Cell phone radiation: Truth or fiction?

Q. I've been reading a lot about the radiation that supposedly comes from cell phones. Is there anything I can do to reduce the amount of exposure I receive?

A. A recent report authored by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), includes mobile phone use in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, gasoline engine exhaust and chloroform. (Isn't that just peachy?)

Any radiation risk associated with cell phone usage emanates from the cellular transmitter itself, so reducing the amount of time your phone is turned on and near your body (less than an inch away) are recommendations most experts suggest. In addition to that:

1. Use the speaker when possible. If you hold it a few inches from your mouth, pointing the top of the phone away from you will reduce your exposure to any radiation emanating from the device's antenna.

2. Use a wired or wireless headset, but don't put the phone in your pocket while it's being used or you will defeat the purpose. Distance from your body is the key, so place the phone on a table, desk, etc., while on a call. Along the same line, walking around day and night with a bluetooth headset dangling from your ear like some high-tech Zombie is not well advised, though it certainly is attractive.

3. Avoid pressing the phone to your ear when the signal is weak. A weak signal from a cell tower causes the transmitter in your handset to crank up its power. If you have to keep saying, “Can you hear me now?” try saying, “I'm starting to glow so I'll have to talk to you later.”

4. Send a text message or email instead of placing a phone call with the phone pressed against your ear. If you aren't into texting, you might want to consider it. It's fast, easy and efficient.

5. If you know you won't be using your phone for a period of time, turn it off completely or place it in Airplane Mode, which turns off the cellular transmitter. (On the iPhone, tap Settings > Airplane Mode.)

The above suggestions are simply precautionary measures for anyone concerned about the conflicting and confusing information that continues to circulate about the risks of cancer from cell phones. They may be completely harmless, but then again, there was a time when we believed there were health benefits to smoking. Check it out at http://bit.ly/cZNXkL.

Source: http://www.azfamily.com/news/technology/Cell-phone-radiation-Truth-or-fiction-213017541.html

Working towards a Smart Meter RECALL!

Customers all across the United States have reported being harmed by utility smart meters. In Indiana, a mother of three small children can’t live in their home because a bank of smart meters gave her debilitating health problems.  In California hundreds of customers have reported headaches, ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, sleep problems and more.

Customers report flames shooting from outlets, burned out appliances and fires after smart meter installation.  Meanwhile in some states, the utility companies and their regulators response is to charge more money (opt-out fees) to avoid smart meters and they ignore the health and fire hazards.

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is a federal agency that will take complaints on utility smart meters from all US states.

Last year the CPSC recalled 1.3 million GE dishwashers due to “15 reports of dishwasher heating element failures, including seven reports of fires, three of which caused extensive property damage.”

If you have or had smart meter health or safety problems CALL: (800) 638-2772  Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET  

or submit your complaint by email.

Here’s the information you will need to provide:

1. A description of the product;
2. The name of the manufacturer;
3. A description of the injury, or death, or the risk of illness, injury, or death related to use of the product;
4. The date or estimated date when the incident occurred or when you first became aware of the potential for the product to act in an unsafe manner;

You will also need to provide a description of who you are, for example, consumer, health care professional, a government agency;  your name and mailing address; and permission to publish your Report on SaferProducts.gov.  Finally your verification that the Report is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief.

Once the CPSC receives your complaint they will send a report back to you for your review and consent.  It will then go to the manufacturer where they will have to respond in ten days.  After that depending on the number of complaints the compliance office receives, they will decide if the products should be recalled!

Source: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=10289

The Power Film: Smart Grid And Smart Meters Exposed

The "smart" grid: What's really at stake?

Around the globe, citizens of all walks of life are invited to realize that we're all now on the playing field of a corporate control end-game. Through power grid modifications and smart meter installations, monopolistic forces are currently implementing a highly-hackable "smart" system of wireless utility metering, monitoring, selling private data, and control of life in citizens' homes.

But a new day dawns. And we have solutions and renewable energy technology available -- here and now -- to rise above and create a better way of living. We no longer need to be under the thumb, or the spell, of corporate power centers which care neither for planet nor people.

Sedona Arizona- A Smart Meter Free Zone?

On Wednesday, June 19, the Sedona City Council held a special workshop regarding Arizona Public Service (APS) plans to deploy utility smart meters in Sedona.

Sedona Smart Meter Awareness (SSMA) is raising awareness about the cost, privacy, health and safety hazards of utility smart meters.  APS and SSMA presented information about smart meters. Both sides were given equal time.  Only ten public speakers were allowed due to time constraints, however all spoke in opposition to Smart Meter deployment.  The meeting was standing room only.  The entire discussion, including the presentations and council discussion is available by video here, see part 3A,.

Nancy Baer, SSMA representative said, “APS representatives seemed to be in over their heads when Councilors began asking questions.  Sedona Smart Meter Awareness created a solid, fact-filled PowerPoint presentation delivered by Warren Woodward. All concerns were thoroughly covered: health, safety, privacy, and cost.”

In response to the question of federal requirement to install smart meters, APS confirmed,“There’s been no federal mandate for us to move in this direction.”

APS currently has a proposal on file with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to charge opt out consumers $75 upfront and $30 more added to their monthly bill.  Every councilor objected to that proposed fee.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Councilor Barbara Litrell introduced and Councilor Dan McIlroy seconded the motion to:

“..direct the staff to prepare a statement for the Arizona Corporation Commission that expresses concerns, on behalf of our Sedona citizens, that Smart Meters have not been proven safe and until such time as definitive proof exists the Arizona Corporation Commission should allow the Sedona community to opt out without penalties.”

On a 4-3 vote, the City agreed to file a letter requesting community opt-out without penalties with the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Warren Woodward said, “In addition to violating health, rights, trespass and wiretap laws, APS will be violating the City’s nuisance ordinance if they install ‘smart’ meters in Sedona.  APS should not be immune from law just because they are supposedly regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. We asked the City to enforce the law.  Their motion is a first step.” 

Sedona currently has no smart meters deployed there.

Source: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=10336

Smart meter surveillance use confirmed

Today the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed *utilities are giving customers smart meter data to the government and third parties.  Reporter David Baker writes, “Phone records and e-mail aren’t the only kinds of personal data that government agencies can collect on Americans.  They can look at your home’s energy use, too.  And that information can be revealing.”

Smart meters are a surveillance tool, best described byJerry Day in this video- which has reached over 1.7 million viewers.  And now we have proof that if you have a smart meters on your home, your privacy: what you do in your home, or if your not home, when you cook, watch TV, or  if you get up in the middle of the night is provided to third parties for “legal” purposes when requested.  The smart meter data when analyzed  shows a detailed pattern of your life.

The Northern California ACLU writes, “transparency reports filed by the California utilities companies and obtained by the ACLU of California show that a significant amount of data about the energy use of Californians is also ending up in the hands of third parties.  In 2012, a single California utility company, San Diego Gas & Electric, disclosed the smart meter energy records of over 4,000 of its customers. “

The “privacy” rules, adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) allows disclosure of smart meter data for legal purposes, or pursuant to situations of imminent threat to life or property.  San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) disclosed the records of 4,062 customers. PG&E disclosed 86 and SCE disclosed one.

“In 4,000 of those [SDGE] cases, the information was subpoenaed by government agencies, often in drug enforcement cases or efforts to find specific individuals, according to the utility. The other 62 disclosures came as the result of subpoenas in civil lawsuits. Some of the released information focused solely on billing information, account addresses and other data that could be used to locate an individual.” David Baker- SF Chronicle

According to the ACLU “a single legal request can potentially result in the disclosure of millions of customers’ records.”

*The SF Chronicle is not allowing full access to the article without a subscription. The initial information for the story can be found on the ACLU website.

Source: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=10300

Are Smart Meters Really Dangerous?

Still wondering whether your Smart Meter is safe or not? Maybe you’re thinking all the fuss certain people are making about them is based on misinformation and emotionally-charged beliefs, and that their symptoms are all in their heads.

Well, there have been heated emotional arguments on both sides of this issue, many based on too little information. What we can’t argue with, however, is science—independent scientific research and reports—and there is much available to us now, telling us about the dangers of Smart Meters.

Sage Associates Report on Smart Meter Radiation

For example, take the report an independent research team, Sage Associates, recently published, entitled “Assessment of Radiofrequency Microwave Radiation Emissions from Smart Meters”. This is a detailed report basing its conclusions on clear evidence of Smart Meter hazards.

The conclusions of the research team include the fact that Smart Meters often may not even comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) safety standards. And these standards in themselves are insufficient for measuring radiation levels in smart meters.

The report also outlines how FCC standards, set back in 1996, were based on studies with healthy 6’2”, 220 lbs men exposed for short periods of time—very different from the situation with Smart Meters, in which women, children and people in fragile health are continuously exposed to the radiation, often from more than one smart meter.

Furthermore, the regulations only tested for thermal damage—and the health risks researchers are finding are from non-thermal effects. Also, other sources of radiation (such as Wi-Fi, cell phones, and other wireless devices, all present in today’s homes) were not present in the testing. For all these reasons, the report strongly cautions that smart meters are not safe.

Santa Cruz County Health Department Report

In January 2012, the Public Health Officer and County Counsel of the County of Santa Cruz wrote a reportto the Board of Supervisors, outlining their analysis of health effects of Smart Meters. The lengthy, detailed letter included numerous citations of evidence of health dangers from Smart Meters.

It recommends that

''…it is in the best interest of public health, safety, and welfare…to adopt the…ordinance implementing a temporary moratorium on the installation of SmartMeters in or on any home, apartment, condominium or business within the the unincorporated area of the County.''

UC Nuclear Policy Lecturer Dan Hirsch Report on Smart Meter Dangers

Yet another report regarding the hazards of smart meters was published by Daniel Hirsch, PhD, commenting on the Draft Report called “Heath Impacts of Radio Frequency from Smart Meters” written by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST).

Hirsch points out that the report by the CCST doesn’t appear to answer the questions asked of it by the requesting elected officials. Also, rather than being an independent study, the CCST basically cut and pasted estimates from a brochure by the Electric Power Research Institute, an industry group—and that furthermore, those estimates were inaccurate. Indeed, he states that

The cumulative whole body exposure from a Smart Meter at 3 feet appears to be approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of a cell phone, rather than two orders of magnitude lower.

American Academy of Environmental Medicine Recommends Avoiding Smart Meters
Calling for immediate caution regarding Smart Meter installations due to radiation health risks, a letterpublished by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine cites a number of peer-reviewed, double-blinded, placebo-controlled research in humans, and concludes that

“…significant harmful biological effects occur from non-thermal RF exposure, showing causality.”

It further states its opinion that the installation is irresponsible and calls not only for a moratorium on installation, but also immediate relief to those requesting it, including the return of analog meters.

The literature cited in the letter raises serious concerns about the levels of RF and ELF exposures emitted by Smart Meters. The board also states that the existing FCC guidelines for RF safety that have been used to justify installation of Smart Meters only look at thermal damage and are obsolete since many up-to-date studies show metabolic & genetic damage from RF & ELF below the level of intensity which heats tissues.

Other Studies on the Effects of Wireless Radiation

A comprehensive report published by 29 independent scientists, researchers, and health policy professionals from 10 different countries, the Bioinitiative Report documents clear evidence that numerous health issues are created by exposure to radiation from wireless devices.

An article in the scientific journal Pathophysiology in 2007 by C. Sage and D. Carpenter outlines in detail the reasons for concern about wireless radiation. They cite studies linking non-thermal radiation to:

• Leukemia
• Brain tumors
• Alzeimer’s and ALS
• Breast cancer
• DNA damage, breakage of blood-brain barrier
• Altered immune function
• Insomnia
• Memory and learning deficits

They conclude that:

The rapidly expanding development of new wireless technologies and the long latency for the development of such serious diseases as brain cancers means that failure to take immediate action to reduce risks may result in an epidemic of potentially fatal diseases in the future.

So, are Smart Meters Dangerous?

How much more evidence do we need? Certainly there is enough at this point to warrant great concern. We need to see that people claiming to have health symptoms since the installation of their Smart Meters are actually the “canaries in the mine”. Symptoms in healthier and less sensitive individuals will probably simply take longer to appear.

At the same time, if you are concerned, there is the option of simply getting EMF protection, and the whole matter of smart meter dangers can be dropped. The controversy will likely go on for some time—as will the controversy about the dangers of cell phone radiation. But with the probable dangers of both, why wait to see who is eventually proven “right”?

http://www.earthcalm.com/emf-dangers-2/are-smart-meters-really-dangerous/