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MICIKOWANIES IRRADIATING THE COMMUNITY "The sun is our strongest natural source of microwaves. The microwave-oven-leakage standard set by the Bureau of Radiological Health is approximately one billion times higher than the total, entire microwave spectrum given off by the sun. It is appalling for these ovens to be permitted to leak at all, let alone for the oven advertisements to encourage our children to have fun by learning to cook with them." By Dr Ronald S. Laura & John F. Ashton Extracted from their recent book: HIDDEN HAZARDS Published by Bantam Books, Australia, 1991. University Medical School was made to a US Senate com- mittee hearing on microwaves in 1973.’ By this time, in some urban areas of America, the level of manmade communica- tion microwaves and high frequency radio waves in the environ- ment was estimated to be from one hundred to two hundred mil- lion times the natural radio frequency background from the sun.’ Since the 1970s, the development of cheap solid-state devices for the generation of microwaves had resulted in a proliferation of generation equipment and use accompanied by a steady further increase in the environmental levels of this invisible pollution, sometimes termed ‘electronic smog’. This invisible smog penetrates our homes, workplaces and recre- ational areas, and is absorbed significantly by the human organism. Literature has now accumulated which reveals a constellation of clues suggesting that persistent levels of microwave radiation vast- ly stronger than those occurring in nature are inimical to health. Microwaves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are considered to be that radiation ranging in frequency from 300 mil- lion cycles per second (300 megahertz) to 300 billion cycles per second (or 300 gigahertz). This radiation corresponds to a wave- length range of 1 metre down to 1 millimetre. Electromagnetic energy in this region is non-ionising and this is quite different in terms of biological interaction compared with harmful x-rays and gamma rays. Microwaves are absorbed at the molecular level and manifest as changes in vibrational energy of the molecules or heat. Microwaves are reflected by electrical conductors such as metals and certain obstacles. Consequently they can be focused into intense highly directional beams by antennas. Microwaves do not bend with the curvature of the earth. When long distance transmis- sion is required, it is thus necessary to use repeaters that receive, amplify and re-transmit the signal. Typically repeaters are about 50 kilometres apart. Even the power transmission lines of the national electricity grid and their supporting towers may resonate with radio frequency radiation, thereby acting as repeaters, which re-radiate this energy into the environment. One of the first uses of microwaves was in radar during World War II. Since the war microwaves have been utilised in air traffic control systems, military and police radar, television broadcast sys- tems, long-distance telephone equipment, medical diathermy devices and microwave ovens. Industrial uses have also steadily increased. Microwaves are utilised for heating in rubber process- ing, plywood fabrication and paper and cardboard manufacture. These processes may utilise up to 1 million watts of microwave energy in individual factories. The ceramic, plastic manufacturing and leather industries also use microwaves, with other applications including the drying of textile bales, dehydration of fruit and the sterilisation of food. Te statement opposite by Dr M.M. Zaret of the New York The microwave-oven- leakage « i ' aft al mn By Dr Ronald S. Laura & John F. Ashton Extracted from their recent book: HIDDEN HAZARDS Published by Bantam Books, Australia, 1991. 16*NEXUS source of microwaves. FEBRUARY-MARCH '93