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Sorry if it's a repost -- didn't see it on GMI anywhere.
Interesting article.
SOURCE: LeftLaneNews.com
Interesting article.
SOURCE: LeftLaneNews.com
MORE HEREAre hybrids hazardous to our health?
April29
We know that hybrid vehicles are better for the environment, but could they pose a health threat for occupants? While it may sound silly, scientists have a legitimate reason for posing such a question. As with all electronic devices, hybrid vehicles emit electromagnetic fields, which have been proven to cause serious health risks. The real question is, do hybrids create a big enough E.M.F. to pose a health risk to those inside?
While we're constantly bombarded with E.M.F.'s throughout our day-to-day lives — produced from everything from cell phones to light bulbs — there is no federally mandated standard for acceptable levels of exposure. But some organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, do recognized that long-term exposure to a strong E.M.F. can lead to cancer, says the New York Times.
So while the risk is there, there is no smoking gun to link hybrids to cancer-causing levels of E.M.F.'s. That being said, more research still needs to be done to conclude that there are no health risks involved in driving a hybrid vehicle. “It would be a mistake to jump to conclusions about hybrid E.M.F. dangers, as well as a mistake to outright dismiss the concern,” Jim Kliesch, a senior engineer for the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the New York Times. “Additional research would improve our understanding of the issue.”
Toyota and Honda — the two leaders in hybrid vehicle production — both claim that their hybrid vehicles are safe and emit about the same level of E.M.F.'s as gasoline powered cars, although it's hard to validate this claim since there is no standard for a safe level of exposure.
