Parkinson’s and Pesticides

Posted on June 27th, 2006 in environment, health and wellness by Thomas

A study released by Harvard School of Public Health, and reported today by Reuters, links long term, low level exposure to pesticides to , a degenerative brain disease.

Based on 2001 data by the American Cancer Society the chance of developing is 70% higher. This affects mostly farmers, ranchers and fishermen.

With that many people now suffering from [tag-tec]Multiple-Chemical-Sensitivity[tag-tec] they for sure can “feel” those levels of pesticides even without being a farmer. If some people get sick from it, we all should avoid it.


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Cell Phones and the Motor Cortex of the Brain

Posted on June 27th, 2006 in electronics, environment, health and wellness by Thomas

Reuters reported in June ‘06 that Dr. Paolo Rossini of Fatebenefratelli hospital in Milan and colleagues used Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS to check brain function while people used .

They found that the motor cortex (part of the brain) next to the area where the phone is showed excitability that lasted for about 1 hour until it subsided. Excitable means “it can cause a muscle twitch”.

The researchers say “this does not mean that using a cell phone is bad for the brain in any way”, but obviously they are not so sure about people with certain conditions, like .

Let me ask you:
Is it possible that it affects all of use, some people, might have a “visible” reaction to it, for all the others it just increases their stress level and depletes their energy until it is just too much and something else triggers a visible result, maybe even a .

Quantum physics talks about the , how a butterfly in New Zealand can be the “last drop” that’s needed to create a hurricane in Mexico. Isn’t it time all scientists all sit together?


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Energy Efficient Processors by AMD

Posted on June 7th, 2006 in computers and internet, energy, environment by Thomas

AMD announced the release of new energy efficient , May 16. The current processors available by AMD or Intel consume between 89W and 110W. The new processors are available in 35W and 65W versions.

A regular PC consumes about 150 to 200 Watts of electricity while in operation. A drop in power consumption by 40 to 50 Watts, cuts our computer electricity bill by 20 to 30%.

These versions are slightly more expensive than the regular CPUs but the advantages by far outweigh the cost. There is much less heat that needs to be vented out of the computer case, a case the same size is much cooler inside, i.e. the components age much slower and the computer runs more stable and lasts longer.

The lower heat allows to build much smaller cases that don’t need “turbines” to stay cool.
From an AMD press release, May 16, 2006


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Prostate Cancer Causing Substance in Computers

Posted on June 6th, 2006 in computers and internet, environment, health and wellness by Thomas

Marla Cone of the Los Angeles Times wrote last year in June in an article about bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastics, and latest research that links BPA to .

BPA is used in polycarbonate plastics, which are used in many food applications, plastic containers, soda/pop bottles, etc. Bisphenol-A, in the form of TBBPA (Tetrabromobisphenol-A), is also widely used in electronics as a flame-retardant.

According to research, BPA mimics estrogen and while the male fetus is growing in the womb, BPA might alter the genes of the prostate, which is leading to a significant increase in over the past decades.

Then, later on, it looks like that same very same chemical also interferes with medication that is used to treat prostate cancer. Read Yelena Wetherill et al, University of Cincinatti, in Molecular Cancer Therapeuthics.

What Does This Have To Do With Computers?

BPA, is widely used in the electronics and industry. While mostly eliminated from plastics used in computer cases, etc. it is a major component on the electronics itself. A from of BPA called Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) is used as a flame retardant. Besides the bisphenol-A TBBPA also contains bromine, which is a reactive halogen. More on that another day.

What can be done? First, make sure your current computer is recycled properly when decommissioned.

If you buy a new one, you might want to consider a computer that uses less TBBPA. To our knowledge, there is only us, GreenMachineShop that builds computers that have over 95% less TBBPA than other computers. There is a free e-class on our website where you can read up more about TBBPA and other toxic and carcinogenic substances, power savings, electromagnetic radiation, etc.


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