Latest from USA Kate Kheel FCC Exposure Standards Suit | PA 5g bill vote canceled | Cities file briefs against FCC
Best,
B. Blake Levitt
by Bob Fernandez, Updated: June 18, 2019
“Pennsylvania lawmakers canceled a vote Tuesday on proposed legislation that would make it easier and cheaper for wireless carriers to blanket cities, towns, and rural areas with thousands of small cell antennas on utility poles for 4G and next-generation 5G wireless services.
It was the third defeat for the Verizon- and AT&T-backed legislation.
Municipal officials and unions said they weren’t consulted on the bill, sponsored by Rep. Frank Farry (R., Langhorne).”
https://zero5g.com/2019/5g-bill-derailed-in-pennsylvania/https://www.inquirer.com/business/5g-verizon-att-pennsylvania-fcc-antenna-20190618.html
https://www.routefifty.com/management/2019/06/cities-outline-challenges-fcc-5g-rule/157728/
Today’s Action: https://mailchi.mp/fbec092bab4e/5g-take-action-tuesday-the-otard-rule-2935969?e=2842871094
Please sign up.
July 5 — Bowen Island where there will be a potluck at 5:30 followed by a presentation at 7:00pm. At Bowen Island Cove Commons at the Bowen Island Library, 430 Bowen Island Truck Rd. Contact for more information or to volunteer: Jayeson at info@hempcrete.ca
EVENT: BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
– International Public Symposium, 4th – 6th October 2019, Mainz.
Cell Phones, Smartphones, Tablets, Smart Home, Smart City, Internet of Things… The digital transformation of our society is expected to continue with the new 5G standard, largely through mobile and wireless communication. As a result, radiation exposure due to mobile and wireless communication technologies, their infrastructure and applications will increase enormously.
What health risks are involved? What are the possible consequences for particular groups at risk, especially children and adolescents?
The Board’s team of the Competence Initiative for the Protection of Humanity, the Environment and Democracy e.V. is very pleased to invite you in the name of all members, supporters and partners to Mainz. No matter who you are – an expert on 5G or other wireless communication issues, or a person interested in the implications of wireless technologies on health and the environment – we are very much looking forward to welcoming you to our conference in Mainz.
The conference will provide easy-to-understand overviews of the “biological effects” of mobile and wireless communication technologies as well as in-depth discussions that will be as accessible to nonexperts as possible. Internationally renowned speakers will share firsthand information and recommendations in lectures, workshops, documentary films and panel discussions, inviting everybody to join the discussion.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Mario Babilon • Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Klaus Buchner • Dr. phil. Peter Ludwig (geschäftsführend) • Prof. Dr. phil. Karl Richter • Barbara Dohmen, Umweltärztin • Dipl.-Ing. Joachim Gertenbach • Dr. med. Monika Krout • Dr. med. Joachim Mutter • Klaus Scheidsteger • Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich Warnke
https://kompetenzinitiative.com/en/
FEATURED:
Elk Grove Residents Warned About Possible Health Hazards of 5G
(with Eric Windheim, Mark Graham, Cindy Russell)
http://elkgrovetribune.com/elk-grove-residents-warned-possible-health-hazards-5g/
very very good must read!
FEATURED: PLEASE SHARE WIDELY: My article:
Why 5G Is Like The Worst Relationship Your Ever Had, (And So Are Smart Meters) (more at link)
There is a saying that every woman should be lucky enough have one man in her life that she still reminisces about, and one man that she is grateful she did not end up with….or something like that.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
In addition to security, privacy, cost, aesthetics, and other myriad concerns about the rollout of 5G and other wireless infrastructure, let’s just get right down to it:
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
For many, the 5G network, and smart meters, are like the worst, most instinct injured, least insightful, and least satisfying partnership choice that any man or woman on the planet has ever experienced.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
In the quest for a business case for new, expensive, ubiquitous, superfast, resource-consuming 5G networks, the industry is talking about the remote surgeries, virtual reality, data-driven decision making, and autonomous vehicles that we all want.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
In reality, we are already way over the creepy line of the watchers and the watched.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
Developing a healthy understanding of what is within one’s control and what one needs to control is an area of spiritual discernment buried under the clamor of the current tech culture.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
As society careens toward the belief that each individual appliance has to be controlled at a distance, even from a moving car or airplane, is human demand for control, camouflaged as convenience, writing checks that nature cannot cash?
The answer is yes.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
The fatal error that is underlying the design of smart meters and 5G is the assumption that customers want a more intimate and immediate real-time relationship 24/7 with their utility or their bank, want to play games, or compete against other utility customers, or have their banking experience re-made so it looks like a coffee shop. There is an assumption that customers want to pay for all of this, one way or another.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
At least some portion of customers do not want any of this, and want healthy boundaries between intimate relationships with real people and real organizations that they have an affinity with vs. intimate relationships that they do not want, for example with their utility company.
(there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak….there’s no water leak)
ANTENNAS: ugly celltower pictures
https://www.pinterest.com/steelintheair/ugly-cell-towers/
and:
APart 2 | Example photos of the good, the bad and the downright ugly
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: Florida will no longer require human drivers in AVs
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/florida-will-no-longer-require-human-drivers-in-avs/556955/
BIG TECH Censorship: I Know How We Can Hurt Them
Tech is the endgame! 12-minute video
(message you need to get rid of your smartphone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3r430bQQss
links to: Charles Koch Teams Up With George Soros, Patreon and Airbnb to Fight Online Extremism
https://observer.com/2019/06/koch-brothers-george-soros-patreon-airbnb-fight-online-extremism/
smartphone penetration by country:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_smartphone_penetration
SCHOOLS: Uni students told to switch off laptops, smartphones during lectures
EWASTE: There’s a looming waste crisis from Australia’s solar energy boom
https://theconversation.com/theres-a-looming-waste-crisis-from-australias-solar-energy-boom-117421
FCC: FCC Blows Off Warnings AGAIN from Meteorologists, NASA, NOAA and Navy About 5G Interfering with Weather Forecasting
https://www.activistpost.com/2019/06/fcc-blows-off-warnings-again-from-meteorologists-nasa-noaa-and-navy-about-5g-interfering-with-weather-forecasting.html
FCC: US Justice Dept. set to decide on T-Mobile-Sprint merger next week
5G ACTIVISM CAUTION OPPOSITION
hearing before the SF Board of Appeals to protest the approval of a permit for a wireless facility at 2 Grattan St in SF was last Wednesday 6/12. The archived video is aat: http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/clip/33400?meta_id=723734
In case you have time to listen to a few portions of the hearing, the remarks that will be of interest to you (comments relevant to the big picture issues including public health risks, lack of sufficient environmental review, the 2018 FCC order) are brief and listed below:
14:14 – 16:10 — Appellant Eliza Nemser addresses public health risks of 4G
35:00 – 35:42 — Verizon attorney addresses public health risks and relevance of FCC guidelines
36:56 – 41:53 — SF Board of Appeals questions Verizon attorney on public health risks and FCC guidelines
55:55 – 57:08 — Public comment relevant to public health aspect
58:51 – 1:01:15 — Appellant Eliza Nemser rebuttal remarks on public health risks and FCC guidelines
1:09:19 – 1:09:57 — Verizon attorney rebuttal remarks on frequencies and effective SAR
1:10:34 – 1:11:16 — Verizon attorney rebuttal remarks on federal legislation relating to FCC order & Article 25
1:30:40 – 1:32:47 — President of Board of Appeals addresses public health risks and relevance of FCC guidelines
5G: Cities Outline Their Challenges to the FCC’s 5G Rule in Court Filings
Local governments filed briefs this week in a lawsuit that asserts the FCC overstepped its authority in crafting broad restrictions on municipalities’ ability to regulate and charge for deployment of 5G technology.
https://www.routefifty.com/management/2019/06/cities-outline-challenges-fcc-5g-rule/157728/
5G: Local Soccer Mom Versus Multi Billion 5G Industry
25 minute video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M7YFI0I9kI
5G: What do these two dozen cities have in common?
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety
June 17, 2019
Albany (NY), Asheville (NC), Ashland (OR), Boston (MA), Cincinnati (OH), Des Moines (IA), Eugene (OR), Fort Myers (FL), Hagerstown (MD), Houston (TX), Medford (OR), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), New Haven (CT), New York (NY), Orlando (FL), Philadelphia (PA), Portland (OR), Raleigh (NC), Rochester (NY), Sacramento (CA), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), and Tucson (AZ)
What do these two dozen cities have in common? In each of these 24 cities local TV stations aired news stories that discussed health concerns regarding 5G cellular technology.
See links to more than 200 TV news stories from the past five years that discussed health risks from exposure to non-ionizing radiation from cell phone, cell tower, and other wireless technology including 60 news stories from the past year at http://bit.ly/TVwirelessrisks.
https://www.saferemr.com/2018/04/wireless-radiation-tv-news.html
5G; Pa. Republicans pull the bill to greenlight 5G antennas as towns say it would undercut their zoning powers.
https://www.inquirer.com/business/5g-verizon-att-pennsylvania-fcc-antenna-20190618.html
https://watershedsentinel.ca/articles/5g-resistance/
5G: Rage Against The 5G Machine | Take The Power Back |
6 ½ minute music video with graphics against 5G.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVaAmxLUh3w
5G: Some communities concerned as Harrisburg lawmakers gear up for vote on 5G technology rollout
1. Better quality voice calls
2. More capacity
3. Platooning
4. Mobile broadcasting
5. Human health
While 5G is always talked-up by positive changes, there will always be some negatives.
Perhaps the biggest worry is a potential problem with health – cancer, to be precise – from the installation of many more antennas in urban areas to create 5G networks.
In November 2018, over 180 scientists called for an independent task force to pause the rollout of 5G networks amid concerns about “potential hazards for human health”.
The big worry is an increase in exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, which we’re already subjected to with existing mobile phone networks and Wi-Fi routers.
“The telecoms industry is trying to rollout technology that might have very real, unintended harmful consequences… the consequences for the health of humans, plants and animals are not discussed at all,” said Dr L Harrell, Professor of Oncology at Örebro University in Sweden. There is some evidence fueling their concerns, so expect this debate to drag on and on.
https://www.techradar.com/news/5-things-about-5g-more-important-than-the-speed
LINKS TO:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/health/cellphone-radiation-cancer.html
5G: https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/telefonica-to-launch-5g-experience-banks-spain
5G; Verizon CEO urges FCC to release C-band spectrum
https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/verizon-ceo-urges-fcc-for-mid-band-spectrum-auction
5G: NBA taps Verizon to build fiber video network for arenas
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/nba-taps-verizon-for-video-fiber-build-to-connect-all-29-teams
5G: Congress wants the Pentagon to move on 5G now
https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2019/06/18/congress-wants-the-pentagon-to-move-on-5g-now/
6G: A glimpse into the future? Report predicts 6G features
https://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/a-glimpse-into-future-report-predicts-6g-features
OTHER TELECOM: Lowell eyes new broadband network
New network could be game changer
SiFi Networks is coming with big promises.
Its proposal to lay miles of fiber down every road in Lowell could mean significant changes for the city’s average internet user — and at no cost to the city of Lowell.
Late last month, company representatives attended a meeting of a City Council subcommittee, which recommended authorizing City Manager Eileen Donoghue to draft an agreement with the company subject to approval by the City Council.
“This is fantastic and I look forward to you becoming a very key partner for the city,” City Councilor Karen Cirillo said at the end of the meeting.
By installing — then maintaining and updating — a new fiber optic network in the city, SiFi Networks would create infrastructure allowing new internet providers to start offering services in the city. It would, in short, create competition.
Currently, there’s one game in town when it comes to internet connection, XFINITY by Comcast. SiFi Networks will not offer new options for cable television.
In a presentation to the subcommittee, Bradshaw said the city could use the network to secure connections between city facilities, introduce WiFi zones, connect cameras to provide security and traffic management, introduce “eHealth” to ensure more patients can be managed from home, use “eLearning” to improve access to education and reduce snow days, run community outreach kiosks or utilize ground sensors to streamline maintenance.
The model SiFi Networks is introducing to Lowell is “revolutionary,” said Sara Pickstock, SiFi Networks marketing director.
Currently the international company, with U.S. headquarters in New Jersey, has several other cities throughout the nation signed on, though their networks have not yet gone into operation.
This includes Salem, Massachusetts; East Hartford, Connecticut; and Saratoga Springs, New York.
The project in Fullerton, California is the furthest along with construction already underway. Fiber down every street is being laid using a minimally disruptive process called micro trenching.
Bradshaw said he expects some consumers to be able to get service through the network by the end of 2019. The project is privately funded by Whitehelm Capital and APG, a pension network in the Netherlands
SiFi Networks is unusual in being a private company offering an open access network that multiple providers can contract with the company to access.
A2D has a similar model and recently entered into contracts with communities in Georgia, according to Telecompetitor.
“Perhaps the economics of operating an open access network are changing with the advent of 5G and the smart city, and/or perhaps technology advances have made the open access network model more compelling than it was in the past,” Joan Engebretson wrote in Telecompetitor.
Bradshaw told city councilors SiFi Networks initially encountered rejections when the company tried to bring a slightly different model to the United States starting in 2014.
Under that model, SiFi Networks would have built the infrastructure then leased it to the community, which would have been responsible for contracting with providers on their own.
The model didn’t have any takers so they changed focus, according to Bradshaw.
In a statement, CEO Ben Bawtree-Jobson said SiFi Networks plans to generate revenue under their current model by leasing access to the network.
“SiFi Networks is a wholesaler of fiber infrastructure and thus derives their revenues and returns in the same way a Crown Castle or Mobilite would, through effectively leasing access to the network,” he said.
If Lowell moves forward with the proposal, building out the network would take less than two years, according to Bradshaw. SiFi Networks would maintain and update it for the next 30 years.
The company said it will need access to every street, passing every building, and pledges to bring at least two new internet providers to Lowell.
Pickstock said the project would be a “game-changer.
Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_32685718/lowell-eyes-new-broadband-network#ixzz5rEklWUxy
IOT: The Growth in Connected IoT Devices is Expected to Generate 79.4ZB of Data in 2025, According to a New IDC Forecast
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/growth-connected-iot-devices-expected-123000368.html
OTHER TELECOM: THE INVISIBLE BATTLE FOR AMERICA’S AIRWAVES
How a rush of new industrial IoT devices turned up the heat on a decades-old fight for spectrum.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a28039878/battle-radiofrequency-spectrum/
1,800 new job cuts in addition to 23,000 AT&T jobs cut since December 2017.
Abstract
Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) is the most common type of dementia and a neurodegenerative disease that occurs when the nerve cells in the brain die. The cause and treatment of AD remain unknown. However, AD is a disease that affects the brain, an organ that controls behavior. Accordingly, anything that can interact with the brain may affect this organ positively or negatively, thereby protecting or encouraging AD. In this regard, modern life encompasses microwaves for all issues including industrial, communications, medical and domestic tenders, and among all applications, the cell phone wave, which directly exposes the brain, continues to be the most used. Evidence suggests that microwaves may produce various biological effects on the central nervous system (CNS) and many arguments relay the possibility that microwaves may be involved in the pathophysiology of CNS disease, including AD. By contrast, previous studies have reported some beneficial cognitive effects and that microwaves may protect against cognitive impairment in AD. However, although many of the beneficial effects of microwaves are derived from animal models, but can easily be extrapolated to humans, whether microwaves cause AD is an important issue that is to be addressed in the current review.
3. Conclusion
The impact of wireless communication on human health is a mater of debate. Since there are widespread concerns regarding the deleterious effects of the exposure to microwaves on human tissues and the subsequent potential threat of carcinogenesis, we can conclude that the current exposure to microwaves during the use of cell phones is not safe for long-term exposure, despite the current scientific opinion. Absorption of the cell phone signal into the brain of children does not exclude serious neuronal damage, as evidenced in rat studies (50). In addition, the increased risk of tumors of the head associated with long-term cell phone use is evident since radiofrequency may cause the blood-brain barrier to leak and to favor the damage of genetic material which consists of common precursors to cancer (51). Accordingly, poor fertility and the increased chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer have been associated with cell phone storage in front pockets. Notably, the data suggested that the hippocampus can be injured by long-term microwave exposure (52), which may result in the impairment of cognitive function due to neurotransmitter disruption. These results suggest that precautionary approach underlying the restrictive use of cell phones constitutes essential appropriate guidelines to follow although additional studies are needed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5038365/
HEALTH:
More Health IT Isn’t Always Better, Says HHS Digital Service Director
HEALTH: Robocalls are overwhelming hospitals and patients, threatening a new kind of health crisis
SATELLITES: Disrupting the night sky: Silicon Valley is launching hundreds of illuminated satellites in an effort to provide the world with better Internet access.
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/jun/16/disrupting-night-sky/
SATELLITES: How satellites can play a role in the 5G roll out
Steve Collar of SES says satellites make it “easy” to deploy communication networks “at the edge,” which means that people in rural areas can be connected and have access to applications and services. He also says a technology war won’t have a big impact on the roll out of 5G.
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/06/18/how-satellites-can-play-a-role-in-the-5g-roll-out.html
SECURITY: Ransomware attack paralyses Lake City email, landlines and credit card services
SECURITY: Linux Kernel Bug Knocks PCs, IoT Gadgets and More Offline
https://threatpost.com/linux-kernel-bug-pcs-iot-offline/145797/
SECURITY: Consumers Urged to Junk Insecure IoT Devices
A security researcher who disclosed flaws impacting 2 million IoT devices in April – and has yet to see a patch or even hear back from the manufacturers contacted – is sounding off on the dire state of IoT security.
https://threatpost.com/consumers-urged-to-junk-insecure-iot-devices/145800/
(how lovely for the environment?)
- The 10 finalists this year are: Atlanta; Aurora, IL; Bogota, Colombia; Chicago; Flint, MI; Lakewood, CO; London; Orlando, FL; Plymouth, England; and San Francisco. The cities are recognized for tackling challenges related to the environment and sustainability, health and safety and neighborhood revitalization, among others.
SPACE: Our violent Sun
The upcoming 11-year solar cycle, which kicks off in 2020, is forecast to be quieter than the last but that doesn’t mean we should be complacent about solar storms, experts say.
Why it matters: Although rare, an extreme coronal mass ejection (CME) — a large burst of plasma sent out by the Sun — could cause a months-long blackout, harm satellites and cause billions in damage.
- “If you do enough damage with a solar storm, then you start to take out the basic fabric of society,” solar physicist Scott McIntosh told Axios.
- Space weather can also pose a danger for astronauts in space.
https://www.axios.com/solar-storms-damage-e479006a-6c2e-4c7c-a915-5d0ef470cd16.html
SURVEILLANCE: Just When You Thought Surveillance Tech Couldn’t Get Any More Orwellian…
TRANSPORTATION: DEEP DIVE
The rise of EVs could overwhelm the grid, but PG&E has a better plan
A new framework gives utilities a way to identify and seize electrification value with managed charging
The spread of smart metering and automated control systems has changed that landscape, with more than 10% of global grid investments – equivalent to some $30 billion a year – now dedicated to digital network infrastructure. The grids of the near future are likely to be increasingly decentralized: Owners of domestic refrigerators, air conditioners and industrial facilities will be compensated for switching off to smooth out demand peaks; home, vehicle, and utility-scale batteries will buy cheap electrons and charge up in times of excess generation.
The problem here is the vast amount of infrastructure needed to support such a setup. Any smart electrical grid needs a parallel telecommunications network to collect and harness the volumes of data it will generate, and that makes every connected thermostat or smart refrigerator a potential entry point for cyber intruders.
SMART GRID SECURITY: SECURITY: Kremlin Warns of Cyberwar After Report of US Hacking Into Russian Power Grid
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/world/europe/russia-us-cyberwar-grid.html
AND
Utilities are ‘the new cyber battlefield,’ as US ramps up pressure on Russia’s electric grid
SMART GRID IRELAND: Wind farms, electric cars and smart meters in climate action plan
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0617/1055808-climate-action-plan/
SMART GRIDS: South American outages cast doubt on safety of internet-connected smart grids as experts warn they can easily be hacked
- Outages in South America have drawn some analysts attention to ‘smart’ grids
- By connecting grids to the internet, skeptics say security could be compromised
- ‘Botnet’ attacks may weaponize air-conditioners and heater to overload the grid
- Recent reports show that sophisticated hackers are roving the US grid already
SMART METERS INDIA: Can smart meters re-energise India’s crumbling power distribution companies?
For India’s cash-strapped power utilities, smart meters could lead to much-needed savings.
https://qz.com/india/1592927/smart-meters-may-just-be-what-indian-power-distributors-need/
SMART METERS OPPOSITION: My article:
Why 5G Is Like The Worst Relationship Your Ever Had, (And So Are Smart Meters) (more at link)
SMART METERS: Bill awaiting Sununu’s signature would create statewide database on consumer energy use
CONCORD — Most people think of their electric meter as a one-way device. It records your electricity usage, and someone from the utility comes to read it so you can pay your bill accordingly.
But legislation that has passed the House and Senate and is now awaiting Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature could turn electric meters into something consumers pay more attention to as they try to lower their electric bills.
SB 284 would require the creation of a statewide utility database that would allow customers to access and use information from their electric meters about how and when they consume energy.
“Data access and data sharing are essential if consumers are to take full advantage of what the 21st century grid has to offer,” said Consumer Advocate D. Maurice “Don” Kreis, whose office represents the interests of residential utility customers in New Hampshire.
“If this bill becomes law, ratepayers in the Granite State will for the first time be able to share their usage data with service providers who can save them money. That’s a big deal.”
Kreis requested the legislation in his role as consumer advocate, and the bill has been championed by Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, in the House, and Rep. Kat McGhee, D-Hollis, in the Senate.
Thanks to emerging technologies and deregulation, competitive firms vying to be your energy supplier now have the capacity to deliver savings through services like energy efficiency retrofits, solar panels, battery storage, and energy management systems with features like smart thermostats.
“And by ‘real value’ I mean: save customers money and give them more choices,” said Kreis.
Under SB 284, the state’s three investor-owned utilities (Eversource, Liberty and Unitil) will have to develop and operate the database, but the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will first have to put rules in place to assure oversight.
The PUC would also have to determine that benefits to consumers exceed the cost of the platform, a critical protection given widespread concerns about high energy costs.
Kries credited OCA Director of Finance James Brennan, who came to the OCA six years ago with a background in information technology, with helping the office make data access a top legislative priority for the past session.
“Jim has taught us, and now he has successfully taught legislators as well, that reforms like these will really make a difference for ratepayers,” Kreis said.
During hearings on the bill, utility representatives expressed concerns about privacy and security, and the costs of setting up and maintaining such a program.
A representative for Eversource, the state’s largest distribution utility, said the company already provides several methods for its customers to access their own data and to save costs on their energy usage.
(how to NOT use the word smart meters to prevent scrutiny)