Smart Meters, the Opposite of Green

Common Ground CoverJeromy Johnson of EMFanalysis.com. wrote an excellent article called, “Smart Meters, the Opposite of Green” which was recently published in the SF Bay Area Common Ground magazine.  The article summarizes exactly why smart meters are such a bad idea for our communities. Find the article on his website:  http://www.emfanalysis.com/1/post/2014/04/common-ground-article.html

There will be a special screening of the documentary “Take Back Your Power” on Saturday April 26, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley.  Q&A follows with Jeromy Johnson, film maker Josh del Sol, and Foster and Kimberly Gamble of the movie “Thrive”.  To reserve your free seat visit:  TakeBackYourPower.net 

US Department of the Interior warns: communication towers threaten birds

Bald Eaglesh In a letter about a new nation wide wi-fi deployment (called *FirstNet), the US Department of the Interior states the wireless proposal threatens birds, and is not consistent with current information and laws that protect birds.  They called for an environmental review.

hTwo  hundred forty one bird species are at mortality risk from both tower collisions and from exposure to the radiation towers emit.  This includes birds that are endangered or threatened, Birds of Conservation Concern, migratory birds, and eagles.  They estimate up to 6.8 million bird deaths a year may result from collisions with towers.

hhStudies of radiation impacts on wild birds documented nest abandonment, plumage deterioration and death.  Birds studied included House Sparrows, White Storks, Collared Doves, and other species.  Studies in laboratories of chick embryos documented heart attacks and death.

hIn their letter, The Dept of the Interior criticizes the FCC’s radiation safety guidelines stating,“the electromagnetic radiation standards used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continue to be based on thermal heating, a criterion now nearly 30 years out of date and inapplicable today.”

For more information see Dept of Interior letter and background: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/us_doi_comments.pdf

*In 2010 President Obama called for a new nationwide wireless network.  FirstNet is that broadband initiative. See background proposal and More info on FirstNet. 

“The world is going wireless and we must not fall behind. ” President Barack Obama

See this website for a compilation of studies on effects on wildlife http://www.emfresearch.com/emf-wildlife/

What is that smartphone really costing you and your family?

By Amy O’Hair

Lovers☠ It’s costing you irreplaceable, meaningful time with your kids—or your date—or your lover—or even with yourself. LA Times

☠ It’s costing you relaxation and rest: now your boss expects more from you, 24/7. Business Week

☠ It’s costing you the real pleasures of travel and adventure. Huffington Post

☠ It’s costing your health in the long term. You wouldn’t volunteer to suck on a tailpipe or lick lead paint or drink pesticide, but those are all in the same cancer-making category as the RF radiation from your phone. “Five Ways Your Cell Phone is Harming You”

☠ It’s costing your brain: 4G cellphone radiation alters your brain activity in clearly measurable ways. There was never any long-term testing on the safety of your phone or the cell network. Radiation affects brain activity

☠ It’s costing your health in so many ways: you’re at risk for future cognitive impairment, immune disorders, neurological damage, stress response, disrupted sleep, fertility and reproductive problems, DNA damage, and finally tumors and cancers. New York Open Center

☠ It’s costing you high-quality, health-giving sleep—even hours after you get away from the screen.  Huffington Post

☠ It’s costing your child’s normal mental development. ” Washington Times: Parents be smart”

☠ It’s costing your child his health, now and into the future: Huffington Post and  Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

☠ It’s costing your teen her well-being. Environmental Health Journal

☠ It’s costing your baby a normal neurological development during pregnancy. Dr. Mercola and Electromagnetic Health

☠ It’s costing your fertility—or that of your child, in the future. There are many studies showing how RF radiation damages sperm and testicles, and fetuses during pregnancy. Here’s just one. Read the science

☠ It’s costing you and your child a sense of empathy and connection. Bill Moyers interviews Sherry Turkle on being alone together

☠ It’s costing you your common sense: Are you one of the many who “couldn’t live without their phone”? Do you like that? Business Week

☠ It’s costing all of us the environment: that vaunted “cloud” is a greenhouse-gaseous energy-sucking behemoth. Electronics News

☠ It’s costing all of us basic public safety and awareness: a whole train full of device-entranced people don’t even notice a man waving a gun—till he shoots someone. SF Gate

☠ It can cost you the phone itself. Half of all robberies include a smartphone … thieves take phones like taking candy from a stupefied baby. A candidate, returning from meeting about community crime, distracted by a call, is robbed of his phone at gunpoint, in front of his own home. East Bay Express

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

How you can make your phone less costly to your health and to your life:

  • Use it less. Turn it off. Can’t get simpler than that.
  • [Better yet, use it for emergencies only!- admin]
  • Need more? Environmental Working Group: Speakerphone or earpiece. Text, text, text. Hold it away from body during use. Only when signal is strong. NOT in your pocket, not under your pillow, ever.

Physicians group says smart meters effect health: “The evidence is irrefutable.”

aaemAn international organization of physicians and scientists recognize smart meters are harming people’s health.  They say, “The evidence is irrefutable.” and call for further research, accommodations and avoidance of smart meters.  This new statement is based on a review of cases by Dr. Lamech in Australia. Here’s their recently adopted statement: Smart Meter Case Series

“Founded in 1965 as a non-profit medical association, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) is an international organization of physicians and scientists interested in the complex relationship between the environment and health.

AAEM physicians and physicians world wide are treating patients who report adverse, debilitating health effects following the installation of smart meters, which emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radiofrequencies (RF).

The peer reviewed, scientific literature demonstrates the correlation between EMF/RF exposure and neurological, cardiac, and pulmonary disease as well as reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, cancer and other health conditions. The evidence is irrefutable. Despite this research, claims have been made that studies correlating smart meter emissions with adverse health effects do not exist.

The AAEM has received a case series submitted by Dr. Federica Lamech, MBBS, Self- Reporting of Symptom Development from Exposure to Wireless Smart Meters’ Radiofrequency Fields in Victoria.  AAEM supports this research. It is a well documented 92 case series that is scientifically valid. It clearly demonstrates adverse health effects in the human population from smart meter emissions.

The symptoms reported in this case series closely correlate not only with the clinical findings of environmental physicians, but also with the scientific literature. Many of the symptoms reported including fatigue, headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness and other symptoms have been shown to be triggered by electromagnetic field exposure under double blind, placebo controlled conditions.  Symptoms in this case series also correlate with the Austrian Medical Association’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of EMF Related Health Problems.

It is critically important to note that the data in this case series indicates that the “vast majority of cases” were not electromagnetically hypersensitive until after installation of smart meters. Dr. Lamech concludes that smart meters “may have unique characteristics that lower people’s threshold for symptom development”.

This research is the first of its kind, clearly demonstrating the correlation between smart meters and adverse health effects.

Based on the findings of this case series, AAEM calls for:

  • Further research regarding smart meter health effects
  • Accommodation for health considerations regarding smart meters.
  • Avoidance of smart meter EMF/RF emissions based on health considerations, including the option to maintain analog meters.
  • A moratorium on smart meters and implementation of safer technology
  • Physicians and health care providers to consider the role of EMF and RF in the disease process, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Passed by the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine October 23, 2013

Update:

Self-reporting of symptom development from exposure to radiofrequency fields of wireless smart meters in Victoria, Australia: a case series: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25478801

See also: Dr. Ron Powell’s “Symptoms after Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation”: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Symptoms-after-Exposure-to-Smart-Meter-Radiation.pdf

Stick it to the Man: Smart Meter and Wireless Warning Stickers—Order Yours Today!

From Stop Smart Meters!

Picture-1Due to popular demand, Stop Smart Meters! has created warning stickers to spread awareness about the hazards of ‘smart’ meters and other wireless technology.  Much appreciation goes out to Zavier Cabarga for the design work.

 

WK-StickerWhat you don’t know CAN hurt you!  By raising awareness with these visible and bold stickers, we hope to encourage people to take action to make their families and communities safer, and stand up for their rights.

The stickers are printed on high quality vinyl.  They are easy to peel, scratch-proof, weather-proof, sun-proof, and last outdoors for 3-5 years.

Disclaimer: It is your responsibility to ensure that you affix these stickers in a legal and safe manner.  Stop Smart Meters! is not liable for any misuse of these stickers. 

For sizes, cost, and ordering information go to: http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/10/09/stick-it-to-the-man-stop-smart-meters-launches-smart-meter-and-wireless-warning-stickers-order-yours-today/

Letter to SUSD

Schools in California and beyond are transitioning away from books to computer based learning. In many cases they’re using wireless computers (iPads) to teach at least two subjects, math and language arts. This is part of a new federal curriculum called Common Core.

In my comments to the Sebastopol Union School District I advocate for an alternative technology plan creating a hardwired computer lab for testing and test preparation.  Click here to view the original Letter to SUSD

In Sebastopol the school district is presenting their technology plan on Wednesday September 18 at 4:30 at  7611 Huntley Ave.

9/16/2013
To: Members of the School Board, staff, and teachers
Sebastopol Union School District
7611 Huntley Ave. Sebastopol CA. 95472

Re: Comments on Common Core Technology Plan

The Sebastopol Union School District (SUSD) board is considering adopting a technology plan that converts students from book based learning to computer based learning and testing. This will be presented on September 18 at the board meeting as agenda item 9.1,1, and possibly be adopted at the next board meeting in October. As a parent of a sixth grader at Brookhaven, and director of the EMF Safety Network, I ask SUSD to apply the precautionary principle and adopt an alternative plan that reduces and limits children’s screen time and wireless exposure.

An alternative plan is to create a hardwired computer lab, for testing and test preparation, instead of using computers in classrooms for lessons and testing. This request is based on health advocacy warnings and recommendations from the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente, American Academy of Environmental Medicine and other medical and science experts.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2010, children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes on technology every day.2

  • How many more hours of screen time will children have if schools convert to computer based learning?
  • Will children also be expected to do their homework on computers?
  • Will the new technology and supporting infrastructure be wired or wireless?
  • Are parents adequately informed and included in the decision making process on whether or not to increase their children’s computer use?

Apply the Precautionary Principle to Ensure Safer Learning in Schools

The Precautionary Principle is based on ‘do no harm’ and ‘better safe than sorry’ philosophy. When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. 3

Kaiser Permanente recommends limiting screen time to less than 2 hours a day for teens, less than 1 hour a day for children ages 3 through 12, and no screen time for children under 3. 4 Kaiser explains: “Alot of kids spend more time in front of a screen than they do reading, talking with family and friends, or playing outside. It’s also affecting their health. Too much screen time is associated with: violent behavior, poor school performance, lower reading scores, sleep pattern disturbances, being overweight, consumption of junk food and bad habits later in life (like tobacco and alcohol abuse).”

The American Academy of Pediatrics states,“…studies consistently show that older children and adolescents utilize media at incredibly high rates, which potentially contributes to obesity and other health and developmental risks.”The Academy supports limiting screen time and media use for children and adolescents. 5

Wireless is a Health Risk and a Possible Carcinogen

In May 2011,the World Health Organization classified wireless radiation a possible carcinogen6. This classification is based on studies linking cell phone radiation to brain cancer, but it also applies to all wireless devices, including wi-fi routers and computers.

The American Academy of Environment Medicine (AAEM) in a letter7 to Los Angeles Unified School district (LAUSD) discusses why precaution for wireless is warranted and strongly recommends hardwiring computers in schools. AAEM writes, “There is consistent emerging science that shows people, especially children are affected by the increasing exposure to wireless radiation….Adverse health effects from wireless radio frequency fields, such as learning disabilities, altered immune responses, and headaches, clearly exist and are well documented in the scientific literature”.The AAEM states 3% of children and staff will be immediately affected 30% will have time-delayed reactions.

Apple provides warnings about health risks of iPads8 including headaches, blackouts, seizures, convulsion, eye or muscle twitching, loss of awareness, involuntary movement, or disorientation. There are consumer complaints about iPad health symptoms on the Apple support Forum.9“Is it just me or someone else also feels dizzy or nausea after using iPad for a while? 

“YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I’ve been getting it too…”

” I have the same problem you have… I looove the ipad but I don’t think I can keep it as I get nausea and feel a bit dizzy just using it for a few minutes.”

“… just today finished series of tests…echocardiogram, brainscan, ultrasound on carotid artery,..the works…to diagnose dizziness, and even one fainting episode..since Xmas. Guess what I got for Christmas…iPad…”

Federal Safety Guidelines Don’t Protect Children

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wireless guidelines are for short term (30 minutes) thermal exposures only. There are no safety guidelines specific to children. The FCC is currently reviewing their guidelines, based on a US Government Accountability Office request.10

Dr. Martha Herbert, a Harvard pediatric neurologist and neuroscientist writes,“Children are more vulnerable than adults, and children with chronic illnesses and/or neurodevelopmental disabilities are even more vulnerable… Current technologies were designed and promulgated without taking account of biological impacts other than thermal impacts. We now know that there are a large array of impacts that have nothing to do with the heating of tissue. The claim from wifi proponents that the only concern is thermal impacts is now definitively outdated scientifically.” 11

Dr. Ted Litovitz, physicist, stated many studies are showing biological effects below the FCC thermal limit, including psychological changes, stress response, DNA damage, and affects on the immune system, heart, and blood brain barrier. According to Dr. Litovitz biological effects are seen at 75,000 times below the FCC guideline!12

Create a Hardwired Computer Lab and Limit Screen Time

Faced with new testing standards and a new common core curriculum the schools are caught between new government mandates and health authorities safety recommendations. SUSD should not mandate computer based learning and computers in the classrooms. Instead, use the funding to create a hard wired computer lab, and limit children’s use to testing, and test preparation. Provide waivers for those parents, or students opposed, or medically unable to test on computers.

Some students will not feel well in a computer based environment and this will affect their ability to concentrate and learn. In Canada one family has sued the school district because the wi-fi in school makes both their children sick. With public schools throughout California and beyond transitioning to wireless computer based learning, this problem will only increase. What will SUSD do to keep more vulnerable children safe?

Furthermore, while you have the funding to upgrade technology, its a great opportunity to ensure all internet connections, including teachers and staff computers are hard wired for the safety of students, teachers and staff. Please keep the phone lines within the school wired and corded too!

Please feel free to contact me with your comments and or questions. I regret I will not be able to present this information in person on Wednesday.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sandi Maurer
EMF Safety Network
PO BOX 1016
Sebastopol, CA 95473 

I have no doubt in my mind that at the present time, the greatest polluting element in the earth’s environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields. I consider that to be far greater on a global scale than warming, and the increase in chemical elements in the environment.’’- Dr Robert O. Becker, Author of Cross Currents and The Body Electric

Footnotes

1 http://webschoolpro.com/home/CA49709386052211/Agenda%20September%202013/CCSS%20Expenditure%20Plan%2013-14-1.pdf

2Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Oldshttp://kff.org/other/event/generation-m2-media-in-the-lives-of/

3 Science and Environmental Health Network FAQ http://www.sehn.org/ppfaqs.html

4 Kaiser Permanente: “Limit Screen Time for healthier Kids”

5 AAP letter to the Federal Communications Commission dated July 12, 2012 http://www.scribd.com/doc/104230961/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-letter-to-the-FCC

6Wireless devices-potential cancer risk says World Health Organization http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=4386

7 AAEM letter to LAUSD: http://aaemonline.org/images/LettertoLAUSD.pdf

12http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=11094

Additional Resources

The BioInitiative 2012 Report is an analysis by 29 independent scientists and health experts from around the world about possible risks from wireless technologies and electromagnetic fields. http://www.bioinitiative.org

Wi-fi in schools video: A ten minute introduction to wireless precaution in schools (Australia) http://youtu.be/GJPTzaNkcUk

Professor Olle Johansson Warns of Wireless DNA Damage to children / two minute video http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=9990

Is Wi-fi Safe? http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=10576 video

Excerpts from eight expert letters submitted to the LAUSD, by Joel Moskovitz, PhD, Director, Center for Family and Community Health,
School of Public Health, UC Berkeley: http://www.saferemr.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

‘Safe Schools 2012′. Medical and Scientific Experts Call for Safe Technologies in Schools. http://wifiinschools.org.uk/resources/safeschools2012.pdf

Scientific Panel on Electromagnetic Field Health Risks: The Selentun Statement

http://www.sagereports.com/smart-meter-rf/docs/Fragopoulou_et_al_2010b.pdf

EMF World Concerns Summary: A compilation of what government, public health and environment organizations and officials, independent scientists, health advocacy groups and activists are advocating around the world in response to the proliferation of EMF, and especially wireless radiation. http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=116

Wi-fi in Schools, a consumer advocacy website focused on wi-fi in schools: http://wifiinschools.com/

 

Are EMF concerns irrational? Dr. Ted Litovitz explains

Dr. Ted Litovitz, physicist, in his presentation to members of Congress in 2001 recognizes consumer EMF concerns and he asks his listeners, “Are they irrational?” “Can an electromagnetic field have any effect at all on your body?” “Are there health effects?”

He proceeds to explain the FCC guidelines are based on heating only, and states many papers are showing biological effects below the thermal limit, including psychological changes, stress response, DNA damage, and affects on the immune system, heart, and blood brain barrier.

According to Dr. Litovitz biological effects are seen at 75,000 times below the FCC guideline! Dr. Litovitz explains the evidence of non-thermal EMF biological effects based on scientific studies, including the role genetics play.


Video by The Council on Wireless Technology Impacts.

Smart Meter Film- Take Back Your Power- Watch NOW!

Take Back Your Power, Josh Del Sol’s full length documentary film on Smart Meters is now available to watch online (72 hr. rental) or purchase.

Take Back Your Power

Utility companies are replacing electricity, gas and water meters worldwide with new generation “smart” meters at an unprecedented rate. Take Back Your Power investigates the benefits and risks of this ubiquitous “smart” grid program, with insight from insiders, expert researchers, politicians, doctors, and concerned communities. Transparency advocate Josh del Sol takes us on a journey of revelation and discovery, as he questions corporations’ right to tap our private information and erode our rights in the name of “green”. What you discover will surprise you, unsettle you, and inspire you to challenge the status quo.