Dr. Martin Blank PhD, eminent EMF researcher and advocate for safer, precautionary-based telecommunications policies, has died aged 85. His 2003 book, Overpowered, introduced many people to the subject of EMF health impacts.
We thank Dr. Blank for his important work and contribution to the truth about the biological impacts of wireless technology and other types of EMF, and send condolences to his friends and family. Read Dr. Blank’s full obituary here.
Improvements made to an (unwelcome) addition on a Santa Rosa, CA street
Things are heating up in the neighborhoods of Silicon Valley where Verizon just obtained approval from the Palo Alto City Council to install “small cells” with big radiation outside people’s homes. Residents continue to resist these intrusions on their streets, and vandalism has occurred at some locations in the Bay Area where small cells have been installed near people’s homes (see photo to left).
Whatever your opinion of wireless, industrial cellular equipment in residential neighborhoods is bad business. The time to stand up against this madness is now.
More info, download flyers, stand up for your street and for your community- click here.
Betty Kreeger of Siskiyou County with the digital meters that PacifiCorp wants to replace with transmitting smart meters.
The following article was submitted by Betty Kreeger in Siskiyou County, California, describing a recent public meeting that raised more questions than providing answers (a familiar situation for many of you!).
On December 6th Pacific Power sent Regional Business Manager Monte Mendenhall into the senior community at Eskaton Washington Manor in Mount Shasta, for a presentation and Q&A about the new “Smart” meters the utility plans to install next year.
It turns out residents appeared to be better informed than Mr. Mendenhall, who could not answer basic technical questions, such as about the 10,000-190,000 radiofrequency (RF) pulses with which each “Smart” meter transmits data every day in some wireless mesh networks.
Mendenhall responded he’s “not into the science of this thing,” leaving one to wonder why he was chosen to present on something he knows nothing about. Since we cannot rely on Pacific Power to provide even the most rudimentary information about what it plans to unleash on our community, we consulted the actual science on this technology, and share our findings with readers here.
Of special concern in our fire-prone region, “Smart” meters have been known to start fires, which is unheard of with analog meters. In 2010 Larry Nikkel became the first person killed by a fire caused by such a meter on his Vacaville home. Power surges from trucks crashing into power poles exploded meters in Stockton in 2015, and October 2017 in Discovery Bay. “Smart” meter fires have been reported throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and in recent weeks several related lawsuits were filed against PG&E in California.
The RF radiation emitted by “Smart” meters and other wireless technology has injured, disabled, and displaced many. Most have heard of the cellphone cancer studies, but RF also causes numerous other health problems, including neurological, as recently demonstrated by German scientists who measured disturbances of brain waves of drivers using wireless technology, sufficient to cause headaches, decreased concentration, and slowed reaction time.
Mendenhall claimed that several agencies conducted studies showing no harm to health from RF exposure, including the World Health Organization (WHO). But the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has in fact listed RF radiation as a possible carcinogen since 2011, and to date 220 scientists from 41 countries have signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal, submitted to the United Nations in 2015, which cites 2,000 studies that clearly demonstrate harm. But Mendenhall dismisses this information out of hand, stating “you have to believe the science you want to believe” – or trust the studies he quotes.
Other studies show environmental impacts, such as interfering with the navigation of migratory birds, bats, and insects, including bees and butterflies, and growth impediment and other injuries to trees and other plants.
On a practical level, “smart” meters are often inaccurate and there have been many reports of massive overbilling, in some cases resulting in meters being recalled. They also violate residents’ privacy with the many unnecessary details they capture, and are easily hackable and therefore an individual as well as community security risk.
Far from the energy conservation tool advertised, they waste energy as they run on batteries and require more data storage. Analogs last decades, but “Smart” meters will need to be replaced every 5-7 years, and that cost will be passed on to customers and the environment.
Automating meter readings also eliminates healthy, outdoor jobs of meter readers, as well as the regular presence of these utility professionals who are trained to recognize dangerous infrastructure malfunctions like gas leaks or loose wires.
Unlike our old reliable analog meters, these “Smart” meters endanger our homes, health, privacy, wallet, community and environment at large. Pacific Power has indicated that customers who opt out before installation of the new meters can do so for free, but afterwards intends to charge residents a fee for the privilege of protecting ourselves from harm.
Mount Shasta Neighbors (and everyone else too): Say No to “Smart” meters! You can contact Betty Kreeger at bjreeger@att.net
Don’t miss this coverage of how the wireless industry- like big tobacco- has “war-gamed” the science and manipulated the public to believe (falsely) that wireless technology is safe.
We received this update yesterday from Arthur Firstenberg of Santa Fe-based Cell Phone Task Force, who has done amazing work in the NM proceeding regarding deployment efforts by Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM). Great news and worth celebrating!!
Dear Friends,
Today we won a victory in the fight against radiation in New Mexico. The Public Regulation Commission has denied PNM’s application for Smart Meters. “The plan presented in the Application does not provide a net public benefit and it does not promote the public interest,” wrote the Commission.
The Commission accepted the Hearing Examiner’s recommended decision without alteration. It ruled that:
• PNM did not demonstrate that smart meters will save money.
• PNM did not demonstrate that smart meters will produce energy efficiency.
• PNM did not show that customers want smart meters.
• PNM did not evaluate alternatives.
• PNM did not say how it would protect customer data privacy.
• Cybersecurity issues need to be addressed.
• 125 good, high-paying jobs would be lost.
• Proposed opt-out fees were unreasonable.
• There was insufficient public input.
• There was insufficient response by PNM to public objections.
EVIDENCE ABOUT HEALTH EFFECTS was discussed at length. “Customers who have strong feelings about the health effects of the meters should be allowed to protect their stated health concerns without a prohibitively high cost.”
The decision goes on to state: “The conditions of the portion of the population who believe they are electromagnetically sensitive deserve acknowledgment and consideration as decisions are made regarding the implementation of an AMI Project. Accommodations could include reasonable opt-out provisions and fees and perhaps the selection of technologies that minimize the impacts on such people. Such accommodations may be desirable to minimize health risks to customers and address the needs and preferences of PNM’s customers. These are issues that can and should be addressed in a public input process of the sort PNM stated in its 2012 Report that it would conduct before bringing a smart meter proposal to the Commission for approval.”
The decision means there will not be smart meters in the near future in New Mexico’s metropolitan areas: Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Clayton, Ruidoso, Tularosa, Alamogordo, Silver City, Lordsburg and Deming.
Links to official documents and analysis can be found on the Smart Meter Harm website.
