My apologies if this appears twice because I don't know if it went through the first time.

Mr. Burke's comments might be germane -- if they appeared 30 years ago. The issue of concern today is not usually 60 Hertz current but the distortions introduced by nonlinear loads, creating high-frequency harmonics whose biological effects are much more detrimental than "clean" current.

Studying the effects of 60 Hertz current is much like studying the effects of water pollution using distilled water.

Mr. Burke's comment that "The earth has always been considered a path for electrical currents..." is true -- and that's part of the problem. We once used x-rays and applied pesticides indiscriminately -- but stopped when we realized their harmful effects.

Several years ago, U of Wisconsin animal physiologists exposed cows for two weeks to a very low voltages of a higher frequency current and -- surprise! -- found subtle effects to the cows' immune system. Nothing more was heard of the research. No follow up to determine the effects after exposure to higher frequencies (or a combination of frequencies) that is characteristic of today's environment.

Several years ago, a pilot study of those suffering from CFS found remarkable improvements in many of them when the power quality in their house improved -- and when measures were taken to prevent stray current from flooding into their environment. Interesting -- but not interesting enough for any researchers to risk their careers and their cushy jobs by conducting further research.

Mr. Burke's analysis is characteristic of the deceptive and weak analysis proffered by the utilities. I'm no electrical engineer, but even I can see that his analysis is practically worthless and pretys on the ignorance of those he purports to educate. Science indeed....

California prohibits the use of the earth as a return path for neutral current. It's time to implement the same standards elsewhere, one of many measures that could update a woefully outdates system of distributing electricity.

I know electrical engineers can argue anything they like and could convince someone that the bullet fired from a gun placed a foot from the victim's face couldn't have harmed him because of the angle, velocity, wind speed, etc.

Here's a quick and dirty little test, devoid of all the language. The voltages associated with "dirty" electricity are often characterized as so low as to be insignificant. Well, stand on an insulated metal plate (leave your shoes on if you like), then attach it to a cord from an outlet, after installing a high-pass filter that screens out the 60-Hertz current. See how long you last. I bet there isn't an electrical engineer in the world who's willing to try this illustrative little experiment. They can come up with a thousand reasons why it's meaningless, etc.

The real reason is that they're afraid of recognizing reality. The high-frequency transients, harmonics and voltage sags and swells that are ubiquitous in the environment represent one of the greatest health threats in contemporary society. Talking about 60 Hertz current only (deliberately) clouds the issue.

The caliber of Mr. Burke's article is much lower than the information I usually see on this site.