce the dose
of radiation that we are exposed to.

Several steps can be taken to minimize ones risk from
electromagnetic energy. The goal is to reduce the total dose of
radiation that we are exposed to. This involves minimizing both
the duration and levels of the exposure. The appendix contains a
list of practical prudent avoidance techniques that the reader
can implement for their own personal safety.

The technology for long term solutions to this problem is
available now. It will not be implemented without intense public
pressure. Major corporate and military entities control the power
switch.

1. Use cable and direct satellite broadcasts to replace existing
radio and television transmitting towers. These towers produce
very strong energy fields for distances up to a half mile. Most
could be readily converted to cable or satellite. Satellite
repeaters cover wide geographic areas and produce very low energy
power levels on the ground. They can provide a relatively safe
public communications system. Shorter term solutions involve
restricting transmitter power levels and possible blackout times.
The goal is to reduce the total ambient radiation.

2. Convert the basic structure of the entire national power
system. The production and distribution of energy is in the hands
of powerful corporate entities. They will not willingly release
their monopolistic concerns. Photovoltic, wind, and other
renewable energy sources can be used to replace our nationwide
transmission power grid. This dispersed type of energy generation
structure will reduce (or eliminate) the need for high-voltage
long-distance transmission power lines. The cost of the
technology to accomplish this conversion is currently competitive
with public utility rates.

Nearly everyone agrees that our society is stressed. The systemic
effect of electropollution directly affects our feeling of
well-being. We can reduce our stress level by reducing our
exposure to electromagnetic radiation. The next time that you
drive out of the city, notice what happens to your stress level
as you get further away from the high intensity radiation of the
metropolitan area.

Unfortunately, there's an even darker side to this theory.
Electropollution is destroying society as we know it. It may be
producing either evolutionary changes or extinction of the human
species.

Hays examined the magnetic field reversals of our planet's
history and found that many species became extinct following
these magnetic anomalies. The great "die-outs" were somehow
linked to the disruption of the magnetic fields that existed
during the evolution of the species. The dinosaurs were part of
the last great extinction during the Cretaceous geological era.
During each magnetic field reversal, the most advanced species
were the most affected.

Scientists have proposed two possible explanations. One is that
magnetic field reversals were accompanied by changes in the
Earth's ELF background radiation, thus causing modifications in
behavior that reduced the survival efficiency of the more
advanced species. The other is that the magnetic changes caused
genetic alterations, resulting in defective offspring. Both
theories may be correct.

The natural geological magnetic field reversals of the past are
dwarfed by the electropollution created by modern society. We
cannot afford to neglect this problem any longer, for if we do,
humanity may follow the footsteps of the dinosaurs.

Suggested Reading

Becker, R. 1990. Cross Currents: The Perils of Electropollution
/ The Promise of Electromedicine. Los Angeles: Jeremy P.
Tarcher.

Appendix

Electromagnetic Radiation Practical Prudent Avoidance Techniques

Many studies have found that even short exposures to field
strengths of 3-milligauss will produce biological effects.
Leading researchers suggest that continuous exposure to a sixty
hertz power levels should not exceed energy levels of
1-milligauss. All of the following "practical prudent avoidance
techniques" will result in exposure levels that meet this
requirement.

1. The use of electric blankets should be discontinued because of
the high magnetic field strengths and the length of exposure.
Electric razors, hair dryers, and curling irons also produce
high-strength magnetic fields, and although the exposure is of
much shorter duration, their use should be discouraged.

2. Position yourself at least four feet away from the television.
Many people are already taking this precaution after having heard
about the ionizing radiation being emitted from the television
screen. This radiation described in this paper is different, and
is being produced by the electronics within the set itself.

3. Maintain a distance of two and a half feet from your computer
video-display terminal. Models built before 1982 give off
substantially higher levels of radiation and should no longer be
used. If possible, install an ELF filter on the video monitor.

4. Avoid long exposures to fluorescent lights. Maintain a
distance of three to four feet from overhead fluorescent light
fixtures. Stop using floor and desk lamps that contain
fluorescent bulbs.

5. If your home utilizes electric baseboard heaters, position
your furniture and bed at least three feet away. Use the same
precaution for small electric space heaters.

6. Do not use hand-held cellular phones, portable phones,
walki-talkies, or any other hand held transmitting devices. The
problem is that the power radiated from the antenna is very close
to the brain. If you must use any of these devices, limit your
exposure to the minimum duration possible. Car phones that have
an external antenna are usually okay because the occupants are
shielded by the metal of the car.

7. Avoid prolonged exposure to all plug-in type electric motors.
These produce extraordinarily high magnetic fields for several
feet. Bedside electric clocks should be removed since they emit
strong magnetic fields near your brain while you sleep. (Digital
or battery operated clocks are not dangerous.) Run dishwashers
only when you are not in the kitchen.

8. Turn all electric appliances "off" when not in use.

9. If you live near a radio or television transmitting tower, or
near a high-voltage power line... move. Unfortunately, there is
no cost-effective shielding for the strong electromagnetic fields
emanating from these sources.