PlanetChange2012 » Health / New & Alternative Medicine

The 15 Healthiest Berries You Could Possibly Eat … Including 7 Most Haven’t Heard Of

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:57:13 +0000

Fresh berries hanging from a branch are some of summer’s most anticipated gifts. Now is the time of year when these naturally sweet, tasty treats are available in plenty, but you can enjoy them in frozen varieties year-round. So go ahead and indulge in all that berries have to offer–a sweet, juicy taste reminiscent of long summer days, an easy addition to snacks and meals, and, best of all, incredible health benefits for you and your family.

Here are fifteen of the healthiest … and tastiest.

1. Blueberry

The blueberry is quite possibly the healthiest fruit there is–it ranked number one in antioxidant capacity by researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables.

“When it comes to brain protection, there’s nothing quite like blueberries,” says Tufts neuroscientist James Joseph. “I call the blueberry the brain berry,” he says, attributing the effect to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

And the American Institute for Cancer Research has this to say: “We now know that blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants, substances that can slow the aging process and reduce cell damage that can lead to cancer.”

Aside from protecting the brain and fighting cancer, blueberries have been associated with lower cholesterol, protection against heart disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids and peptic ulcers, and healthier elimination.

Rich in vitamins C and E, manganese and dietary fiber, about 30 different species of blueberries grow throughout the United States and Canada.

2. Cherry

As if their sweet taste wasn’t enough of a reason to eat them, cherries are rich in queritrin (a flavonoid that’s a potent anti-cancer agent), anthocyanins and bioflavonoids (compounds that fight the pain from arthritis, gout and migraines), ellagic acid (another potent anti-cancer agent) and melatonin (which may help you sleep). They also contain the soluble fiber pectin, vitamin C, beta-carotene and potassium.

If it seems like cherries are only around for a short time, you’re right–their season is only three months long. Cherries come in two basic varieties, sweet and sour. The Bing cherry is the most popular of the sweet cherries and is best for snacking, while the smaller and brighter sour cherries are most often used for pies, sauces or other baked goods. For a treat, try the incredibly sweet and selectively grown Rainier cherries.

3. Strawberry

Like other berries, strawberries contain phytonutrients called phenols that make it a heart-protective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory fruit. Strawberries also help protect the brain from oxidative stress and age-related decline and fight macular degeneration of the eyes. They’re an excellent source of vitamins C and K, manganese, fiber and iodine, and they contain potassium, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, magnesium and copper.

There are over 600 varieties of berries out there, and they can be used in everything from salads to breakfast shakes to desserts. Because strawberries don’t ripen any further once they’re picked, be sure to choose shiny berries with a deep red color and use them within a few days.

4. Bilberry

Similar to the blueberry, bilberries are often referred to as European blueberries. They’re rich in antioxidants and are widely known as a potent protector of the eyes and have been linked to improvements in night vision, cataracts, macular degeneration and vision overall.

Interestingly, the eye-protective benefits of bilberries were first noticed during World War II when British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots discovered that they had better night vision on bombing raids when they ate bilberry preserves beforehand.

The bilberry also contains compounds that enhance blood flow to circulatory vessels, which means it may be beneficial for circulatory problems including varicose veins, hemorrhoids and more.

Bilberries taste just like blueberries, but they’re about three times smaller in size.

5. Blackberry

Blackberries contain antioxidants, vitamins C and E, and ellagic acid, all of which may protect against cancer and fight chronic disease. They’re also rich in the soluble fiber pectin, which may help lower cholesterol, and potassium.

Wild blackberries are actually related to the rose, and, like a rose, they grow on a thorny bush. Because they’re highly perishable (like all berries), blackberries should, ideally, be used the same day they’re bought and washed just prior to eating. You can also freeze them by placing them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and then, once frozen, transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll keep for about six months.

6. Elderberry

In 400 B.C., Hippocrates referred to the elder tree as his “medicine chest,” and it’s been used since ancient times to treat colds, flus, arthritis, constipation and more. Today, the elderberry is still in popular demand when it comes to health, especially in Austria, Germany and England.

Elderberries contain plenty of antioxidants, anti-viral compounds, anthocyanins that help enhance immune function, and compounds that help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

The berries are small and round and range in color from dark purple to bluish-black. Elderberries should not be eaten raw, as they’re mildly poisonous and can cause nausea or vomiting if eaten unripe (and they’re quite sour). The mild toxicity is destroyed by cooking, though, so the berries are typically used to make jams, jellies and homemade wine. They can also be used in place of blueberries in things like muffins, cakes and pies.

7. Goji Berries

It’s said that a handful of goji berries in the morning will make you happy for the rest of the day. Traditionally, they’re regarded as a potent food for longevity, strength and sexual virility and are grown in Tibet in protected valleys that contain million-year-old soil that’s reportedly untouched by pollutants or pesticides.

As tradition goes, the berries are never touched by human hands (this would cause them to oxidize and turn black), but instead are shaken onto mats and then dried or made into a liquid juice. There’s even a legend that says Li Qing Yuen, who “lived to the age of 252 years” (1678-1930), ate Goji berries every day.

Modern day studies have also found some benefits to goji berries; they’ve been said to have potential in fighting cancer and protecting the liver. Goji berries contain 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, linoleic acid, more beta carotene than carrots, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E, selenium and germanium.

Goji berries are deep red in color and about the same size as a raisin. They taste like a cranberry combined with a cherry, and are typically eaten dried or in juice form.

8. Lingonberries

These small, red, oval fruits (they’re about the size of a large pea) are a popular treat in Finland and other Nordic countries where their tart flavor is enjoyed in sauces and jellies.

Lingonberries are rich in the flavonoid quercetin, which is a plant antioxidant that may help to prevent cancer and heart disease. Fresh lingonberries are not easy to find in the United States, but if you do find them, you can use them as you would a cranberry. They’re often eaten crushed and mixed with sugar or cooked into sauces, jams, jellies, juice and wine.

If you haven’t heard of the lingonberry, maybe you’ve heard of one of its numerous other names: cowberry, red whortle berry, foxberry, northern mountain cranberry, dry ground cranberry, rock cranberry, partridge berry or whimberry. Or maybe not.

9. Cranberries

One of the most popular uses of cranberries, to treat urinary tract infections, has been used for centuries by indigenous cultures. Today researchers have found that cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), which inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from adhering to the urinary tract, thereby protecting it from infection.

They’re also rich in antioxidants that may play a role in preventing heart disease and cancer, and may play a role in preventing peptic ulcers by inhibiting H. pylori from adhering to the stomach.

Because cranberries are so tart, they’re not usually eaten raw but instead are baked into pies, muffins and cakes, used as a juice or cooked into the American holiday favorite, cranberry sauce.

10. Raspberry

Raspberries are rich in phytonutrients for antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic protection. Chief among these is ellagic acid, the potent cancer fighter. Raspberries have also been found to help prevent macular degeneration, and they contain manganese, vitamin C, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber and copper.

Raspberries have a long history–they can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times–but began to be grown widely in the 19th century, when many new varieties, including the loganberry and boysenberry, were developed. Raspberries have a sweet, tangy taste that makes them a popular treat for snacks, desserts, salads, cereals, sauces, baking, jams, jellies and more.

11. Dewberry

Dewberries are closely related to raspberries and blackberries, with the same sweet taste, but are slightly smaller and typically purple in color. It is likely that they present similar health benefits to raspberries and blackberries.

12. Mulberry

Traditionally, mulberry fruit has been used medicinally to treat the kidneys, fatigue, anemia and weakness. Although not widely studied, it’s thought that mulberries contain high levels of antioxidants and similar health benefits as other dark-colored berries like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

The mulberry has a sweet, somewhat bland flavor, and is commonly used in jelly, wine and desserts. In its dry form, the mulberry can be used as a raisin substitute.

13. Gooseberry

These fruits grow wild throughout the United States, but they’re typically cultivated in more tropical locations like Hawaii and South Africa. They can range in color from white to green to pink or purple, and they’re typically about 1/2 to 1 inch wide (though some varieties can grow as big as plums!).

Gooseberries have a sweet/sour taste somewhere between a strawberry and a pineapple. Though not too common in the United States these days, they taste great in pies, jams, jellies and cooked sauces, or eaten fresh, if you can find them. If you’re looking for a sweeter berry, choose a gooseberry with a pinkish hue. The green berries are unripe and work best for sauces and pies.

Gooseberries have similar nutritional qualities as strawberries, cranberries and other berries.

14. Huckleberry

Huckleberries look just like blueberries (and are often confused with them) and taste like them too (but a bit more tart), but contain seeds that give them a unique crunchy texture. The seeds are edible, so they can be used interchangeably with blueberries, but, since they’re not grown commercially, you’ll have to find them in the wild.

Huckleberries have not been studied extensively, but may have similar health benefits as blueberries.

15. Chokeberry

Purple berries like chokeberries may possess as much as 50 percent more antioxidants than more common berries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

However, the raw berries are extremely tart (hence the name “chokeberry”), so they’re best when cooked and made into juice, jam or wine.

www.sixwise.com

For the Love of Business

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:34:54 +0000

We stand at the threshold of a moral crossroads in American business. Which way will we turn in the new decade is the dilemma before us. Do we retreat to old and tired patterns of indifference? Or do we find the courage to cut a new and hopeful path to the common good?

The heated debates of healthcare, bailouts, banking reform, financial regulation, usury laws, consumer protection, home loan modifications, small business support, social assistance programs-all point to one fundamental issue – the battle for a moral framework. What do we value in America? Easy Money or Hard work? Self-interest or Community? Vengeance or Forgiveness? Indifference or Compassion?

Do we continue to let 45 million Americans suffer without healthcare as long as we have access to it ourselves? Should we protect unsuspecting or reckless consumers or leave them at the mercy of profit hungry scams? Do we let the jobless and homeless fend for themselves because we are comfortable under our own roofs?

In the end, all of these economic debates come down to one thing: love. Love for our neighbor, love for ourselves, love for the planet, love for humanity. Love for those who are starving, hungry, desperate or forgotten. Love for those whose only hope of relief from suffering comes from you and me and our generosity.

Michael Moore’s latest movie was called, Capitalism: A Love Story. At first, the concept seemed hostile and sarcastic, yet the more I pondered its irony, the more I recognized its truth. Capitalism in its current anarchic state is all about love or rather the lack of it. Love in the Ancient Greek agape sense of the word.

A senior manager in finance explained to me that he functions equally on “Christian principles” and devotion to the theories of Ayn Rand. The author of the 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged, Rand influenced a generation of market making economists including the two decade Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan. Rand’s belief of self-interest over self-sacrifice defined the deregulation doctrine of the last thirty years of government. Yet “Christian principles” revolve around the antithesis of self-interest and focus on community and common good. I asked my friend how he reconciled both conflicting interests, he replied, “self-interest is self-love.”

Self-interest is indeed self-love, yet the doctrine leaves out an essential part of the contract, love for one’s neighbor. Our financial system for the last three decades has moved to loss of love for our neighbor and gain of love for ourselves – at their expense. We might say the new American doctrine has become, Let the neighbors be damned.

Survival-of-the-fittest

The 20^th century was a painful and extraordinary classroom for the human species. Genocides, wars, and revolutions revealed the inherent conflicts between morality and money.

In America, in the early 1900s, children as young as five toiled in brutally harsh conditions. Laborers worked from sunup until sundown, seven days a week in unofficial indentured servitude. Women and minorities were completely disenfranchised from opportunity and education. Land was stolen from native occupants with government sanctions. Young immigrants were treated like cattle to the slaughter and locked in unsafe sweatshops to extract every bloody cent. The first half of the American century revealed a savage world of human indifference for the sake of profit.

The die had been cast since the young nation’s inception and the cruel legalization of human beings as property. Industrialization took over where slavery left off with the sanctimonious cry of “survival-of-the-fittest” in business as a near religious dogma. British philosopher Herbert Spencer introduced rags-to-riches Andrew Carnegie to Darwin’s theory of natural selection in finance. Alfred P. Sloan, GM’s chairman declared, “The business of business is business.” Fifty years later, economist Milton Friedman wrote, “The social responsibility of business is profits.” With those proclamations, the dehumanizing of business was official.

Yet business and its patriarchal design forgot one crucial fact: Business is a fundamentally human enterprise. People profit by providing services and products that improve and enhance the lives of other people. How did our ancestors manage to dehumanize something so innately human?

Dogma is a funny thing. We can repeat a concept so many times that we begin to believe it as fact. One unfortunate mantra that defined 20^th century finance and the first decade of the 21^st was: It’s not personal, its business. Yet joblessness and foreclosure rates defy this belief as the human tragedy resulting from these grows greater by the day.

From the 1940s through the 1960s in America, greed as a moral goal would have been solidly rejected. JFK defined the motto of the “greatest generation” with, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Yet two decades later the new “morality of greed” as the definition for success allowed their children to step over the writhing bodies of victims on their way to the top.

The savage view of money and profits that resulted in the subprime mortgage crisis and the “once-in-a-lifetime economic tsunami” that we continue to experience globally, reveals that the old beliefs of self-interest over neighborly love are primitive and unworthy of us as modern people.

Our relentless economic struggle offers us a genuine spiritual opportunity as a nation to reexamine what we believe is “right and wrong.” The outcome of the healthcare and financial reform debates will define our moral framework going forward.

Those who benefit from the current status quo and value self-interest over self-sacrifice will continue to oppose universal healthcare, consumer protection, financial and banking reform. The self-righteous haves will continue to disenfranchise the self-defeated have-nots in the battle for equality. The irony of Medicare patients fighting against publicly supported healthcare is not lost on anyone except themselves.

The financial industry, that benefited from direct bailouts of trillions of dollars, will continue to use the profits from their inequitable advantage to squash the dreams of impoverished and unemployed Americans.

Where is love in all of this? Sadly absent. Many ordinary people have been conditioned to think of love and business as separate. Yet they view self-love and business as inseparable. The current definition of selfishness as “virtuous” shows that the soul of money has been left out. Money has no soul or morality, but what we impose on it. If I am okay and you are not, will I help you or look the other way? If I make my living by taking yours, can I really feel I “earned” my lot?

The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle defined “moral virtue” as habit. How have we as “morally self-righteous” people developed a habit of indifference to the suffering of others and mistaken it for virtue? If love is the concern for fellow humanity, then can it be made a habit of business? Where would we be today if “love for one’s neighbor” had been part of the core business model in the mortgage market?

In America, we are caught in a vicious circle. Our individualism inspires us to innovate and create. Yet our self-focus obscures our common humanity. If we are part of the fortunate who survived the Great Recession, then full steam ahead. However, those who are left struggling to survive are rendered weak for the fight. It is left to the rest, those who have comfort and conscience to establish a new moral foundation that values prosperity for all, not just a chosen few.

Aristotle believed that the unlimited pursuit of wealth was both unnatural and a hindrance to real happiness. He believed that “money makers” focused on immediate pleasure and not on more weighty needs of the soul. The pursuit of wealth at the expense of the community would divide citizens and undermine the stability of society. The current state of the economy has proven the twenty-four hundred year old wisdom is still timely. (Politics. 1257)

Our “vicious circle” financial system, controlled by a small privileged percentage of the population, has completely abandoned large portions of society. They pull the strings of the economy like we are puppets without hearts or brains. This crisis has forced Middle Class America to its knees-all the more pie to divide up for the lucky few who dictate our lives behind the scenes.

A growing portion of American business, inspired by some of our European counterparts, is repeating the new mantra for the 21^st century: doing well by doing good. More and more an expanding consciousness among enlightened people comprehends the primitive nature of self-interest at the expense of our neighbors. It gets louder and louder and fills the moral vacuum with a revolution in social responsibility for a new generation of business minds.

We believe in make money by making the world a better place. Perhaps if we repeat that enough, it will replace the economic brutality of the past.

http://good-b.com/blog/

Singing Re-wires the Brain

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:51:02 +0000

Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News, San Diego

Singing words made it easier for stroke patients to communicate

Teaching stroke patients to sing “rewires” their brains, helping them recover their speech, say scientists.

By singing, patients use a different area of the brain from the area involved in speech.

If a person’s “speech centre” is damaged by a stroke, they can learn to use their “singing centre” instead.

Researchers presented these findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Diego.

An ongoing clinical trial, they said, has shown how the brain responds to this “melodic intonation therapy”.

Gottfried Schlaug, a neurology professor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, led the trial.

The therapy is already established as a medical technique. Researchers first used it when it was discovered that stroke patients with brain damage that left them unable to speak were still able to sing.

Professor Schlaug explained that his was the first study to combine this therapy with brain imaging – “to show what is actually going on in the brain” as patients learn to sing their words.

Making connections

Most of the connections between brain areas that control movement and those that control hearing are on the left side of the brain.

“But there’s a sort of corresponding hole on the right side,” said Professor Schlaug.

Music engages huge swathes of the brain – it’s not just lighting up a spot in the auditory cortex

Dr Aniruddh Patel, neuroscientist

“For some reason, it’s not as endowed with these connections, so the left side is used much more in speech.

“If you damage the left side, the right side has trouble [fulfilling that role].”

But as patients learn to put their words to melodies, the crucial connections form on the right side of their brains.

Previous brain imaging studies have shown that this “singing centre” is overdeveloped in the brains of professional singers.

During the therapy sessions, patients are taught to put their words to simple melodies.

Professor Schlaug said that after a single session, a stroke patients who was are not able to form any intelligible words learned to say the phrase “I am thirsty” by combining each syllable with the note of a melody.

The patients are also encouraged to tap out each syllable with their hands. Professor Schlaug said that this seemed to act as an “internal pace-maker” which made the therapy even more effective.

“Music might be an alternative medium to engage parts of the brain that are otherwise not engaged,” he said.

Brain sounds

Dr Aniruddh Patel from the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, said the study was an example of the “explosion in research into music and the brain” over the last decade.

“People sometimes ask where in the brain music is processed and the answer is everywhere above the neck,” said Dr Patel.

“Music engages huge swathes of the brain – it’s not just lighting up a spot in the auditory cortex.”

Dr Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist from Northwestern University in Chicago, also studies the effects of music on the brain.

In her research, she records the brain’s response to music using electrodes on the scalp.

This work has enabled her to “play back” electrical activity from brain cells as they pick up sounds.

“Neurons work with electricity – so if you record the electricity from the brain you can play that back through speakers and hear how the brain deals with sounds,” she explained.

Dr Kraus has also discovered that musical training seems to enhance the ability to perform other tasks, such as reading.

She said that the insights into how the brain responds to music provided evidence that musical training was an important part of children’s education.

How EmWave Reduces Stress and Creates Coherence

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:38:46 +0000

For more info: http://www.heartmathstore.com/category/emwaveworks

Haiti Relief

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:41:26 +0000

Check out this video about Haiti Relief:  http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/788.html

JOURNEY TO THE SOUL™ 2010

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:53:30 +0000

JOURNEY TO THE SOUL™ 2010
with Gary Zukav and Linda Francis
Sunday, July 25 – Thursday, July 29
The Resort at the Mountain • Mt. Hood, Oregon

About Journey to the Soul

The Journey to the Soul is an in-depth transformational voyage into the deepest, most wholesome, and refreshing sources of meaning and purpose in your Life. You will be invited to open yourself to exploring your emotions, your intentions, your choices, and your intuition and to use your experiences to grow spiritually. For example, you will learn specific, practical, and very useful tools – such as emotional awareness and responsible choice – that you can apply at work, at home, with your family or in your everyday life wherever you go, and ways to use your intuition and to explore developing trust in the Universe. For many people, the Journey to the Soul is the most beneficially influential experience of their lives, providing them a safe and supportive environment to explore their defenses, move beyond them permanently, and create differently.

The Journey to the Soul is a perfect opportunity to relax into a community of spiritual partners and learn experientially about authentic power – what it is, why it is important, and how to create it. It is the most powerful single event that the Seat of the Soul Institute offers. Each session is led by Gary Zukav and/or Linda Francis, is relational, experiential, and grounded in everyday experiences. The purpose of the Journey to the Soul is to teach you in practical, easy-to-understand ways the tools that are necessary to create a life of more joy and less pain, to move into your full potential, and to give the gifts that you were born to give.

For more info about this event and to sign up click here: http://www.seatofthesoul.com/sp_workshops.html

For more info about Gary and linda click here: http://www.seatofthesoul.com/aboutus.html

Who Likes Chocolate?

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:12:43 +0000

Dark Chocolate: The New Antianxiety Drug

The use of chocolate as a cure for emotional stress has gotten new support from a clinical trial. The trial found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones.

There is growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions.

In the study, scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical changes in volunteers who rated themselves as highly stressed and ate dark chocolate for two weeks.

In addition, a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the detailed cocoa antioxidant contents of commercially available chocolate and cocoa-containing products sold in the United States.

The top-selling three or four brands of natural cocoa powder, unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup were purchased across the United States for the study. Each product was tested for antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, and individual flavanol monomers and oligomers.

These results were compared to the amount of nonfat cocoa solids and total polyphenols in each product, as well as to the calculated percent cacao.

The products with the highest level of flavanol antioxidants were cocoa powders, followed by unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate and semi-sweet chips, then milk chocolate and finally chocolate syrup
Journal of Proteome Research October 7, 2009

Cocoa residue has been used for some time and has even been found in 2,600-year-old Mayan ceramic vessels in northern Belize. This pushes the start of mankind’s chocolate addiction back by 1,000 years. Prior to that discovery, the earliest signs of cocoa use dated back to 400 A.D.

However, it’s important to realize the differences between the various types of chocolate products available today.

For example, there’s a huge difference between the minimally processed dark chocolate and the milk chocolate found in most candy bars.

Likewise, raw, unsweetened cocoa powder, which is high in antioxidant flavonols, is vastly different from the common commercial cocoa drinks that are loaded with sugar and low in antioxidant content.

Are our cell phones poisoning us?

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:24:49 +0000

Are our cell phones poisoning us?

“Electromagnetic Pollution (EMF) may be the most significant form of pollution human activity has produced in this century, all the more dangerous because it is invisible and insensible.”
~ Andrew Weil, MD., author of Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

In April of 2009, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Health Concerns Associated with Electromagnetic Fields by a 559 to 22 vote, which includes the position that cell towers not be placed in proximity to schools, places of worship, retirement homes, and health care institutions.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. it remains illegal for local governments to prevent the placement of wireless facilities near schools and other sensitive locations because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996’s federal preemption.
__

June 2, 2009 Breaking News:
Massive increase in RF radiation levels in U.S.; LA seeks changes in Cell Tower Legislation

~ Microwave News reports that a new Swiss study found a 10-fold increase in radiofrequency radiation (RF) levels since the U.S. EPA measured these levels in the mid-1970s (a practice long abandoned in the U.S.). Scientists reported that mobile phones and towers do increase RF exposure but so do cordless phones. Using mobile phones in confined spaces such as buses and trains also exposes non-users-secondhand radiation.

~ Although the CHE EMF working group focuses on new science related to EMF, many members are also involved in advocacy, education and outreach on EMF issues. There is also growing interest among the larger public, particularly parents, as evidenced in the following news from Los Angeles:

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on June 2, 2009, to actively seek and support federal legislation to repeal portions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that limit the authority of state and local governments to regulate cell towers and related wireless facilities on the basis of their health and environmental effects.

Los Angeles is the first major local government to directly take on the federal preemption of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. As part of its efforts on this issue, the Board of Supervisors will also be filing comments consistent with its motions with the FCC with regard to National Broadband Policy.

This action follows the unanimous passage on May 26, 2009 of a resolution by the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education concerning the ongoing proliferation of wireless antennas near schools. This resolution includes a statement in favor of repealing the Telecommunication Act of 1996’s preemption of consideration of health and environmental effects of wireless facilities.