Green Party of California Statement on 5G

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The Green Party of California calls on [U.S.] Federal, State, and local representatives to:

1) first and foremost, apply the Precautionary Principle to the development and deployment of 5G, as a philosophical and legal lens to all innovations with the potential for causing harm and to;

2) require robust and independent scientific environmental review of 4G/5G wireless exposure and to halt FCC satellite networks on earth and in space in light of new findings on climate, pollution, and health impacts and to;

3) reduce exposures per the As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle and allow for local control over the deployment of 4G/5G and future generations of these technologies’ small cell installations and to;

4) move forward with safer alternative technologies to 5G, following the lead of other municipalities and to;

5) adopt recommendations such as those put forth by the New Hampshire Commission on 5G in its comprehensive final report citing recent science on non-ionizing radiation health and 5G environmental impacts.

Green Party of California
Issued February 1st, 2021. (Emphases and link added.)

To read the complete Green Party of California Statement on 5G Wireless Technology Environmental Oversight, go to:  https://www.cagreens.org/green-party-california-statement-5g-wireless-technology-environmental-oversight

SSMA commends the Green Party of California for its exemplary policy on 5G. We challenge the Australian Greens to take a leaf out of the same book. The Precautionary Principle should be applied to the deployment of ALL wireless technology!

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Environmental sensitivities have made it to the second round of the disability access to premises review!

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Congratulations to everyone who submitted feedback, during the discovery phase of the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards review, about the difficulties that people living with environmental sensitivities have in accessing public buildings.  It paid off – we’ve been heard!  

The outcome of the discovery phase, which concluded on 30 November 2020, is a consultation paper that draws on the findings of the initial stage of the review.  This paper asks for more detailed feedback.

Environmental sensitivities have been included as one of the seven themes identified in the consultation paper.

The Premises Standards review consultation paper defines environmental sensitivities as ‘Adverse effects or chronic condition whereby a person has symptoms when exposed to low level of chemical or other environmental and communication agents, such as Wi-Fi, in the built environment’.

Appendix A (p. 20) of the consultation paper provides a graphical representation of the seven key themes: it shows that environmental sensitivities were discussed by ten per cent of submissions in the discovery phase.  According to a more detailed breakdown on p. 23, which identifies sub-themes, electromagnetic hypersensitivity led the way at 5.3%, followed by cognitive disability (2.9%) and multiple chemical sensitivity (1.3%).

The Premises Standards team is now asking for feedback on the consultation paper.  This is due by 16 April 2021.

We need to identify changes in order to improve the Premises Standards!  This will assist the team to write a report by mid-2021 for the Australian Government.

As pointed out in SSMA’s post on the initial phase of the Premises Standards review, the existing Premises Standards make NO provision for people who are electrically sensitive.  They also make no allowance for people who have multiple chemical sensitivity, which often goes hand-in-hand with electrical sensitivity.

This means that the National Construction Code, which contains these standards, fails to take into account the needs of people living with these conditions.

There is currently no requirement for public buildings to provide safe access for people living with environmental sensitivities – despite Australia having a Disability Discrimination Act which provides a very broad definition of disability.

We need to ensure that the Premises Standards provide people living with electromagnetic hypersensitivity dignified, equitable, cost-effective and reasonably achievable access to public buildings.  We also need to make sure that people working within the building industry have a clear understanding of their legal obligations in this regard.

Again, the Premises Standards team has made it easy for everyone to participate in this review.  It’s up to you if you want to take an online survey, upload a written submission, video or audio, talk to the team on the phone, send your feedback by email or mail.  You can choose to make your submission confidential.

The consultation paper asks you to consider questions about each of the themes that have been identified, but you are welcome to only provide input on your preferred topics – even if these haven’t been included in the scope.  Three of the questions are specific to the environmental sensitivities theme.  Please provide examples of issues that you have encountered and give possible solutions that might be addressed through better design and construction of public buildings.  Let’s work towards making our schools, libraries, hospitals, auditoriums, holiday accommodation and other buildings that fall within the ambit of the Premises Standards accessible to all people living with disability!

To find out more and participate in the Premises Standards review, go to the consultation hub at: https://consult.industry.gov.au/premises-standards-review-team/2020-premises-standards-review-consultation-paper/.

If you would like to view the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010, which are currently in force, go here.

Posted in electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

No5G Party registered as a Federal political party!

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The No5G Party was officially registered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 5 January 2021.  It intends to nominate and endorse candidates for elected public office in Commonwealth, state and territory parliaments and local government bodies across all Australian jurisdictions.

The party calls for a moratorium on 5G and associated technology until such technologies are proven safe to human health, flora, fauna and property.  The No5G party promotes legislative reform, in order to ensure Australian safety standards reflect true medical consensus.

The No5G Party has developed extensive policies and objectives in support of its goal of ensuring that the precautionary principle prevails.

Already boasting over 1000 members, the No5G Party is seeking to make the No5G Party the largest membership-based political party in Australia, saying that this will “give us a strong and unified voice that cannot be ignored”.

To find out more, go to: https://no5gparty.org.au/

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A national disgrace – Federal Government squandering $29 million on 5G JobMaker Digital Business Plan

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The Government’s 2020-21 budget heralded its goal of Australia becoming a ‘leading digital economy by 2030’ with funding of $29.2 million promised to accelerate the rollout of 5G networks across Australia.  Following on from this, round one for what has been coined ‘the Australian 5G Innovation Initiative’ has made $10 million available to Australian businesses to trial commercial uses of 5G technology, as part of the JobMaker Digital Business Plan.

In late 2020, the Government made a show of seeking feedback on the design of the initial round of largesse for this initiative.  Over one third of the published responses raised serious issues concerning the rollout of 5G.  In addition, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications’ webpage on the consultation states that 53 confidential submissions were received, ‘largely from individuals concerned about electromagnetic energy (EME)’.

Despite the majority of submissions raising concerns, it seems that the Federal Government has once again turned a tin ear to the problematical matters raised by the public around 5G.

This is hardly surprising, considering that Paul Fletcher MP, a former Optus executive, is the incumbent Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.  In a media release earlier this month Fletcher states that ‘the Initiative will encourage more rapid deployment of 5G technology and create real productivity benefits for the Australian economy’.

Undoubtedly, the splurge of cash will grease the spread of 5G although, perversely, it’s been recognised that globally, the rate of economic growth has stagnated with the growth of digital technologies.  Moreover, what will be the cost to the planet and people because of this initiative?

The Government’s blurb on the Australian 5G Innovation Initiative contains what appears to be glaring misrepresentations of facts.  For instance, on its What is 5G? webpage it states that 5G uses less energy.  Its failure to put this claim into context calls into question both the Government’s integrity and its grasp of the technology.  Whilst 5G uses less energy than 4G to transmit the same data, it requires what is expected to be millions of new antennas to be used with billions of 5G-compatible devices.  Miguel Coma, an engineer in telecommunications and an Information Technology architect, explained in an opinion piece for the Wall Street International Magazine how 5G will lead to soaring energy demands.

The Shift Project, a French think tank that advocates for transition to a carbon-free economy, stated in a report entitled ‘Lean ICT [information and communication technologies]: Towards Digital Sobriety’ that digital overconsumption is not sustainable in regard to its need for energy and raw materials.  Blame for the rapidly expanding energy footprint of digital technologies is squarely attributed to high income countries.  The report calls for governments and companies to adopt digital sobriety as a principle of action – buying the least powerful devices possible and changing them as little as possible, in order to reduce unnecessary energy-intensive uses.  How ironic that the Government is, on one hand, mouthing the need for energy efficiency whilst, on the other hand, splurging taxpayers’ funds on an initiative that is likely to result in the opposite outcome.

On the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications’ webpage entitled What is EME?, the Government continues in its quest to spread false information. For instance, this webpage states that ‘The EME [electromagnetic energy] in telecommunications uses energy levels that are too weak to cause harm’. It beggars belief that the Government is not aware of the very large body of studies that challenge this claim. Its subsequent claim that ‘In fact, in the case of 5G, the EME from 5G devices cannot even penetrate skin’ once more reveals its woeful lack of awareness.  As scientists and researchers at the Oceania Radiofrequency Scientific Advisory Association (ORSAA) pointed out in its letter to councils regarding 5G, very little research has been done so far on the health effects of millimetre waves to be used in the second phase of 5G (6 to 86 GHz).  However, what research has been done shows that adverse outcomes include the potential for effects on ‘eyes (including cataracts), heart rate, immune system and DNA’ as well as ‘harm to the largest organ of the body, the skin, with the possibility of permanent tissue damage’.  Brillouin precursors (very fast pulses of radiation which can penetrate much deeper than predicted by conventional models) may also be induced in the human body.

How much better would it be for the planet and the nation if, instead of squandering $29.2 million on 5G, the Federal Government were to seek initiatives that expand wired technology solutions – in addition to encouraging businesses and Australians to curb frivolous usage of technology.

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is Wi-Fi Sickness a Disability? California Appellate Court Holds That It Is Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Is Wi-Fi sickness a disability? The California Court of Appeal just said it is in Brown v. Los Angeles Unified School District (2d Dist., Div. Eight), Case No. B294240. In a case that tests the limits of California’s liberal pleading standard, the appellate court green-lighted a claim of a woman who asserted a disability of “electromagnetic hypersensitivity,” or, as the concurring justice put it, “Wi-Fi sickness.”

The trial court had sustained a demurrer, granting judgment for the employer, a school district. The appellate court revived the plaintiff’s claim for failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.

The court acknowledged that it is likely the first to recognize Wi-Fi sickness as a disability under laws against discrimination. In fact, the court discussed contrary federal court authority, distinguishing those cases by concluding that the definition of “disability” in California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act is broader than in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Apart from the holding that Wi-Fi sickness is a disability under FEHA, California employers should take note of the facts alleged about the failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.

After the school district installed a new Wi-Fi system, the plaintiff teacher complained of headaches and other symptoms caused by exposure to the electromagnetic waves. The school district initially tried to accommodate the teacher by turning off the Wi-Fi in her classroom and an adjacent one. The teacher said that her symptoms persisted and asked for additional accommodations. By that point, the school district’s consultant had reported that the Wi-Fi and radio frequencies at the school “evidenced a safe and non-hazardous working environment.” Based on that report, the school district did not grant any further accommodation, and the teacher sued.

Source: Lexology

SSMA notes that the California court’s decision was based on evidence of a physical disability rather than a verdict that EHS is a disability in itself.  Australia is fortunate that its legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, provides a very broad definition of disability.  It states that the definition of a disability includes the malfunction of a part of a person’s body, as well as a disorder that affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or which results in disturbed behaviour.  It also includes a disability that presently exists, previously existed or may exist in the future.  The Act specifically states that, “To avoid doubt, a disability that is otherwise covered by this definition includes behaviour that is a symptom or manifestation of the disability”.

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

ORSAA | Important information for councils regarding 5G

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Scientists and researchers from the Oceania Radiofrequency Scientific Advisory Association (ORSAA) have created a letter for local councils that provides a general overview of the science around proposed 5G technology.  Anybody is free to use this letter in their local area.

ORSAA is the only independent scientific organisation in the Australia-New Zealand region investigating the health risks of low-intensity radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR).  Towards this end, ORSAA has established the world’s largest freely available categorised database of peer-reviewed scientific research on radiofrequency RF-EMR biological/health effects.

The letter points out that the weight of evidence clearly demonstrates that exposure to wireless technologies has ‘significant effects on humans, animals and plants’.  Objective searches of the ORSAA database reveal that 68% of scientific papers show significant biological or health effects.

ORSAA highlights that although there is a large volume of scientific studies showing clear health risks with the frequencies used in the first phase of 5G deployment, little research has been done to-date on the health effects of the frequencies (6 – 86 GHz) to be used in the second phase.  However, current known effects of these waves include the possibility of permanent skin tissue damage, effects on eyes, heart rate, immune system and DNA, and the potential for Brillouin precursors to be induced in humans, thereby generating a burst of energy that can penetrate much deeper than what is predicted by conventional models used for standard setting.

ORSAA recommends that councils consider what is in the balance, and their responsibility to protect people and the environment.

SSMA urges followers to provide this letter to their own local councillors.

To access and read the letter in full, go here. 

Posted in 5G | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2020 Consensus Statement of UK and International Medical and Scientific Experts and Practitioners on Health Effects of Non-Ionising Radiation (NIR)

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

All concerned citizens are now able to sign the 2020 Consensus Statement on health effects of non-ionising radiation.

The statement reflects the consensus from the most recent, independent, expert global forums on the acute and chronic health effects resulting from Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR).

The statement clarifies the medical community’s serious concerns surrounding the deployment of 5G and the continued use of RFR in public spaces.

Urgent action is required to protect the health of humans and wildlife.

Public Health Crisis:

  1. RFR has been proven to damage biological systems at intensities below ICNIRP* guidelines.
  2. Public exposure to RFR is already harmful and will rise with the deployment of 5G.
  3. Exposure is unavoidable, contravening the Human Rights Act for those who do not consent.
  4. Multiple international governmental health advisory groups are biased by conflicts of interest.
*ICNIRP: International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection

Required Urgent Actions:

  1. Immediate moratorium on 5G, wireless smart metering and any other new RF emissions.
  2. Establishment of public safety limits to be biologically protective against adverse health effects.
  3. Withdrawal of Wi-fi, wireless phone and other RFR emissions from within / near all schools.
  4. Designation of low EMR* areas to protect those who are unwell or do not consent to exposure.
  5. Education programmes to inform medical professionals on EMR related illnesses / effects.
  6. A zero tolerance approach to industrial influence on public health policy and assured exclusion of those with conflicts of interest from official advisory bodies.
*EMR: Electromagnetic Radiation

To read the Statement in full, view signatories and sign, go to: https://phiremedical.org/2020-nir-consensus-statement-read/

Please circulate the Consensus Statement widely, in particular to medical doctors and scientists.

A press release is available here, for distribution.

Posted in Consensus Statement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

EHS sufferers: Have your say on access to buildings review

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is reviewing the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010.  These standards are reviewed every five years.  The goal of the Premises Standards is to ensure that people with a disability and their family members, carers and friends have equal access to public buildings.  The standards apply to new buildings, renovations on buildings and could apply to existing buildings.  Common areas in apartment buildings are also subject to the standards.

The current Premises Standards make NO provision for people who are electrically sensitive. 

Australia is fortunate to have a Disability Discrimination Act which has adopted a very broad definition of disability.  This underlying legislation lays the foundation for ready acceptance of environmental sensitivities; however, its provisions have FAILED to flow through into standards, such as the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010.

We need as many people as possible who have experienced difficulties in accessing public buildings due to their sensitivities to participate in this review.

If you have electrical hypersensitivity (EHS), or you are a carer for a child or parent who has suffered from electromagnetic radiation overload in public buildings, please give feedback.  The object of the Premises Standards is to provide people with disability dignified, equitable, cost-effective and reasonably achievable access to buildings, and facilities and services within buildings.

As the Premises Standards Review Team is not familiar with the causes or symptoms of EHS, make sure you explain the triggers within buildings that lead to symptoms, what you experience and how builders might modify public buildings in order to prevent these symptoms.

There are three optional questions that the Review Team would like you to think about before having your say; alternatively, you can make a general comment.

There are a variety of ways that you can do this.  You can complete an online survey or just upload a file (including a video, audio, image or written submission), or submit by mail.  Alternatively, you can make a time to provide your submission by phone.  Your submission can be confidential.

We need our schools, libraries, hospitals and other public buildings to be accessible to people living with EHS.  The spin-off is that it will also make these places safer for people who have yet to experience EMF-overload!

The link for providing feedback to the review is: https://consult.industry.gov.au/premises-standards-review-team/2020-premises-standards-review-discovery/

The review closes on 30 November 2020.

Posted in electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Petition | Allow Victorians to have communications disabled on smart meters!

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The Victorian Labor government has yet again dudded electricity customers.  Victorians have not only had to live with the consequences of a mandated rollout of smart meters that was ill-conceived from its very start, now they are being denied the right to participate in the national Competition in Metering rule.

This means that there are NO plans in place for Victorians with an existing electricity smart meter to be entitled to have their meter’s pulsed microwave transmissions disabled, as is the case with customers in NSW, Qld, Tas, SA and the ACT.

Earlier this year, the Labor Government quietly reneged on its intention to allow Victorians to participate in the Power of Choice electricity framework in 2021, as was originally flagged.  The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), which is responsible for metering policy in Victoria, now states on its Smart Meters webpage that ‘electricity metering will remain non-contestable based on current conditions in Victoria’.

DELWP claims this decision was based on the outcome of a consultation undertaken by KPMG in 2019 that undertook ‘extensive stakeholder engagement’ and which found that ‘introducing contestability at this time is unlikely to unlock unrealised benefits to consumers and may diminish some of the benefits that have been realised’.  In its usual opaque fashion, DELWP has failed to provide on its website the actual report from KPMG which came to this conclusion.  DELWP has also yet to respond to a letter from SSMA which was emailed in July requesting either the relevant link or a PDF copy of the findings that were presented to DELWP.

In view of this appalling state of affairs, SSMA urges Victorian residents to sign an e-petition to the Upper House of Victoria calling on the Energy Minister and DELWP to put in place such amendments that will allow Victorians to have radiofrequency communications on an installed smart meter deactivated. 

TO VIEW AND SIGN THE PETITION, GO TO:
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council/petitions/electronic-petitions/view-e-petitions/details/12/272

The author of the petition, Maureen, has had her health severely impacted by pulsed emissions from smart meters.  She has been valiantly trying to get an exemption from the Victorian Government’s requirement that all smart meters must be capable of being remotely read, to no avail.  Her medical certificate has been ignored.  SSMA is aware of other Victorians who are in the same position. 

Please show your support for Maureen and other Victorians who find themselves in the same unfortunate position by sharing the petition link widely across social media and urging others to also sign. The petition is open to all Victorian residents.

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Amazon’s Vector power smart meter deal puts ‘how you live your life’ on web giant’s servers | ABC News

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of the world’s biggest retailer, and New Zealand power grid owner, Vector, have joined forces to analyse, share and monetise data generated by more than 1.6 million smart meters across Australia and New Zealand.

The alliance will use data from the internet-connected smart meters to gather information on consumers’ consumption and network performance.

According to a recent ABC News report ‘The data goes far beyond how much power you use in a certain time of day — revealing things like the number of televisions you have, the age of your fridge and other appliances, and the number of people in your home’.

Almost every home in Victoria is connected to smart meters, part of a program that cost consumers $2 billion and, when reviewed by the Auditor-General, was found to provide almost “no benefit”.

Kaspar Kaarlep, co-founder of power technology company WePower is quoted by ABC business reporter, Daniel Ziffer, as stating that ‘greater consumer protections in Europe mean this deal would not be legal there’. Kaarlep likens the alliance to the City of Melbourne selling access to all of its CCTV cameras to Amazon … to develop new products and services. ‘When do I come home? When do I leave? What do I have at my home? Who do I live with? This is all visible in that data.’

CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre, Lauren Solomon, adds, ‘We actually can’t really tell what data’s being collected, who it’s being shared with and what it’s being used for’.

To read the ABC report in full, go to Amazon’s Vector power smart meter deal puts ‘how you live your life’ on web giant’s servers

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments