|
Mast Sanity
|
Dumb and Dangerous - The Problems with Smart Grids |
 |
 |
 |
|
by B. BLAKE LEVITT And CHELLIS GLENDINNING
How is it that so many intelligent, inside-the-beltway environmentalists are buying into an eco-health-safety-finance debacle with the potential to increase energy consumption, endanger the environment, harm public health, diminish privacy, make the national utility grid more insecure, cause job losses, and make energy markets more speculative?
Answer: by not doing their homework.
Welcome to the Smart Grid – a government-funded money machine capable of intruding into every aspect of our lives. Smart Grid technologies – initially funded to the tune of $3.4 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and slated to cost $11 billion through 2011 – are enough to make even diehard liberals demand a claw back of misspent tax dollars.
On the surface, Smart Grids sound ‘green’ – with promises of saving energy, creating new power-line corridors run on wind and solar, way-stations to power-up electric vehicles, energy-efficient upgrades to an aging power infrastructure, and real-time customer knowledge of electricity use.
And there’s the enticing communications factor: a nationwide high-speed broadband information technology barreling down high-tension electric corridors called Broadband-Over-Power-Lines (BPL). What could be more perfect for communicating facts about the planet, funding enviro-candidates, pushing legislation, and organizing Earth Days?
But few who actually study how these new systems functionwant anything to do with them. Other than those who stand to make enormous profits and the physicists or engineers who dream up such stuff, Smart Grids are giving knowledgeable people the willies.
What Is a Smart Grid?
These days the word “smart” is attached to anything even marginally digital — and indeed it’s an effective marketing tool because who wants anything dumb?
But is the Smart Grid really smart?
The problem: smart metering will turn every single appliance into the equivalent of a transmitting cell phone, and this at a time when public concern about the safety of exposure to the radiofrequency radiation (RF) of wireless technologies is on the rise. Heads up: that’s every dishwasher, microwave oven, stove, washing machine, clothes dryer, air conditioner, furnace, refrigerator, freezer, coffee maker, TV, computer, printer, and fax machine.
The average U.S. home has over 15 such appliances, each of which would be equipped with a transmitting antenna. While older models can be retrofitted, General Electric (GE) and other appliance manufacturers are already putting transmitters into their latest designs, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is already giving out tax credits.
Meanwhile, people who don’t want to use such appliances won’t be able to deactivate the wireless component without disabling it and voiding warranties. Citing “electricity theft,” it could also be illegal to do so.
Yet, not one safety concern regarding the cumulative effects of 24/7 exposure to RF radiation seems to have occurred to the backers of Smart Grids. And this is despite the fact that all appliances will transmit wireless data with peak power bursts far above current safety standards – at frequencies between 917 MHz and 3.65 GHz in the ultra-high frequency/microwave ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, several times a minute.
And that’s just the indoor part. All transmitters inside your home or office will communicate with a Smart Meter attached to the outside of each building. (1) That meter, in turn, will transmit at an even higher frequency to a central hub installed in local neighborhoods. In what are called “mesh networks,” signals can also be bounced from house-meter to house-meter before reaching the final hub. So exposures will not just be from your own meter, but accumulating from possibly 100-to-500 of your neighbors’ as well.
That’s a hefty barrage of radiation.
Some gas, water, and electric utilities are now using such smart networks, each with its own metering system and separate exposures – creating a multi-frequency wall of radiation that, in the history of living creatures, is unheard of.
In addition, the meters and the antennas will act as transceivers, allowing both you via mobile phone or computer – and take note: your utility company – to remotely control your appliances. According to Jenny Anderson and Julie Creswell writing in the New York Times, one such system in the Midwest already allows the utility to cycle furnaces and air conditioners on and off every 15 minutes, with the stated purpose to reduce peak-loads on electric grids.
On closer scrutiny, Smart Grids look like another Build-It-Now-Deal-With-The-Consequences-Later fiasco. At a time when health concerns about the safety of cell phones, antennas, and Wi-Fi hotspots are mounting around the globe, Smart Grids will require literally billions of new transmitters, each pumping “electrosmog” into the environment – for which there will be no mitigation, no conscientious objection, and no escape.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Wi-Fi in Schools Nov 2011 by Dr Andrew Goldsworthy |
|
|
|
|
Most of the damage done by digital telecommunications is not due to heating but by the electrical effect their pulsating signals have on living tissues, which occurs at much lower energy levels.
The human body can act as an antenna and the signals make electric currents flow through it in time with the pulsations. It is this that does the bulk of the damage by destabilising the delicate membranes that surround each cell and also divide it into internal compartment such as mitochondria (the energy factories of the cell) and the lysosomes (the cell’s recycling factories).
All of these membranes are just two molecules thick and have a similar basic structure. They are liquid crystals, made largely of negatively charged molecules (which repel one another) stabilised by divalent positive ions (mostly calcium) that sit in between them by mutual attraction and hold them together like mortar holds together the bricks in a wall.
It was first shown by Bawin et. al. in the 1970s that weak amplitude modulated radio waves, where the strength of the signal rises and falls at low frequencies, could remove some of this calcium from brain cell membranes. This destabilises them and make them more likely to leak. The low frequency pulsations of Wi-Fi and mobile phone signals can be expected to behave in much the same way.-
This is important in the brain because the normal function of brain cells depends on the controlled passage of specific ions through their membranes. When these membranes leak, ions flow through them in a relatively uncontrolled way, which results in brain hyperactivity and may cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in some people. When this occurs in the brain of a foetus or very young child it prevents normal brain development, which may result in autism (see http://mcs-america.org/june2011pg2345.pdf ) . Wi-Fi should therefore be considered as an impediment rather than an aid to learning and may be particularly hazardous for pregnant teachers.
Effects on the peripheral nervous system are equally damaging since hyperactivity here causes false sensations such as pain, heat, cold, and pins and needles in some people (i.e. symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity). Hyperactivity in the cells of the inner ear can cause tinnitus and affect the sense of balance causing dizziness and symptoms of motion sickness, including nausea. Pupils showing any of these symptoms should be treated with sympathy and the Wi-Fi switched off.
Many other effects on health can be attributed to membrane leakage, including damage to DNA due to the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from mitochondria, and digestive enzymes from lysosomes. Such DNA damage can cause a loss of fertility and an increased risk of getting cancer.
Membrane leakage can also open the blood-brain barrier, leading to Alzheimer’s disease and early dementia. There are similar barriers protecting all of our body surfaces from foreign chemicals. Damage to these can cause or exacerbate a variety of illnesses, including asthma, multiple allergies and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. More on these, including references, can be found at http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/papers/cell_phone_and_cell.pdf
Fortunately, because of genetic variability, not everyone will suffer the same symptoms and many may suffer none at all but, for the sake of those that do suffer, Wi-Fi is not a good idea in schools or anywhere else for that matter. |
Working with the Radiation Research Trust, Wired Child, and ES-UK, MCS-Aware have started a national campaign to protect the health of children and people with Electro-Sensitivity (ES). We need 100,000 signatures online or on paper petitions by April 2012. The campaign is vital to raise awareness of Electro-Sensitivity which affects as you know approximately 3% of the population, including people with ME and MCS.
As you may know the Government are planning to install Smart Meters in every home, school and workplace in the UK to provide real-time monitoring of your gas and electricity. The meters will transmit your personal information every 30 minutes via pulsed microwaves to a hub in the street which will pass the information on to a new central Data and Communications Company. Some areas have already started installation. The scheme raises concerns about privacy, security and health.
Say NO to Wireless smart meters! We are campaigning to demand a fibre optic network with optional wired Home Area Networks. This is really imprtant; if the present wireless scheme goes ahead many people with ES will simply become homeless as they will not be able to adequately shield their own homes! I know many people this has already happened to because of the phone mast infrastructure - they lost their jobs and homes. More and more people are developing ES each year. Worryingly, smart meters emit much higher levels of radiation than mobile phones.
Unfortunately not many people are interested in the plight of those with ES but we do all care about our families. There is NO long term testing of the effect of this kind of radiation (smart meter network) on children. The accumulation of constant electro-magnetic radiation across the entire country is a living experiment; those who are vulnerable will suffer increasing levels of illness and behavioural problems. Recent scientific reports have indicated a link with cancer, leukaemia, heart disease, diabetes and ADHD. Please see the website for more information and supporting research: www.SmartMeterPetition.org
Posters and fliers are available on the website. I would be grateful if you felt able to support us as we need 100,000 signatures by April 2012. Signatures can be online - www.SmartMeterPetition.org or on the paper petition downloaded at http://www.smartmeterpetition.org/posters-a-petition. |
|
BMJ Publish Re-Hash of Discredited Danish Cohort Study |
|
|
|
|
‘INDUSTRY PLAYS ‘DOUBT’ CARD TO DOWNPLAY IARC/WHO FINDINGS’
The BMJ is set to publish an 'update' to a study that finished over 4 years ago [1] (and used data even older) and was widely criticised at the time for its design - that it appeared to be designed to come out negative for tumours in that they had excluded heavy mobile phone users from the study (the business users).
More recent studies - including the Interphone Study (itself somewhat flawed) - have shown a significant increased incident of brain tumours and related cancers in long-term (10 years use for 1/2 hour per day) mobile phone users.
Because of these other studies etc. the World Health Organisation (WHO) in conjunction with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have this year declared microwave radiation - used by mobile phones and other wireless devices - to be a class 2b carcinogen "Possibly carcinogenic to humans" [2] . This means that microwave radiation is a possible cause of cancer.
The re-release of the Danish study is part of an industry-orchestrated backlash to delay legislation to limit microwave exposure and place mandatory health warnings on mobile phones (in the style of cigarette packets) and other radiation emitting devices such as WiFi routers, smart meters and cordless landlines. The 4G spectrum sell-off would be adversely affected with such a move.
[Read a much fuller critique at Powerwatch here]
|
|
Read more...
|
|
The Answer to Physicists - Scientific Paper 2011 |
|
|
|
|
The following scientific paper was presented in the International Conference on Enviromental Indicators in Haifa, Israel:-
http://sites.google.com/site/pelegmichael/Aggregates_of_RF_photons.pdf
Abstract
"This paper addresses the argument stating that since the energy of a single RadioFrequency (RF) photon is extremely small it cannot influence matter significantly and therefore RF radiation cannot cause cancer. The argument is shown to be wrong sincemost known phenomena and uses of RF radiation involve many photons acting in unison.For example in a particle accelerator a multitude of RF photons act simultaneously on asingle elementary charged particle. We show that his holds for particle physics, capacitors,fluorescent tubes, radio communications, RADAR and living tissues. These phenomena arebest treated by considering RF radiation as a wave phenomenon."
In other words this scientific paper shows that all forms of Radio Frequency radiation - including microwaves from mobile or wireless devices - CAN cause Cancer.
|
|
Beware of That Which is Not Discussed - Scientists' Open Letter 20th September 2011 |
|
|
|
|
Beware of That Which is Not Discussed
"As the United Nations meets in London yesterday and today to assess the global impact of the five leading chronic diseases--cancer, diabetes, mental illness, heart disease, and respiratory disease-- there is a glaring omission in the environmental risks not being analyzed for impacts on health and economy. That omission is the massive explosion and intrusion of wireless technology into every facet of life.
"Even without factoring in the proven biological effects of RF (microwave) radiation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates the health costs for the above five diseases could reach $47 trillion over the next 20 years . . .
"Wireless technology is an identified risk causing ill health in all five areas addressed by the WEF-- cancer, diabetes, mental illness and respiratory disease-- carrying potential for huge economic and almost incalculable global impacts, growing in danger and in tandem with the wireless infrastructure rollout throughout the world. Until the World Economic Forum addresses this elephant in the room, any prediction for a troubling outlook will be a euphemism."
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Important Note on Surveys |
|
|
|
|
Mast sanity wishes to thank everyone for participating in the health survey. Unfortunately, due to funding issues we have not been able to progress the information and thus all forms have been destroyed according to data protection ruling. If you inadvertently receive a health survey, please do not fill it in. Just destroy it.
As the data controller, it was an anguishing task to read some of these questionnaires and learn of the agonies suffered as a result of the insensitive siting of Masts by the mobile phone industry. Tetra, in particular caused severe reactions.
ES UK is now receiving calls from many who have been affected by the close proximity of the masts in addition to the general proliferation of equipment generating electromagnetic radiation. Mast Sanity and ES UK continue the fight albeit it feels very much like a David and Goliath battle. One can only pray that in the end, like David, we will defeat the giant.
Respectfully, Nancy Watts, Trustee, Mast Sanity |
|
Smart Meter Warning from Sweden 11/03/2011 |
|
|
|
|
Dear Sir,
We live in Sweden. Here the so-called smart meters from the power company EON ( www.Eon.se ) were installed in 2007 and / or the old "Ferrari counter" replaced. They justified the measure by saying that the customer only wants to pay for the electricity that they really used.
We were luckily able to avoid installing the new meter in our house since we are members of the Association of Electrosensitives ( www.feb.se )
We did not want a continuous beam [of microwaves] in our basement.
We explained the reasoning.
Many people who got the meter exchanged had health problems, many even had to leave their homes.
The bills are more expensive, especially in the winter at higher Power consumption costs explode.
We are now forced to read the meter each month and to send the data to EON.se . Even from vacation! Otherwise we are threatened as it is a mandatory exchange [of data].
Some meters are wrong and the customers have to pay bills that are too high.
All this is not motivated by power saving goals.
Rather, it is to get customers to divulge information.
The remote meter reading requires that there is a wireless connection [coverage] from any basement to the GSM [2G] network. Alternatively, it is sent over the power grid, which also leads to electrosmog.
Warning: it's early enough for people to join together to stop this nonsense. The plan is the introduction of smart meters across the EU. The old meter is to be scrapped if it is not smart, they have to be present at least. Many have already asked to have the old meter put back.
Best regards
Ingrid Brandt |
|
Why Our Urban Trees are Dying by Andrew Goldsworthy 2011 |
|
|
|
|
Introduction
Trees are now dying mysteriously from a variety of diseases in urban areas all over Europe and are also showing abnormal photoperiodic responses. In addition, many have cancer-like growths under the bark (phloem nodules) and the bark may also split so that the underlying tissues become infected. All of these can be explained as being a result of weak radio-frequency radiation from mobile phones, their base stations, WiFi and similar sources of weak non-ionising radiation. But first let us look at how living organisms use electric currents that they generate themselves and which perform vital functions in their normal day-to-day metabolism and growth. We will then go on to see how weak electromagnetic fields can disrupt these and bring about many unwanted biological effects.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Wi-Fi - Open Letter to Swindon Advertiser by Barrie Trower |
|
|
|
|
To Whom It May Concern
I write in comment to the article in Swindon Evening Advertiser 16/02/2011 which was bought to my attention entitled ‘WiFi worry is Unfounded says Council’.
I gave a presentation in Swindon last October 2010 at the Pilgrim Centre ‘Know the Dangers .. Hear the Truth ‘ which was organised by Liz Brackenbury and attended by members of the public along with local councillors, representatives from Talk Swindon Forum and an MP.
During the question and answer session a local councillor stated his intention to go ahead and use wifi in schools etc. When asked what the safe level of exposure to microwave irradiation for a child was he replied ‘ i don t know’
Hence the title of this article is untrue.
Wifi worry is Unfounded says council. In fact the councillor was correct in his comments that he does’ t know what the safe level of microwave irradiation is for a child because there is NO safe level of microwave irradiation for a child known anywhere in the world.
Another quote in the article is also untrue. ‘Both the WHO and the HPA say there is no convincing evidence .... of ill effects’ This statement was made by their spokesperson who has since left to ‘consult’ for the mobile phone industry.
In fact 80% of the Data held by the WHO does show damage from continuous low level microwave irradiation, the WHO told the EU Parliament it would not comment on such dangers to adults until 2015 and only started observing effects on children in 2009, which means the WHO will not comment on children until roughly 2024.
A document published in 1976 by the US Government addressed to all world governments warned that low level microwaves could cause neuropathological and physiological illness in adults and children, at current wifi levels.
Since then the research published by the industry itself and universities have confirmed this. At particular risk is the embryo and young girls.
Research per reviewed and published shows damage to ovaries, testes, immune systems,nervous systems, sleep patterns etc. Unknown to most people is that children absorb more microwave irradiation than adults.
Childhood leukaemia’s were diagnosed from low level microwave irradiation ( by scientific advisor for the WHO – Dr J Goldsmith) as far back as 1950 ‘s
Neither children nor microwaves have changed since.
So tell me councillors: What is the safe level of microwave irradiation for a pupil or a pregnant teacher?
Who takes full legal responsibility for microwave transmitters in schools?
Will you show me the line of writing from your insurance policy which covers illness from microwave irradiation to the people you represent?
And finally what does no convincing scientific evidence.... mean?
Convincing to whom?
Our Government Scientists who assured us over smoking, BSE, Thalidomide, Asbestos?
The Government who take a share of the three trillion pound industry?
Please name for me and the mothers and fathers of Swindon just one credible person who will say ‘continuous low level microwave irradiation is safe for embryo s , infants and children, here is the evidence, peer reviewed and published.
I await your response.
Barrie Trower, Scientific Advisor to Radiation Research Trust and International
Lecturer on Microwave Radiation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 12 |
© 2012 Mast Sanity (except by named authors). Head Office: 16 CHIPSTEAD ROAD, BIRMINGHAM, B23 5HA. Registered UK charity no. 1109757
|
|
Advice Line 0844 443 5450 Tue-Fri 1-8pm
(national rate)
Or Send Donations by post to:
Mast Sanity c/o Highfields
Brantham Hill,
Manningtree, Essex CO11 1SD
|
