Category: Take Action!

SB 649 is a shameless gift to the telecom industry

photo courtesy Kevin MottusIf Senate Bill 649 passes…
in 2018 you could awake to a cell tower right outside your bedroom window.

Unless you live in a fire station, a coastal commission or a historical city, SB 649 would put cell towers in every neighborhood and countryside in California. SB 649 would only allow design of how refrigerator sized equipment on and near poles can look.

Over the counter permits would eliminate local review of radiation impacts and essentially deregulate the telecom industry.  300 California cities and 47 counties oppose SB 649.

SB 649 will increase harmful radiation pollution.  Independent scientists are calling for immediate action to reduce radiation:

“Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans.” https://www.emfscientist.org/

Peer reviewed published studies found radiation causes a wide range of health impacts including sleep problems, headaches, tinnitus, DNA damage and cancer. Children are more vulnerable.

“The harmful effects of electromagnetic fields, regardless of their frequencies, are now scientifically settled. Pregnant women (the fetus) and children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable.”- Dominique Belpomme, MD, MPH, Paris V Descartes University, European Cancer & Environment Research institute.

Peer reviewed published studies found radiation harms nature, trees, birds, and bees. Studies of radiation impacts on wild birds documented nest abandonment, plumage deterioration and death. https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/us_doi_comments.pdf

Read our opposition letter here: SB 649 UPDATE 7:6:2017

SB 649 abandons the public to trust the telecom industry to certify radiation safety.

EMFSN, EON and CABTA in the news on KPFA and here.

Health, environment, consumer, and justice organizations  representing millions of Californians have opposed SB 649 including:  Environmental Working Group, Sierra Club California, California League of Conservation Voters, AARP American Association of Retired Persons, Association of Environmental Professionals, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, California Communities Against Toxics, Center for Environmental Health, Citizens for Health, SF Public Utilities Commission, The Greenlining Institute, The Utility Reform Network, Teens Turning Green, As You Sow, Baby Safe Project, Bay Area Educators for Safe Tech, California Brain Tumor Association, Chico Chapter of Weston A. Price Foundation, Citizens For A Radiation Free Community, Consumers for Safe Cell Phones, Daily Acts, East Bay Move to Amend, Ecological Options Network, EMF Safety Network, Environmental Health Trust, Environmental Voices, EMR Protection Forum, Grassroots Environmental Education, Green Sangha, Health & Habitat Inc, Healthy 880 Communities, Law Offices of Harry V. Lehmann PC, Marin Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Mom’s Across America, Moms Advocating Sustainability, National Association For Children and Safe Technology, Parents for a Safer Environment, The Peoples Initiative Foundation, Physicians for Safe Technology, Radiation Research Trust, Sacramento Smart Meter Awareness, Sage Associates, Scientists for Wired Technology, Seniors for Environmental Awareness, Stop Smart Meters, Veterans for Radiation Safety, Windheim EMF Solutions, Wireless Radiation Alert Network, Wireless Radiation Education and Defense, and Your Own Health and Fitness.

The majority of these groups listed above oppose SB 649 based on the science of wireless harm.

The Communication and Conveyance committee passed the bill on  July 12. The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the bill on September 1.

The State Assembly and Senate barely passed SB 649 and the bill now awaits the Governor’s signature or veto.  Find how your representatives voted here: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/sb-649-barely-passes-the-assembly-moves-to-the-senate/

Update on Oct.15, 2017 Governor Brown Vetoed SB 649!

Stop radar in cars!

If you don’t want a smart meter on your home, you won’t want V2V in cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing to mandate radar (called V2V technology) in all new cars and light trucks.

The stated purpose of the V2V is to improve driving safety by warning drivers of imminent crash risks in time to avoid them and pave the way for self-driving cars.

V2V is like a smart meter in your car! The antenna is omni-directional, allowed to transmit up to approximately 2 watts of power output at 10 Mhz and 5.9 Ghz with a range of 300 meters, or three football fields in length, every 100 milliseconds, or 10 pulses a second. The proximity of the transmitter to the driver and passengers is unknown, but could be inches to a few feet away from people in the car.

We strongly oppose mandating V2V in cars and light trucks. All roadway corridors will have significant increases in RFR exposure from V2V and supporting infrastructure.  V2V poses increased safety hazards to drivers, passengers, people in homes who live along roadways, cyclists, and pedestrians. Increased RFR exposure from V2V threatens nature, trees, birds, bees and other insects. Vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), and people with medical implants are at greater risk of harm.  Assertions of RFR harm are based in peer reviewed published science.

The NHTSA states they are taking RFR concerns seriously, however they make a couple of important inaccurate statements:

  1. No scientific evidence establishes a causal link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.
  2. There’s no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure.
  3. The National Environmental Policy Act does not apply.
  4. V2V will not have a disproportionate effect on children.
  5. Consumer education by the Federal Government and vehicle manufacturers may help to alleviate RFR concerns.

We believe V2V technology will not make driving safer, but will make driving more harmful to people and the environment, create mobility access barriers, and should be stopped.

Comments are due Wed. April 12, by 11:59 ET.  Please comment on why you oppose V2V here: https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=NHTSA-2016-0126-0009

EMF Safety Network posted these comments to NHTSA: EMF Safety Network V2V comments

Oppose SB-649 “small cells” in California

July 15, 2017 update to this post is here: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/sb-649-is-a-shameless-gift-to-the-telecom-industry/

Would you want to have these all over your town, in your neighborhood, maybe even in front of your house?

SB-649 is a current California Senate bill introduced by Senator Hueso.  EMF Safety Network opposes this bill because it will fast track wireless radiation antenna deployments in our neighborhoods and communities, and thwart public participation.

The League of California Cities opposes SB-649.  They describe it stating, “This proposal unnecessarily and unconstitutionally strips local authority over public property and shuts out public input and local discretion by eliminating consideration of the aesthetic and environmental impacts of “small cells.”

How to oppose SB-649 “Wireless telecommunications facilities”

Please submit your comments by April 3rd!

1.  Go to http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB649

2.  Scroll down and click on “Comments to Author”

3.  If you have not registered you will need to do so.

4.  After you register click the circle “oppose” and send your comments (2000 characters) to the author by March 28.  If you are representing a group please sign as such.  Before you click submit, copy your comments into a separate email.

5.  Send the same comments to your State Senator which you can find here:  Type in your address and city.  http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

EMF Safety Network and Ecological Options Network sent the following letter opposing SB-649.

Suggested comments:  If you need help with what to say you can use any or all of these comments which are adapted in part from the California League of Cities form letter, and our letter.

Dear Senator Hueso,

I respectfully oppose SB-649. This proposal unnecessarily and unconstitutionally strips local authority over public property and shuts out public input and local discretion by eliminating consideration of the aesthetic and environmental impacts of “small cells.”

International scientists and doctors advise reducing wireless radiation exposure to protect public and environmental health.

Wireless disrupts cellular communication, damages immune and nervous systems, desynchronizes brain and heart rhythms, and causes headaches, sleep problems, tinnitus, anxiety and a host of other health problems.

5G millimeter wave technology is scientifically shown to affect humans, penetrating the skin and affecting biological systems

There is no substantial evidence to support SB649’s determination that the deployment fits the CEQA exemption. There is substantial evidence in support of a fair argument that the project may create environmental impacts.

The National Toxicology Program published a 25 million dollar study which is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies on cell phone radiation and cancer. In the study the rats exposed to cell phone radiation developed two types of cancers, glioma, a brain tumor, and schwannoma, a tumor in the heart.

This bill strips local government of the authority to protect the quality of life of their residents, and to protect public property and the public right-of-way from relatively unconstrained access by small cells.

Neither the CPUC, nor the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can be relied on to serve the public interest because they are both regulatory captured agencies.

SB 649 goes too far by requiring local governments to approve “small cells” in all land use zones, including residential zones, through a ministerial permit, thereby shutting the public out of decisions that could affect the aesthetics of their community and the quality of their environment.

Thank you!

[your name]

Take Action! Send your comments on 5G to the FCC by March 8

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting comments on whether or not to fast-track 5G wireless networks. 5G will use a dense distribution of antennas (called “small cell”) on power and light poles throughout our towns, cities and rural areas. Fast tracking 5G deployment will thwart public participation and impede local control.

Mobilitie, the company that has petitioned the FCC claims: “ALL Americans” want wireless, and wireless is now an essential public service. Mobilitie argues “Robust deployment of wireless facilities and networks demonstrably serves the public interest…”, and “The Commission has found that all consumers require wireless broadband to have true and meaningful access to the Internet.”

Wireless is not required to access the internet! We can have safer internet access by using wired connections!

Last year, the US government, led by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) linked cancer to cell phone radiation. This study illustrates the need to reduce wireless frequencies not add more!

Will you take a few minutes to comment? The deadline is Wednesday March 8.
1. Start here: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings
2. Click on “Express Comment”
3. Type in 16-421 into the “Proceedings” Field.  A drop down menu will appear, choose Docket No: 16-421
4. Fill out all required fields, write your comment and click continue.
6. Review and submit.
7. Write down your confirmation # so that you can check on your submission.

NTP study can be found here:
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/areas/cellphones/index.html

“I’m shouting, but no-one is listening!” How to talk to people about wireless radiation.

Rachel Gaunt has an extensive 20 year background in advertising, marketing and social activism. Rachel has written this article, “I’m shouting, but no-one is listening! How to talk to people about wireless radiation so they can hear…and care” to help EMF activists.

She writes, “Why is it that our earnest explanations about the dangers of wireless radiation so often fall on deaf ears? Why in the face of so much science are people not rushing to protect themselves?

I have long been an observer of humans and how they behave, and have spent a long time puzzling the resistance and denial that conversations about wireless radiation can generate.  Recently, a meeting with behavior expert, Matthew Wilcox, author of The Business of Choice, helped to provide the final pieces of the puzzle.

When you look at the way humans make decisions, it turns out that there are three major factors working against us when it comes to shifting beliefs about wireless radiation.

Three factors working against us

First and foremost there is the “It will never happen to me,” response to anything bad that may happen to us in the future. This is especially true among young people.

“It will never happen to me. I am never going to die. It might happen to someone else but not to me.”…

Read Rachel Gaunt’s full article here: I’m shouting but no-one is listening!”

Film showing “Take Back Your Power” Jan. 12, 7pm at the Sebastopol Grange

Please join us on Thursday January 12, for a film showing of Take Back Your Power at the Sebastopol Grange at 7pm.  Following the film we will have an expert panel discussion and Q&A. Click here for the flyer.

Starting in January, PG&E will be sending letters to Sebastopol and Fairfax customers forcing them to install a Smart Meter or pay opt-out fees to keep the safer analog.  Both cities have banned smart meter installation, but PG&E is now ignoring their ordinances. Smart meter opt-out fees are being legally challenged, and appeals are pending.

The award winning and eye opening Take Back Your Power documentary investigates the Smart Meter program being deployed without informed consent. The film uncovers alarming issues about health, privacy, property rights, corporate fraud and the unprecedented vulnerability of the smart grid.

This public event is an opportunity to learn more about why our communities need to continue to push back against PG&E’s smart meters.

Tickets will be sold at the door, sliding scale $20-$10 and no one turned away for lack of funds. Sebastopol Grange is located at 6000 Sebastopol Ave.

Our Panel includes: 

Michael Neuert is the owner and founder of “Neuert Electromagnetic Services”. He is an engineer, electrical contractor, and health enthusiast who has provided specialized EMF services for over 24 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree In Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (1978) and a Masters Degree in Human Systems Psychology from Sonoma State University in California (1984). http://www.emfcenter.com

Wes Vaught: Wes Vaught has been a cranio-sacral therapist and instructor for 25 years.  Prior to moving to Sebastopol from Minneapolis he was a licensed alcohol and chemical dependency counselor with graduate studies in clinical counseling for co-occurring addiction and mental health issues.  Wes has done significant research in EMF sensitivity through personal experience and after encountering similar issues in his clients.

Sandi Maurer:  Sandi is the director of the EMF Safety Network and California Public Utilities Commission intervenor on smart meter proceedings. Sandi has legally and publicly opposed PG&E’s smart meters since 2009.

Nerve disrupting frequencies radiating from “smart” meters

Warren Woodward:  Everyone knows that wireless “smart” meters communicate via microwaves. What was unknown until now is that additional frequencies are transmitted in the 2 to 50 kilohertz range. Numerous studies have shown repeatedly that those very same frequencies disrupt the human nervous system. Indeed, “nerve block” is the phrase used in the studies to describe what occurs.

The studies are not controversial. In others words, there are no studies that show otherwise. Nerve block induced by frequencies in the 2 to 50 kilohertz range is an established fact. The studies that show this nerve block are all from reputable sources including the epitome of “establishment” science when it comes to electricity, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

So the demonstration you will see in the video is groundbreaking, or more accurately, “smart” meter breaking.

Unless they cease, desist, and bring down the wireless “smart” grid at once, “smart” meter manufacturers and the utilities that use them are going to be facing massive liability and personal injury lawsuits because, unlike the microwave radiation that anti-“smart” meter advocates have been calling attention to for years, there is no scientific dispute regarding the biological effects of 2 to 50 kilohertz frequencies.

Additionally, state utility regulators and public health departments will need to actually do their jobs which always used to include protecting the public and promoting public health and safety.

Lastly, the U.S. Department of Energy will have to bring an immediate halt to the promotion and subsidization of the wireless “smart” grid.

Every day of delay will bring greater liability for the aforementioned corporations and agencies and the individuals involved. It’s one thing to act in ignorance, quite another not to act once knowledge is received.

To everyone reading, send this video to your utilities, your state utility regulators, your state health departments, and to hungry lawyers everywhere. Links to studies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NTSejgsjTcnerve-block-frequenciesrev1