Smart Meter Harm

Perspective by Cindy Sage, Sage Associates
December, 2013
Excerpts:

How could one bad idea so completely galvanize such enormous and widespread public resistance?

It is really quite stunning how a single failed corporate/governmental strategy could backfire so rapidly and so completely.

It shows how little anyone really knew what these meters entailed in ‘unintended consequences’.  And how immediate the adverse effects would become visible.

Who knew a federal judge would strike down the government’s premier NSA spying program as an unconstitutional breach of the Fourth Amendment, and an indiscriminate and arbitrary invasion of privacy – a program which collects LESS information on Americans than so-called ‘smart meters’ can do?

Who knew that smart meters would fail to deliver energy savings?  Utility studies show less than 10% of HAN-enabled households pay any attention whatsoever to the conservation via smart meter technology.

Who knew that you could save more energy unplugging a few appliances?  Who knew the energy conservation you’ve already incorporated into daily living would be dismissed and ignored?  What is the incentive now to conserve more with this unwanted burden of costly and unnecessary technology that has so backfired?

Who knew that utilities could ration electricity by tiering of costs; so that it will cost everyone more unless you can do your housework at 1 am?

Who knew that smart meters are programmed so that they can remotely turn off your electricity from the utility downtown when demand is high?

Who knew that personal home security could be so easily threatened by thieves and home invasion robbers by tracking energy use with simple WI-FI devices from the street?

Who knew that the WHO IARC would classify smart meter RFR emissions as a Possible Human Carcinogen just a year into the first state rollout by California?  What did the federal government miss?  What did these corporations who took the federal stimulus money miss?  Who didn’t see this coming?  Who didn’t want to look?  What will be the consequence of this monumental error in judgment?

Who knew that the FCC would be forced by the federal Governmental Accountability Office (GAO), by inquisitive legislators, by scientific evidence pointing to serious health consequences from RFR emissions below FCC public safety limits, and by sheer force of public opinion in this country to re-evaluate the adequacy of its safety standards just three years later?

Who knew how much national good will could be lost by forcing people to accept a fatally flawed technological program that intrudes into the very sanctity of the family home, and risks their health, privacy, security, and well-being and that of their children?

Who knew that the levels of RFR are sufficiently high to cause damage to the growing fetus, the young child and children doing their homework or sleeping in their own beds?

Who knew that RFR levels within the family home could exceed RFR levels reported to cause unendurable side effects on health and well-being, and force families to abandon their homes?

The government has shot itself in the heart.

It has put young mothers and grandmothers under arrest for protecting their children and grandchildren.  It has created fear and loathing for ‘big brother governing’.

It has forced corporate resignations at the highest levels of utility management.

We know now, after some experience, that there is no energy savings, other than the phantom promises on corporate brochures.

Full article at: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/who-knew-the-wireless-smart-meter-meltdown/
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Cindy Sage is co-editor of the international BioInitative Report 2007 and 2012 www.bioinitiative.org

Maine Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
P.O. Box 43
Richmond, ME 04357
207-797-3716
dgforever57@gmail.com

January 28, 2014

Our precedent-setting Maine investigation into the safety of smart meters continues with the recent filing of final legal briefs at the Public Utilities Commission. What remains is a final report from PUC staff to the Commissioners, the Commissioner’s decision and possibly a separate proceeding on remedy. Win or lose, appeals are likely.

We last asked you for money on October 22, 2012 when our legal fees, billed at a discounted rate were about $68,000. We are asking again for your support now with fees up to $160,000.

Please support this effort helping all of us!

In the effort to stop smart meters from eroding our health and legal rights, Maine is first in the nation:

1. Fighting for, obtaining and retaining right to opt out.

2. Appealing a rejected Public Utilities Commission [PUC] complaint to a state’s highest court.

3. Winning a state Supreme Court victory in a smart meter case.

4. To have a high court remanding a smart meter complaint back to the PUC.

5. Conducting a full PUC investigation into health and safety of smart meters.

6. With a PUC determining they will not be limited by FCC guidelines in their investigation.

These accomplishments have come at great personal cost borne by a very few, both in terms of thousands of hours of volunteer time and substantial legal fees. Please help make this a community-supported effort!

We are in an excellent position to win back our rights as Maine statute dictates the Public Utilities Commission shall ensure safe service and that utilities shall furnish the same. The heavy burden is on them to guarantee safety. Winning in Maine helps those across the country. “As Maine Goes, So Goes the Nation.”

The Coalition does not have tax-deductible status. However, in an effort to assist in the elimination of smart meters, the mid-coast Maine environmental group Friends of Merrymeeting Bay [FOMB], with 501(c) (3) status, has agreed to accept and pass through tax-deductible donations of $250 or more in direct support of our work. Donations of this level should be sent to FOMB, P.O. Box 233, Richmond, ME 04357. Write “smart meters” in your memo line. Smaller checks should be sent to the Coalition letterhead address. Appreciated securities are also welcome through FOMB-call Ed Friedman at 207-666-3372.

For many of us, smart meters are a line in the sand we will not cross. What other device imposes mandated radiation emissions on us 24/7, invades our privacy, steals our personal data, infringes on several of our constitutional rights and compromises our personal and grid cybersecurity? We as citizens must fight, and support the fight to stop this.

In order to succeed, we need your financial help now.

Thanks so very much! Ed Friedman, Dianne Wilkins, Deborah Oliver & Kathleen McGee

Resistance…..because harm is not an option
& extortion is not a choice.

Palm Springs, California —

Greg Lee, KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2, reported January 21, 2014:

“Firefighters plan to be on scene at the Sunrise Villas all night because of another flare-up in one of the condos.  The Palm Springs Fire Department and CAL Fire responded to multiple electrical fires in the area of St. George Circle and Mesquite Avenue around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.  Fires burned in four separate units after residents reported hearing popping and seeing smoke from several utility boxes.  “As soon as I got out of the car, I heard another boom,” said David Patterson, who lives in the complex.

The boom came from a utility box in the middle of a power outage and set off a chain reaction of dangerous events.  “I’d seen smoke and sparks and it was outside, the backyard, where the cables are,” said Mercedes Chavez, who works at the complex.”

http://www.kesq.com/news/multiple-electrical-fires-reported-in-palm-springs/-/233092/24042136/-/85475az/-/index.html

Popping sounds are one of the warning indicators of Smart Meter problems.

In 2010, Sage and Associates warned of the risks of electrical fires from Smart Meters. That report is here: http://eon3emfblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Wireless-Smart-Meters-and-Potential-for-Electrical-Fires.pdf

Smart Meters have overheated, exploded, caught fire. 80 Smart Meters caught fire in East Palo Alto in 2011 — http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=22378

In 2010, a man in Vacaville, California, died as a result of a Smart Meter fire. http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/06/21/when-smart-meters-kill-the-story-of-larry-nikkel-details-emerge-of-vacaville-ca-smart-meter-fire-death/

At a California Public Utilities hearing in 2012, Patrick Wrigley stated he was a former PG&E meter reader who was fired for not keeping quiet on Smart Meter problems —

“The fact that PG&E knows that they do catch on fire when they are remotely turned back on when a customer who is delinquent in their bill finally pays their bill. These meters catch fire. They know it, and they are covering it up.”

In November 2012, a fire captain wrote about what happened to him personally:

http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=9013
“Fire captain finds hazardous power surges follow Smart Meter installations”

A law firm in Texas specializes in Smart Meter fires.

When Sensus meters caused overheating and fires, investigations took place in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois.  But not in California.

There is a growing compilation of reports here—

http://emfsafetynetwork.org/smart-meters/smart-meter-fires-and-explosions/

Whistleblower Don Baker filled a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Alabama against Southern Company, Alabama Power, and Sensus (a major Smart Meter manufacturer) for knowingly installing defective meters that could cause fires. The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to investigate. That story is here:

http://stopsmartmeters.org/2012/01/20/meters-that-endanger-shocking-details-from-a-whistleblower/

In the complaint Baker relates in detail what makes the meters dangerous, and the allegations are damning—and alarming. A few highlights:

[Meters] may fail dangerously when subjected to a sudden surge of electricity …. Meters found to contain ‘flux’ or loose solder residue …. Calibration equipment not properly designed …. Electric resistor component defective …. Internal temperatures up to 200° Fahrenheit …. Hot socket alarm …. Drastic overheating to the point of catastrophic failure, melting, and burning….

“Mr. Baker has direct personal knowledge that Sensus and Southern Company [the utility] have installed approximately one  million iConA meters in Alabama homes with knowledge that the meters are seriously defective and pose a substantial fire hazard and that at least two Alabama homes have burned as a result…. [They] were well aware that the iConA was defective and the entire project flawed.”

Why hasn’t there been a full-scale public investigation by state fire marshals in California?

Why the silence or even retracted stories?

Is it because of the cozy relationship California Gov. Jerry Brown and politicians have with utility companies, including SCE and PG&E? For instance —

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/11/jerry-brown-names-pge-official-dana-williamson-senior-adviser.html#ixzz1ciLUiXdy

In Australia, in 2011, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade launched an official investigation into fires linked to Smart Meters.  They ordered “all firefighters to report fires, where smart meters are present and has advised officers not to allow power companies to take the meters from the scene. ”

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/fires-linked-to-smart-meters/20111107-1n2jz.html

But not here in the U.S.

How many people have to die or suffer fires at their homes or businesses before state and national fire officials protect the public?

NOTE:

If you have experienced electrical problems, including fires, burnt-out appliances and outlets, report these to EMF Safety Network — http://emfsafetynetwork.org/contact-us/

Also report them to your fire department.

If you hear popping or other noises coming from your electrical panel, or a Smart Meter is hot or the panel is smoking, call your fire department IMMEDIATELY. Be sure to document with photos or film footage.

http://memoryholeblog.com/2014/01/21/media-blackout-on-smart-meter-dangers/

James F. Tracy, January 21, 2014

Major power utilities continue to deploy “smart” electrical meters on businesses and private residences throughout the United States and Canada. Yet those in North America and elsewhere remain in the dark on the negative health effects of such devices that systematically blast their homes with radio-frequency (RF) radiation on a minute-by-minute, round-the-clock basis.

In 2009 the Obama administration partnered with utilities by allocating $3.4 billion in federal stimulus funds toward building a nationwide “smart grid,” where smart meters figure centrally.[1] The project is part of President Obama’s “Climate Action Plan” that under United Nations auspices seeks to reduce US carbon emissions 20% by the year 2020.[2]

There is more than ample research available that has associated negative health effects of RF radiation emitted by smart meters [3] for regulatory authorities to place restrictions on power utilities and compel them to abide by the precautionary principle. Such restrictions would require power providers to refrain from wide scale installation of smart meters until a sufficient body of scientific research demonstrating the safety of such devices has been produced and rigorously evaluated.

Yet in the US and elsewhere the imperative of having a “smart grid,” the prospect of a carbon trading scheme, lax (and in at least some cases corrupt) state and federal regulatory bodies, and the sheer power of the utilities combine to jeopardize the long term health of the entire population.

In a purportedly democratic society news outlets play a decisive role in such an impending health crisis. By failing to report on the dubious health research of smart meters and the fact that the public is being involuntarily subjected to such technology, news media are a key factor in the citizenry’s continued ignorance and inaction.

In May 2011 the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer categorized “radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless cellphone use.”[4] Despite this warning from a well-recognized source, the utilities stubbornly insist that all residences must be equipped with a smart meter issuing dangerous electropollution.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ceased studying the health effects of radiofrequency radiation when the Senate Appropriations Committee cut the department’s funding and forbade it from further research into the area.[5] Thereafter RF limits were codified as mere “guidelines” based on the EPA’s tentative findings and are presently overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

These weakly enforced standards are predicated on the alleged “thermal effect” of RF to which the FCC subscribes. In other words, if the energy emitted from a wireless antenna or device is not powerful enough to heat the skin or flesh then no danger is posed to human health.[6]

To this day power utilities cling to this severely outmoded and unscientific standard when confronted with the formidable body of research linking RF to cancer, destruction of DNA, and other negative health effects. News media seldom question the FCC policy when it is cited by utilities and regulators alike to underline the supposed overall safety of smart meters.[7]

An electronic LexisNexis search of newspaper articles referencing “smart meters” appearing between May 31, 2011, the date WHO classified RF a Class 2B carcinogen, and June 19, 2014, yields close to 839 pieces published in English language papers. Yet for the same time span only one tenth of the sample (82 articles) mentions “smart meters” and “carcinogen” or “carcinogenic” in the same report. Of these, 65 of the articles appeared in Canadian, and to a much lesser degree Australian or UK papers. Note that each sample includes guest editorials and letters to the editor penned by concerned citizens.

Using parameters from the date May 31, 2011, the date WHO declared RF a Class 2B carcinogen, to January 19, 2014, of 93 newspaper articles referencing “smart meter” and “World Health Organization,” 76 were published in Canadian, and to a much lesser degree UK, Australian, Malaysian or New Zealand outlets.

As the above suggests, the extremely limited awareness especially in the US of the potential health consequences of exposure to the continual RF emitted by smart meters is primarily because the issue is being blacked out in the press. When such dangers are reported, they are tempered by the refrain of the FCC’s “thermal effect” policy, which in light of the abundant countervailing research amounts to disinformation.

In December 2013 I contacted the reporter at the local metro-daily Palm Beach Post covering the state power utility, Florida Power and Light, and its smart meter policy to remind her of the bevy of public health and medical research documenting the likely consequences of sustained RF exposure. I also directed her to the WHO statement classifying RF as potentially carcinogenic.

To the Post’s credit a subsequent story highlighting Florida Power and Light’s “opt out” policy referenced the WHO statement. Yet the piece appeared deep in the business section of the paper, and the WHO warning was accompanied by the Florida Public Service Commission’s familiar rejoinder.

In 2011 the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields such as those emitted by cellular phones, microwaves and smart meters as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

The PSC has said its authority does not extend to health issues related to meters. Smart meters are certified for compliance with radio frequency emission standards by the Federal Communications Commission, and the FCC has deemed that meters in compliance with the standards do not have adverse health impacts.[8]

While one or more hidden agendas likely exist to keep the public unaware of the health dangers associated with RF and smart meters (again, think carbon trading, in addition to the social control possibilities via energy rationing and surveillance soon to be realized through the “smart grid,”) a more immediate cause for such censorship is simply profit and continued media monopoly control of public opinion and discourse.

The telecommunications industry whose services are largely predicated on RF has recently exhibited the largest growth in advertising outlays, which are surely recognized in bottom line terms by the news and media industries.[9] With potential continued revenue growth on this scale, raising questions and relaying information that can safeguard public health and allow citizens to ask intelligent questions concerning the health of themselves and their loved ones simply constitutes poor business practice.

Notes

[1] “President Obama Announces $3.4 Billion Investment to Spur Transition to Smart Energy Grid,” The White House, October 27, 2009.

[2] Ed King, “Obama Promises to Cut Carbon Pollution in Climate Action Plan,” Responding to Climate Change, June 26, 2013.

[3] See, for example, the American Association of Environmental Medicine EMF-RF Reference List (PDF) and AAEM’s April 12, 2012 Press Advisory (PDF).

[4] World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer, “IARC Classifies Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as Possibly Carcinogenic,” May 31, 2011.

[5] Susan Luzzaro, “Field of Cell Phone Tower Beams,” San Diego Reader, May 18, 2011,

[6] FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety. See also James F. Tracy “Wireless Technology and the Accelerated Toxification of America,” memoryholeblog.com, July 7, 2012.

[7] When this author obtained documents through a public records request from the Florida Public Service Commission on Florida Power and Light’s smart meter campaign–a very simple and routine endeavor for any journalist–it was evident that no human health impact studies on statewide smart meter deployment were ever considered. The PSC merely accepted FPL’s rationale and related public relations literature.

[8] Susan Salisbury, “Media Opt-Out Fee to Be Considered, PSC Staff Proposes Enrollment, Monthly Cost for Device For Device Foes,” Palm Beach Post, January 3, 2014, B4.

[9] “Ad Spend By Sector: Consumer Goods and Telecom Take the Cake in 2012,” Nielsen.com, April 25, 2013.

Republished at GlobalResearch.ca on January 21, 2014.

See also:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/looming-health-crisis-wireless-technology-and-the-toxification-of-america/31816
Looming Health Crisis: Wireless Technology and the Toxification of America, James Tracy, December 30, 2013

Update, 1/22/14: Nevada legislators have already taken action on this issue. In 2013, they passed a law (AB 173) stating that time-of-use rates can only be optional for consumers. TOU rates cannot be mandated by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

Time-of-use (TOU) pricing for electrical energy use is almost here. Strictly voluntary for now, they say. Those who choose TOU rates, as well as those who stay with their present rate structure, would get a hefty rate increase.

TOU rates can only be applied to a customer who has a Smart Meter or digital meter. Only Smart Meters or digital meters can incrementally record energy use throughout the day (and Smart Meters send that information every few seconds to the utility company). Analog meters cannot do this.

TOU rates penalize for using energy at certain times during the day – so-called “peak” periods. The stated intent is to get customers to shift their energy use to non-peak times, even to the middle of the night.

How does this work out? It doesn’t. Peak use happens because that’s when it’s convenient for most people to use their ovens, do laundry, use appliances. Cooking dinner, for example, cannot be delegated to the middle of the night.

These rates penalize those with fixed schedules who can only use appliances at certain times, peak or not. Also, older or infirm customers may have to use power all day for health reasons. Middle-of-night laundry usage means a) dried clothes sit all night in the dryer, wrinkling, increasing the need to use energy-hungry irons, or b) the dryer continually cycles on and off all night, c) out-of-balance wash loads clang unfixed, waking the household, or even the neighbors, or harming the machine, and d) any dryer fires happen while asleep. Neighbors in clustered housing will endure machines on during the night. Apartment owners and laundromat owners will pay peak rates since those without laundry equipment will wash and dry at peak hours when the laundromats are open and when it’s convenient, not the middle of the night.

What about air conditioning and heating? These can’t simply be turned off or down, simply because it’s a peak period. In hot or cold regions, particularly for the elderly or those in poor health, not running the air conditioner or heater during peak hours can be life threatening.

What about restaurants or other businesses that operate during peak periods? Will they be penalized with high rates to simply maintain their business?

TOU “looks good on paper” but it simply does not work. Those with money will use as much energy whenever they want. Those without money will have to decide how they will live. Many will not be able to afford these new increases to their bill. Many more people will have to make the difficult decision between rent, food, electricity, and even their health.

Utility companies’ PR about people being able to “manage” their energy use via Smart Meters is pure hype. Nothing more. When will legislators in all our states finally get off their duffs and join the courageous few officials saying, “Enough is enough”?

The Smart Meter program does not work, and TOU rates are just another way the public is getting harmed.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has agreed to provide a no-cost Smart Meter opt-out for customers, the first utility company in California to do so.

Excerpt from the LADWP letter to a customer:

“Customers in the Smart Grid LA program may opt out of the program at any time, including after the smart meter has been installed. If a customer opts outs after a smart meter is installed, the smart meter will be replaced with the same type of analog meter that the customer had prior. There are no customer fees to opt out and have a smart meter uninstalled.

Rates will not be affected for customers who have smart meters installed. Similarly, rates will not be affected for any customer who requests to have a smart meter uninstalled and replaced with an analog meter.”

LADWP customers who wish to opt out of this program may now call Sungly Chiu 213-367-2797  Manager IT at LADWP for a FREE opt out with no rate increase.

More information about this story is at www.stopsmartgrid.org .

In this statement from October 2013, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) announces new research correlating Smart Meter exposure with adverse health effects.

They also state –

The peer reviewed, scientific literature demonstrates the correlation between EMF/RF exposure and neurological, cardiac, and pulmonary disease as well as reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, cancer and other health conditions. The evidence is irrefutable.

This is the fourth statement the AAEM has issued on Smart Meters.

 In January 2012, they called on the California Public Utilities Commission to halt Smart Meters, saying. “Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action.” http://aaemonline.org/images/CaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommission.pdf  

The CPUC ignored their letter.

 Here is the statement from the AAEM.

http://aaemonline.org/docs/SMCS.pdf  

American Academy of Environmental Medicine

6505 E Central • Ste 296 • Wichita, KS 67206

Tel: (316) 684-5500 • Fax: (316) 684-5709

http://www.aaemonline.org

Smart Meter Case Series

“Founded in 1965 as a non-profit medical association, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) is an international organization of physician and scientists interested in the complex relationship between the environment and health.

AAEM physicians and physicians world-wide are treating patients who report adverse, debilitating health effects following the installation of smart meters, which emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radiofrequencies (RF).

The peer reviewed, scientific literature demonstrates the correlation between EMF/RF exposure and neurological, cardiac, and pulmonary disease as well as reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, cancer and other health conditions. The evidence is irrefutable. Despite this research, claims have been made that studies correlating smart meter emissions with adverse health effects do not exist.

The AAEM has received a case series submitted by Dr. Federica Lamech, MBBS, Self-Reporting of Symptom Development from Exposure to Wireless Smart Meters’ Radiofrequency Fields in Victoria. AAEM supports this research. It is a well documented 92 case series that is scientifically valid. It clearly demonstrates adverse health effects in the human population from smart meter emissions.

The symptoms reported in this case series closely correlate not only with the clinical findings of environmental physicians, but also with the scientific literature. Many of the symptoms reported including fatigue, headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness and other symptoms have been shown to be triggered by electromagnetic field exposure under double blind, placebo controlled conditions. Symptoms in this case series also correlate with the Austrian Medical Association’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of EMF Related Health Problems. It is critically important to note that the data in this case series indicates that the “vast majority of cases” were not electromagnetically hypersensitive until after installation of smart meters. Dr. Lamech concludes that smart meters “may have unique characteristics that lower people’s threshold for symptom development”.

This research is the first of its kind, clearly demonstrating the correlation between smart meters and adverse health effects.

Based on the findings of this case series, AAEM calls for:

• Further research regarding smart meter health effects 
• Accommodation for health considerations regarding smart meters.
• Avoidance of smart meter EMF/RF emissions based on health considerations, including the option to maintain analog meters. 
• A moratorium on smart meters and implementation of safer technology
• Physicians and health care providers to consider the role of EMF and RF in the disease process, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Passed by the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine October 23, 2013

Please note: Smart Meter case series research to be released upon publication”

American Academy of Environmental Medicine statements released in 2012:

Letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, January 19, 2012 http://aaemonline.org/images/CaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommission.pdf

Recommendations Regarding Electromagnetic and Radiofrequency Exposure – Position Paper, April 12, 2012
http://aaemonline.org/emfpositionstatement.pdf http://aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.html  
Press release 4-12-12 http://aaemonline.org/pressadvisoryemf.pdf  

Recommendations Regarding Electromagnetic and Radiofrequency Exposure in relation to medical conditions, July 2012
http://aaemonline.org/AAEMEMFmedicalconditions.pdf

 FCC’s Tom Wheeler Hounded By Wireless Health Activists All Day During Visit to SF Bay Area Thursday

Full story and photos at: http://stopsmartmeters.org/2014/01/10/wheeler-hounded-by-wireless-health-activists-all-day-during-his-visit-to-sf-bay-area-thursday/

Media may use photos with attribution to StopSmartMeters.Org

SAN FRANCISCO- Tom Wheeler, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, and former head of the industry Wireless Association for 12 years, got an earful from protesters on Thursday during his visit to the Bay Area. Organized by Stop Smart Meters! and the California Brain Tumor Association, protesters gathered and expressed their anger at the industry/ government collusion that is failing to warn people about- or even acknowledge- the hazards of wireless technology.

From the morning as he arrived in Mountain View to the end of the Oakland event that evening, Wheeler was peppered with questions and dealt with disruptions about how he buried the science showing health harm.

As Wheeler stepped out of his limo in Mountain View, he was confronted about wireless health harm and the ill-advised plan to place wireless in all classrooms in the US- a plan called “ConnectEd” spearheaded by Obama. A teacher from the LA Unified School District who has witnessed firsthand the effects of wireless on schoolchildren repeatedly pressed Wheeler on the point that wireless radiation is already causing harm to our kids- and that wired computers (not a Class 2B carcinogen) can adequately prepare children for a future working with technology.

Wheeler had uttered no more than a sentence at the Commonwealth Club event before Stop Smart Meters! Director Josh Hart stood up and said in a loud voice, “Hey Tom, how many people have to die of brain tumors before the Federal Government will warn people of the hazards? How many young women have to get breast cancer from keeping their phones in their bras before warning labels are introduced? How many must be made electro-hyper-sensitive from a ‘smart’ grid that is harming our communities? Are we just collateral damage in the industry quest for profits? Are you happy with your purchase of the Chairmanship for $1 million from Obama?” Hart was quickly led out of the room.

That wasn’t the only disruption. Four others interrupted Wheeler’s speech, demanding answers about why Federal regulations on RF guidelines fail to protect the public from harm. Ellie Marks ‘thanked’ Wheeler for her husband’s brain tumor. Kevin Mottus from Los Angeles accused Wheeler and the industry he represents of “carrying out a quiet holocaust.” One by one, the protesters were led out of the room. But the message was clear- California is growing more aware of the dark side of wireless and we’re not going to tolerate it quietly.

After leaving Mountain View, activists drove to San Francisco’s Market St. Verizon store and placed (relatively mild) warning labels on all the wireless devices:

WARNING: This device emits microwave radiation that the World Health Organization states may cause cancer. Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable.

In 2011, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance requiring similar warnings be placed at the point of sale, but the wireless industry sued, claiming they have a “first amendment right” to not disclose health hazards to consumers. Activists carried out their 1st amendment right to warn people of the dangers. Many discussions were had with customers, an announcement was made out loud in the store, and the safety labelers refused to leave when asked to do so. The action carried on for about 20 minutes, as staff went around and quietly removed the stickers from the phones as activists replaced them. No police were involved and the activists left the store without incident.

At the evening event, Voices for Internet Freedom, Wheeler was greeted by death standing solemnly at the entrance. At one point, he wandered the wrong way after being followed and questioned by an activist, and found himself surrounded by protesters shouting, “Wheeler buried the truth now we bury the dead.” He quickly scurried away, knowing that the truth was out there. He looked like a frightened animal and you could see the pain in his eyes. It can’t be easy to sacrifice people’s lives for profit.

A coffin was brought to the scene and ‘dead birds’ were scattered around the coffin to represent the insidious impact of wireless radiation on nature and wildlife.

Activists were more restrained inside the evening event, given that it was sponsored by grassroots community organizations. SSM! Director Josh Hart was given 90 seconds to speak and said that “it is important to listen to the truth particularly when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. The truth is that wireless is hurting us, and as with most toxins, the ones who are marginalized and poor bear the worst impacts.”

Stop Smart Meters! thanks everyone who worked so hard to make these protests happen, and encourages those in other parts of the country to also give Wheeler a similar “warm” welcome when he comes to visit you.

Video of this day of action will be forthcoming.

Joshua Hart MSc

Director, Stop Smart Meters!

http://stopsmartmeters.org

Could the Fukushima disaster happen to our nearest nuclear reactor?

Daily reports on the worsening Fukushima disaster are here:  ENE News www.enenews.com

It doesn’t take an earthquake or tsunami to start a chain reaction of events. All it takes is a electrical grid failure. That’s how vulnerable all nuclear reactors are.

Main points:

•  Nuclear reactors depend on off-site grid power.
• If power grid is shut off for any reason, including due to hacking or an electromagnetic pulse or solar storm, back-up generators must instantly come on at full power to insure continuous cooling of fuel rods and reactor cores. Those generators must continue to operate at full power until grid power is restored.
• The diesel generator backup system currently in place will probably fail in the event of an emergency. These generators aren’t adequately maintained. They must be warmed up and run at low speed for a period of time before going to full speed. And they are only built to be run for a limited period of time at full speed.
• At least two of the Fukushima generators failed before the tsunami hit. When the generators were turned on, they broke.
• Each Smart Meter is vulnerable to hacking and provides a vector to the grid. Smart Meter and Smart Grid components make the electrical grid much more susceptible to cyber-attacks. Those attacks could shut down a neighborhood, a city, the entire grid, or target critical facilities.

From Analysis: Smart Meter and Smart Grid Problems, p. 74-76

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“Nuclear reactors depend on external electrical power for their energy requirements.

Arne Gundersen:

…the most likely type of a nuclear accident is caused by a loss of offsite power.  That is what happened at Fukushima:  the power system AROUND the plant broke down.  If that happens, not only will the plant not have power, but the street lights won’t work.  According to the NRC, the street lights DO work.  Not only that, but your home lighting won’t work and your radio and TV won’t work.  But according to the NRC, you will be able to contact the outside world by phones or by radio or by television.

But remember the most likely cause of a nuclear accident is loss of offsite power and that has NEVER been part of an emergency plan, assuming that all of that does not work.

http://fairewinds.com/content/white-house-nrc-recommend-50-mile-fukushima-evacuation-yet-insist-us-safe-only-10

If power is disconnected to these facilities, from whatever cause, generators must be relied on instantly to function. Energy must be available constantly to keep fuel rods and reactor cores cool.

A failure In this system, a failure in being able to shut down a reactor safely, could result in a nuclear disaster at each and every nuclear reactor, not just in California, but across the United States, affecting all of us.

That would create Fukushimas many times over.

Greg Palast in Vulture’s Picnic:

A page from the notebook of an Emergency Diesel Generator expert, R.D. Jacobs, hired to monitor a test for a nuclear reactor’s back-up cooling system.

This is to record that on my last visit,….I pressed [a company executive] saying that we just did not know what the axial vibration of the crankshaft was doing to the [diesel] units. I was unable to impress him sufficiently.

The diesels were “tested” by turning them on for a few minutes at low power. They worked find. But R.D., a straight shooter, suspected problems. He wanted the motors opened and inspected. He was told by power company management to go to hell.

When we forced the plant builder [in Suffolk County, New York] to test the three Emergency Diesel Generators in emergency conditions, one failed almost immediately (the crankshaft snapped, as R.D.[Jacobs} predicted), then the second, then the third. We named the three diesels “Snap, Crackle, and Pop.”

…I knew that all these diesels were basically designed, or even taken from, cruise ship engine rooms or old locomotives. . I’m not an engineer, but I suspect a motor designed for a leisurely float n Bermuda is not fit for a life-and-death scramble. So, I asked [an industry insider], “They really can’t work at all, the diesels, can they?”

That’s when he introduced me to the phrase “crash start.”

On a ship, he explained, you would take half an hour to warm up the bearings, and then slowly build up to “critical” crankshaft speed, and only then add the “load.” the propeller…

That’s for sailing. But in a nuclear emergency, “the diesels have to go from stationary to taking a full load in less than ten seconds.”

Worse, to avoid having to buy additional diesels, the nuclear operators turbo-charge them, revving them to 4,000 horsepower in ten seconds when they are designed for half that output.

The result: snap, crackle, pop.

I learned that, at Fukushima, at least two of the diesels failed before the tsunami hit. What destroyed those diesels was turning them on. In other words, the diesels are junk, are crap, are not capable of getting up to full power in seconds, then run continuously for days….

”So, you saying emergency diesels can’t work in an emergency?”

“Actually, they’re just not designed for it.”

p. 294-297

This is the present system in place to protect all of us in case of a power outage to nuclear reactors.”