PRESS RELEASE

"Citizens for Safe Technology Society (CST) has launched a Human Rights action against BC Hydro requesting accommodation of individuals refusing a wireless smart meter for health reasons. These are persons with a variety of health concerns ranging from cancer to heart problems, from seizures to electrosensitivity, and who have medical letters from their doctors requesting BC Hydro accommodate their health conditions by allowing an analogue meter to remain.

"On January 19, 2012, The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) officially stated its opposition and request for an immediate moratorium on the installation of wireless "smart meters" based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature. Their letter states, "Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action." The AAEM confirms that public health standards are inadequate and obsolete and cannot be used to protect the public from chronic, low intensity radiation exposures that raise credible questions about genetic and cellular effects, hormonal effects, male fertility, blood/brain barrier damage and increase in certain types of cancers. The AAEM warn that children are at heightened risk for "altered brain development, and impaired learning and behaviour" from such wireless exposure.  http://aaemonline.org/images/CaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommission.pdf    

"CST agrees with the AAEM that physicians have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which may negatively impact the health of vulnerable individuals and groups, and potentially affect large populations, as is the case with BC Hydro's wireless "Smart Meter Program."

"CST calls upon physicians and medical experts in BC to support public health and the Human Rights action by recommending an immediate moratorium on "smart meter" installation until these serious public health issues are resolved. We ask that they support patients seeking relief from involuntary and forced exposure to wireless "smart meter" emissions within their homes by requesting that BC Hydro accommodate them with an analogue meter, without additional cost or penalty. http://citizensforsafetechnology.org/Doctors-Information-Package-for-medical-conditions-connected-with-EHS,77,1766
  
"The emissions given off by wireless "smart meters" have been classified by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Possible Human Carcinogen.

Una St.Clair
Executive Director, una@citizensforsafetechnology.org

Physician's Group (American Academy of Environmental Medicine) adopts Resolution against wireless smart meters

January 23, 2012

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has adopted a resolution calling for a halt to wireless smart meters.

This represents the first national physician's group to look in-depth at wireless health risks; and to advise the public and decision-makers about preventative public health actions that are necessary. 

Please distribute to those who may be interested.

Cindy Sage
Sage Associates

Attached letter states, in part:

"The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine opposes the installation of wireless "smart meters" in homes and schools based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature (references available on request). Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action.  

"As representatives of physician specialists in the field of environmental medicine, we have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which can potentially affect large populations. The literature raises serious concern regarding the levels of radio frequency . . . or extremely low frequency (ELF - 300Hz) exposures produced by "smart meters" to warrant an immediate and complete moratorium on their use and deployment until further study can be performed . . .

"We consider a moratorium on installation of wireless "smart meters" to be an issue of the highest importance.

"Hence, we call for:

• An immediate moratorium on "smart meter" installation until these serious public health issues are resolved. Continuing with their installation would be extremely irresponsible. 
• Modify the revised proposed decision to include hearings on health impact in the second proceedings, along with cost evaluation and community wide opt out. 
• Provide immediate relief to those requesting it and restore the analog meters. Members of the Board American Academy of Environmental Medicine.

Select the welcome page on left to view videos and read useful information about Wi-Fi.

"Unfortunately the Edmonton Public School board along with other school districts, have mandated that Wi-Fi will be installed in 100% of their sites and have not given parents Freedom Of Choice should they not want their child/children exposed to Wi-Fi. Edmonton Public Schools is providing no options for Wi-Fi free sites. Most school sites utilize Wi-Fi that is emitting microwave pulsed radiation during the entire school day."

Access petition via website, or use this direct link to the Alberta Safe Schools Petition to speak for our right to choose a Wi-Fi free school environment for our children.

"On January 11, the EMF Safety Network filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court against the City of Sebastopol, Verizon, and Crown Castle alleging the City's decision to approve a 4G cell tower expansion was in violation of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). According to the Sebastopol attorney, the city has a "hold harmless" clause in their contract with Verizon which requires Verizon to pay for all litigation costs related to the cell tower.

"Sebastopol is located adjacent to an internationally recognized wetlands preserve, the Laguna De Santa Rosa. The City filed a CEQA exemption for the project stating there would be "negligible or no expansion of use", calling it a "minor alteration." EMF Safety Network lawyer Rose Zoia argued their exemption claims were false. The addition of 3 and 4 G panels to the cell tower will add significant radio frequency (RF) exposure to the downtown area and extend nine miles into the Laguna.

"Sebastopol's Telecommunications Ordinance states, " No telecommunications facility shall be sited such that its presence threatens the health and safety of migratory birds." . . .

"Over 5 billion people worldwide, about 80 percent of the world's population, now has a cell phone.

"In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines maximum allowed exposures from cell phone radiation, a determination that has the potential to impact public health on a massive scale, especially in light of increasing evidence that exposure to such radiation may cause cancer, brain changes and other health problems.

"That the FCC is in charge of this regulation is in and of itself perplexing, considering the FCC states: " ... the FCC's primary jurisdiction does not lie in the health and safety area, and it must rely on other agencies and organizations for guidance in these matters."

"Well, according to a new report by Om Gandhi, PhD, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah and colleagues, "Exposure Limits: The Underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children," the FCC standards are based on a one-size-fits-all-model that seriously underestimates RF exposures to those most vulnerable, including children...."

"Another school has removed its Wifi, following warnings that the system emits potentially harmful microwave radiation. "Schools are in the business of helping children, not hurting them so we shouldn't be taking chances," said Brenda Glashan, principal of the Aurora Montessori School, a private elementary school of 350 students north of Toronto...."

..."Pacific Gardens residents said they are concerned about possible health issues claimed to be associated with smart meters, but also do not want to feel bullied into accepting something they do not want."...

"In what looks like a major victory for consumer advocates, the California Public Utilities Commission has revised its own revision of Pacific Gas & Electric's smart meter opt-out plan to allow those who don't want to have the digital meters to keep or go back to their old analog devices.

The commission has also put on hold a decision about how to allocate the costs of the opt-out between customers and utility shareholders until more information on the actual costs of the program can be collected.

The PUC issued the revised ruling late last week, after pushing back a vote on the issue from its Jan. 12 meeting to Feb. 1."...

UW scientist Dr. Henry Lai never set out to link cell phones to cancer, but his work­and efforts to discredit him­suggest that he was on to something. Ironically, with funding for independent research virtually nonexistent, we may never know for sure.

Lai's frustration with the increasing body of contradictory research led him to do an analysis in 2006 of the available studies on cell phone radiation between 1990 and 2006, and where their funding came from. What he found was that 50 percent of the 326 studies showed a biological effect from radio-frequency radiation and 50 percent did not. But when he filtered the studies into two stacks­those funded by the wireless industry and those funded independently­Lai discovered industry-funded studies were 30 percent likely to find an effect, as opposed to 70 percent of the independent studies.

Lai says that, while his findings highlight the crucial role industry funding plays in scientific research, the 50-50 split alone should be cause for concern. "Even if you accept all the industry studies, you still end up with 50-50," he says. "How could 50 percent all be garbage? People always start with the statement 'Hundreds of studies have been done on this topic, and no effect has been found,' but this is a very misleading statement. [The statements] come out from the cell phone industry, and people just use it, like the American Cancer Society. People haven't even gone in to look at the real studies and look at the effects that people have reported. This really worries me, because people come out and say things without the facts."

Mesh Collectors being installed for Smart Grid  
Photos taken January, 2012 in Richmond and Langley B.C.