Hybrids and electric cars- health risks from EMF's??

[blueflame]

EMF's seem to be polarizing subject. (pun)

Its like, dont talk politics and religion, and EMF's.

I dont go out of my way really with exhaust gases. Its no biggy for me, and I dont worry. I just quietly go about my business with avoidance an automatic reflex. Using a/c with windows up is kinda nice you know? And not sitting in a cafe on a busy street isnt a problem either. Avoiding exposure to EMF's will now be the same, not a problem.

Remember those metallic suits in early sci fi film? Maybe one day some people will be wearing them. But for now when people laugh nervously at me in my vapor mask or say I'm frightening children, I can think of a zillion things much more frightening for your children than a petrochemically poisoned old guy avoiding further exposure.

And yes I think about computing too, thats why I use a low power netbook and never used a crt monitor. Ever.

Its not a matter of being a Luddite or Amish and avoiding all modern conveniences, its more learning to minimize any harmful effects though safe practices.

[Jammer]

blueflame: Just to be clear, I do respect your views. Heck I am a "germaphobic" and many think I am a bit paranoid because I wash my hands so often. I know the feeling.

[blueflame]

Originally Posted by Jammer

blueflame: Just to be clear, I do respect your views. Heck I am a "germaphobic" and many think I am a bit paranoid because I wash my hands so often. I know the feeling.

Its an area I have been somewhat lacking in the past. And have paid the price more than once.

The amount of times I have contracted a cold after being in the same room as someone who is sick.

Nowadays, I'm like you too Jammer regarding germs. Hepatitis is a problem and in asia I had to worry about worms and flukes, scorpions and snakes.

I think its great that nowadays we have the opportunity to take evasive action against bodily threats with science, whereas in the past if someone pointed a bone at you, you were done for.



Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. - Bertrand Russell



If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius. - Joseph Addison



Distrust and caution are the parents of security. - Benjamin Franklin



It is a good thing to learn caution from the misfortunes of others. - Publilius Syrus



It requires a great deal of boldness and a great deal of caution to make a great fortune, and when you have it, it requires ten times as much skill to keep it. - Ralph Waldo Emerson



If you do not possess the staff of caution and discrimination, use the eyes of him who sees. If there is no staff of caution and discrimination, do not wander on the road without a guide. - Jalal-Uddin Rumi



There is no observation more frequently made by such as employ themselves in surveying the conduct of mankind, than that marriage, though the dictate of nature, and the institution of Providence, is yet very often the cause of misery, and that those who enter into that state can seldom forbear to express their repentance, and their envy of those whom either chance or caution hath withheld from it. - Samuel Johnson



Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortune of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you from what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. [Desiderata] - Max Ehrmann



Idealists foolish enough to throw caution to the winds, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by greasemonkee

Would it bother you if you had to sleep beside a running microwave with the door open?

The answer to all three questions: Not if it was quiet.

So he feels there is good reason to take the precautions and isn't willing to take that chance? What's the big deal?

The big deal is that it's a matter of fundamental world view. The health effects of EMFs have been studied, and those studies all find that the chance of getting your unspecified degenerative disease are exactly the same with or without the EMFs, which really ought to settle the question. But instead, the OP and like-minded people subscribe to the superstitious world view, where things happen because people believe they will. Evidence doesn't matter, just as it doesn't matter that there's no discernable difference between the 13th floor of a hotel and the 12th or 14th. They belive in the superstition.

Even that would be ok, except that he's letting his superstitions drive him to try to dictate what kind of car I can buy. If the potential EMFs in the Honda Insight (or the Prius, Tesla, etc) bother him, there's an extremely simple solution: DON'T BUY ONE. But don't tell me I can't. I happen to like my Insight.

[blueflame]

The above statement is full of untruths. I read Richard Dawkins and constantly study science. My father was a dual honours student and electronics engineer. Science rather than superstition is my pick and hammer.

Its kind of unfair and immature of you to lash out emotionally cause you have a hybrid.

Originally, I just wanted know if meter readings around a gen 1 insight were as high as the complaint letter to consumer affairs at the beginning of this thread. No one has been able to corroborate or disprove. My desire here has been for sound science. And I am not telling anyone not to buy this and that.


Since, I have spent hours digging around online regarding EMF's, and increased my reading in this area 5000plus%. You know there is an awfully large amount of intelligent (including scientists) people in the world who are concerned. Dont you have any children? People suffer constantly in the modern world from pollution?

It just flies in the face of a 'its a zero problem' bitter denunciation. But I understand your emotional reaction if you have a Gen 1 Insight. I'm buying an EMF meter sometime soon and will post results when I have some data. Thats all I wanted here. DATA!

Whew!

[tasdrouille]

Live more. Worry less.

[chuckm]

I read Richard Dawkins and constantly study science. My father was a dual honours student and electronics engineer. Science rather than superstition is my pick and hammer.

Dawkins is not my idea of a good scientist; he is a much better apologist for atheism than science. And he is not that good an apologist for atheism (he just happens to be the loudest).
My parents college degrees have little to do with my credentials. More on topic is my graduating cum laude in physics (my bachelors). I started pursuing a double masters in physics and mechanical engineering, but the school was not set up to provide double masters program at the time, forcing me to choose mechanical engineering for my masters.

It's not that I believe EMFs pose no hazard. I just happen to believe that the hazard is exceptionally small, particularly in comparison to so many other known and proven hazards. I'll reference my previous post on the subject. We are at a statistically provable higher risk from hundreds of other causes of disease and death. Being afraid of EMF in the quantities generated by an Insight is, statistically speaking, probably like worrying about a camel in Saudi Arabia, munching on grass near an airport runway, which happens to be contaminated with uranium dust produced by a mine 1,000 miles away, accidentally gets hooked on the landing gear of a 747, travels to your home town, walks to your house, spits in your eye and gives you cancer.

The world is a dangerous place and it always has been. Today's world is less hazardous than it was even 50 years ago. Yet people are still killed by heart attacks, lightning, meteorites, animal attacks, car crashes, viruses and bacteria, and other people. I'm not saying that there is nothing to worry about wrt EMF. I'm saying that if you worried about everything in proportion to the risk posed, EMF wouldn't even be on the radar (something I don't recommend standing in front of... it will melt the chocolate bar in your pocket). You're worrying about the wrong stuff.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by blueflame

It just flies in the face of a 'its a zero problem' bitter denunciation. But I understand your emotional reaction if you have a Gen 1 Insight. I'm buying an EMF meter sometime soon and will post results when I have some data. Thats all I wanted here. DATA!

Data is good. When you're done sitting in an Insight with the meter, please also go sit in an office chair in any standard-issue office building with fluorescent lights. I'm betting that it's the same or worse.

[Jammer]

I once had a friend when I was a teenager that thought growing his own weed inside was a great way to go. (I am not taking sides either way on this). However he started getting worried about the EMFs from the fluorescent lights he was using. It was at that time I learned that fluorescent lights are some of the worse offenders of EMFs, and we have them installed in most every office building and people going green are now converting over to them instead of using incandescent bulbs in their homes.

IF EMFs are dangerous I feel we should look at all of the millions of people exposed to EMFs from fluorescent lights their entire lives from working in the office, and see if we can find any connection to fatalities.

[blueflame]

If they are so benign, why am I finding online warnings from prominent scientists/heads of faculties regarding EMF's?

Surely there must be SOMETHING in these? These are people with Nobel prizes and such.