Dairy cows and emf effects

>I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently farmers
>can sue for damages that emf causes dairy cows. I guess its harder for
>us humans to quantify economic damage. Could be a legal precedent
>though.
>
>
>Dairy farmers win $1.1 million against utility
>
>The Baumgardners of Skagit Valley had been mystified for years about
>what was making their cows sick and milk production drop. They traced
>it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
>farmers made aware of the issue.
>
>Full story:
>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
>
>
>
>

> Hi folks and "abailey":
>
> The letter below could be a bit misleading, because it could appear
> that the author (I do not know the name of the person who sent the
> post, as she/he did not sign their name) may be inferring that the
> problem which affected the cows -- and for which the judgement was
> awarded -- was due to EMF fields or E-fields or magnetic fields, and
> this is not the case. Rather, livestock "stray voltage" problems such
> as the one described in the article involve actual electrical
> currents which pass through the soil and which pass through the
> hooves of cows, causing discomfort and disrupting bodily rhythms. It
> can be likened to someone hooking up electrodes to the bottoms of
> each of your bare feet and passing a small electrical current across
> the two feet (through your body).
>
> with care,
> --Vinny
>
> At 03:30 PM 10/19/2006, you wrote:
>>I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently farmers
>>can sue for damages that emf causes dairy cows. I guess its harder for
>>us humans to quantify economic damage. Could be a legal precedent
>>though.
>>
>>
>>Dairy farmers win $1.1 million against utility
>>
>>The Baumgardners of Skagit Valley had been mystified for years about
>>what was making their cows sick and milk production drop. They traced
>>it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
>>farmers made aware of the issue.
>>
>>Full story:
>>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> Vinny Pinto
> [hidden email]
>
> phone 301-694-1249
>
> To see my informational websites and e-mail list groups, please go to:
> http://www.vinnypinto.us
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

>
> Hi folks and "abailey":
>
> The letter below could be a bit misleading, because it could appear
> that the author (I do not know the name of the person who sent the
> post, as she/he did not sign their name) may be inferring that the
> problem which affected the cows -- and for which the judgement was
> awarded -- was due to EMF fields or E-fields or magnetic fields, and
> this is not the case. Rather, livestock "stray voltage" problems such
> as the one described in the article involve actual electrical
> currents which pass through the soil and which pass through the
> hooves of cows, causing discomfort and disrupting bodily rhythms. It
> can be likened to someone hooking up electrodes to the bottoms of
> each of your bare feet and passing a small electrical current across
> the two feet (through your body).
>
> with care,
> --Vinny
>
> At 03:30 PM 10/19/2006, you wrote:
> >I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently farmers
> >can sue for damages that emf causes dairy cows. I guess its harder for
> >us humans to quantify economic damage. Could be a legal precedent
> >though.
> >
> >
> >Dairy farmers win $1.1 million against utility
> >
> >The Baumgardners of Skagit Valley had been mystified for years about
> >what was making their cows sick and milk production drop. They traced
> >it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
> >farmers made aware of the issue.
> >
> >Full story:
>
>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Vinny Pinto
> vinny@...
>
> phone 301-694-1249
>
> To see my informational websites and e-mail list groups, please go to:
> http://www.vinnypinto.us
>

>I agree it is vague. I'm not sure what the technical definition for
> "stray voltage" is. Or what was used as a "Voltage Meter". My guess
> is if you walked around various residential areas with the same
> "equipment" you would have similar findings.
>
> I know an apartment I was looking at had very high ELF readings. I did
> not do further investigation but my guess is there was very poor
> wiring, grounding and thus "leakage".
>
> So I would say the story was more "vague" than "misleading".
>
> Actually my key point is that these folks were able to
>
> 1) show economic harm
> 2) somehow give evidence of the source (not sure how strong this was)
> 3) and get a legal finding in there favor
>
> If any one is willing to define the what the terms in the article mean
> scientifically that would be very helpful.
>
> I just find the terms "voltage", "leakage" etc vague. Even though
> voltage should mean one thing.
>
> My 2 cents.
>
> Thanks, Alan
>
> --- In [hidden email], Vinny Pinto <vinny@...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi folks and "abailey":
>>
>> The letter below could be a bit misleading, because it could appear
>> that the author (I do not know the name of the person who sent the
>> post, as she/he did not sign their name) may be inferring that the
>> problem which affected the cows -- and for which the judgement was
>> awarded -- was due to EMF fields or E-fields or magnetic fields, and
>> this is not the case. Rather, livestock "stray voltage" problems such
>> as the one described in the article involve actual electrical
>> currents which pass through the soil and which pass through the
>> hooves of cows, causing discomfort and disrupting bodily rhythms. It
>> can be likened to someone hooking up electrodes to the bottoms of
>> each of your bare feet and passing a small electrical current across
>> the two feet (through your body).
>>
>> with care,
>> --Vinny
>>
>> At 03:30 PM 10/19/2006, you wrote:
>> >I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently farmers
>> >can sue for damages that emf causes dairy cows. I guess its harder for
>> >us humans to quantify economic damage. Could be a legal precedent
>> >though.
>> >
>> >
>> >Dairy farmers win $1.1 million against utility
>> >
>> >The Baumgardners of Skagit Valley had been mystified for years about
>> >what was making their cows sick and milk production drop. They traced
>> >it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
>> >farmers made aware of the issue.
>> >
>> >Full story:
>>
>>http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>> Vinny Pinto
>> vinny@...
>>
>> phone 301-694-1249
>>
>> To see my informational websites and e-mail list groups, please go to:
>> http://www.vinnypinto.us
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

>I agree it is vague. I'm not sure what the technical definition for
>"stray voltage" is. Or what was used as a "Voltage Meter". My guess
>is if you walked around various residential areas with the same
>"equipment" you would have similar findings.
>
>I know an apartment I was looking at had very high ELF readings. I did
>not do further investigation but my guess is there was very poor
>wiring, grounding and thus "leakage".
>
>So I would say the story was more "vague" than "misleading".
>
>Actually my key point is that these folks were able to
>
>1) show economic harm
>2) somehow give evidence of the source (not sure how strong this was)
>3) and get a legal finding in there favor
>
>If any one is willing to define the what the terms in the article mean
>scientifically that would be very helpful.
>
>I just find the terms "voltage", "leakage" etc vague. Even though
>voltage should mean one thing.
>
>My 2 cents.
>
>Thanks, Alan
>
>--- In [hidden email], Vinny Pinto <vinny@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi folks and "abailey":
> >
> > The letter below could be a bit misleading, because it could appear
> > that the author (I do not know the name of the person who sent the
> > post, as she/he did not sign their name) may be inferring that the
> > problem which affected the cows -- and for which the judgement was
> > awarded -- was due to EMF fields or E-fields or magnetic fields, and
> > this is not the case. Rather, livestock "stray voltage" problems such
> > as the one described in the article involve actual electrical
> > currents which pass through the soil and which pass through the
> > hooves of cows, causing discomfort and disrupting bodily rhythms. It
> > can be likened to someone hooking up electrodes to the bottoms of
> > each of your bare feet and passing a small electrical current across
> > the two feet (through your body).
> >
> > with care,
> > --Vinny
> >
> > At 03:30 PM 10/19/2006, you wrote:
> > >I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently farmers
> > >can sue for damages that emf causes dairy cows. I guess its harder for
> > >us humans to quantify economic damage. Could be a legal precedent
> > >though.
> > >
> > >
> > >Dairy farmers win $1.1 million against utility
> > >
> > >The Baumgardners of Skagit Valley had been mystified for years about
> > >what was making their cows sick and milk production drop. They traced
> > >it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
> > >farmers made aware of the issue.
> > >
> > >Full story:
> >
> >http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vor 
> tex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
> >

>
> Hi Alan:
>
> Well, let me stress here again, since it seems that some folks may
> still be thinking -- when they hear the term "stray voltage" -- of
> EMF fields or E-fields in the air (i.e., free space), that the
> concept of "stray voltage" refers specifically to small currents,
> usually 60 Hz AC currents from the power grid (often current which
> should have been carried back to the power station via the neutral
> wire or ground wire in the power grid), running through the soil in
> order to return to the nearest grounded node in that sector of the
> power grid. If you wish to do a good Google search, there are a
> number of websites which outline methods commonly used for detecting
> "stray voltage" in the field, particularly in ag settings.
>
> One common method is to employ a digital voltmeter (DVM) with a high
> impedance input, set to an AC voltage scale which reads from perhaps
> 0.01 to 2 volts, and then do any of the following (using some long
> alligator clip leads as needed to span the distance):
> * measure voltage from a metal fencepost or other type of metal
> post to another object at least 3 feet away.
> * stick copper rods or nails about 6 inches long into the soil at
> least 5 feet apart, and monitor voltage across them
> However, such measurements can be very tricky, and are fraught with
> false readings, and, even under best conditions, the wires (to the
> meter) must be left lying flat on the soil during measurements. If
> the DVM is too sensitive, the wires running across the surface of the
> soil may act as antennas and pick up AC or RF signals (EMF or E-field
> or H-field) from the ambient airspace, and, via induction (or even
> capacitive coupling, if the two probes are not firmly "grounded"...),
> may incude false and misleading readings.
>
> And, there are other red herrings which can confuse the casual
> observer as well, since it has been well-known for many hundreds of
> years that the earth itself often generates sizeable DC electric
> currents which flow from point to point through the soils and strata
> at the earth's surface (these have sometimes been called "earth
> currents" or "telluric currrents", and the earth itself can even
> generate low-frequency AC currents in the ELF, VLF, and even LF
> region; the AC and DC currents are due largely to geophysical
> phenomena (including soil and rock electrochemistry, activity of
> oxidizing or reducing microbes (i.e., "redox activity") in the
> aquifer or "water table," and piezoelectric activity of large masses
> of stressed rock.
>
> with care,
> --Vinny
>
> At 01:47 AM 10/20/2006, you wrote:
> >I agree it is vague. I'm not sure what the technical definition for
> >"stray voltage" is. Or what was used as a "Voltage Meter". My guess
> >is if you walked around various residential areas with the same
> >"equipment" you would have similar findings.
> >
> >I know an apartment I was looking at had very high ELF readings. I did
> >not do further investigation but my guess is there was very poor
> >wiring, grounding and thus "leakage".
> >
> >So I would say the story was more "vague" than "misleading".
> >
> >Actually my key point is that these folks were able to
> >
> >1) show economic harm
> >2) somehow give evidence of the source (not sure how strong this was)
> >3) and get a legal finding in there favor
> >
> >If any one is willing to define the what the terms in the article mean
> >scientifically that would be very helpful.
> >
> >I just find the terms "voltage", "leakage" etc vague. Even though
> >voltage should mean one thing.
> >
> >My 2 cents.
> >
> >Thanks, Alan
> >
> >--- In [hidden email], Vinny Pinto <vinny@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi folks and "abailey":
> > >
> > > The letter below could be a bit misleading, because it could appear
> > > that the author (I do not know the name of the person who sent the
> > > post, as she/he did not sign their name) may be inferring that the
> > > problem which affected the cows -- and for which the judgement was
> > > awarded -- was due to EMF fields or E-fields or magnetic fields, and
> > > this is not the case. Rather, livestock "stray voltage" problems

> > > as the one described in the article involve actual electrical
> > > currents which pass through the soil and which pass through the
> > > hooves of cows, causing discomfort and disrupting bodily rhythms. It
> > > can be likened to someone hooking up electrodes to the bottoms of
> > > each of your bare feet and passing a small electrical current across
> > > the two feet (through your body).
> > >
> > > with care,
> > > --Vinny
> > >
> > > At 03:30 PM 10/19/2006, you wrote:
> > > >I thought you might find this article interesting. Apparently

> > > >it to stray voltage infiltrating their barn, and they want more
> > > >farmers made aware of the issue.
> > > >
> > > >Full story:
> > >
> > >http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vor 
> > tex/display?slug=dairy18m&date=20061018
> > >
>
>
> Vinny Pinto
> vinny@...
>
> phone 301-694-1249
>
> To see my informational websites and e-mail list groups, please go to:
> http://www.vinnypinto.us
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>