W.E.E.P. News
Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution News
7 August 2010
Fairfax bans PG&E's SmartMeters for 6 months
David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle August 6, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/BU6M1EPHUK.DTL
Fairfax officials have slapped a six-month moratorium on the installation of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s controversial SmartMeters, acting on concerns that the wireless devices collect sensitive personal information and could threaten public health.
Other towns and cities - including San Francisco - have asked state energy regulators to suspend SmartMeter installation across all of PG&E's service territory, which covers most of Central and Northern California.
But the Fairfax Town Council decided late Wednesday to push ahead with its own temporary ban, basing its authority on the town's right to control the installation of communications antennas within its borders. The wireless meters, which measure electricity and natural gas usage, feed their data to antennas that, in turn, relay the information to PG&E.
While many critics have questioned the accuracy of the meters, Fairfax Mayor Lew Tremaine said the council was more focused on safety and privacy.
People who believe the electromagnetic radiation from wireless devices is a health hazard view the meters as a serious threat. Some PG&E customers have complained of debilitating headaches and nausea after the meters were installed on their homes. PG&E insists the meters are safe.
While the possible health effects of wireless devices such as cell phones and laptop computers remains in deep dispute, Fairfax officials want more information before allowing PG&E to continue installing SmartMeters in town.
"There's competing science on both sides of the argument, so it's very difficult to sort out," Tremaine said. "Fairfax's position here is that we should be following the precautionary principle. Unless we know no harm will be done, we shouldn't do it."
The council also wants more information on how data collected by the meters are used - and kept private. By measuring a home's electricity use hour by hour, the meters can show when residents wake up, go to work or leave on vacation - information that many people may not want others to see.
PG&E has already installed 200 SmartMeters in Fairfax, out of a planned total of 8,000. The utility, based in San Francisco, agreed before Wednesday's vote to temporarily suspend meter installation in Fairfax and hold at least one public meeting to address residents' concerns.
"We have found that, as customers learn more about the SmartMeter program and the benefits it can have with saving energy, the more excited they become about partici- pating in it," PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said.
Smith would not say, however, how long PG&E planned to delay installing meters in Fairfax or what will happen if the company wants to move ahead before the town council's moratorium expires.
E-mail David R. Baker at dbaker@sfchronicle.com.
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Understanding a serious condition
Times of Fort Erie
... says one of Canada's top researchers on the topic, Dr. Magda Havas. "It's important for the public to become more aware of this research," said Havas in ...
Understanding a serious condition
Posted By Kris Dubé
Posted 2 hours ago, Friday August 6, 2010.
http://www.forterietimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2701976
Imagine having to give up your cell phone and wireless Internet at home because they give you headaches or make you sick to your stomach.
That's the everyday life of people who are affected biologically by electromagnetic pollution. Although it may seem like a very rare condition that doesn't impact your daily routine, research shows that more people are coming forward with symptoms that point directly to the condition, says one of Canada's top researchers on the topic, Dr. Magda Havas.
"It's important for the public to become more aware of this research," said Havas in a phone interview with the Times this week.
She is concerned with the amount of technology that can cause harm to individuals through radio frequency that is present in today's modern world.
Networks of wireless routers in schools, cell phone towers in residential neighbourhoods and on apartment buildings…the list seems to be growing and more people are being affected.
"Our exposure is going up dramatically," she said.
Havas also feels tougher legislation needs to be passed at all levels of government to limit the amount of potential risks for people who are susceptible to electromagnetic pollution and have had their health and well being impacted by it.
She said it could be many years before anything is done, which is far too long in her opinion.
"It's really unfortunate because the levels are going up and up.
This Monday Aug 9, Havas will be giving a presentation on the topic at an event organized by Crystal Beach resident Lucy Sanford, who suffers from the condition and has had to make several renovations to her home to accommodate to her condition.
The event will be held at the Crystal Ridge Community Church on Elmwood Avenue at 7 p.m.
Niagra Region, Ontario.
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Open Letter.
Date : 6th August 2010.
Attention :
Mr Amos Masondo
Executive Mayor
City of Johannesburg
Dear Mr Masondo,
We are a relatively newly formed foundation in South Africa, that has been formed to create the long overdue awareness in South Africa on the subject of microwave radiation.
We are writing to you to convey our concern at the prevalence and effects of electromagnetic pollution in Johannesburg already and the recent report that the City of Johannesburg has signed a billion something deal with Ericssons to wifi the whole of Johannesburg – over 900 kms. This has been done with no thought as to the health and safety of the residents of Johannesburg.
What EIA has been done and what voting protocol implemented for the residents of Johannesburg to see who actually consents to being radiated further than they already are 24 / 7?
It has been known since the 1950s that microwave radiation – as employed by cellphones/wimax/wifi/broadband – may be extremely dangerous to health. The first reported symptoms were blindness and infertility in military radar operators. There are now literally thousands of clinical and scientific papers showing a vast range of illnesses and conditions linked to microwave radiation. From the 1960s, a disease known as "microwave sickness" has been on Russian clinical diagnosis books; a syndrome which includes blood pressure and heart rhythm problems, nervous tension, headaches, neurological disorders, irritability, anxiety and nervous tension, concentration problems, eye pain, sleeplessness, fatigue, heart disease and cancer.
Recently, the Electromagnetic Radiation Research Foundation of South Africa hosted a visit by retired British military intelligence scientist, Barrie Trower. He was involved for many years in "stealth" warfare using microwaves, and compiled a list of frequencies and the effects they would have on health and psychological wellbeing. This was based on his interrogation of spies from the Soviet bloc who had been infiltrated into the West to radiate senior politicians and affect their health and performance. He stressed that the radiation used in cellphone / wifi technology is identical in every respect to the radiation that was used as a weapon: the same pulsed frequencies, the same intensities, the same carrier waves. He has particularly highlighted depression and suicide in young people as one of the first symptoms of exposure to microwave radiation from cell phones/cell masts/wifi.
May I refer you to the attached document - Analysis of proposed San Francisco WIFI network that was decided against as the wise city officials did their homework first. Professor Magda Havas did the analysis that clearly indicates the dangers. It should be noted that a private school here in South Africa had a serious spate of illnesses following the installation of wifi in the school and the children suffered from nausea, headaches, rashes, dizziness, vomiting and unexplained allergic type reactions. In addition it appeared that the concentration levels were affected and children may have become more agitated in existing ADD cases. Several documents are attached from Professor Havas in this regard.
France has removed wifi from their schools and public libraries and is hardwiring with optic fibre cable at a cost of 123 Million Euros. France is leading the way not just in the awareness but also showing that they have taken concern of the health factors and are not taking risks with their citizens anymore.
http://www.next-up.org/pdf/FranceNationalLibraryGivesUpWiFi07042008.pdf
Another article from Germany/
The German Gov is already advising its citizens to use wired internet connections instead of wifi and landlines instead of mobile phones.
http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/bundesregierung.php
Attached also find a press release from the Verum foundation where Professor Adelkofer advised that UMTS ( wifi/broadband masts/wimax ) signals were more damaging than GSM radiation – cell phone signals. UMTS base stations were banned in Holland in 2006.
The World Health Organisation and other agencies list electromagnetic radiation as a "possible environmental carcinogen", with childhood leukaemia as the strongest indication.
Barrie Trower by 2006 had logged over 200 leukaemia clusters around cellphone masts, each cluster consisting of more than ten children under the age of 11, in the UK, Spain and France. Most of these children died. We are also finding suspicious clusters of leukaemias in children near masts in South Africa. World best practice is NOT to locate masts near schools – as in the UK, Russia, Austria Switzerland, Taiwan and India. In South Africa, schools seem to be the preferred site for operators, and we have measured the full beam of masts falling directly on classrooms, playgrounds, dormitories and staffrooms.
According to the Precautionary Principle – signed by South Africa at the Rio Summit in 2002 – even when there is not yet full proof of danger, steps should be taken to minimise particular risks. We feel that removing masts from schools immediately would be a step in the right direction and then certainly not radiating them with wifi without the study of the potential impact.
It should be noted that Taiwan removed 1500 masts already in 2007 from near schools and residential areas to protect the future of their children.
Taiwan removes 1500 masts to reduce radiation levels and protect children in schools / 2007.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2007/11/06/129715/1500-cellphone.htm
There are hundreds of studies such as the Naila study that I attach for your perusal that show the increase of cancers near masts and concluded " that the risk of newly developing cancer was three times higher among those patients who had lived during the past ten years within a distance of 400 metres from a cellular transmitter, in comparison to those that had lived far away.
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/who_and_pubmed_epidemiological_studies_on_base_stations_2006.pdf
To date FOURTEEN epidemiological studies on mobile telecommunication base stations have been published and are referenced either on the EMF WHO database and/or on PUBMED. 10 studies (80%) DID find significant increases in the symptoms being analysed. A letter was written to WHO – attached an SOS from South Africa.
Further concerns :
1 The levels of cancer and leukaemia have increased dramatically in South Africa in children including babies from birth. In order- leukaemia, brain,eye,kidney.
2. It was noted recently in The Star that suicide amongst our youth is up by 21% - indeed an area for concern.
3. A large portion of the population are HIV positive and microwave radiation dramatically affects immune systems therefore compromising the quality of life of these individuals.
4. Attention deficit disorder has increased dramatically in our children
There appears to be no control or regulation force that is effective in South Africa. In fact we have been unable to find a body that has a record of every mast or antennae in South Africa, including ICASA or GDARD. Masts and antennae have been put up in many cases without any EIA especially on top of shops, apartment buildings and hotels.
Furthermore the industry here hides behind adhering to WHO and ICNIRP and its levels, but as far back as 2007 The Bioinitiative report has advised that those levels are not acceptable and outdated. The Bioinitiative report was a review of 2000 peer reviewed scientific and medical papers on the dangers and impacts of non-ionising radiation and an interim safer measurement was set for guidelines.
http://www.mcsresearch.net/bioinititiativetable.pdf ( a brief summary)
http://www.bioinitiative.org/report
http://www.next-up.org/Newsoftheworld/BioInitiativeIntro.php
(It should be noted that these guidelines may not be low enough for electrosensitive individuals and some researchers feel that these are just interim safer measures to be immediately adopted as advocated by the European Parliament and adopted by 8 countries already. No safe level has been determined for children.)
The European parliament has questioned the WHO's decision-making and has advised its 27 member states not to follow the WHO's recommendations but to follow the Bioinitiative Report's recommendations. 522 Votes were recorded in favour of restricting exposure of populations to microwaves and 16 votes were recorded against. The European parliament has thus resoundingly discredited the WHO and ICNIRP's recommendations, and laws are now being revised and implemented to take down or turn off technologies that use microwaves.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2009-0216+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN
It should also be noted that Botswana seems to be more educated on the fact and one village headed by the Royal Bakgatla tribe has just "removed" a mast that was causing illness and cancers. At a recent presentation, where we were invited to present at least 70 key officials attended. The king, who is also a lawyer is a prime example of a man who has done the investigation and is concerned about the welfare of his people and not the financial rewards – truly refreshing.
The City of Windhoek is currently busy with an investigation into the health impacts of EM Radiation and has a moratorium on any further masts.
In South Africa, our constitutional rights are being violated by these experiments on us and this is against the Nuremberg treaty.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has only started looking at studies on children as of 2009 and has stated that it is unsure as to the present status on microwave radiation exposure and will only provide an estimate in 2015. This contravenes the UN convention as based on the Nuremberg Code for Human Experimentation - ethics provisions, where a person has a right not to be experimented on and in fact has to provide formal consent to all inconveniences, hazzards and effects on health in order to be a part of that experiment. (The WHO does acknowledge that 3% of people are sensitive to Electromagnetic radiation. )
http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/nuremberghtml
We bring your attention once again to the Precautionary principle. Why is this not being applied by our government or any political parties ? Has no-one done their homework or is the money involved behind the scenes that has kept the implications of the results of this electrosmog damage buried.
What choice has been given to the constitutional rights of protection on both our health and safety ? Have you considered the children of South Africa who are more susceptible to electromagnetic radiation. Already we have many cases where communities are already being affected by cell and broadband ( wifiwimax/Iburst) masts.
Professor Magda Havas has said " Radio frequency radiation and other forms of electromagnetic pollution are harmful at orders of magnitude well below existing guidelines. Science is one of the tools society uses to decide health policy. In the case of telecommunications equipment, such as cell phones,wireless networks,cell phone antennaes,PDAs,and portable phones, the science is being ignored.
Current guidelines urgently need to be re-examined by government and reduced to reflect the state of science. There is an emerging public health crisis at hand and time is of the essence"
We therefore request as a public official you kindly answer the following questions urgently :
When was this contract signed with Ericsson, who are already advertising it in the paper ?
Where is the EIA or a potential health assessment of the project?
What was the exact value ?
Where has the role out commenced ?
What is the frequency and pulse rate?
What is the recognized name of the network ?
Where is the public's consent / vote to be subjected to this radiation ? Have you advertised this will be done and notified the public as to the potential dangers ? No notices have been seen.
What will you do about accommodating people who are already electrosensitive and those whose medical conditions will be weakened further by this continuous pulsing and radiation?
A minimum of 3% of the world's population are EHS ( Electrohypersensitive) and a further 35% partially sensitive. From severe exposure to all these different forms of electrosmog, this number is increasing and white zones are being set up in countries such as Sweden and France. In South Africa we already have many people recorded in our support group for EHS sufferers. Some of our founding members have been made electrosensitive by exposure to EM Radiation. Attached is a document by Professor Olle Johannsen a highly respected researcher in the field of EM radiation on EHS. – Electrohypersensitivity. It is a recognised disability by the UN and certainly the EHS are well noted and allowances made for them in Sweden.
We will point out that Section 28 of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution says: "A child's best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child." We feel that exposing our children to microwave radiation in order to make money cannot be in accordance with this constitutional principle.
We would be happy to present a further extensive presentation as to the dangers of electromagnetic radiation.
We implore that this rollout is stopped till a full investigation is done. New laws are desperately required in South Africa in this regard.
Your attention and response to this would be greatly appreciated and we appeal to you to address this concern as a matter of priority for all of us in South Africa with full disclosure to the public of the contents of the contract.
Sincere regards
Tracey-Lee Dorny Faiza Dawod
Chairman Legal advisor.
On behalf of The Foundation Committee.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter "
Martin Luther King Jnr
Affiliated to the EM Radiation Research Trust UK
http://www.radiationresearch.org/
The EMRRFSA Foundation Project is supported by E. Oppenheimer and Son and The Diamond Route.
The Diamond Route is a massive national project which focuses on linking the conservation properties of the Oppenheimer family and De Beers. These properties conserve vast conservation areas and provide a safe haven for a wide variety of unique, rare and ecologically important plants and wildlife and provide endless photographic opportunities. These properties are open to the public who are encouraged to explore this wealth of tourism opportunities.
Please visit the website
or contact Duncan MacFadyen, Manager of Research and Conservation: E. Oppenheimer & Son on
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EHS patient survey
Hi,
As you know, patients with electro-hypersensitivity have tremendous difficulty finding the help and treatment they need; even finding adiagnosis is a challenge! I, myself, suffer from orthostatic hypotension, chronic fatigue, and more, and am becoming convinced that Ihave electro-hypersensitivity as well.
As part of the research for a new book I'm writing on how the medical community treats patients with "invisible" illnesses, such as electro-hypersensitivity, I've developed a patient survey, and wondered if you think your members might be interested in takingit. As a thank you, respondents will receive a downloadable pain trigger journal. Here is a link to the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TDWVHDW
Most recently, I co-authored the book "Secret Suffering: How Women's Sexual and Pelvic Pain Affects Their Relationships," with Robert J. Echenberg, MD., and am also the creator of the following websites:
www.SecretSuffering.com
www.InvisibleIllnessDocFinder.com
(Please note that your site is included on the Resources page. If you have additional resources, please let me know.)
Thank you for your consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours truly,
Susan Bilheimer
954-778-9160
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"Me haría mucha ilusión poder salir simplemente para tomarme un café"
"I would be thrilled just to get out for coffee"
Domingo, 25 de Julio de 2010 , Dori Nuñez
Cedida
Sonia Hernandez suffers electrosensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity, two diseases that prevent it from developing their normal lives as it is condemned to live alone.
Can you imagine not going out in a year and a half from home and not even being locked in her room they can use to feel better? What they go head to explode, burn your skin as if next to a fire or stop vomiting, simply by sleeping near the elevator? These are some of the symptoms that a person with multiple chemical sensitivity electrosensitivity and suffering daily.
To know the history of the protagonist of this story come to your home without any equipment to be batteries, so the picture you can see on this page was made four years ago and was provided by the family, and that would make him a worsening of all the pain you have this young Melilla.
"I would be thrilled to take a coffee in a cafe," said Sonia Hernandez. This 36-year-old girl interviewed in the veranda of his house and had to be closed urgently when an ambulance passed under the window because of the noise it produced. "I'd settle out a little every day," she said with a sincere smile.
Her mother, Maria del Carmen and his father Joseph are very proud of it, because despite the situation in which they live, "always gives his best smile" and "never complains about anything."
Origin of disease
Sonia was always sensitive to contact with chemicals such as bleach, detergent, softener and even after washing the clothing becomes soaked in it. Nor could any jewelry made of gold or other metal because their skin reacted to the mere contact with these elements, or use makeup or hair dye. However, Sonia took a more or less normal life and worked in a sports shop assistant as any young Melilla.
About three years ago moved to a new home with her parents, a beautiful apartment near the stadium Alvarez Claro, spacious and very bright. But what should have been an improvement in quality of life of this girl ended up being an ordeal for the whole family.
Near the house there is a generator, one of the possible causes of the sensitivity of the body of Sonia has increased to limits that we can not imagine.
It started with vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and burning sensation, but why your body reacted this way? Sonia observed that when she sat watching TV felt as if he were burning throughout the body. I also felt the same to be next to a light, pass under streetlights or get close to the kitchen, where there is a large number of appliances on.
Thus, his body began to react ever more violent as regards exposure to electrical appliances, including watches include batteries, a mobile phone or a handheld.
Diagnosis
They are imagining it or is crazy are some of the phrases that Sonia has had to listen to various health professionals after trying medication, psychologists and psychiatrists did not give an explanation to what was happening.
These moments were very hard for her, because nobody understood what was happening and even came to ask if I was really loca.Muchos days have you felt alone and found no support from anyone except their parents, as many of his friends have stopped visiting. Fortunately now has the support of some of her neighbors who are offering every assistance to the family.
Visits to physicians were interminable, until the dermatologist and expert on rare diseases, Concepción Rodríguez Paez, Sonia had found that multiple chemical sensitivity and had resulted in another rare disease, the electrosensitivity.
Treatment
The only possibility that Sonia stop suffering is to live away from any kind of electricity and chemicals, ie be in an isolated area and eat only what you can produce the most natural way possible.
Currently lives at home with their parents and without any electrical appliance. Never turn on the lights, put a radio or turn on the heater, since gas has immediate effects for her rejection.
Sonia sleeps on a special mattress on sand and has a container with more sand to put my feet and eliminate static electricity generated by our own body. Nor can light candles because the smell does not support or give a hug to her mother because she also suffers pain.
Read and go to the beach
How is your life? Sonia takes a shower with cold water, only eat natural things as is well spends most of her time reading and doing Sudoku books. But it also has to be careful with those activities, and that the role should be as white as possible to avoid allergies.
Also try to go to the beach to be in contact with the sand and sea water to relieve their pain for a few hours. However, the drive causes vomiting usually all the way until she reaches the shore, and is removed from the vehicles, their engines and their fumes.
So, are these moments when her mother takes and puts the washing machine.
In addition, you can not go to the hospital and each time is worse or need evidence, nurses or doctors have to go to her house.
The family needs more understanding and support económicoHoy days given the food of Social Services, as this house you can not cook or have any food chilled. But Sonia have recognized only a 42% disability, which is totally incomprehensible when completely dependent on their parents for anything and will never work, since not even in your room is safe from suffering pain.
The family returned to request a review of the case and hope that sometime a judge is able to recognize the dependence of Sonia, who is not even eligible for Dependency Act because it can move by itself.
On the other hand, having a handicapped card would favor them when parking as close to the beach.
She and her parents just expect a bit of understanding from their neighbors and friends.
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W.E.E.P. – The Canadian initiative to stop Wireless Electrical and Electromagnetic Pollution
