1) Telus is the only company in BC that provides copper-cable-based landlines. Over the last few years, Telus has, surreptitiously, without advising their customers, cut the copper line and replaced the old-fashioned landline with a digital phone line in many homes. In earlier updates, I’ve mentioned that it happened to me and, when I discovered it, I called Telus and asked for my copper landline to be returned because during an outage, my digital phone was dead. I would not have been able to call for help should an emergency have occurred. They told me the copper line was still in place and connected it without charge.
In California, during this extended fire season, milllions of people have had their power turned off and have been left with no way of communicating. Digital and cell phones don’t operate for long without power.
Here is a document written after the 2017 wildfire season in California and, beginning on page 23, there is discussion about the benefits of the good, dependable, old-fashioned landline. After multiple prolonged outages this year, many people are now demanding that copper-cable landlines be available to any who want them.
(click on photos to enlarge)
from
https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/North-Bay-North-Coast-Broadband-Consortium-Telecommunications-Outage-Report-Northern-California-Firestorm-2017-Mendocino-Napa-and-Sonoma-Counties-April-2018.pdf
2) A reminder that FortisBC is holding public information meetings in a few communities to get feedback from the public (or so they say) before submitting their application to the BCUC for smeters. I shared the schedule on Oct. 10 ( https://www.fortisbc.com/about-us/projects-planning/natural-gas-projects-planning/advanced-gas-meters under “information sessions”) so I expect that some of you may have attended already. If you have, would you please share anything that you found of interest. Please email me at: citizensforsafettech@shaw.ca with “Fortis meeting” on the subject line.
I’ve been told that FortisBC has chosen the Sensus Sonic IQ Flexnet:
http://ktiltd.on.ca/?t=sensus-sonix-ultrasonic-gas-meters
When I have more info about this smeter specifically, I will share it with you. Sensus makes it very hard to read their online info.
3) A very informative and significant paper by Dr. Kostoff. There is a lot in the 10 pages which comprise the report, with the vast majority of the many pages devoted to bibliography which could be most useful. I have provided the link to the monograph which is given in reference 2.
“From: Dr. Ronald N. Kostoff
To: Wireless Radiation Distribution
Subject: Adverse Effects of Wireless Radiation
A monograph presenting the adverse effects of wireless radiation has been published recently [1]. It places particular emphasis on how potential adverse health impacts of the upcoming 5G mobile networking technology have been grossly under-estimated.
The Adverse Effects monograph is Open Access, and is available at the following link [2]. The findings may be of interest to 1) wireless radiation researchers, 2) health policy professionals, and 3) consumers who will be exposed to this potentially damaging radiation.”
RNK
References
[1] Kostoff RN. Adverse Effects of Wireless Radiation. . 2019. PDF. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/61946.
[2] http://hdl.handle.net/1853/61946
(Click link or enter into browser) https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/61946/ADVERSE%20EFFECTS%20OF%20WIRELESS%20RADIATION%20%283%29.pdf?sequence=9&isAllowed=y
4) People need to take their Councils and Mayors to task because of the installations of microcells outside homes. Most likely, Telus didn’t offer to tell them about 5G or the microcells — and I bet the Councils (or the staff) didn’t bother to ask. Telus is probably saying that they are installing fiber optic cable — “free” — which sounds good to those who don’t know the real reason Telus is doing this, and the ramifications. Below is a really good letter from someone who is confronting her Mayor and Council. She is sharing so that others can use her letter as a template, or just for ideas.
Telus Microcells: http://emrabc.ca/?page_id=8805
Letters:
November 2019-11-02
Dear Mayor and Council,
Telus has just installed a Miniature 5G Capable Microcell transmitter outside my home at _____________________________ .
In the past I have expressed my concern to municipality staff about the safety of this kind of technology.
Years ago when I brought this subject up with Saanich staff I was told that there would be a public consultation process before installations began. I am not aware of any public process on this subject. I was also reassured that the locations were flexible and that I would not have to have one in front of my home.
There are many countries and municipalities worldwide that are calling for a moratorium on this technology in their districts until scientific data proves beyond a doubt that it is safe. They are using the precautionary principle of not implementing this new technology until it is proven safe. Current research points to many health concerns: heart health, increased cancer rates, increase in dementia and decrease in fertility and the heightened assault of EMF radiation on the immune system. Other concerns are for the environment, the health of birds and bees and other insects; wildlife and vegetation are also at risk.
I have a few questions for you:
1) Does Telus have permission to use public property? Who grants them permission?
2) Are Mayor and Council aware of the safety concerns of 5G technology?
3) Has due diligence been done to vet the current global scientific research?
4) Has the issue of microcells been discussed at a public meeting?
5) Has Mayor and Council done anything to inform the public about the risks?
6) Has the public been informed about the installation of this technology that is currently underway in my neighbourhood and beyond?
7) Apparently Health Canada is using out-dated data – based on earlier less powerful technology to determine current safety standards. Therefore, these standards do not protect Canada’s citizens now. How can our municipality intervene to inform and protect our citizens?
8) Has the safer alternative to Microcell towers (of fiber optic networks) been explored by Saanich?
I have asked Telus to relocate the cell tower in front of my home. If anyone on Council can help me with this I would appreciate the support. Please let me know what can be done… both in my front yard [and] in the broader community. My hope is that Council will call a moratorium on the entire project until safety is unequivocally determined.
I look forward to your immediate response and hope to have the opportunity to discuss this in person at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
X
Sharon Noble, Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology in which nobody understands *anything* about science and technology.
And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power sooner or later is going to blow up in our faces.” Carl Sagan, 1996