RICHMOND — Friends of Merrymeeting Bay’s first presentation of its 28th annual Winter Speaker Series, “Blinded by the Light — Perils & Pitfalls of LEDs” fs set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, via Zoom.

Winter Speaker Series presentations, held via Zoom, eatures Mark Baker, founder and president of the Soft Lights Foundation.

Baker’s presentation covers the topic of electromagnetic radiation and the impacts of light-emitting diodes on human and environmental health. He will discuss the physics of LEDs, the impacts of artificial light on biological systems, the reports of harm from exposure to LED light, and the legal and regulatory structure for LED products.

Attendees can learn what makes this type of lighting different as well as blinding, why claims of LED efficiency are misleading and why this light causes many to at least avert their eyes and, for some, experience seizures, according to a news release from Ed Friedman with Friends.

Baker on Sept. 23 filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to protect the public from hazardous and dangerous LED headlights. More than 60,000 individuals have signed a public petition to ban blinding headlights. Members of the public have submitted more than 200 pages of comments to the administation describing the debilitating and often life-threatening impacts of LED headlights.

Baker’s lawsuit seeks to compel the FDA and NHTSA to collaborate and cooperate, as required by law, to address the LED headlight crisis.

To access the presentation visit fomb.org.

FOMB hosts its Winter Speaker Series October through May, the second Wednesday of each month. Presentations are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact FOMB at 207-666-3372 or [email protected].

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