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    • 18 SEP 13

    Is the Tasmanian Government telling us the real facts about a Tasmanian smart meter rollout?

    Published in the Tasmanian Times,
    By Don Maisch PhD. First published September 16

    On 26 May 2013, an inaugural public information meeting was held in Hobart about the proposed Tasmanian Government’s introduction of a smart electricity grid throughout the state.

    Ref: http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/pr-article/public-meeting-on-smart-meters/

    Central to the government’s proposal is the replacement of the existing analogue power meters with so called “smart meters” that wirelessly transmit energy usage back to the utility and give the consumer ‘real-time’ data on their energy usage. No longer will the energy provider need to employ meter readers to physically go from house to house to record electricity use – it will all be done wirelessly.

    The organizers of the May 26 public meeting were concerned that the people of Tasmania were not receiving balanced information on the extent of claimed benefits and the pitfalls of introducing a smart grid in the state. This imbalance is illustrated in the Tasmanian government’s November 2012 information paper, Electricity Smart Networks which paints a glowing future for a rollout of an integrated smart grid throughout Tasmania.

    SNIP

    Read the full article here

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    • 18 SEP 13

    YOUR Chance for YOUR say on Energy Concerns….

    Posted on the Stop Smart Meters Australian website

    http://stopsmartmeters.com.au/2013/09/18/your-chance-for-your-say-on-energy-concerns/

    YOUR Chance for YOUR say on Energy Concerns….

    Posted on September 18, 2013 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

    In a recent interview with Neil Mitchell at 3AW, Minister Kotsiras, Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, asked for feedback on energy related issues/concerns etc. The interview can be found at: http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blogs/energy-companies-put-on-notice/20130913-2toen.html
    What does he mean that he’ll ‘fix all the problems at once in 3 months time, with legislation’?

    Minister Kotsiras asked for input and feedback via the following website: www.switchon.vic.gov.au/home
    Click on tab right hand, bottom of page that says ‘Energy Concerns’ (blue bordered box).

    So let’s all GRAB this opportunity to give our feedback, and don’t sit back on our “she’ll be right mate” Aussie butts.

    And, while we are at it let’s ALSO send our concerns via email directly to the Minister just to make sure he hears us: nicholas.kotsiras@parliament.vic.gov.au

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    • 17 SEP 13

    Supreme Court: smart meter opponents celebrate Maine victory

    Supreme Court: smart meter opponents celebrate Maine victory

    Excerpt from a earlier press release: Most of the transcripts and Youtube links to the court’s ruling are on the blog message

    In Maine’s ongoing PUC investigation into the safety of smart meters, opponents turned up the heat this week on Central Maine Power (CMP). Compla inants in the case filed their
    comprehensive expert and lay witness testimony with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The submissions detail biological and health effects from radiofrequency or microwave
    radiation (RF) and smart meters.

    In his cover letter to the PUC, Bruce McGlaufin of the Portland firm of Petrucelli, Martin and Haddow representing smart meter opponents, noted the comprehensive lay witness testimonies and declarations
    “provide compelling evidence of the direct adverse health effects related to the radio frequency radiation transmitted by smart meters.” McGlauflin added:
    When this direct evidence of real-life human consequences is evaluated together with the expert testimony of some of the most highly qualified scientists and public policy specialists, there is but one conclusion to reach-smart meters pose a significant health risk.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKjCIZwWfU

    SNIP

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    • 12 SEP 13

    Queensland avoids smart meter mandate. Or is it smart meters by stealth?

    A report issued by the Queensland government advocates avoiding a mandated rollout of advanced electricity meters, such as smart meters, citing the much-criticised Victorian experience….A 30-year electricity strategy discussion paper released today by the Queensland government instead supports a “customer-driven rollout of advanced meters”, with service providers competing to offer metering services to consumers….“Customers can choose to adopt the technology based on their own assessment of the benefits,” the discussion paper states.

    My comment:

    However This is certainly a vast improvement, driven in part by the mess the Victorian smart meter rollout has created. However if Queenslanders think this is the end of the issue for them, better read the fine print and lock up your meter box-just in case….Note that the Queensland discussion paper avoids any mention of possible health issues and simply states ” A rollout of advanced meters would have to incorporate strong privacy protection for consumers”. Absolutely nothing about health protection.

    I call it spin.

    SNIP

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    • 11 SEP 13

    The ONE MILLION five-year-olds with mobiles: Campaigners warn of health ‘timebombs’

    Health campaigners have warned of a ‘ticking time-bomb’ after it was claimed that a million children have been given mobile phones at around the age of five. Parents appear to be using the handsets as babysitting devices to keep children entertained at home or on long journeys. Many families apparently also see them as an important safeguard to check where children are playing.

    The Department of Health says children should be discouraged from using mobiles, particularly if they are held next to the head, while the country’s chief medical officers say children and young people under 16 should be encouraged to use mobiles for essential purposes only, and to keep calls short.

    Campaigners insist there is strong evidence to link brain tumours to mobile phone radiation and that to allow children to use them is exposing them to risk.

    SNIP

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    • 11 SEP 13

    Is the Stuxnet virus a significant threat to smart grid networks?

    The following was sent in by Rob Hutchins in New Zealand and is an email sent to Rob by Andrew Goldsworthy, retired biophysicist from Imperial College, London.

    Is this the “Achilles Heal” of the smart grid clown computing network?

    Hi Rob.

    I watched a Horizon programme on BBC TV a week or two ago on computer hacking. It contained an interesting section on the Stuxnet virus, which was allegedly developed by the USA in collaboration with the Israelis to disrupt the Iranian nuclear programme. It can be introduced into the IT network by a USB stick or CD ROM running Windows, but then spreads to the industrial microprocessors running purpose-built software. In the Iranian case, it increased the speed of the centrifuges in their uranium enrichment plant so that they exploded.

    SNIP

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    • 10 SEP 13

    Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Breakout Session/Workshop

    From Magda Havas

    Announcing an Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Breakout Session/Workshop

    OCTOBER 26, 2013

    Chronic Disease:
    Highlighting Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Lyme, Mycotoxicity, Autism, Cancer and Much More
    This October AAEM will host an extraordinary conference in Phoenix, Arizona. We invite you to seek, connect, and become part of the discussion while earning 26.25 CMEs. This fall we present “Chronic Disease: Highlighting Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Lyme, Mycotoxicity, Autism, Cancer and Much More.” Our faculty will deliver the latest in evidence-based continuing medical education.

    SNIP

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    • 10 SEP 13

    Cellphones and Health by Dr. Joel Moskowitz

    From Joel Moskowitz

    Reprinted from The Green Gazette, Sept/Oct 2013 issue, pp. 8-9

    In the last issue we explored the potential hazards of electromagnetic radiation from iPad use. We learned about warnings from the European parliaments and doctors’ associations in various countries, and discussed the differences between pulsed digital wireless signals and continuous analogue radio waves. This time we are pleased to invite Dr. Joel Moskowitz to share his research findings regarding the health effects of cellphones.

    I started studying the effects of cellphone radiation when Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung, a physician and epidemiologist from the National Cancer Center of South Korea, spent a year working in my center at UC Berkeley. He specializes in meta-analysis, a method by which data are combined across studies to generate more robust conclusions.

    My colleagues and I reviewed research that examined the association between cellphone use and tumor risk. When we grouped the 23 studies based upon quality of the research, we found strong group differences. In the 13 studies which failed to meet scientific best practices, we found what appeared to be reduced tumor risk. The 10 higher-quality studies found a harmful association between cellphone use and tumor risk. Also, the higher quality studies had no funding from the cellular industry whereas the lower quality studies had at least partial industry funding.

    SNIP

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    • 01 SEP 13

    Take Back Your Power film premiere

    Take Back Your Power film premiere
    Posted on September 1, 2013 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

    After two years in development, “Take Back Your Power” premieres internationally on 5th September (2:00 am 6th September, Australian Eastern Standard time). We at SSMA were fortunate to see the film in advance, and were truly impressed with the film, as it is exposing the issues for all to see. We’re also pleased to see some Australian footage being featured!

    “Utility companies are replacing electricity, gas and water meters worldwide with new generation “smart” meters at an unprecedented rate. Take Back Your Power investigates the benefits and risks of this ubiquitous “smart” grid program, with insight from insiders, expert researchers, politicians, doctors, and concerned communities. Transparency advocate Josh del Sol takes us on a journey of revelation and discovery, as he questions corporations’ right to tap our private information and erode our rights in the name of “green”. What you discover will surprise you, unsettle you, and inspire you to challenge the status quo.”

    SNIP

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    • 23 AUG 13

    Youtube clip: Live Blood Analysis – Observable Effects of RF/MW Radiation via Smart Meters

    This youtube clip is an excerpt from Take Back Your Power – a critical investigation of the Smart Metering phenomenon and Smart Grid. More than 5,000 studies now show RF/MW radiation to be harmful to human biology, animals and plants. Acute and chronic exposure to RF (radio-frequency) and MW (microwave) radiation can, even at very low power-densities, lead to not only the negative health effects shown in this video, but calcium ion damage in cells, endothelial cell dysfunction, nitric oxide depletion, oxidative stress, melatonin disruption, blood-brain-barrier leakage, DNA damage, sperm damage and more. Glucose metabolism changes within the brain are observable after just minutes of cell phone use.
    SNIP

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    • 23 AUG 13

    Smart meter installer held ‘hostage’

    The Telegraph News
    August 22, 2013

    A SMART meter installer was held “hostage” at a property until police were called to resolve the bizarre blockade. While the latest stand-off was peaceful, dozens of other fitters have fled homes because of verbal abuse and threats of physical violence. Tool boxes and equipment have been stolen in some cases.

    Cattle breeder David Ginders has defended barricading a locked gate with a ute to detain an installer for about 90 minutes at his Flaggy Creek farm driveway near Bairnsdale. He objected to the newly installed meter, and unsuccessfully demanded the old device be returned. The stalemate, late last month, ended when police attended.
    SNIP

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    • 19 AUG 13

    Stop Smart Meters Australia initiates legal action!

    Notice from Stop Smart Meters Australia:

    Excerpt from the SSMA public notice

    Smart meters are a danger to your health because they emit pulsed RF frequencies that have been classified by the IARC as a group 2B carcinogen [possible human carcinogen].

    Smart meters invade your privacy because they act as a surveillance device on your home, collecting your personal usage data so that it can be potentially sold to third parties.

    Smart meters are a security risk because they are vulnerable to hackers and they enable remote disconnection of the whole State from a few central locations, being the offices of the foreign owned power companies.

    Smart meters can start fires because, in the case of older houses, existing wiring may not be compatible with the new device.

    Smart meters may increase your power bill because, depending on usage patterns, they provide an opportunity for the power companies to gouge you with ‘time of use’ pricing.

    Smart meters are being forced on you without your consent thereby breaching your democratic and human rights.

    SNIP

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    • 19 AUG 13

    New youtube video from WiFi in Schools Australia

    Public notice from WiFi in Schools Australia:

    Published on Aug 17, 2013
    Our new video is now available on the website and also at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJPTzaNkcUk

    This video follows the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s advice (ARPANSA Factsheet 14 – updated June 2013) on reducing wireless radiation – and explores the implications of children using wireless devices such as iPads, at home and at school.

    The video includes an explanation of SAR values, a real life test of iPads vs iPhones and ARPANSA’s practical advice on how to reduce exposure from mobile and other wireless devices.

    SNIP

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    • 17 AUG 13

    Ontario Teachers Union wants cell phones turned off in the classroom

    TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2013 /CNW/ – This afternoon the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario voted at its annual general meeting that student cell phones should be turned off and stored during school hours, unless a teacher gives permission.

    The vote was part of a series of motions requesting that radiation from cell phones and WiFi be recognized as a potential workplace hazard for teachers.

    “There is cause for concern for members’ health and safety, especially women,” said Sandra Wash, a teacher representing Peel District who spoke at the meeting.

    SNIP

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    • 10 AUG 13

    Toddlers Obsessed with iPads: Could It Hurt Their Development?

    Liana Vilanova can’t even sit up yet, but her father is already cheering his 2-month-old’s digital prowess, praising her for interacting with an iPad app. There are dozens of proud parents sharing their infants’ touch screen skills in videos posted on YouTube, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over their kids as they interacted with various apps. Babies are transfixed by iPads, so when the device shuts off or is taken away, YouTube videos show them going into full-fledged tantrum, screaming and crying for the device. Beth Brooks put an iPad in front of her 10-day-old baby, Alex, to see how he would react. “I guess I just didn’t think it was going to hurt, so why not give it a try,” she said. “And he seemed to like it.”
    SNIP

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    • 08 AUG 13

    Smart Meter Lawsuits website (launched and won)

    From Andre Fauteux, Editor
    La Maison du 21e siècle magazine

    For a complete listing of all known smart meter lawsuits, please email: smlawsuits@gmail.com with updates or info on new suits. Thank you so much to Stopsmartmeters.org and the Emf Safety Network

    Excerpt from the Smart Meter Lawsuits website:

    Links on how to file your own lawsuits or complaint:
    Medical Request not to have a Smart Meter

    Latest Updates:
    Another Hawaii case won! 7/26
    Engineer and Smart Meter Project Manager FIRED for his opinion that Smart Meters were not safe 7/21
    Court cases won in Portland, Maine and Hawaii!!! 7/16
    PG&E Execs caught spying! 7/16

    CASES WON!!!!

    HEALTH –Southern California Edison
    Plantiff claimed negative health effects after smart meter was installed (Legal Documents).
    \SUCCESS!!! The judge ordered the Utilities company pay for health damages or remove the meter! (Settlement Documents)

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    • 08 AUG 13

    In Victoria Australia SP AusNet (Singapore Power) attempts to increase elecricity rates to cover the cost of smart meters

    Electricity giant SP AusNet has appeal to increase charges to consumers to cover the cost of smart meters dismissed | Herald Sun

    AN electricity giant trying to slug Victorian customers tens of millions of dollars more for smart meters has had its legal bid for higher prices rebuffed. The Australian Competition Tribunal has dismissed distributor SP AusNet’s appeal to increase charges over the next two years to cover communications technology costs.

    The rejected $72.2 million cash grab follows criticism over the company’s choice of technology for the state’s controversial compulsory smart meter rollout.
    SNIP

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    • 07 AUG 13

    ‘Voodoo science’ will not solve the causality-problem of EHS

    From the blog “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” by Dariusz Leszczynski:

    Excerpt:

    HELSINKI, Finland, August 6, 2013 – Technological development of wireless communication has brought an unprecedented increase in human, animal and plant exposure to microwave radiation.

    Currently available biomedical research indicates that even at the low levels permitted by the safety standards, radiation exposures induce acute biological effects. The possible impact of the chronic exposures is not known beyond, at the most, the first 10-15 years. We do not have the faintest idea what will happen when exposures will last for a lifetime.

    This lack of biomedical knowledge about the possible impact of the exposures on health of people and on the well being of animals and plants is in striking contrast with the technological progress.

    Because of their usefulness and because of their profitability, wireless technologies are very rapidly expanding and exposures are reach more and more remote Earth locations. In a short time, there will be no place on Earth to “hide” from the omnipresent microwave exposures.

    SNIP

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    • 31 JUL 13

    Cell Phones Could Increase Cancer Risk Says Scientist

    Scientists have long been worried about the possible harmful effects of regular cellular phone use, but so far no study has managed to produce clear results. Currently, cell phones are classified as carcinogenic category 2b – potentially carcinogenic to humans – by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A new Tel Aviv University study, though, may bring bad news. To further explore the relationship between cancer rates and cell phone use, Dr. Yaniv Hamzany of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department at the Rabin Medical Center, looked for clues in the saliva of cell phone users. Since the cell phone is placed close to the salivary gland when in use, he and his fellow researchers, including departmental colleagues Profs. Raphael Feinmesser, Thomas Shpitzer and Dr. Gideon Bahar and Prof. Rafi Nagler and Dr. Moshe Gavish of the Technion in Haifa, hypothesized that salivary content could reveal whether there was a connection to developing cancer.
    SNIP

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    • 30 JUL 13

    Avaaz community petition on Wi-Fi in schools

    From WiFi in Schools Australia

    “On July 18, 2013, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the Israeli Government to investigate how many children in Israel already suffer from EHS. The Order was issued in response to a Petition to the Israeli Supreme Court to ban Wi-Fi in schools that was submitted in August, 2012. As wireless technologies (mobile phones, WiFi, cordless phones, etc) now bathe the entire planet with electromagnetic radiation, more people have become or are becoming electro-sensitive (ES) / electro hypersensitive (EHS) to electromagnetic radiation. With your help we can create a tipping point and bring about a change – we are calling on schools to take a precautionary approach.
    SNIP

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