April 26 Safe Tech International News and Notes

EHT/FCC/CELLPHONES, Irish EHS Film, Utilities/"Clean Energy"

AI DATA CENTERS: Why the AI Industry’s Thirst for New Data Centers Can’t Be Satisfied Supply bottlenecks slow the scramble to build bigger, more powerful facilities  (paywall) https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/why-the-ai-industrys-thirst-for-new-data-centers-cant-be-satisfied-93c7eff5

AI: Meta profits soar but costs of AI cause worry https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-meta-profits-soar-ai.html

AUTOMOBILES: Tesla driver in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist told police he was using Autopilot The 56-year-old driver was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide "based on the admitted inattention to driving, while on Autopilot mode, and the distraction of the cell phone while moving forward, putting trust in the machine to drive for him," the affidavit said. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-tesla-driver-seattle-area-motorcyclist.html

CELLPHONES SWEDEN: Telecom funded mobile phone brain tumor study shows no risks The Cosmos study on health risks from mobile phone use was initially funded by the telecommunications companies Ericsson,Telia, Telenor, Nokia, Elisa. MMF and British telecom companies also contributed.- The study was carried out by researchers with a long tradition of dismissing health risks from mobile phone radiation.- Scientists argued it would be “important to convincingly rule out health risks”.-Studies funded by telecom companies overwhelmingly show results that are favorable to the telecom companies.-Research has shown extensively that there are health risks associated with mobile phone radiation, including increased risk of brain tumors, oxidative stress and DNA damage.-The study has several shortcomings, including the fact that those who used cell phones the most, were compared with those who used the phone less. https://radiationprotection.se/risks/telecom-funded-mobile-phone-brain-tumor-study-shows-no-risks/

CELLPHONES FCC: Environmental Health Trust Reveals Concealed FCC Cell Phone Tests Showing Human Radiation ‘Exposure Limits Were Exceeded’ by Environmental Health Trust Press Release  https://ehtrust.org/press-release-concealed-fcc-cell-phone-radiation-tests-show-human-exposure-limits-were-exceeded/ and

The FOIA appeal and entire FCC FOIA response are available on EHT’s website here: https://ehtrust.org/environmental-health-trust-foia-project/ and 

FCC Knew Phones Exceeded Radiation Limits, Hid Info From Public and Courts https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/fcc-cellphones-exceeded-wireless-radiation-limits-hidden-public-courts/ and

TR DAILY: EHT BLASTS FCC TIMING IN DISCLOSING CELLPHONE RF EXPOSURE TEST RESULTS https://ehtrust.org/tr-daily-eht-blasts-fcc-timing-in-disclosing-cellphone-rf-exposure-test-results/

CHILDREN CELLPHONES: What To Say When Your Child Asks for a Smartphone https://screenstrong.substack.com/p/what-to-say-when-your-child-ask

DIGITAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS: Digital grave markers https://everloved.com/articles/memorial-products/what-digital-tombstone/    https://www.digital-gravestones.co.uk/ https://www.allheadstones.com/headstone/digital-headstones/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/SEWACC-Cemetery-Memorial-Sympathy-Remembrance/dp/B0CDGWTBMQ courtesy Kate

CONSERVATION: Escape the vapes: Scientists call for global shift to curb consumer use of disposable technologies Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth said, "Throwaway, disposable living is a very recent and regrettable consequence of technological innovation. It is just a few decades since the first single-use plastic products were manufactured, but the associated—and highly persistent—waste now contaminates every corner of our planet. "Disposable vapes are among the more recent such items to hit the market and we urgently need to recognize that our appetite for cheap and convenience-driven throwaway goods comes at immense cost to the environment and human health." https://phys.org/news/2024-04-vapes-scientists-global-shift-curb.html

EHS FILM IRELAND Leitrim's young filmmaker finalist at Fresh Film Festival Leitrim's 17-year-old Olivia Louise Curto features the digital world in her film 'Freequencies'  This year's festival is enriched by the participation of one of Leitrim's own, 17-year-old Olivia Louise Curto. Her film 'Freequencies' explores the life of Oliver, a young boy with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, highlighting the impacts of our digital world and the human need for connection. https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/home/1483116/leitrim-s-young-filmmaker-finalist-at-fresh-film-festival.html and  https://www.independent.ie/regionals/leitrim/news/talented-leitrim-filmmaker-17-set-to-feature-at-an-international-film-festival/a1131665153.html

EHS RESEARCH: Research Topic on Individual Sensitivity to Wireless Radiation is online and ready for submissions Link to submissions: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/64593/individual-sensitivity-to-wireless-radiation For additional details see also: 'Research Topic' on individual sensitivity to wireless radiation will be published by the Radiation and Health section of the Frontiers in Public Health journal https://betweenrockandhardplace.wordpress.com/2024/04/25/research-topic-on-individual-sensitivity-to-wireless-radiation-is-online-and-ready-for-submissions/

EMF EDUCATION: EMF Remedy Keith Cutter Interviews The Power Couple -- Circadian Biology, Tech Addiction, Digital Detox, Blue Light 1 hour   https://www.buzzsprout.com/2075097/14949379-keith-interviews-the-power-couple-circadian-biology-tech-addiction-digital-detox-blue-light

EHT ENV HEALTH TRUST NEW OUTREACH: Healthy Tech at Home  Safe Technology For Our Children 5 Things to Consider About Technology, fact sheets, etc. “Smart” devices emit microwaves 24/7, Health and safety should always come first, Government safety limits need to be stronger, The science is alerting us, Safer connections are the way forward.

EHT ENV HEALTH TRUST NEW OUTREACH: FACTSHEET: RADIOFREQUENCY, WILDLIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE AND WIRELESS: POLICY IS NEEDED TO PROTECT FLORA AND FAUNA 5 pages Levels of wireless radiation in the environment are increasing. In addition to human health impacts, biologists have found that wireless radiation can have serious ecosystem impacts. Scientific research has found tree canopy damaged, honeybee behavior impacted, and bird reproduction harmed by wireless radiation.   An article from the Santa Clara Medical Association, “Wireless Silent Spring,” by Dr. Cindy Russell of Physicians for Safe Technology, describes how wildlife are impacted by wireless networks. Dr. Russell calls for urgent policy action before it is too late.  

“When crossing such electromagnetic fields, bees may no longer remember their way, may no longer fly in the correct direction, and may become unable to go back to their hive.” Marie-Claire Cammaerts 

Want more information? 

Download a factsheet on wildlife and cell towers here. 

See the scientific research on environmental impacts here.

FCC: FCC Issues Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything Waivers The FCC approved 11 waiver requests from entities looking for permission to begin early deployments of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.895-5.925 GHz band. Each party sought the waiver applicable to intelligent transportation systems (ITS) operations to allow C-V2X technology to be used in the upper 30 MHz portion (5.895–5.925 GHz) of the 5.9 GHz band before the Commission adopts final C-V2X based rules. Many of the waivers were sought by state, local, and municipal transportation authorities. They include the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development; the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; Prince George’s County, MD; the Contra Costa Transportation Authority; the Maine Department of Transportation and Battelle Memorial Institute, a contractor for the Federal Railroad Administration. Equipment manufacturers, Ettifos Co.; Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.; IT-Telecom Co., Ltd.; and Nissan Technical Center North America also sought waivers. https://insidetowers.com/fcc-issues-cellular-vehicle-to-everything-waivers/

FCC: Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member Cruz Lead Colleagues in Urging FCC to Halt Unlawful Plan to Reclassify Broadband as a Public Utility House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) led a bicameral coalition of their committee colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse course and abandon its so-called “net neutrality” draft order—an illegal power grab that would expose the broadband industry to an oppressive regulatory regime under Title II of the Communications Act. The members argue that the FCC’s draft order ignores the text of the Communications Act of 1934, which explicitly precludes the FCC from treating broadband as a public utility. Moreover, the Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence on the major questions doctrine confirms that the only body that can authorize public utility regulation of broadband is Congress. Resurrecting this policy, which will inevitably be struck down by the courts, is a waste of time and resources and will punish American consumers by choking off investment, innovation, and competition. https://www.benton.org/headlines/chair-rodgers-ranking-member-cruz-lead-colleagues-urging-fcc-halt-unlawful-plan-reclassify

FCC: Senator Cruz leads opposition to FCC’s plan to fund Wi-Fi on school buses, citing legal overreach and safety concerns In a significant legal challenge, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, along with several Republican senators, has filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit, opposing the Biden administration’s move to extend the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program to include funding for Wi-Fi on school buses. The lawsuit, titled Molak v. FCC, has been instigated by parents worried about the potential for their children to access social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram unsupervised during bus rides to and from school. Senator Cruz criticized the FCC’s decision as both “dangerous” and “unlawful,” asserting that it would promote unsupervised access to addictive social media apps, which he believes are detrimental to the youth. “The FCC’s decision to fund children’s unsupervised access to social media on bus rides to and from school is both dangerous and unlawful. I’m glad to support other concerned parents in opposing this reckless rule, and I thank my colleagues for joining me in our effort to keep kids safe,” Cruz stated. [] Furthermore, the senators criticize the FCC for not having conducted adequate analysis or oversight regarding Wi-Fi’s effectiveness and educational impact on school buses. They express concerns that the lack of rigorous assessment might lead to wasteful federal spending and fail to address potential negative effects on minors, such as exposure to inappropriate content and cyberbullying. https://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2024/senator-cruz-leads-opposition-to-fccs-plan-to-fund-wi-fi-on-school-buses-citing-legal-overreach-and-safety-concerns/

FTC industry:  Sweeping FTC rule to eliminate noncompetes could boost wireless sector employment UPDATE: Following the announcement of the FTC’s final rule, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce swiftly filed a lawsuit challenging the prohibition of non-compete clauses. The lawsuit contends that the FTC lacks the necessary authority under the FTC Act to regulate unfair competition methods. Moreover, according to the “major questions doctrine” as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court, the rule should be overturned for lacking explicit Congressional approval, especially given the Court’s recent critical stance on administrative rulemaking. The Chamber’s lawsuit also argues that the rule unlawfully delegates legislative power, retroactively affects existing agreements, and is arbitrary due to its reliance on inadequate studies and disregard for alternative solutions proposed during the public consultation phase. Further legal challenges from other stakeholders are anticipated, which could leave the rule’s future uncertain as these disputes progress. “The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has made a definitive move to prohibit the use of noncompete clauses across various industries, including wireless construction. Announced on Tuesday, the FTC said this action aims to empower employees by allowing them to switch employers freely, boosting job creation, raising wages, and intensifying competition among firms. This sweeping decision will dismantle noncompete agreements that currently bind approximately 30 million U.S. workers. FTC estimates that eliminating these contracts could create 8,500 startups annually and increase worker wages by up to $488 billion over the next decade.” https://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2024/sweeping-ftc-rule-to-eliminate-noncompetes-could-boost-wireless-sector-employment/

5G: Nokia sees double-digit fall in January-March sales as weak market for 5G technology prevails https://www.boston25news.com/news/nokia-sees-double/R4DLLBPCPFHDE373UIIL6KFABI/

5G INDUSTRY: The Battle for Network Monitoring An interesting battle is underway to capture the market for monitoring devices. The latest entry into the market is 5G RedCap. This is a technology that is currently under development in chipsets and ought to hit the market in 2025 and 2026. [] 5G RedCap devices will use fewer antennas and will support less bandwidth than a typical 5G connection. Fewer antennas, lower bandwidths, and different modes of operation will help to reduce power consumption. RedCap devices can transmit data without having to connect to a network - the RedCap device can transmit its bits and hope a network is receiving it. Cellular carriers will be working on ways to monetize the new capability – perhaps by selling monthly subscriptions for all of the devices at a given site. This contrasts with the other technologies used to monitor devices. For devices inside or near buildings, the monitoring technology of choice is free wireless connectivity using WiFi or Bluetooth.[] In looking at the various technologies, it’s clear that each technology will find a niche. RedCap seems best aimed at the mobility market. The technology will make it easier to sell wearable technology and anything else that is not stationary. RedCap might always fit into industrial situations where an operator is attracted to large numbers of low-power and low-cost sensors. But RedCap will come with a price, so when you buy a wearable device, be prepared for a monthly 5G fee. https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2024/04/25/the-battle-for-network-monitoring/

5G EDUCATION: What Exactly is 5G KEITH CUTTER  -- Part Three An abundance of millimeter wave radiation not related to 5G cell service and how to reduce personal exposure. (Measuring Grocery stores, cars, etc)

What Exactly is 5G -- Part Three

5G INDIA: Why 5G is failing to gain momentum in India Indian telcos might have succeeded in deploying 5G in record time, but they continue to struggle to monetize it. "In India, enterprises are reluctant to deploy 5G private networks as most of them still rely on traditional connectivity solutions – Wi-Fi and wired-based solutions – and they are finding less merit in switching to a captive network. Despite Adani Group's spectrum acquisition and Airtel's partnerships, most businesses prefer traditional connectivity due to cost concerns," says Garth Owen, associate director at Counterpoint Research. "The cost of operating private networks compared to Wi-Fi, coupled with device limitations and slower rollout of 5G SA networks, hampers widespread adoption," adds Owen. Telcos are struggling to convey why their subscribers should migrate to 5G. So far, neither of the two operators offering 5G services has launched a significant advertising campaign to promote them. Another reason for the limited uptake of 5G, even though it is available at the same rates as 4G, is the high cost of 5G smartphones.[ ] The deployment of 5G is helping the telcos address the growing data consumption. https://www.lightreading.com/5g/why-5g-is-failing-to-gain-momentum-in-india

GEOENGINEERING: Solar geoengineering to cool the planet: Is it worth the risks? [] the US National Academy of Sciences, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Union of Concerned Scientists all support solar geoengineering research. A 2022 White House report also expressed strong support for the research. In an open letter, the 60 scientists said that because of these serious risks, and the possibility of some desperate country one day resorting to solar geoengineering, it needs to be rigorously studied as soon as possible, with both benefits and drawbacks clearly assessed. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-solar-geoengineering-cool-planet-worth.html

HEALTH: Nearsightedness is at epidemic levels—and the problem begins in childhood  A 2022 study, for example, found that myopia rates were more than four times greater for children who didn't spend much time outdoors—say, once or twice a week—compared with those who were outside daily. At the same time, kids who spent more than three hours a day while not at school reading or looking at a screen close-up were four times more likely to have myopia than those who spent an hour or less doing so. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-nearsightedness-epidemic-problem-childhood.html

HEALTH: MENTAL HEALTH: Suicide Rates Are Now Higher Among Young Adults Than the Middle-Aged Men, It’s time to update common beliefs about age and suicide, Jean Twenge’s Substack, The rise in suicide among Gen Z in the U.S. is so big that it is now Gen Z males, ages 20-24, who have the highest rates of suicide. This is an important new discovery, and is additional evidence against claims that the youth mental health crisis is exaggerated and that we’re focusing on the wrong groups. It is imperative to recognize that not all of the news is good. These statistics increase the urgency of determining what has gone wrong for Gen Z and younger Millennials: They are not only depressed but are taking their own lives at high rates. Despite the statements of critics, focusing on the mental health of teens and young adults is not a moral panic. It is now a mandate.

Suicide Rates Are Now Higher Among Young Adults Than the Middle-Aged

NATUTE OT: Birdsong once signalled the onset of spring on my street – but not this year (blames lack of birds on lack of insects due to heat wave, no mention of RF) Everywhere is different, with extreme weather and its consequences for wildlife varying from place to place, making it hard to pin down the blend of factors affecting populations. Friends and colleagues across the country report a mixed picture, with some hearing a dawn chorus like previous years. But in our eastern urban locality the change is dramatic. So what might be done? Keeping trees and shrubs and adding more of the right kind would be useful, creating shade, food sources and nesting sites. More wildlife ponds to provide food and water. Lawns with uncut margins and more wild corners providing food and nest sites. Saying farewell to garden pesticides. Cats with bells on and ensuring feeders are cleaned to prevent infection will all help hard-pressed birds cope with bigger change. Tony Juniper CBE is an environmentalist and Chair of Natural England. https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tonyjuniper article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/24/birdsong-once-signalled-onset-of-spring-on-my-street-but-not-this-year-aoe

PRIVACY: FTC sends $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers as part of video privacy settlement https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-ftc-million-refunds-customers-video.html

RADIO – INDUSTRY CONSERVATIVE OPINION? Why Saving AM Radio Is Redundant in the Age of Modern Technology The push to legislate the survival of AM radio in vehicles fails to understand the natural evolution of technology and market preferences. Here’s why the notion of saving AM radio might not just be outdated but also impractical: Technological Interference. Modern electric vehicles, like those from Tesla and BMW, report that AM signals interfere with their electric engines. Forcing these manufacturers to include AM radio could compromise vehicle performance or lead to increased costs as they engineer around the interference. Then there is basic politics: Are politicians really worried that AM radio is their last realm of maintaining a platform for conservative talk radio? The initiative to save AM radio seems politically charged, with proponents thinking AM radio is the communication pipeline to the senior demographic. However, the argument that the government should not pick winners and losers in the marketplace—a principle traditionally upheld by many in Congress—undermines legislative effort. https://www.aei.org/technology-and-innovation/why-saving-am-radio-is-redundant-in-the-age-of-modern-technology/

SPACE: NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications demonstration transmits data over 140 million miles https://phys.org/news/2024-04-nasa-deep-space-optical-communications.html

TECH: What is ‘techno-optimism’? 2 technology scholars explain the ideology that says technology is the answer to every problem In our view, some champions of techno-optimism, such as Bill Gates, rely on the cover of philanthropy to promote their techno-optimist causes. Others have argued that their philanthropic initiatives are essentially a public relations effort to burnish their reputations as they continue to control how technology is being used to address the world’s problems. The stakes of embracing techno-optimism are high – and not just in terms of the role that technology plays in society. There are also political, environmental and economic ramifications for holding these views. As an ideological position, it puts the interests of certain people – often those already wielding immense power and resources – over those of everyone else. Its cheerleaders can be willfully blind to the fact that most of society’s problems, like technology, are made by humans. Many scholars are keenly aware of the techno-optimism of social media that pervaded the 2010s. Back then, these technologies were breathlessly covered in the media – and promoted by investors and inventors – as an opportunity to connect the disconnected and bring information to anyone who might need it. Yet, while offering superficial solutions to loneliness and other social problems, social media has failed to address their root structural causes. Those may include the erosion of public spaces, the decline of journalism and enduring digital divides.  https://theconversation.com/what-is-techno-optimism-2-technology-scholars-explain-the-ideology-that-says-technology-is-the-answer-to-every-problem-222668

TOWERS AND ANTENNAS EHT At the federal level, policymakers have stripped the rights of states and local governments to regulate the 5G buildout. About 30 U.S. states have laws in the books that also fast-track installations and remove the authority of counties, cities, and towns to have a say about where cell towers can be placed. But that’s not stopping municipalities. From coast to coast, local governments are taking action to protect their communities by passing ordinances that strictly limit the buildout of cell towers. Here’s a look at what some cities are doing.

TOWERS AND ANTENNAS INDUSTRY: Railroads Lose Suit Against Broadband Fiber A lawsuit launched by the American Association of Railroads last year has been dismissed by a federal judge. In his decision, Judge David Novak in the Eastern District of Virginia wrote that the railroad industry group does not have standing to challenge a Virginia law regarding the placement of broadband fiber along railroad tracks. As Cardinal News adds, the dismissal of the current suit would not preclude Norfolk Southern and CSX from filing lawsuits on their own behalf. “This is not only a victory for our great local electric co-ops that have worked so hard to bring broadband to the far reaches of the Commonwealth, but also is a major victory for our rural and urban areas to be able to finally access broadband in their homes and businesses in the very near future — a technology that so many of our suburban communities now take for granted. I hope that the railroads will now be a good and willing partner with our Virginia co-ops so we can finish this critical task.” https://insidetowers.com/railroads-lose-suit-against-broadband-fiber/

TOWERS AND ANTENNAS INDUSTRY: Town Hall Meeting Stacked With Cell Tower Opponents Approaching the matter from a legislative angle, State Representative Chris Smith, reminded the crowd that he is pushing HB 8082 to take decision-making power away from the FCC and put it back in the hands of local government. “The heart of my legislation is to restore the critical voice of local residents in decisions that affect the health, safety, and aesthetics of their communities,” he stated.  TapInto described the gathering as an emotional affair, with Verizon detractors joining together to support each other. It does not appear that Verizon had a representative at the meeting as no comments from the telecom were cited. In earlier interactions, Verizon has said that installing streetlight 5G units along the Belmar boardwalk is a public safety concern and would address a coverage need, according to TapInto Belmar/Lake Como. https://insidetowers.com/town-hall-meeting-stacked-with-cell-tower-opponents/

TOWERS AND ANTENNA INDUSTRY: Poinsettia Park Cell Tower Nipped in the Bud California’s Carlsbad City Council has bowed to neighborhood sentiment, refusing to allow AT&T to move ahead with its plan to install a cell tower in Poinsettia Park. Although an earlier vote had decided in favor of AT&T, an appeal filed by agitated residents caused the council to reconsider, reports The San Diego Union Tribune. Although the Council did not sustain the appeal against the cell tower, it instead declined to sign the agreement with AT&T, thereby stopping the project in its tracks. “We feel the Planning Commission was manipulated by AT&T into believing there are no alternatives to a [cell tower] at Poinsettia Park,” noted opponent Nora George. She and other detractors focused their argument against the cell tower on grounds that AT&T had not adequately considered alternative options to the Poinsettia Park site. Other voices were raised against phantom health concerns falsely attributed to cell towers, as well as comments that a cell tower might be “ugly.” However, recognizing that these concerns carry no legal weight, George explained that the filed argument against AT&T asserts that the telecom misrepresented findings and should adequately seek out other placement options. https://insidetowers.com/poinsettia-park-cell-tower-nipped-in-the-bud/

UTILITIES HYDROPOWER: The Whole Dam Truth Hydropower projects are far from climate neutral and the downstream threats to indigenous sovereignty, biodiversity and marine ecosystems are significant and growing. “The mega-reservoirs needed for industrial-scale hydroelectric production have displaced as many as 80 million people worldwide and adversely impacted some 470 million people living downstream of dam sites.” Mega-reservoirs for hydropower have also displaced and destroyed wildlife, causing biodiversity collapses in which fish and other aquatic populations have disappeared almost overnight. The reservoirs have precipitated out of soils a poison, methylmercury, that bioaccumulates in fish and game that Indigenous groups, particularly in the boreal forests of Canada, depend on for survival outside the industrial food system.   This is only some of what we know for certain are the social and environmental costs of industrial-scale hydropower. Other likely costs remain unaccounted for, because concerted scientific studies haven’t been done. It’s known, for example, that by blocking the natural flow of rivers, dams prevent vital minerals from being scoured off river bottoms and banks to be deposited as nutrients in marine food webs. There’s no scientific consensus about the effect this nutrient starvation has had, say, on the largest coastal fisheries of the North Atlantic — the Georges Bank, the Grand Banks — but the evidence leans toward the very bad. In the Arctic, water vapor emissions from mega-reservoirs have caused regional increases in air temperature that may have contributed to the evanescing of ice on the Arctic Ocean, which in turn has accelerated planetary warming. If in fact water vapor emissions from mega-reservoirs can be tied to a warmed Arctic Ocean, hydropower in the Northern Hemisphere may be seen as merely another industrial culprit in climate collapse.[] By the mid-1980s, the river that the Cree had known for thousands of years became, overnight, a technological artifact. Gerrard might as well be saying that the energy privileges of New Yorkers are non-negotiable. The pressing issue, with planetary warming on a catastrophic trajectory, is that these privileges now need to be greened. [] “Environmentalists glom on to this green energy idea as though we in the Western world can continue living high on the hog,” Benefiel told me. “All we have to do is switch the type of power we use. Those are false solutions. We don’t consider the fact that we absolutely cannot continue to live this way. We have to scale down.” https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-whole-dam-truth/

UTILITIES:  Is Oil Field Waste Making You Sick? The industry's workers are at risk and we don't know how bad the radioactivity is. “Petroleum 238” is the story of how a powerful industry spreads harm across the land and sickens the American people, especially their very own workers. This industry puts enormous resources into making sure no one ever put all the pieces together, and no one ever has — until now. Many people tell me there is nothing to see here, the levels aren’t that bad, but unfortunately this is the same thing the oil and gas industry’s shadow network of radioactive waste workers have often been told. So, they work on, shoveling and scooping waste, mixing it with lime and coal ash and ground up corn cobs in an attempt to lower the radioactivity levels, without appropriate protection, sometimes in T-shirts, eating lunch and smoking cigarettes and having cookouts in absurdly contaminated workspaces. Sludge splatters all over their bodies, liquid waste splashes into their eyes and mouths, they inhale radioactive dust as waste eats away their boots, soaks their socks and encrusts clothes that are often brought home and washed in the family washing machine, further spreading contamination. Oil field waste has been spilled, spread, injected, dumped and freely emitted across this nation. And contamination has been discharged — sometimes illegally, often legally — into the same rivers America’s towns and cities draw their drinking water from. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/it-could-be-oil-field-waste-making-you-sick/

UTILITIES: Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side (Time) We are not alone. Obscured by the recent rush to sign up households for rooftop solar and speed up the electrification of America are those who already have solar panels on their roof that do not work. Many were early adopters who did the “right” thing for the planet, installing solar before the expanded financial incentives that came out of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Because solar was more expensive in the 2010s, many entered into leases with solar companies to defray upfront costs, and many were left in the lurch when those companies went out of business. Often, their solar leases were packaged and sold, alongside thousands of others, to private equity companies and other investors who were not incentivized to ensure, years into the leases, that service was good or that panels even worked. “Bad operators have left many people with broken systems and a bitter taste in their mouth,” says Daniel Liu, head of asset commercial performance at Wood Mackenzie, an energy research firm. “It costs a lot to actually service these panels, and a lot of people have fallen through the cracks.” There were 5,331 complaints containing the words “solar panels” submitted on reportfraud.ftc.gov between Jan. 1 and Sept. 19 of 2023, up 31% from the entire year of 2022 and up 746% since 2018, the first year for which the Federal Trade Commission has data, according to the FTC’s response to a Freedom of Information Act filed by TIME. Norling also had an explanation for why Spruce told me that our panels were working when they in fact weren’t: 3G technology. Older residential solar systems were installed with meters that communicated over 3G, he says, and when cell phone service providers discontinued 3G, those meters were forced offline. Spruce is upgrading the meters to 4G, but the chip shortage has led to slow production of new meters. Until they’re all fixed, what I and other customers saw on Spruce’s portal were estimates, and not the actual amount of solar we were getting. (The company never made that clear, and Norling apologized that the company did not specify that those calculations were estimates.) Spruce has offered to reimburse me for the months I did not receive solar power, but I also recently received an email from customer service, to whom I had sent my energy bills, saying they “were not able to review them to completion,” which is a sentence that may or may not have been written by an actual human. https://time.com/6317339/rooftop-solar-power-failure/   (9/23)

EVENTS:

April 30, Free video event with Dr Melanie Smith  The Power of Energy Medicine for the Aging Brain: Learn 3 Techniques to Build Neuroplasticity, Detox Your Brain & Strengthen Your Vagus Nerve includes  Ways that exposure to poor nutrition, food additives, processed food, toxins, and EMFs — especially in early childhood — can negatively impact your brain health even in your later years You’ll walk away from this event understanding that it’s never too late to heal and enhance your brain by incorporating energy medicine practices into your everyday life. https://theshiftnetwork.com/Energy-Medicine-Aging She’ll guide you in three simple yet highly effective, brain-oriented energy medicine exercises: The “Lotus Blossom” — for building neuroplasticity as you enhance cross-over energy patterns ,The “Glymphatic Rub” — for clearing debris, detoxing your brain, and moving glymphatic fluid, which opens new neural pathways,  The “Peacemaker” — for calming your nervous system, supporting good gut health, and enhancing the 2-way communication pathway of your vagus nerve from your brain to all of your organs, and back to your brain. https://theshiftnetwork.com/Energy-Medicine-Aging

The Power Couple (Roman Shapoval) Upcoming webinars: May 2, 7pm EST: How to apply effective EMF shielding + meters with Rob Metzinger of Safe Living Technologies BBEC, EMRS, IBE Instructor, Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsceGprjMiHdD-u-k1ZnzilnL3DugsAoY8?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#/registration