Smart Meter Advocacy and Education
Alliance for Human and Environmental Health is currently working on education and advocacy re. wireless Smart Meters and their potential health impacts. We are advocating with local officials, PG&E, and the CPUC on looking at safer options for the Smart Grid.
We have been working with Ecological Options Network http://www.eon3.net/, EMF Safety Network , http://emfsafetynetwork.org/,
and Stop Smart Meters http://stopsmartmeters.org/, who have extensive information about this issue on their websites.
In addition to issues around privacy and safety concerning wireless Smart Meters installed on every home and business, there have been concerns raised about long and short-term health impacts of the new wireless pulse technology. http://www.nytimes.com/ There are many independent, peer-reviewed studies that show the potential for DNA breakages and breaks in the blood-brain barrier resulting in long-term low-frequency, non-thermal RF microwave exposure. This is especially relevant to children and pregnant women as they are more vulnerable. www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm
An independent study on the potential health impacts of wireless Smart Meters was conducted by Cindy Sage and Associates in January of 2011: "There has been virtually no information made available to the public, nor to decision-makers on RF radiation levels. Significant unanswered questions still exist about what levels of radiofrequency microwave radiation will be produced by these meters. This question has very important consequences for public health and welfare, because the public may be subjected to exposures at levels that either violate federal safety limits, or face chronic exposure levels that have already been associated with adverse health impacts, or both." Said Cindy Sage in her introduction to the study. http://sagereports.com/smart-meter-rf/
As opt-out options and privacy concerns are being discussed and debated, it is important to contact your local City and County governments and ask them to enact City and County Ordinances on Smart Meter installation until there is a safer and more viable alternative. If you live in California, contact the CPUC http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/ and Governor Jerry Brown http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php requesting a state-wide moratorium on wireless Smart Meter installation until safety, privacy, and health concerns have been adequately addressed.
On April 26th, 2011, Alliance for Human and Environmental Health, along with other organizations and local governments, (see press release) recently filed a Protest Petition with the CPUC, challenging PG&E's proposed Smart Meter Opt-Out.
This is a link to the Protest as originally filed by Alliance for Human and Environmental Health and the City of Fairfax:
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/efile/P/134294.pdf
This link is to the most recent Motion filed to add Marin County as a named Protestant. It includes as Attachment 1 the entire Protest as amended to add Marin County:
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/efile/MOTION/134354.pdf
Since this Protest was filed, the City of Ross and the Marin Association of Realtors have Motioned to Join.
In California, 9 Counties, and 32 towns and cities have opposed Smart Meter installation by passing Resolutions, Moratoriums, and Ordinances.
Of those, 4 Counties (Marin County, Lake County, Mendocino County, Santa-Cruz County) and 7 towns and cities (Fairfax, Seaside, Watsonville, Capitola, Ross, Willits, and Rio Dell) have passed Ordinances banning the installation by law.
The County of Marin passed such an Ordinance in January, 2011 to halt Smart Meter installation that can be downloaded here:
| ord-3552.pdf |
To inform PG&E that you would like to keep your analog meter, call 877-743-7378. Put a "Do Not Install" sign on your existing analog meter, sign it, and take a picture of it. Click here to download a sign and other bullet-point educational materials about Smart Meters:
| donotinstall_wnote.pdf |
| why_be_concerned.pdf |
Daniel Hirsch, Senior Lecturer on Nuclear Policy UCSC
Daniel Hirsch is interviewed by Josh Hart and speaks about why the CCST report on Smart Meters is misleading.
http://youtube-Daniel Hirsch
Hirsch's comments on the CCST report and an amended chart can be found here Mr. Hirsch’s study (pdf)
Hirsch's comments on the CCST report and an amended chart can be found here Mr. Hirsch’s study (pdf)
World Health Organization - Declares Radiation from Cell Phones a Class B Carcinogen
This recent development in May of 2011, where the world
health organization declared RF Microwave radiation a class B Carcinogen, in the same category as Lead and DDT. This further validates the need to use the Precautionary Principle in terms of Radio Frequency exposure ie. cell phones, wireless routers, and smart meters.
Privacy Concerns? There are several once you have a smart meter - http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/92286.html
Low-Level Radio-Frequency Microwave Radiation Exposure –
Impacts on Children’s Health – Advocacy and Education in Schools.
Children are increasingly exposed to Radio-Frequency Microwave Radiation in the form of cell-phones and wireless antennas.
Alliance for Human and Environmental Health works with local schools on education and advocacy concerning the negative health impacts associated with continuous wireless exposure.
We encourage wired and low-impact wireless solutions for computer use at school.
A classroom outfitted with wifi exposes children and teachers to constant low-level microwave radiation.
A percentage of the population is likely to suffer symptoms such as migraines, difficulty concentrating, and cardiac symptoms as a result.
Everyone is affected cumulatively by this exposure and current evidence suggests that children may be more likely to develop medical problems during childhood as well as cancers and other serious illnesses later in life from constant low-level RF microwave exposure www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm
Low-level microwave radiation has also been linked with concentration, memory, and reaction time problems.
Fiber-optic is an excellent wired alternative and educational tool because of its incredible high-speed ability. It is safe yet effective for education in a fast-paced world.
Children are of particular concern in terms of EMF exposure. There are significant, peer-reviewed studies showing that children absorb more radiation in the brain than adults in terms of cell-phone use. http://www.ewg.org Many other studies report that the brains of young children absorb more radiation than those of adults (de Salles 2006; Gandhi 1996; Kang 2002; Martinez-Burdalo 2004; Wang 2003; Wiart 2008), potentially rendering them more vulnerable to brain tumors (NRC 2008b;International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2008; Lahkola 2007) and salivary gland tumors (Sadetzki 2008).
Researchers in Sweden found the highest risk of brain tumors among people who started using cell phones during adolescence (Hardell 2009).
Behavioral problems and migraine headaches with vertigo are also associated with constant exposure to low frequency RF exposure including wireless internet and cell-phone use in children.
On May 6, 2011,The Council of Europe's Committee on the Environment, a European parliamentary agency with 47 member states, issued a report.
The report examined evidence that Radio Frequency Microwave technology like wireless modems and cell phones may have "potentially harmful" effects on humans and concluded that immediate action was required to protect children. In this report, the Committee said it was crucial to avoid repeating the mistakes made when public health officials were slow to recognize the dangers of asbestos, tobacco smoking, and lead in gasoline. The report also highlighted the potential health risks of cordless telephones and baby monitors, which rely on similar technology and are widely used in British homes. The report references the probability that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices can cause certain cancers and effect the developing brain http://assembly.coe.int
The Council of Europe's Committee concluded that the 47 member states should:
• Set thresholds for levels of long-term exposure to microwaves of the type emitted by mobile phones
• Introduce clear labelling on products indicating the presence of electromagnetic fields and any health risks associated with use
• Ban all mobile phones and wireless networks in classrooms and schools
• Run information campaigns aimed at children and young adults about the risks to human health
• Step up research on less-dangerous types of antennae and mobile phones
Alliance for Human and Environmental Health works with local schools on education and advocacy concerning the negative health impacts associated with continuous wireless exposure.
We encourage wired and low-impact wireless solutions for computer use at school.
A classroom outfitted with wifi exposes children and teachers to constant low-level microwave radiation.
A percentage of the population is likely to suffer symptoms such as migraines, difficulty concentrating, and cardiac symptoms as a result.
Everyone is affected cumulatively by this exposure and current evidence suggests that children may be more likely to develop medical problems during childhood as well as cancers and other serious illnesses later in life from constant low-level RF microwave exposure www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm
Low-level microwave radiation has also been linked with concentration, memory, and reaction time problems.
Fiber-optic is an excellent wired alternative and educational tool because of its incredible high-speed ability. It is safe yet effective for education in a fast-paced world.
Children are of particular concern in terms of EMF exposure. There are significant, peer-reviewed studies showing that children absorb more radiation in the brain than adults in terms of cell-phone use. http://www.ewg.org Many other studies report that the brains of young children absorb more radiation than those of adults (de Salles 2006; Gandhi 1996; Kang 2002; Martinez-Burdalo 2004; Wang 2003; Wiart 2008), potentially rendering them more vulnerable to brain tumors (NRC 2008b;International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2008; Lahkola 2007) and salivary gland tumors (Sadetzki 2008).
Researchers in Sweden found the highest risk of brain tumors among people who started using cell phones during adolescence (Hardell 2009).
Behavioral problems and migraine headaches with vertigo are also associated with constant exposure to low frequency RF exposure including wireless internet and cell-phone use in children.
On May 6, 2011,The Council of Europe's Committee on the Environment, a European parliamentary agency with 47 member states, issued a report.
The report examined evidence that Radio Frequency Microwave technology like wireless modems and cell phones may have "potentially harmful" effects on humans and concluded that immediate action was required to protect children. In this report, the Committee said it was crucial to avoid repeating the mistakes made when public health officials were slow to recognize the dangers of asbestos, tobacco smoking, and lead in gasoline. The report also highlighted the potential health risks of cordless telephones and baby monitors, which rely on similar technology and are widely used in British homes. The report references the probability that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices can cause certain cancers and effect the developing brain http://assembly.coe.int
The Council of Europe's Committee concluded that the 47 member states should:
• Set thresholds for levels of long-term exposure to microwaves of the type emitted by mobile phones
• Introduce clear labelling on products indicating the presence of electromagnetic fields and any health risks associated with use
• Ban all mobile phones and wireless networks in classrooms and schools
• Run information campaigns aimed at children and young adults about the risks to human health
• Step up research on less-dangerous types of antennae and mobile phones
| eu_report_may_6th.pdf |