Fake Cactus Smart Grid Antennas Damaging Real Ones?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Josh Hart

A reader submitted these videos from Arizona- above is what appears to be a smart meter collector antenna disguised as a saguaro cactus.   Below are a number of real saguaros adjacent to a utility yard containing a cell tower.  Microwave sources are being measured by a HF38B Analyzer.   Is it any coincidence that the real saguaros are having a hard time even standing up in areas impacted by smart grid radiation?  The reader who took these videos says:

“This poor saguaro was here long before the imposter showed up. I wonder how much more it can take? Most are leaning or dying around the city unlike others found away from smart meters in the desert. These fake saguaros are placed in neighborhoods that never had cell towers. They now saturate neighborhoods with their constant 24/7 radiation. This one was found in Paradise Valley, Arizona.”

Is this the kind of society we want?  Where fake trees and plants irradiate us 24/7?  Where homeless people are only useful as wi-fi transmitters?  Where health and the environment are sacrificed for convenience and profit?  The “Smart Grid” is dehumanizing us and destroying our living landscape while hiding under the cloak of corporate greenwash.

Wake up and fight back, people.

Posted in Arizona, Environmental Concerns, Plant damage, radio-frequency radiation, Smart Grid | 3 Comments

PG&E Issues EMF Warning: “Increase your Distance”

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Josh Hart

In a veiled warning sent out with Pacific Gas and Electric utility bills, PG&E warns “studies have reported a weak association between estimates of residential magnetic field exposure and certain types of childhood cancer.”

Scratching your head? Turns out the leaflets were sent out- and PG&E knew of the dangers of EMF’s- nearly two decades ago:

A California Public Utilities Commission public panel- the EMF consensus group- that included representatives from the utilities, labor, and the general public was set up in the early nineties in response to growing outrage over childhood leukemia clusters around high tension power lines. “The Great Power Line Cover Up” by Paul Brodeur describes how PG&E tried to cover up a powerline cancer cluster at a Fresno elementary school and SCE did the same in Montecito.  The parallels with the smart meter health cover-up are eerie.

The EMF consensus group recommended that “low cost and no cost measures” be taken to reduce public exposure to electromagnetic fields, a policy that the CPUC adopted. Only 15 years later, the Commission approved the smart meter mesh network- a extraordinarily high cost measure that has monumentally increased the public’s exposure to EMF.

Setting aside obvious questions for the moment here (isn’t preventing your child from getting leukemia worth more than a “low cost?” and “why are they trying  to kill us?”) it seems that the folks asleep at the regulatory wheel have swerved off the road and are heading for the cliff at high speed.

To justify taking these horrific risks, extraordinary linguistic gymnastics are exercised by the CPUC to avoid saying the obvious- that EMF’s cause cancer. Bear witness.

Twenty years later- with the science more certain than ever, and sources of the radiation multiplying, the utility and regulatory industries have retreated further in their shell and still insist ‘the jury’s out’ -even as the toll mounts.

The person who brought this flyer to our attention told SSM!:

“I had been impressed to read of possible health dangers from EMF exposure, and started to keep a file on the topic, as this brochure indicated to me that PG&E was expecting to see further health studies regarding EMF exposure and human proximity guidelines. Based on having received this brochure, I moved the alarm clock away from my bed, asked my daughters to sit farther away from the TV set, minimized hair dryer usage, and so forth.

What makes this PG&E brochure so fascinating to me is the nature of the information then provided to PG&E customers, with informative charts on types of fields and measurements of various household appliances at various distances with associated magnetic fields). It shows that PG&E knew many years ago the dangers of EMF fields… some 18 years ago. “

Don’t we need an “EMF Consensus Group” in California way more in 2012 than we did in 1991?  If the unimaginable occurred and the public could sit down in a room with the utilities and regulators and came to some “consensus”, would the CPUC respect the outcome and follow sensible EMF policies favored by  the public- more than they did the first time around?  Or would it all be thrown under the bus in the pursuit of profit and control?

The answer might go some way toward explaining why these things end up in court, or in the streets.

Full text of PG&E’s mid 1990’s EMF Flyer here: UNDERSTANDING EMF

Compare with 2012:  UNDERSTANDING RF

Posted in California, Cancer, Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, EMF Mitigation, health effects, Health studies, legal issues, PG&E, radio-frequency radiation, SCE, Smart Grid | 16 Comments

Cell Sites Threaten Santa Cruz Wildlife Area- Protest Planned

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Josh Hart

This mock up of a “micro” cell tower- an inappropriate industrial scar in one of the most pristine and wild locations in Northern California-will become permanent and start emitting carcinogenic radiation if the CA Coastal Commission issues a coastal permit in August

Apple’s recent iPhone ad highlights the beauty of California’s central coast, with two shivering Easterners asking ‘what’s the best way to Santa Cruz, California?’.  Now it appears that Santa Cruz, California is asking, ‘ what’s the best way to protect scenic views and stop 4G radiation damage to wildlife?’

A battle is on between Santa Cruz County north coast residents and Verizon Wireless, who are attempting to violate local laws and install a series of 6 cell sites along Santa Cruz County’s North Coast, as part of their 4G LTE (“long term evolution”) network.   Here at StopSmartMeters.Org, we think their network should be renamed LTD (“long term devolution”) because of the documented damage from wireless to human DNA (pdf).  A local group- Coastal Neighbors Against Unnecessary Wireless Facilities- has been fighting the proposed antenna, holding meetings and lobbying local officials.

In cooperation with Coastal Neighbors Against Unnecessary Wireless Facilities, Stop Smart Meters! is planning a major protest against the smart grid and wireless proliferation- for Saturday July 21st at 4pm in front of the Verizon store on Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz, California. (cross street Cooper)

Amphibians- like this California Newt- are particularly at risk from wireless development: A Spanish study found that frog tadpoles exposed to a cell site at 100m “remained sideways or tilted and swam (in) circles” and had a “90% mortality rate.”

In addition to forcing unwanted cell towers into communities, and fighting health warnings on their products, Verizon also partners with PG&E and other utilities to collect your private utility usage data via their wireless network.  Those suffering from electro-sensitivity, cancer, and other conditions linked with wireless  along with their friends and family- are encouraged to attend and share their stories, in public- in front of the store.

The Coastal Commission will decide whether or not to issue a permit for this development at its meeting sometime between August 8th and 10th (exact date tba) at the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 701 Ocean St. 5th Floor.  Mark your calendar, plan to show up and speak, and/ or send a letter (see below).

The following opinion- by our Director- appeared last Sunday in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and is re-posted here in its entirety:

Keep Our Wild North Coast Beaches Cell Tower Free

By Joshua Hart MSc

Perhaps a good time to consider the sanity of blanketing our County in microwave radiation- a Class 2B carcinogen according to the World Health Organization(pdf)- is the moment right before the last few wild and free areas of the County are about to be put at risk because of our seemingly insatiable appetite for mobile technology.

In January, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors quietly approved a plan by

Verizon kills for profit- boycott wireless!

NextG (now called Crown Castle)- for Verizon Wireless- to install seven cell towers- so called “distributed” or “microcell” antennas along a remote stretch of Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Waddell Creek in Big Basin State Park.  This latest project is part of the “Distributed Antenna System” being promoted by industry and waved through by the CA Public Utilities Commission, an agency adept at bullying local governments into accepting a wireless smart grid that no one wants.  “Distributed” means a new cell antenna could appear on the pole right outside your bedroom window- pulsing microwaves 24/7- potentially reducing your property value, not to mention your libido and mental function – and there would be little you could do to prevent it.

Evidence of wireless health damage is mounting.  Dr. Poki Namkung, the top Public Health Officer in the County, issued a report in January entitled “Health Risks Associated with Smart Meters.” Her report cites research showing harmful effects on sperm, double strand breaks in DNA, and cancer.   The dream of high-speed, on-the-go, smart phone connectivity is hitting up against the reality that this dream may only possible at the expense of our health, our environment – and for some so sensitized to even the weakest signals — basic access to the necessities of life.

This proposed cell site is less than 100 yards from Big Basin State Park and endangered red-legged frogs who inhabit the Waddell Creek Wetlands

For Santa Cruzans, our stewardship of the most pristine natural ecosystems in the County is at stake.   The northernmost antenna is proposed to be located only yards from Big Basin State Park, directly adjacent to the Waddell Creek wetlands, home to endangered species such as the Red Legged Frog, Western Pond Turtle, and Coho Salmon.  Scientific research indicates a myriad of impacts on plants and animals (not to mention humans) who are exposed. In one study of the effects of cell tower radiation on tadpoles, a 90% mortality rate was observed.[1] Other studies show links to bee decline. [2]  The Waddell and Scott Creeks are both teeming with life and are conservation success stories. It would be extraordinarily short sighted to put that at risk.

There is a reason that the Telecommunications Act– signed by Pres. Clinton in 1996- prohibits local and state governments from rejecting cell towers because of environmental concerns.  It’s because those concerns are justified.  Such a restriction is of course blatantly illegal and unconstitutional, prohibiting local governments from carrying out the duty they are sworn to uphold- to protect public health and safety- but the telecom firms have well paid lawyers.   And consumers are left with unexplained headaches and damaged landscapes.

Fire concerns have also been raised.  NextG Corp. is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by residents of Malibu who suffered nearly 15 million in damages from a 2007 wildfire caused by overloaded power poles that blew over and sparking in high winds.  The last thing Bonny Doon needs is another wildfire.

Emergency communication is an important issue. AT&T and Sprint have service along Highway 1 in this area- any cell user dialing 911 has access to these.  There are also call boxes along remote stretches.  Streaming 4G video is not an essential emergency service.

The existing cell panel mock ups at seven locations along the coast give an idea of what is proposed to be made permanent, but only if the California Coastal Commission issues a Coastal Permit in July. There is still time to stop this ill-conceived project from going forward, if the community mobilizes.

When it comes to the beauty of the North Coast, the safety of our communities, and the survival of entire species, we should all question whether we even want to use cell phones on our wild North Coast beaches.

What to Do:

1.  Write to the CA Coastal Commission- c/o Susan Craig 725 Front Street, Suite 300, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Include all the reasons to oppose the project: safety, aesthetics, and health/ environmental protection.  Brief is okay.

2.  Come to the protest July 21st 4pm Verizon Store Pacific Ave. (across from Cinema 9)- link your friends to this page- using a safe, wired connection!

3.  Speak out at the CA Coastal Commission Mtg in Santa Cruz Aug. 8-10 (exact date tba)

4.  If you- or anyone you know is (god forbid) a Verizon customer, switch to another provider (and tell them why!) or even better lose the cell entirely.  Call Verizon customer service at: 1.800.837.4966  You have the power to quit!

5.  Learn more about the project by downloading and reading the files below.

Documents to download for more information:

Santa Cruz County Planning Commission Staff Report

Santa Cruz Sentinel Article

Initial Appeal by Coastal Neighbors Against Unnecessary Wireless Facilities

NextG Response to Appeal

Coastal Neighbors Response to NextG

CNAUWF Appendices

See August 14th 2012 update on this project here.

Overloading power poles caused the $14 million Malibu fire in 2007

Print this flyer out and distribute it!!

[1] Balmori, A. (2009). Electromagnetic pollution from phone masts. Effects on wildlife

Posted in Animal Harm, California, Cancer, Cell phones, Citizen rebellion, Democracy, Electro-Hyper-Sensitivity, Environmental Concerns, FCC, Santa Cruz County, World Health Organization | 11 Comments

Smart Meters Still Being Forced On Us- Speak Out Thursday

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Josh Hart

The smart meters mounted on this apartment complex in Berkeley likely killed a nearby shrub, and are now damaging the health of low-income residents of the complex. The person living above this bank of meters cannot “opt out”

You may have heard there is now an “opt out” in California and several other states for people who do not want a smart meter.  Sadly, if you are under this impression you have been badly misinformed.  Millions of people- even in states with so-called “opt out” policies- are still being forced to live and work in proximity to these hazardous, spy meters.  Opt out policies are being applied haphazardly, without reference to evidence of harm, and in violation of CA Public Utilities Codes 328.2b and 453(b).  Specifically:

  • There is no “opt out” if you are unfortunate enough to live in a condominium or apartment complex next to a bank of meters.
  • There is no “opt out” if you run a business, and don’t want your employees or customers exposed.
  • There is no “opt out” if you are poor and cannot afford the hefty, arbitrary fees being levied as punishment for refusing to swallow what the utilities are forcing down our throats.
  • There is no “opt out” if you are a customer of Southern California Edison, and they are making you pay a large fee for a digital meter that can still spy on you and make you sick. Plus- separate and additional fees are also being considered for So Cal Gas customers!
  • There is no “opt out” for anyone in public, walking down the street through the thick, strong electrosmog caused by smart meters that pulse up to 190,000 times per day, polluting the sidewalk with a carcinogen barely regulated by government or industry.

The bottom line is that the public never opted in to this dangerous, ill-conceived program.  Now that the hazards of installing smart meter mesh networks have become all too clear,  with thousands sickened, hundreds driven from their homes by health harm, appliance damage and fire, and a Pandora’s box of surveillance options now opened to law enforcement and corporate interests, a wave of smart meter rebellion is growing daily.  Visit our contacts page and see what’s going on where you live.   No one listed in your town?  Start your own chapter and let us know so we can post your contact info so others can find you.

Why all the fuss?  The root problem is that we were never asked or consulted, despite the fact that written permission is required of any resident or property owner before any such device is installed on private property.  Literally, there is no legal mandate to install these devices.  The utilities argue that they have unlimited rights to install whatever they want on your home.  Taken to absurd extremes, that would mean they could install a nuclear power plant in your backyard and you couldn’t raise a finger.  Obviously this is absurd, but the utilities are panicking at the scale of the resistance, and now overreaching.  With trillions at stake in the worldwide deployment, a little thing like democracy and choice can’t be allowed to get in the way, after all.

This Thursday June 21st is a regular meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco.    One of our supporters will be “escorting” a group of seniors who live in apartment complexes to speak at the public comment time at the start of the meeting.  These seniors are upset, and rightly so.   They- along with millions of others- are being discriminated against.  While the well-off pay the fee and happily live radiation free in their large lot detached homes, seniors and others with a fixed income- many of whom have pacemakers or other medical implants subject to smart meter interference- are forced to live close to the pulsating microwave emitting devices.    A fine way to say “thanks” for years of service in the military and for making our communities what they are today.

The CPUC has lately been trying to intimidate members of the public from speaking out, after hundreds and hundreds have turned out and spoken in disgust against the smart meter scam, with harsh sounding policies saying you can only speak once on a particular subject and forcing even the most electro-sensitive people to pass through a metal detector and sit in a room with strong wi-fi.  (You can avoid the scan with a doctors note and simply change the subject of your talk every time when you sign in, eg. privacy, health, smart meters, the fascist state, etc.)  Point is that we will not be intimidated- we will speak out and demand an end to smart meters!

Join “Multi-Unit Communities” Day at the CPUC!  Spread the Word!

RESIDENTS OF MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS AND INTERESTED  OTHERS:  COME JOIN PG&E CUSTOMERS WHO WILL SPEAK AT THE CPUC ON THURSDAY, JUNE 21.  A group of residents from low-income senior housing communities in Marin will protest opt-out fees, calling attention to unfair challenges that a punitive, extortionate opt-out program presents to multi-unit building residents who want to live in a SmartMeter-free environment.

Where:  California Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness (at McAllister), S.F.
When:  Thursday, June 21, 9:00 a.m.. Sign in from 8:30 to 8:50.

Please contact us for more information.

Posted in California, Citizen rebellion, Class Issues and Social Equality, CPUC, Democracy, Electro-Hyper-Sensitivity, PG&E, Privacy, radio-frequency radiation, Safety, San Francisco, SCE | 14 Comments

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Josh Hart

1946:

2012:

What is considered acceptable and normal now- doctors encouraging the use of wireless devices to keep track of your health info- may be viewed as preposterous and reckless in future years as the health costs of wireless addiction start adding up.  Indications are that cell phone use is not only a psychological- but actually a physical addiction, much like smoking.  Don’t believe that?  The US National Institutes of Health found that brain glucose levels are boosted when exposed to normal levels of cell phone radiation.

The warning signs are everywhere if you open your eyes.  Sheryl Crow has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor and wonders aloud whether her cell phone is responsible. We urge you to protect yourself, your family, and friends not only from smart meters, but from an entire wireless industry that is actively and knowingly inflicting harm. “Smart” phones in particular emit high levels of radiation- even when they are switched off.

Social norms may seem unchanging and concrete, but in reality they are elastic and subject to occasionally rapid shifts.  It’s important to do your part to question the blind assumption that limitless use of wireless technology is not harmful.  Speak up and ask others to switch off or put away their phones if you do not want to be exposed in a public place. Wireless radiation is a Class 2B carcinogen according to the World Health Organization(pdf).  You have a right to avoid exposure.

If wireless makes you feel ill, talk about it!  Silence- particularly around a subject like this- kills. You’ll be surprised how many people are being affected, and how receptive some people are to unbiased, truthful information on the topic.

For a good summary of the scientific evidence in support of brain tumors and cell phones, read Devra Davis’ book Disconnect.

“Let me be very clear.  The Industry has NOT said once, ONCE, that cell phones are safe.”

-Dane Snowden, vice president and representative of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) at a safety legislation hearing in California

Posted in California, Cell phones, health effects, Health studies, World Health Organization | 51 Comments