Bamboo Charcoal and Negative Ions

In Japan a popular product is a negative ion producing machine. I have been very suspicious about these machines. It seems that the Japanese have unlimited faith in electrical equipment; and even though they probably have no idea what a negative ion is they think they need a machine to produce them.

So I did some research. Negative ions are created when air molecules are broken apart by moving water, sunlight or moving air. Beaches, waterfalls and mountains contain many negative ions in the air.

There is now a growing body of science to show that a high negative ion count in the air helps to make people happier.

“Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research.

Negative ion counts in the air can range from tens of thousands to zero. In the home many electrical appliances emit positive ions that have the opposite effect of negative ions – they make people depressed and sluggish. For many people air-conditioners make them feel sleepy and enervated – when they open the window they immediately feel refreshed. This is a classic example of the benefits of negative ions and the detrimental effects of positive ions.

For many Japanese they won’t open up the window to counteract the effects of an air-conditioner. Instead they will buy another piece of electrical equipment to overcome the side-effects of the first piece of electrical equipment.

It is a fairly well known fact that bamboo charcoal emits negative ions. It seems to be a brilliant solution to the depressing side-effects of electrical equipment in the home. A few sticks of bamboo charcoal around the home will naturally counteract the detrimental effects of positive ions. Bamboo charcoal is a natural product made from a renewable resource. And for Japan a local resource. It also does not need electricity.

One of the major themes of this blog is the way the Japanese have traditionally used bamboo but how they have been conned by the dream of modernity and the willingness to be told how to live. If only the government said that the way to save electricity is not to use electrical appliances; and the way to overcome the negative health effects of technology is not to buy more technology. A return to nature and natural remedies is required. Listening to Mitsubishi, Toyota and the other manufacturing giants has lead Japan away from its true nature loving roots.