‘We’ve taken an easy route. It’s easier to be wireless than to be wired, and it’s more convenient. The question is, are we willing to trade convenience for health?’
Brown University alumnus Richard Lear is the author of the seminal paper, “The Root Cause in the Dramatic Rise of Chronic Disease.” As the founder and CPO of four Silicon Valley-based companies, Richard has extensive experience in media, SaaS, human capital and consumer electronics product development. His recent research and writing around the unrecognized explosion of chronic disease in the US and its links to elevated levels of peroxynitrite caused by extensive exposure to wireless devices led Richard to create Greenwave, a startup dedicated to the reduction of dirty electricity. Greenwave products include the EMI Dirty Electricity Meter to measure electro-pollution and Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters that function to ‘clean up’ the dirty electricity present in your wiring.
Richard’s study of the rise of autoimmune and neurological disease in the United States found that moderate changes in lifestyle can mitigate symptoms of common conditions like asthma, diabetes, and sleep disorders. Today he explains the dramatic increase of chronic disease in the US and the peroxynitrite molecule that seems to be responsible for that exponential growth. Richard covers the possible triggers of peroxynitrite production and his take on the most feasible theory, the disruption of ion channels in the body caused by wireless devices. He discusses why our electrical environment matters and how the uptick in autoimmune and neurological disease correlates with the onslaught of wireless technology in our lives. Listen and learn how to reduce your exposure to electrical fields and improve your overall health!
Topics Covered
[0:50] The cause of the dramatic increase of chronic disease in the US
- Autoimmune, neurological disorders experiencing dramatic growth
- Looked at CDC, NIH data from 1990—2015
- 170 million Americans suffer from chronic disease (out of 322 million)
- 704 instances of 40 fastest growing diseases (2.1 illnesses per person)
- All chronic diseases have six common biofactors
- Chronic inflammation
- Oxidative stress
- Nitrative stress
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Autonomic dysfunction
- Epithelial dysfunction
- Peroxynitrite molecule responsible for all six factors
- Disrupts 97 biochemical reactions in body (i.e.: serotonin, dopamine production)
- Economic cost of $2.5T annually (lost productivity, research, medical intervention
[13:17] What triggers the production of peroxynitrite
- Several theories around diet, behavior and environment
- One theory suggests chemical glyphosate in Roundup (used to accelerate wheat harvest)
- Others believe high-fructose, fast food diet is to blame
- Martin Paul has discovered that electrical fields from wireless devices disrupt ion channels in body, cause nitric oxide and peroxynitrite to form
- Richard finds electrical field scenario most plausible
[17:45] Why our electrical environment matters
- We are electrical creatures (brainwaves, heart)
- Every cell has electrical charge
- Internal internet facilitates communication between cells
- Introduction of electrical fields disrupts flow of ions
- Triggers voltage-gated channels (calcium can’t get through)
- Results in biochemical damage
- Electrical environment started to change with telegraph in 1800’s
- Onslaught of technology (radio, radar, TV, phones) adds electrical fields
- 6,000 studies indicate added fields disrupt health
- 6,000% growth in number of cell phones since 1990
- As electrical fields have grown exponentially, so has chronic disease
- Alzheimer’s—300%
- Autism—2,000%
- Bipolar disorder in children—10,000%
- Depression—280%
- Lupus—787%
- Sleep apnea—430%
- Turn off, unplug devices at night to reduce exposure
[27:02] How we can measure and control these electrical fields
- Use meters to measure dirty electricity in home, office
- Utilize filters to eliminate most powerline EMI
- Evidence of reduction in symptoms (blood sugar, inhaler use)
- Eases joint pain, improves sleep
- Havas study indicated reduction in ADD behaviors in schools
- Milham study identified dirty electricity as cause of cancer cluster
[32:55] How to mitigate risk when living in an apartment building
- Tends to be ‘local problem’
- EMI controlled with filtration
- Electrical fields from neighbors’ devices can travel quite a distance
[36:20] The process of installing filters in your home
- Two filters per room on average
- Use meter to guide installation
- Filters cost $26—$30 each
- Meter costs $140 (two-week rental for $40 available soon)
[37:06] How to reduce our exposure to electrical fields
- Bluetooth, ear set may/may not be better (further study necessary)
- Frequency, intensity are factors
- Limit cell phone use
- Set to airplane mode as much as possible
- Utilize speaker phone
- Use landline when you can
- Employ ethernet solutions
[40:34] How a change in lifestyle could improve chronic illness
- More than 50% of Americans face chronic disorders
- Filters could improve sleep, help normalize weight
- Children under 18, adults over 50 and women most sensitive
[45:59] Richard’s take on why people don’t want to recognize the problem of electrical fields
- World of connectedness, availability
- Wireless is easy, convenient
- Silicon Valley could develop solutions if enough demand
- People must determine priorities (convenience vs. health)
Learn More About Richard Lear
“The Root Cause of the Dramatic Rise of Chronic Disease” by Richard Lear
Resources Mentioned
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Biotechnology Information
“Electromagnetic Fields Act Via Activation of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels to Produce Beneficial of Adverse Effects” by Dr. Martin Pall
Dr. Magda Havas on Health Effects of Wi-Fi in Schools
Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization by Samuel Milham