Why is Hurricane Florence Different by Ruth Robinson

Why is Hurricane Florence Different? 

By Ruth Robinson

As I am writing this article, over 10 million people on the Eastern Atlantic seaboard are in harms way. The news tells us that this storm may dump nearly three feet of rain over 36-48 hours in the affected areas. On Thursday evening, Sept. 13th, we just don’t know if this is going to be confirmed.

Is the intensity of this storm, and other recent hurricanes, a result of climate change? Is it because we’re using too much fossil fuel?

What I’ve been able to discover is that the answer is not simple, nor easy. Climate experts disagree on some things, but are completely in agreement about this fact: warmer seawater plus any hurricane or tropical storm or typhoon results in a more intense storm. The temperature of the water is what makes for extreme storms.

So, how did that happen, anyway? Current science links global warming to increased water temperatures. Global warming is linked to human actions, no doubt about that.

Just about a year ago, before the last three (counting Florence) major hurricanes hit any of the US states or territories, the NY Times had an article about “The Relationship Between Climate Change and Hurricanes”. Basically, the science is evolving as data is analyzed and interpreted. Here is an excerpt written by John Schwartz:

“The relationship between hurricanes and climate change is not simple. Some things are known with growing certainty. Others, not so much.


The most recent draft of a sweeping climate science report pulled together by 13 federal agencies as part of the National Climate Assessment suggested that the science linking hurricanes to climate change was still emerging. Looking back through the history of storms, “the trend signal has not yet had time to rise above the background variability of natural processes,” the report states.Temperatures have been rising, and theory and computer modeling suggest an increase in storm intensity in a warmer world, “and the models generally show an increase in the number of very intense” storms. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University and an author of the report, said even if global warming does not change the number of storms - and, she noted, there could even be fewer hurricanes over all - tropical storms and hurricanes do gain energy from warm water, so the unusually warm water that has accompanied climate change “can have a role in intensifying a storm that already exists.”

Join Person of the Planet at the “Rise for Climate March” In SF

Rise for Climate March

Join Person of the Planet at the “Rise for Climate March” In SF

 Saturday September 8, 2018

On September 8, 2018, thousands will march in San Francisco for the largest climate march the West Coast has ever seen.

Together they will Rise for Climate, Jobs & Justice as part of a global day of action to demand our elected leaders commit to no new fossil fuels and a just and fair transition to 100% renewable energy.

World’s Largest Street Mural: At the end of the march on Sep 8, be sure to check out the record-breaking street mural at Civic Center. Their goal is to complete 50 mural sections, each 50×50 ft.

Person of the Planet will meet near the Sue Bierman Playground which is to left as you face the Ferry Building just past the Embarcadero Plaza between 10am and 11.  The march starts at 11am.  Look for the long Person of the Planet banner.

 

March Schedule

10:00-10:50 AM - March Line-up at Embarcadero Plaza

We will be gathering at the foot of Market Street in San Francisco, near Embarcadero Plaza. We will be encouraging people to march and organize not just as individuals - but along themes based on the diversity of our communities, concerns, and issues. Contingents are self-organized and growing in numbers.

 

11:00 AM - We Rise Together: Moment of Solidarity

We’ll share a moment of silence followed by a song before we march.

 

11:05 AM-12:00 PM - March down Market St.

The route will go from the Embarcadero Plaza area, up Market St, to Civic Center. It is largely flat, about 1.7 miles, and should take the average marcher about 1.5 - 2 hours to complete. We will have a support vehicle at the tail of the march if anyone needs a ride or a break.

 

12:30-4:00 PM - Resource Fair at Civic Center

The march will end at Civic Center Plaza, near San Francisco City Hall. There will be music, and dozens of information tables from the organizations that helped make this march possible.

 

2:00 PM - We Rise Together: Moment of Solidarity

We’ll take moment for everyone to stop painting, step back and see what we’ve created. A drone will take photos as we move and sing together. Same song as before

2,300 Persons of the Planet By Shanti Moorjani August 31, 2018

2,300 Persons of the Planet

 By Shanti Moorjani August 31, 2018

I just returned last night from a 3 day Climate Reality workshop in Los Angeles with the ex-vice-president Al Gore. Some of you will remember we hosted 3 Climate Specialists here, at the church in July. The good news is, we are not alone in your concern for the survival of this Planet. 2,300 people from 40 countries, ages ranging from 13 to 80 came together to learn about the hard facts of Climate change, to hear firsthand accounts of those impacted by climate change, and to discovery ways to go out into the world and make a difference. Many were already active by either starting movements, like our Person of the Planet, writing books about creating a country of earth (Leap.earth), some already in green businesses, or others mobilizing to political action across the country. Many came to learn as much as they could and garner the skills to go home and get active. This summit was their largest gathering to date, which, to me, underscores the underlying urgency many people across the world feel about climate change. This is especially true when many of our leaders and the media are burying their heads in the sand, yes, sand that will quickly be covered with water if we don't collectively act. We need leaders in the government who are educated to the realities of climate change and willing to speak up.

This Climate Reality Project is "dedicated to catalyzing a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society". The three questions that prefaced every presentation were: 1. We must change, 2. We can change, and 3. We will change. The speakers were experts in the field and exciting to listen to. One panel of Fire Chiefs and experts discussed the reasons and solutions to wild fires across the globe. Even a panel of movie moguls who have and are doing films that tackle climate issues enlightened us.

While a panel of experts were discussing the gains California has made over the years reversing the effects of climate change, Mr. Gore shared that this very day (Tuesday 8/28), the California legislature would be voting on a bill SB100. This bill states that California must use eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources to supply 100% of retail sales of electricity to CA customers by 2045. It's goals are re-accessed every 5 years. Though the first vote failed by 4 votes, by the end of the day, it had passed and now awaits Jerry Brown's signature.

Man-made global warming pollution has corrupted the balances that nature originally provided. Now it is up to us to give back to the planet by reviewing our own consumptive habits, our use of energy, voting for climate advocates and asking that question; "Is this good for the planet?" for all our decisions. Al Gore said "Once people determine what is right and what is wrong, they can demand what is right and stand up to what is wrong."   Things can change and must change.

The Sierra Bakers Dozen by Shanti Moorjani

The Sierra Bakers Dozen

By Shanti Moorjani 

Yesterday I returned from a week long backpacking trip in the Eastern high Sierras. Being in the wilderness with 12 other people who I consider "persons of the planet" was incredibly refreshing! Thirteen strong, age diverse, passionate nature lovers, participating in a physically demanding week-long trek to the Silver Divide was the ultimate "high". Starting at 9,000 feet at the Cold Water Creek Trailhead, we headed up and over the Duck Pass (10,700) to camp at Pika Lake, one of many pristine Sierra lakes. The grueling hike over the pass carrying a 35-40lb. pack is challenging considering the altitude effect, varied terrain, and many hours required to reach our destination.   The Sierra Club motto: "Leave no trace left behind" weighed heavily on our minds with cooking and other daily chores. Why would anyone submit themselves to this kind of physical/mental challenge? The answer is simple: WILDERNESS!

Standing before a mammoth granite mountain, dotted with snow packs nestle on the mountain walls, slowly melting in the mid-day sun into rivulets and waterfalls, filling the wet meadows with an array of wildflowers and thick moss fills the soul with wonder. A magical sense awakens one to the fact that these are ancient mountains, untouched by human intervention. It's sacred! Yes, it's true a few of us are hiking here and dipping into the cold, clear lakes like a ritual cleanse, remembering to be low impact on the environment.

My twelve colleagues each brought a unique quality to my hiking experience here. Our calm leader, Jane Uptegrove, brought her geology training to de-mystify how these mountains were formed and what we are seeing around us at the 12,000 foot McGee pass. Bill Flowers, our assisting leader, brought more than 20 years of Sierra Club hiking experience to the group. I call Bill a modern day John Muir, as he slept each night under the stars without tent even as temperatures dipper well into the 30s and 40s.

The names of our flowers and trees were provided by Mary Hess (fellow POP) who has done many a hike in the Sierras over the years. Lori, suggested we were the Bakers Dozen, thirteen hearty hikers, ages ranging from Rachel 22, hiking with her Dad, Jim, to Ed somewhere over 70 years. Other people were a brother and sister power-house, Jess and Matt, and inspiring Native American woman, Channa who lead us in yoga while lecturing us on the importance of treading gentle on the planet. She herself is fiercely determined to live off the land and be plastic-free. Hats off to Sue, my swimming buddy and Laure from New York.

Where? Where? Where in the universe is there another living planet like our Earth? Where can we find more Sierras with fresh water to drink, wildflowers to see?

One year ago, Person of the Planet, began offering lectures, movies and even a "green" holiday bazaar in an effort to educate people and motivate you, the individual, to take charge of your every day decisions that impact this planet. Remember a Person of the Planet always asks the question "Is this good for the planet?" for every decision he/she makes. When we elect leaders who begin to ask this same question, then we can bring our fragile planet back from harm and create more spaces and places like the natural Sierra mountains. These natural treasures have withstood the test of time, retaining their beauty and have evolved according to natural laws of nature.

The resolve and commitment of one person makes a difference. Together we can save a planet for the next generation to survive and thrive.

A Letter from Anthony to Shanti

Hello Shanti –

You asked us to put on paper a few of the comments which we had for the group who viewed the film “Bag It!” last Thursday. My thoughts were focused on the plastic bags in which our San Francisco Chronicle is delivered each morning whenever we have rain, heavy fog, or either of the two are threatened. This summer we are routinely experiencing fog so thick that it condenses on everything, particularly trees, and our carrier routinely bags the Chronicle to protect it from the moisture.

I find this practice particularly distasteful and here’s why. The carrier’s route is very large. He delivers multiple hundreds of newspapers in the Kensington area, and probably in the neighboring communities of Berkeley, El Cerrito, Albany, and Richmond. Hundreds and hundreds of plastic bags go into the waste stream every day.  We are not talking about the relatively small number of bags that a single householder might discard after a shopping trip. We are talking about whole communities who daily participate in this single-use practice. The scale makes it an especially big problem. Kensington, for instance has 2,400 households. How many bags does it take to service Kensington every morning? How many wind up in the trash?

There are a number of messages printed on the bags. “THIS BAG IS RECYCLABLE” is one that I particularly dislike. “RECYCLABLE” is what I call a weasel word. Of course it’s recyclable. A responsible person will not throw it into the trash – maybe. But not all Chronicle readers take the trouble. Just because it’s “RECYCLABLE” and CAN be recycled by no means insures that it WILL be recycled. You can be certain that a considerable percentage of these bags go into the trash every day. Furthermore, not all curbside recyclers accept category 4 LDPE plastic. Even when recycled, it winds up as landfill.

What is needed is for the carrier to be using “COMPOSTABLE” bags which are bio-degradable. This relieves the consumer from the extra effort of recycling. Compostable bags are not harmful to the environment. I feel that the carrier, or the supervisor of distribution for the Chronicle, needs to be sent a message by Chronicle subscribers: EMBRACE COMPOSTABLES!  DON’T DROP ANY MORE ENVIRONMENTAL TIME BOMBS IN MY DRIVEWAY!

Another message on the bag declares “BRING IT BACK.  YOUR STORE RECYCLES PLASTIC BAGS. That’s great. This, no doubt, makes the consumer feel good. But my comment here is the same as my comment above. It takes a responsible consumer to save up his plastic bags and then remember to bring them to his local grocery store for disposal when he goes shopping. Only a certain percentage will do this.  The rest go into the trash, and a large percentage find their way to the trash as disposal bags for doggie poop. The newspaper bags are designed to fit newspapers – long and thin – and are not very practical for reuse. You can’t put bulkier items (like a load of fruits or vegetables) into one of them. But they are perfect as doggie bags. I walk in Tilden Park every day and see them routinely used by the dozens in this manner. Dog owners would be just as happy using compostable bags, if they had a regular source.

It also bothers me that the newspaper bags are now colored green. This makes me suspect that the distributor knows full well that the bags are a problem and that he is trying to make the consumer feel less guilty by coloring the bag green.  The hidden message is: “Green is Good”. It’s wonderful that we have so many green products now hitting the market. But traditional plastic bags colored green are not one of them. Lets have bags made of natural renewable biodegradable products, like corn husks. And let’s tell the Chronicle to stop polluting the environment with this garbage

-        Anthony Knight

Bits and Pieces July 27, 2018 By Shanti Moorjani

To use plastic or to not use plastic, that is the question. Ok, agreed, plastic is handy, lightweight, and readily available.  Those of you that saw the "Bag It"  movie last Sunday, got a deeper understanding of how plastic evolved, how it is made, and where it goes when thrown away (and re-cycled). This movie is not a new movie (2010) so you can easily watch through your streaming or even purchase on Amazon.

Sadly, a fact I cannot get out of my head is there is now more small plastic  than plankton in the ocean, and to the fish it looks like food......tiny fish eat it, bigger  fish eat smaller fish and we eat that fish.  With that in mind, I refuse to buy certain products in cartons with screw-top pouring spouts, because they are landfill and spouts are unnecessary.  I decided to write a letter to company, because I actually like the product.

A scary fact the "Bag It" film talked about, that seems unbelievable, are studies that show that plastic is messing with our hormonal system,  reversing the sexes.....you know men more feminine, females more masculine. Really?

What do we do with this information? First, take a deep breath and remember our Person of the Planet pledge to ourselves: "Do what you can, with what knowledge, influence and resource you have."  Ask the question when shopping, "Is this good for the planet?" and do your best.

Single use plastic is the worst. Not just produce bags, and shopping bags, but purchases encased in hard plastic. Much of that seems unnecessary.

Elena and Anthony who attended the film brought some additional information. Elena showed some nylon reusable/washable bags for veggies and fruits. She bought these at the Monterey Market.  Most likely Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl have something similar. Joe Pratt discovered a website that makes reusable non-nylon mesh bags. Check out colonyco.com. The website offers a good selection of bags. Their mission is to reduce plastic use. Elena mentioned she uses compostable bags from Biobag for household garbage made out of veggie-based polymers. Anthony K. is currently addressing an issue about the plastic used in newspaper deliveries. We have attached a letter explaining his thoughts at the end.

Thank you to Jessica Day, Eric Larson, and Rob Hoehn, the 3 Climate Specialists who came Wednesday night, presenting a few facts on the state of our climate and giving a talk on the fundamentals of grassroots climate action. Their theme was, "What can you do in Five minutes......or thirty minutes for the Planet. The workshop was well attended

I will end this week's Bits and Pieces with a quote sent to me by Shirley L. from Kathleen Dean, author of "House on Fire". Quote: "Deciding we won't drive to that chain grocery store and buy that imported pineapple is a path in liberation. Deciding to walk to the farmer's market and buy the fresh peas is like spitting in the eyes of the industries that would control us. Every act of refusal is also an act of assent. Every time we say no to consumer culture, we say yes to something more beautiful and sustaining. Life is not something we go through or that happens to us; it's something we create by our decisions.

Plastic-Free July by Ruth Robinson

While I support “no plastic”, I am not there yet in my own home. How about we try “less plastic July”?

Some suggestions:

Got grand-kids? Do they like summer smoothies? Instead of plastic straws, try to find paper ones. Since that is nearly impossible, try re-usable straws, generally made of metal. You’ll need a tiny special brush to clean the straw, and these are usually right next to the metal straws at places like Whole Foods.

We see the stores starting to display Back to School items. Treat your kids or grands to metal lunch boxes. Not the kind we all had as kids, but the version that looks like a stainless steel bento box. Holds up very well, easy to rinse out at night. Mostly replaces the need to wrap up food in plastic wrap or baggies.

We all grocery shop and the yummy produce is so appealing in the summer. While I’ll bet most of us try and re-use the store’s produce plastic bags, maybe we could dump those in favor of mesh washable and reusable bags. You could buy them on Amazon or at many of our local stores, OR you could go to Joann’s and buy mesh fabric to sew up some. Directions on the internet, just search for “how to make mesh produce bags”. Perhaps get a start on the 2018 holidays and stitch up a bunch for gifts.

Mason jars (remember canning??) make great storage containers for many things.   That grain or rice you buy at the natural grocery store not only looks appealing in a glass jar, but is healthier for you in an easy to clean and non-plastic storage container. Bonus: keeps bugs out and doesn’t temp the little mice if your pantry shelf is in the garage.

Need a new dish brush? Check out the ones with wooden handles vs. plastic. They look so much better and less plastic in the house.

Sponsored Article: Why Do Pediatricians Care About Climate Change?

Why Do Pediatricians Care About Climate  Change?

By Samantha Ahdoot

Sponsored article from Person of the Planet. 

It’s All Connected...

Our hearts are heavy with concern for the children. We watch the news with frustration, dismay and, yes, outrage. It seems hard to refocus on climate change when it feels like we need more attention on people. And yet...the American Academy of Pediatricians is taking environmental action. This highly regarded and respected organization of physicians is showing that policy change is necessary for the health of the children. And this is physical as well as mental and emotional health. Partial article, Read on:

 

Why Do Pediatricians Care About Climate Change?
Samantha Ahdoot, , FAAP
ct. 26, 201

Read the original article by clicking here...

Pediatricians, children and parents see the impact of climate change every day.  Worsening heat waves and severe weather events, changing allergy seasons and shifting infectious disease patterns affect many children directly.  It can be hard to make sense of it all, let alone know what to do about it.  

Because of their growing minds and bodies, children are uniquely vulnerable to changes in their environment. A changing climate has a wide range of effects on the plants, animals and natural systems on which children depend for their own health, safety and security. Here are some examples:

Heat-related illness

As temperatures increase and heat waves become longer and more severe, heat-related illness is expected to increase.  Young infants and high school athletes, particularly football players, are at particularly elevated risk.

Air quality
Warmer summer temperatures can increase the concentration of ozone, or smog, in the air.  Ozone is a strong lung irritant that causes asthma attacks, emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Wildfires, which are increasing due to climate change, produce toxic smoke that can travel for thousands of miles and cause respiratory illness. Pollen allergies can also be affected. Higher temperatures increase the length of the allergy season, particularly in Northern regions. Increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere may independently increase pollen production by ragweed, a common cause of seasonal allergies.

"Because of their growing minds and bodies, children are uniquely vulnerable to changes in their environment."

Infectious diseases

Many factors, including climate, influence patterns of infectious diseases like Lyme disease, mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile virus, and childhood diarrhea. Rising emperature has been linked to the northward spread of Lyme disease in the United States, putting more children at risk of this disease.

Extreme weather events
Children's unique needs place them at risk of injury or death, separation from or loss of caregivers, and mental health consequences following weather disasters.  Disasters can also harm children through devastation of the community resources on which they rely for their healthy mental and physical development like schools and hospitals.

Food security
Agricultural productivity and food prices can be affected by extreme heat, drought, flood and rising sea levels.  The nutrient content of major crops like wheat and rice may be altered by rising atmospheric Carbon Dioxide concentration.

Mental health
Children from communities affected by weather disasters are at high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

"Pediatricians, parents and our communities today have an unprecedented opportunity to protect our children and grandchildren."          

The Birds of Midway Atoll

Midway: Message from the Gyre

(2009 - Current)

La courte vidéo que vous allez voir (3:55) montre une île qui se trouve en plein océan Pacifique, à 2000 kms de toutes côtes. Sur cette île, personne n'habite, il n'y a que des oiseaux, et pourtant ... et pourtant ... Regardez ce qui se passe ...

On Midway Atoll, a remote cluster of islands more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent, the detritus of our mass consumption surfaces in an astonishing place: inside the stomachs of thousands of dead baby albatrosses. The nesting chicks are fed lethal quantities of plastic by their parents, who mistake the floating trash for food as they forage over the vast polluted Pacific Ocean.

For me, kneeling over their carcasses is like looking into a macabre mirror. These birds reflect back an appallingly emblematic result of the collective trance of our consumerism and runaway industrial growth. Like the albatross, we first-world humans find ourselves lacking the ability to discern anymore what is nourishing from what is toxic to our lives and our spirits. Choked to death on our waste, the mythical albatross calls upon us to recognize that our greatest challenge lies not out there, but in here.

~cj, Seattle, February 2011


For updates on Chris Jordan”s upcoming film ALBATROSS, visit www.albatrossthefilm.com.

If Your Pet Could Talk, She'd Beg You to Get These Things Out of Your Home

If Your Pet Could Talk, She'd Beg You to Get These Things Out of Your Home

By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

Sponsored article from Person of the Planet. Read the original article by clicking here!

Remember learning in elementary school that dogs have super-tuned hearing that’s much more sensitive than your own? Animal experts now know that cats, too, can be acutely sensitive to high-frequency sounds. 

In today’s world, things we absorb as a matter of course are amplified to sensitive animal ears, and they’re forced to deal with them on a daily basis. In the past, there also weren’t the scores of machines and devices that either emit or alert you with noises to scare, confuse and often deeply disturb the pets we love. 

Only a matter of decades ago, technology as we know it today — at least to the degree we know it today — didn’t exist. There were no personal computers, cell phones or Smart Meters, and no power lines, electric lighting, wireless routers or smoke detectors. 

There weren’t blaring TVs, radio and stereos, but there also weren’t flickering light bulbs, particularly from LED bulbs, which introduce a completely separate set of issues. When it comes to your pets, noises connected to our technology may be an auditory cacophony that may include strobe-like effects. 

Ultrasound: You Can’t Hear It but It’s Driving Them Crazy

Dr. Katherine Houpt, an environmental factors expert at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, observes that many dogs are afraid of smoke alarms even when they don’t seem to be making any noise. “So the dog is going crazy and the owner doesn’t know why.” 

Dangerous Decibels explains a little of how frequency and amplitude work for humans: Amplitude is measured in decibels (dBA) of sound pressure and measures how forceful the wave is. Zero dBA is the softest a human can hear; speaking voices are around 65 dBA, and a rock concert might reach about 120 dBA. 

Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures

While it’s completely different for dogs, who can hear sounds up to 45,000 Hz, cats can hear up to 64,000 Hz, a sensitivity that can even cause feline audiogenic reflex seizures. According to a study on the epileptic episodes, without treatment for the cats:

“Many owners reported a slow decline in their cat’s health, becoming less responsive, not jumping, becoming uncoordinated or weak in the pelvic limbs and exhibiting dramatic weight loss. These signs were exclusively reported in cats experiencing seizures for (more than) [two] years, with owners stating these signs affected their cat’s (quality of life).” 

The study noted more than a dozen high-pitched sounds (some you wouldn’t think of in those terms) commonly heard in households and associated, to lesser or greater degrees, with epileptic problems experienced by 96 cats for at least a year. Depending on circumstances, avoiding the noises eliminated seizures in 72 of the cats:

Crinkling of tin foil, paper or plastic bags

The sound created by a dog scratching its neck and jangling its collar

A metal spoon dropping into a ceramic feeding bowl

Tapping of glass, coins or keys

Computer keyboard tapping or mouse clicking

The clicking of an owner’s tongue

The short, sharp scream of a young child

A mobile phone ring or digital alarm

Running water

Flickering Lights: We Might Not See It, but Maybe They Can

As of 2014, 40 percent of the $26 billion market share of LED (light-emitting diodes) in the U.S. began taking over residential as well as architectural and outdoor applications, according to Zion Market Research, which reports that this type of lighting is 10 times more efficient than incandescent lighting, with brightness and lifespan of the product also exceeding that of fluorescent lighting.

For pets, though, it comes at a price, because whether or not a human can see one particular flaw in this type of lighting, they come with the problem of flickering, on and off incessantly, whether they’re set on dim or full brightness, like a constant disco ball that never stops, added to the high-pitched whine. If your animals could talk, they might call it a double whammy of sensory overload. I believe captive birds are especially sensitive to the negative emotional effects of synthetic lighting. 

One expert says the flickering of LED lights is what you get with cheap parts; CNet.com notes that LED bulbs are direct current devices running on alternating current (AC) power that needs to be converted before it feeds the LEDs into the bulbs, and that’s where the problem likely begins.

Something called the critical flicker fusion (CFF) threshold — the frequency a light needs to emit to be considered a steady light source — can be as low as 24 Hz or flickers per second. To the human eye, it’s a “fluid” transition when watching, for instance, online video. Dogs see it differently, however, having, again, a more sensitive CFF of 80 flickers per second, or 80 Hz, which is why most dogs usually busy themselves with something else rather than plopping down in front of the TV.

The effect these types of flickering lights have on dogs and cats is, as yet, unknown, but researchers have uncovered some interesting data, especially since Richard Inger, Ph.D. from the University of Exeter says it effects other animals. A study that took place at Sacramento City College in California and Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts, showed that the humanly indiscernible light show might incite fear in animals. 

There’s a rating site called LEDBenchmark.com that lists ratings of the flicker of many LED lights, with lower numbers in both flicker percent and flicker index being the most desirable to minimize the problem, aside from switching to non-LED lighting. As technologies progress, there’s not much likelihood that we can set aside all the “bells and whistles” that make our households run more smoothly, either now or in the foreseeable future. 

-        But with every new innovation, new construction or refurbishment on homes and businesses, it makes sense to consider the impact certain aspects of it are having on your pets. Things you can do to reduce the electronic pollution in your home include:

-        Switch devices off at the plug or actually unplug them, which also saves on phantom power draw

-        Dedicate one room in your house as a “quiet room,” with no electronics, wireless routers or LED lights 

-        Place home media equipment in a closet or garage to isolate ultrasound, as well as the whine and - buzzing noises, which may be heard clearly by your pet 

-        Shop for LED lights with low flicker ratings or switch to other sources of lighting (including incandescent), which is my recommendation