I have something a little different for you today.
A few days ago, I came across some interesting research that examined the effects of modern tech and its byproducts.
I’m not saying it’s correct or that I believe the research, but I thought it offered an interesting perspective on the global warming debate.
It’s a phenomenon known as ‘electrosmog!’
For the billions of iPhones, smart TVs, modems, emails and Tweets, there’s a hidden impact on the environment.
I’m not talking about the carbon emission in energising these technologies.
I’m also not referring to the environmental or human toll involved in mining the vast critical metals needed to build the billions of devices circulating in the modern world.
I’m referring to the potential consequence known as electromagnetic radiation or EMR.
It is known to some health researchers as electrosmog.
Just consider the billions of devices communicating across the planet. For better or worse, our lives exist under a smog of electromagnetic radiation.
The consequences of that are virtually unknown.
Electromagnetic radiation emits high-frequency waves; some scientists believe that the quantity of EMR in our modern world contributes to global warming.
Is that true? The jury is still out.
There’s scant research investigating the impacts of EMF and its contribution to a warming climate.
However, one researcher named W. John Martin released a study connecting EMR to human-induced global warming.
A complex connection involving physical interactions in the global atmosphere.
If it’s true, what would that say about the role of electrification in combating climate change?
After all, EVs are amongst the highest-intensity emitters of electrosmog!
What a paradox that would be.
Martin’s investigation sits on the fringe between pseudoscience and traditional academia.
However, as an investor, it pays to think critically and challenge popular opinion. An open mind may allow you to see opportunities when most aren’t paying attention.
The Biological Impact
But back to EMF.
While the debate on EMF and its influence on global warming is still in its infancy, electromagnetic radiation’s impact on biological systems is indisputable.
Tests conducted by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in the US have found potentially harmful levels of EMF emittance in electric vehicles.
According to them, levels are especially harmful when users are charging the batteries of an electric car.
And as we move to a 5G network and technify virtually every aspect of our lives—transport, entertainment, food, work—the volume of electromagnetic radiation is set to surge.
AI will bolster that even further.
In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified radiofrequency radiation (a form of EMF) as a possible 2B carcinogen.
Scientists have found that when birds encounter radio frequency waves, they lose their regular navigational capacities. This causes neural damage, locomotory defects, and reproductive capacity issues.
And with more legitimate studies outlining the potentially harmful consequences of electrosmog, what does that do in the relentless pursuit to technify and electrify everything?
Probably very little.
We all need devices to function and live in this modern world.
But another paradox to all this… Oil and combustion engines may be the least bad option we have.
Will EMF smog become the new carbon dioxide?
This is an interesting question, given that EMF exposure is set to explode exponentially in the years to come.
Perhaps eventually, it will be a case of out with the new and in with the old—a return to the oil-fuelled economy and a limit to the relentless expansion of technifying and electrifying everything.
It’s possible, but again, unlikely.
That’s why there’s no need to sell your lithium stocks right now!
Before I leave you today, I want to let you know that we’ll be going in-depth into the oil and gas sector next week.
That might not sit well with everyone, but as I’ve outlined today, I believe there’s still much to learn regarding our understanding of energy, climate change and health.
Many investors have permanently abandoned oil stocks. It’s a severely unloved sector and, in many cases, undervalued.
That offers a ripe opportunity for investors willing to explore this area more.
We’ll do that next week.
Until then,
Regards,
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James Cooper,
Editor, Mining: Phase One and Diggers and Drillers
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