January 21-22 Safe Tech International News and Notes
Fires, Diabetes,
The story of the new health device at the Consumer Electronics Show (film yourself eating and get a report) wasn’t as activating for me as the writer/blogger for Psychology Today diagnosing Havana as hysteria and using psychological manipulations in his writing.
But there are many good people doing so much good work - and the recognition that tech can’t replace physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and healing is also growing. Although not with the Australian group ARPANSA, at the bottom of the email
Here is one antidote: Fallacy and Logic – Think Critically, Argue Wisely – Master the Art of Fallacies and Rhetoric. It looks like we need it.
Now that we are understanding clearly the role of the brain’s glymphatic detoxification system, how long will it take to prove that RF impacting sleep is a neurological/dementia disease vector? I am fascinated by the report that Pres. Trump has an aide who carries a printer because he prefers to read hard copies.
FEATURED: KATIE SINGER
CORRECTED/UPDATED LINK:
Johansson O, "Stop! In the Name of Life!”, Newsvoice.se 9/1, 2025 https://newsvoice.se/2025/01/radiation-exposed-bacteria/
LINK TO ENGLISH TRANSLATION Maurizio Martucci, investigative journalist re 5G
5G ITALY: 5G has nothing to do with telephony During the conference Immersed in 5G, organized by the Origins Project and held in Milan on Tuesday 19 November, Maurizio Martucci, investigative journalist, wants to clarify that 5G does not serve mobile telephony;[] Other established biological effects caused by exposure to electrosmog are: damage to the blood-brain barrier, increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, infertility, neurobehavioral disorders, direct damage to neuronal cells, damage to the fetus and alterations of neurodevelopment, increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, metabolic disorders of the endocrine system, alteration of the heart rhythm, formations of the brain. The latter more than doubled in Britain and quadrupled in France after the advent of mobile telephony. ENGLISH TRANSLATION: https://oasisana.com/2025/01/20/maurizio-martucci-5g-has-nothing-to-do-with-telephony/
FEATURED HEALTH: CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AND DIABETES
Zaid K. Dahhaj from The Circadian Classroom Circadian Disruption Drives Diabetes It does this independent of food and exercise 97 million adults and counting in the U.S. have pre-diabetes. That’s more than 1 in 3 adults. 38 million Americans (11.6% of the population) has diabetes, 90-95% being type 2 diabetes cases. Blood sugar dysfunction is an epidemic. [] Both morning and evening exposure to blue-enriched light increased insulin resistance compared to dim light. In the evening group, blue-enriched light exposure led to higher peak blood sugar levels after eating, indicating that the body's ability to manage blood sugar was more impaired in the evening. Isolated blue light worsens blood sugar response, especially at night. This makes sense considering that blood sugar is controlled by circadian mechanisms. What mechanisms are involved here? Light stimulation of mitochondria dramatically reduces blood glucose levels. Researchers found that 670 nanometer red light stimulated energy production within mitochondria, leading to increased consumption of glucose. It led to a 27.7% reduction in blood glucose levels following glucose intake, and it reduced maximum glucose spiking by 7.5%. That isn’t a small change. The pancreas has its own circadian clock, which regulates the beta cells responsible for insulin production
FEATURED; HEALTH THE POWER COUPLE
Cell phones & brain cancer: what you need to know 5 Ways to beat brain cancer | Other countries fight wireless | Trump 2025
Here’s what we’ll learn in this article:1. How can we prevent collective tech suicide? 2. How Silicon Valley CEOs approach screen time for their children 3. What are the mental health costs of owning a phone? 4. EMF and turbo cancer in younger populations 4. Italy: Cell phones cause brain cancer 5. What are the financial costs of brain cancer? 6. What are the symptoms of brain cancer? 7. How are other countries confronting the wireless threat? 8. What can we expect from the Trump administration re: wireless? 9. How the current FCC Chair is connecting 5G & Telehealth 10. What is NeuroFlow? 11. How we can Make Healthcare Great Again 12. See the entire interview with Charles Frohman on The ElectroHealth Summit!
NEWS AND NOTES
AGRICULTURE RIGHT TO REPAIR: FTC's John Deere Lawsuit: The Redactions Say A Lot!
The FTC's legal complaint against Ag giant John Deere is heavily redacted, omitting key details about Deere's actions. But for repair advocates, the message is clear. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission last week announced a long-expected lawsuit against the agricultural equipment maker Deere & Company. In a January 15th statement, the FTC along with the attorneys general of Minnesota and Illinois announced it was suing Deere & Company “over its use of unfair practices that have driven up equipment repair costs for farmers.” In a statement (PDF), outgoing FTC Chair Lina Khan said that unfair repair restrictions like those alleged to have been enacted by Deere & Company “can mean farmers face unnecessary delays during tight planting and harvest windows. For some, these delays can mean that months of hard work and much-needed income vanish, devastating their business.” For farmers, long accustomed to fixing their own farm equipment, “these artificial restrictions can seem especially inefficient, with tractors needlessly sitting idle as farmers and independent mechanics are held back from using their skill and talent,” Khan wrote. []Deere & Company is an iconic U.S. brand that, in the last two decades, has also become a poster child for the trend towards what author and futurist Cory Doctorow has termed “enshittification” - the strategy of using software locks and maximalist copyright laws to pursue restrictive and anti-competitive business models that turn owners into tenants of their devices, drastically increase the costs of owning and operating devices, while undermining the very notion of “ownership.” (E.g. ‘if you own it, you can fix it.’)
AI: Gary Marcus Breaking news: AGI is not imminent!
AI: GARY MARCUS: The 2023 White House Executive Order on AI has Been Rescinded https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/
AI: UK GUARDIAN: Robot packers and AI cameras: UK retail embraces automation to cut staff costs From electronic shelf labels to more self-service checkouts, automation is coming to your local supermarket https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/21/robot-packers-and-ai-cameras-uk-retail-embraces-automation-to-cut-staff-costs
AI FUTURISM: Trump Admin Accused of Using AI to Draft Executive Orders "This is poor, slipshod work obviously assisted by AI."
BROADBAND BREAKFAST: O’Rielly: Too Late for NTIA to Pivot from Pro-Fiber Approach Shifting away from fiber may not be practical. Former FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has raised concerns over the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s handling of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program under the Biden Administration, particularly criticizing its preference for fiber technology. In his recent commentary, O’Rielly described the fiber-first approach as costly and allegedly “violating the law’s technology neutrality requirement.” However, he warned that it was likely too late to pivot away from fiber.
CES SHOW: Amazfit showed me the future of health gadgets at CES 2025 When you sit down to eat, you press a button on the V1tal to open the top portion, with motors automatically flipping the screen away from you and revealing the camera. You set the V1tal on the table, ensure the camera has a view of your plate, press the record button, and then eat like usual. When you’re done with your meal, stop the recording on the V1tal — that’s all there is to it. What happens next is the fun part. The V1tal takes the recording of you eating, analyzes it, and sends it to Amazfit’s Zepp app (the same one used to control Amazfit’s watches like the Amazfit Active 2). Once there, it’s logged in the app as a meal you ate that day, including a breakdown of how many calories it was and the macro values — including carbs, protein, and fats. It’s similar to logging food with an app like MyFitnessPal or Lifesum, but instead of having to scan barcodes or manually enter all of the ingredients in a meal you had, the V1tal gets all of that information from the recording. What’s particularly interesting is that the V1tal also looks at your eating behavior. For example, it’ll see if you sat down with a burger and a salad but barely touched your greens. It’ll also detect if you’re rushing through your meal and eating too quickly. When it sees these things, it’ll let you know next to the logged meal with insights and tips on how to improve in the future.
CHILDREN/FAMILIES/PHONES: SCROLLING2DEATH: DITCHING SMART PHONE FOR DUMB PHONE Always "on" but never present. (with Clare Morell) Smartphone devices have trained our brains to always be “on.” A constant barrage of notifications, emails, and texts, along with the urge to check off tasks during our “downtime,” have replaced moments of rest, creativity, and reflection.But how do you define “downtime” now? While your kids are playing on the playground? Shouldn’t we prioritize our presence with them—watching our kids play or even joining them—rather than trying to be productive every minute of the day? Listen to a compelling conversation about the pros & cons of ditching the smartphone for a “healthier phone” to create a better balance in life. Clare Morell joins Nicki from Scrolling 2 Death to share her experience trying two popular, alternative phone brands. 43 MINUTES (Clare Morell is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where she directs EPPC’s Technology and Human Flourishing Project. She is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones, which will be published by Penguin Random House in June, 2025. Ms. Morell's policy work focuses on strengthening our laws to better protect children from online harms. Her work on state social media laws was featured in The New York Times. Prior to joining EPPC, Ms. Morell worked in both the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice, as well as in the private and non-profit sectors.)
CHILDREN JEAN TWENGE:
Twice as many teens say they do not enjoy life As the world opened up post-pandemic, teens were a little better but still not OK Still, these are historically high rates for depressive symptoms. The kids are not OK, and they won’t be OK until parents, policy makers, and teens themselves can roll back the extraordinary amount of time teens spend using digital media (nearly 5 hours a day on social media alone, according to Gallup). More time on screens, less time with friends in person, and less time sleeping is not a good formula for mental health. Even with the joy of emerging from a global pandemic and being able to resume normal activities again, teens were still much more depressed in the post-pandemic era than they were a decade prior.
CHILDREN AND SCREENS: “Win-Win Parenting: Child Safety, Autonomy, and Family Harmony In the Digital Age” Join Children and Screens for the first #AskTheExperts webinar of the Spring 2025 season, “Win-Win Parenting: Child Safety, Autonomy, and Family Harmony In the Digital Age,” on Wednesday, February 5, at 12pm ET. Led by moderator Elizabeth Milovidov, PhD, JD, founder of DigitalParentingCoach.com, a panel of child development and parenting experts will share research-backed insights and practical tips on how to promote child well-being, independence, and healthy digital media use while supporting connected family relationships. Webinar Registration - Zoom OR STREAM LATER
EARTH SCIENCES: Earth’s magnetic north pole is on the move, and scientists just updated its position If you are using your smartphone to navigate, your system just got a crucial update. Scientists have released a new model tracking the position of the magnetic north pole, revealing that the pole is now closer to Siberia than it was five years ago and is continuing to drift toward Russia.
ECONOMICS: Billionaires growing richer faster than ever, says Oxfam Oxfam said trillionaires are expected to emerge within the next decade, as the richest 1% now own 45% of global wealth, while 44% of humanity lives on less than $6.85 per day.
ENERGY: Trump to Declare National Energy Emergency, Unlocking New Powers Bloomberg
An incoming White House official said Trump’s planned initiatives are aimed at cutting red tape and regulations that have restrained investment in natural-resource production critical to lowering costs for American consumers, since energy prices affect every single part of the economy. The changes also are key to bolstering national security and exerting US energy dominance around the world, said the official, who asked for anonymity to brief reporters on the directives before they were public. Among the plans is an executive order specifically targeting natural resource production in Alaska, which is blessed with an abundance of oil, gas and critical minerals, the official said. The outgoing Biden administration imposed restrictions on energy development in the state, including on federal lands earmarked for oil production nearly a century ago. Trump is poised to order the Interior Department to begin undoing some of the restrictions right away, including limits on activity within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a tract of land in the northwest corner of the state that’s the size of Indiana and home to an estimated 8.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The reserve — home to ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow oil project — also provides habitat for caribou, grizzly bears and migratory birds. Trump’s planned national emergency declaration will be rooted in a rationale that high energy costs are unnecessary, resulting from policy decisions in Washington. US electricity demand is expected to surge to unprecedented levels in coming years, fed by artificial intelligence, data centers and domestic manufacturing. Natural gas-fired power plants are expected to fulfill much of that coming demand, though technology companies have been negotiating deals to ensure electricity supplies from nuclear and renewable projects. A national energy emergency declaration will unlock a host of authorities that will enable the US to produce core natural resources and quickly build again, the official said. It wasn’t immediately clear how an emergency energy declaration would be used, though a president can unlock special powers over the transportation of crude and use authorities to direct shifts in how electricity is generated and transmitted. Trump nodded at the effort during a rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington on Sunday. “We’re going to be using our emergency powers to allow countries and entrepreneurs and people with a lot of money build big plants, AI plants,” Trump said. “We need double the energy that we already have, and it’s going to end up being more than that.” Declaring a national emergency allows a president to tap into as many as 150 special powers normally intended to address hurricanes, terrorist attacks and other unforeseen events, according to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice. [] One possibility now is declaring a “grid security emergency” using authority contained in a 2015 transportation law, said Mark P. Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law. “‘Emergency’ is not defined by Congress, so the president likely has broad authority to declare an ‘energy emergency’ in the first place,” he said in an email. Trump is prepared to compel policy shifts that would enable new oil and gas development on federal lands, while directing a rollback of Biden-era climate regulations, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not be named because the efforts aren’t official. The president-elect’s wide-ranging energy plans are set to include efforts to halt Biden-era climate initiatives and spending. He has already committed to ordering another withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the 2015 pact under which the US and nearly 200 other nations agreed to slash greenhouse gas emissions. That diplomatic retreat would dovetail with domestic efforts to ease a suite of regulations limiting pollution from power plants and automobiles — mandates seen as critical for the US to meet its promise to halve greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% by the end of the decade. As the second-largest emitter of planet-warming pollution, the US has been viewed as an important contributor to the fight against climate change. Trump is set to lift a moratorium on new US licenses to widely export liquefied natural gas, making good on a campaign pledge to rescind the pause implemented under Biden. Other planned first-day actions include ordering a reversal of Biden’s decision to withdraw some 625 million acres of US waters from being available for oil and gas leasing. Biden’s declaration has already drawn a legal challenge from the American Petroleum Institute, Alaska and the Gulf states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, but the legality of Trump’s reversal will also likely be decided by federal courts. The last time Trump tried a similar move — reversing an Obama-era withdrawal from Arctic waters — it was rebuffed by an Alaska-based federal district court. AND Trump Plans to Install a Fracking CEO to Head the Energy Department and Declare a National Emergency on Energy to Gain Vast Powers
https://wallstreetonparade.com/2025/01/trump-plans-to-install-a-fracking-ceo-to-head-the-energy-department-and-declare-a-national-emergency-on-energy-to-gain-vast-powers/
ENERGY INDUSTRY SMART METERS EVS: Itron Inspire Insights: Chris Moris on PG&E’s Socket of the Future and Grid Innovation- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]: The Intersection of EV Charging, Smart Meters, and the Future of Utilities Takes Center Stage with PG&E's Chris Moris in this Energy Central Interview At Itron Inspire 2024, utility leaders from around the world gathered to explore how innovative technologies can drive a more sustainable and customer-focused energy future. Among the event’s standout sessions was a presentation by Chris Moris, Chief Grid Architect at PG&E, who shared insights into the utility’s groundbreaking “Socket of the Future” initiative. This initiative, which leverages advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and grid-edge intelligence, aims to modernize grid operations while reducing costs and enhancing customer experience. As a partner of Itron, Energy Central is committed to ensuring that the key learnings from Itron Inspire reach the broader utility community. In this interview, Moris discusses PG&E’s approach to integrating next-generation smart meters, deploying real-time control of electric vehicle (EV) charging, and balancing innovation with practicality. Through programs like EV Connect, PG&E is demonstrating how utilities can become enablers of clean energy adoption while addressing challenges such as infrastructure upgrades and increasing grid demand from transportation electrification.
ENVIRONMENT POLITICS NEPA BROADBAND BREAKFAST: President Trump Signs Orders on Permitting, Regulatory Freeze One his first day back in office as president, Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including ones directing executive agencies to attempt to streamline federal permitting and pause new policies until appointees are in place. The permitting order was largely focused on energy projects, but directed a White House council to issue within 30 days new guidance on implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, which governs environmental permitting for federal projects. It applies to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
FCC: BROADBAND BREAKFAST Carr Slams 'Biden FCC' for Last-Minute Vote on Cybersecurity Measure
The vote centered on a controversial cybersecurity proposal introduced just weeks before Rosenworcel’s departure. Carr, in a statement released independently, accused Rosenworcel of "forc[ing] a vote on a partisan, uncoordinated, and counterproductive approach to the Salt Typhoon cybersecurity threats." AND POTS AND PANS Last-Minute FCC Cybersecurity Ruling At the final meeting of the Jessica Rosenworcel FCC, the agency adopted a Proposed Rulemaking to address the Chinese and other cybersecurity attacks against US networks. The order includes some startling statistics. Verizon said it has collected and analyzed over 914,000 cybersecurity incidents and 235,000 breaches in the last fifteen years. There are several citations claiming that cyberattacks doubled in 2024. The order would have widespread implications, and the FCC estimated it would impact 69,575 communications providers. This wouldn’t just cover ISPs and telcos, but would apply to cellular companies, satellite companies and earth stations, radio stations, television stations, VoIP providers, commercial radio operators, MVNOs, and 911 providers. The gist of the proposal is that all communications providers would have to submit an annual certification that they have created and implemented a cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plan. [] It seems likely that the FCC under Chairman Carr will take a different approach. This will be an interesting challenge for a new FCC that is clearly in favor of lowering regulations. It’s hard to think that the nation’s networks can be protected and bolstered without new regulations that require communications companies to actively protect networks and infrastructure. The last-minute proposed approach would rely on annual certification that companies are actively working to protect their networks. It will be interesting to see if the new FCC has something stronger in mind.
FCC: Cruz to Introduce CRA Resolution Targeting FCC’s E-Rate Rule Part of a 'lengthy list' of Biden-era rules Republicans plan to overturn using CRA. A spokesperson for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, confirmed to Broadband Breakfast that the Senate Commerce Committee chair plans to introduce three Congressional Review Act resolutions next week aimed at overturning Biden administration policies on cryptocurrency, energy, and internet access. “These measures are forthcoming,” the spokesperson warned. [] One resolution would focus on a Federal Communications Commission regulation allowing schools and libraries to lend Wi-Fi hotspots to students via the E-Rate program. Cruz has argued this rule violates the Communications Act, increases taxes, and "opens up children to real risks of abuse" due to a lack of limits on their broadband usage. (Backstory: On June 26, 2023, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel launched an initiative to expand the E-Rate program to install Wi-Fi hotspots off campus, including on school buses and in students’ and library patrons’ homes. In response to the FCC’s ruling, Matthew and Maurine Molak filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. and Mrs. Molak are the founders of David’s Legacy Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to kids’ online safety and advocacy against cyberbullying. David committed suicide in response to online bullying. I am grateful that Sen. Cruz supported his constituents and has been ahead of the curve on protecting children. I wrote a long article about this story, including the downsides of reading in a moving vehicle in April 2024, here: The FCC is the Bully Boarding the School Bus: The Eyes are (Not) Having It
FCC INSIDE TOWERS; Carr Poised to Prioritize Restoration of FCC Auction Authority Brendan Carr, now Chairman of the FCC, is likely to focus on restoring the agency’s authority to auction spectrum. “There’s not even spectrum auction authority for the FCC right now, which is incredible when you think about wireless innovation being a leader of economic growth,” former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told CNBC last week. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said he wants to help Carr by adding auction authority into the pending budget reconciliation bill, reports Policyband. Over in the House, an early reconciliation draft would call on Carr to lay the foundation to raise $60 billion from spectrum auctions over the next 10 years.
FIRES: Wildfire risks high at nuclear plants
FIRES EINAR NORWAY: More about AMS meters and the causes of the fires around Los Angeles "[In the Los Angeles fires], we are dealing with highly combustible buildings in a highly combustible landscape that is overloaded with combustible material. The buildings are exposed to intense radiant heat [i.e. heat waves] and/or a storm of burning debris that is blown away by the wind. And yet, people focus on electric meters as sources of ignition! [] I see that there is a lot of talk about fire temperature, but a probably more important factor in how fires spread is what is called the heat release rate (HRR). It is a measure of fire intensity and is measured in watts (energy released per unit of time) or joules/second. If you have two fuels that have the same energy content, the one that burns the fastest will release more energy per unit of time, and thus be a more likely cause of nearby materials to ignite." High fire temperatures are precisely something we encounter when there are a lot of electric cars around or other devices with large lithium-ion batteries. Once they burn, the temperature gets high and the batteries burn for a long time. The AMS meters' tiny batteries will probably be quite insignificant in this big picture. Einar Flydal, 20 January 2025
FIRES SMART METERS: FROM OUR SISTER BLOG SMART METER SCIENCE Two new commentaries to add to the conversation about fires More Smart Meter/Lithium Battery/Fire Commentary: Einar Flydal and Katie Singer
FIRES: Norman Lambe from Norman’s Substack The War Against Wildfires The One with the Best Information Wins Question #1: My home is insured by the California FAIR Plan at this time, due to my insurance company leaving California, will there be enough funds to cover the cost of repair? Question#2: What is Co-Insurance, and does my Homeowner policy sell it? Also does my Commercial policy sell it?
5G: Rural Carriers Want Reconsideration of 5G Fund They want to hold off on the $9 billion reverse auction until BEAD awards are finalized.
caution junk reporting: HAVANA SYNDROME Psychology Today Blog: It's Catching Social panics, popular delusions and mass suggestion: There Is a Good Chance You Have "Havana Syndrome" A new intelligence assessment finds a foreign actor "highly unlikely." Key points
The U.S. Intelligence community believes that the "Havana Syndrome" symptoms are real, but have common causes.
In any given week, most people experience several symptoms of "Havana Syndrome."
The panic over secret energy weapons targeting Americans is waning
In their report on the new findings, the Associated Press headline reads, “US finds no ‘Havana syndrome’ link to foreign powers, but 2 spy agencies say it’s possible.” It is also possible that people are being abducted by space aliens and chupacabras are real, but according to the new report, it is "highly unlikely." So, why are news agencies like the Associated Press continuing to emphasize the possibility that "Havana Syndrome" was the result of a foreign attack despite a consensus to the contrary within the intelligence community? For one, The Associated Press is one of many news agencies that has repeatedly carried reports suggesting that these were real attacks. The same is true of certain intelligence agencies, which for years claimed that a foreign actor was almost certainly behind the health issues reported. Such an about-face can be viewed as damaging to their credibility. However, honestly reporting the facts as we know them—without embellishment and speculation—can help to restore their credibility and standing. Robert Bartholomew, Ph.D., has written on an array of topics ranging from human social and cultural diversity, to mass psychogenic illness, social delusions, popular myths and folklore, moral panics, fads, crazes, the history of tabloid journalism, and the history of the paranormal.
Antidote: Fallacy Decoder Think Critically, Argue Wisely
HEALTH: ARS TECHNICA: Sleeping pills stop the brain’s system for cleaning out waste A specialized system sends pulses of pressure through the fluids in our brain.
12 MINUTE EXCELLENT VIDEO about sleep and the brain:
INSPIRATION INTERNET TED GIOIA: Google Is Now the East India Company of the Internet Long ago, another company tried to control global connectivity—it had an unhappy ending Anybody who wants to understand how big businesses destroy themselves through greed and overreaching needs to know this case study. There are only two businesses that call their clients users—drug dealers and Internet businesses. The East India Company is a role mode for both.
POLITICS AND 21 PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW POLITICO: INCLUDES: Natalie Harp Trump’s aide and “human printer Why she matters
The former far-right cable news anchor is now gatekeeper Numero Uno. She’s always with Trump. She gained the “human printer” moniker because she literally carries around a printer in a backpack so she’s able to print hardcopies — Trump’s preferred medium — of reading material. If you want to get to Trump or get information to Trump, you go through Harp. She has long been the conduit for the flow of news, sometimes to the chagrin of others.
SMART CITIES: Smart Cities Are Built on Biodigital Convergence Technologies and Standards The very same international standards organizations guiding the development of Biodigital Convergence technologies are also guiding the development of Smart City technologies. More on who the international standards organizations are can be found on Who’s behind this agenda. The IEEE and IEC are the international standards organizations behind much of this. The IEEE and IEC design standards for the Biodigital Convergence. The IEEE and IEC also design standards for Smart City infrastructure. https://www.biodigcon.com/smart-cities-are-built-on-biodigital-convergence-standards
SMART METERS: Behind the science and regulations Part 2 of 3 parts this is a 3-part series on Wisconsin smart meters. Behind the science and regulations | News | ladysmithnews.com sign in to read This is the second part of a three-part series on the topic of smart meters and wireless technology. Last week we looked at Xcel Energy’s local installation of smart meters and the laws that regulate utility metering in Wisconsin. This week we will be taking a look at the science and the FCC regulations regarding safety standards for wireless technology, and at the potential for changes to federal regulations around wireless. Smart meters are also known as “advanced metering infrastructure” or AMI meters, which use radio frequency (RF) waves to transmit information, similar to a cellphone or Wi-Fi computer network. A smart meter produces RF waves in approximately the same frequency range as a typical cell tower, but depending on where it is, it can cause much higher RF exposures than cell towers do. Most people have heard about the possibility that some cancers might be linked to cell phone usage; cell phones, Wi-Fi and smart meters all use the same basic wireless technology. Another term commonly used to describe RF radiation is “electro-magnetic frequencies” or EMF. While many express concerns about the possibility of privacy invasion related to this technology, this article will focus on its health and legal aspects. (I DIDN’T OPEN IT)
SPACE: FCC CHAIRWOMAN GIVES KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON SPACE ECONOMY AND SURGE IN SATELLITES Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the increasing role of satellites in global wireless communications policy, highlighting that at the upcoming 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, over 80 percent of the agenda items will be related to satellites or space.
SPACE POTS AND PANS INDUSTRY: Starlink vs. Kuiper In its 2024 predictions, Strand Consult compared Elon Musk’s Starlink to Jeff Bezos’ Kuiper and said that Bezos had opened a burger bar while Musk runs an interstellar McDonald’s. The 2025 observation agrees with that assessment. My first reaction was a chuckle because it’s an amusing analogy. But then I started to think about the companies to see how accurate it is. Starlink has a huge head start on Kuiper, with 6,000 satellites already in orbit. It’s a no-brainer to say that Starlink is far superior as the two companies sit today. In fact, if Starlink is an interstellar McDonald’s, Kuiper is not even a menu at a burger bar yet. But Strand is not talking about the current companies, but their long term potential, and that gets more interesting. Kuiper has a huge hurdle ahead to launch enough satellites to have a viable service. All indications are that the company is on the verge of doing so, but until those birds are in the sky, Kuiper is not much more than a blueprint of a company. But what about after Kuiper has enough satellites to offer decent residential broadband? Starlink will still be ahead as it keep launching new satellites. Starlink plans will always have more a lot more satellites than Kuiper. But Starlink is now beginning the cycle where a lot of it’s launches will be replacing satellites that have hit the short short end of functional life. The interesting thing about Starlink is that it seems ready to chase a wide range of new opportunities. It offers home broadband, but it’s expanded to also service mobile folks in campers and hikers. Starlink recently hinted that it’s going to chase other revenue opportunities, like encryption services for governments and communications infrastructure for militaries. This will greatly increase earnings per satellite but will divert a lot of broadband capacity to those big bandwidth users.
WIRELESS INDUSTRY: COURTESY DIANA, GREECE A very dangerous development in Australia where they have renamed EMR EME--electromagnetic energy. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency,:
(LINK NOT AVAILABLE FOR EMAILED NEWS) Welcome to the seventh issue of ARPANSA’s Electromagnetic Energy (EME) newsletter where we update you on the progress of our 2020-2024 EME Action Plan. In this issue we will be highlighting our work leading two World Health Organization commissioned systematic reviews. I will also update you on some of our activities providing information to the public on radio wave exposure, and our work engaging with international experts. While our action plan has now concluded, our EME program activities remain business-as-usual. A review of our EME program is now underway and will help guide our future work and activities in this space. To keep updated on our work throughout the year, please follow us on social media (details at the bottom of this newsletter). Mobile phones and cancer, Our Health Impact Assessment Assistant Director, Associate Professor Ken Karipidis, has led two World Health Organization commissioned systematic reviews on cancer risk from radio wave exposure. Published in September 2024, the first systematic review found no association between mobile phone use and brain cancers. It provides the strongest evidence to date that radio waves from mobile phones are not associated with brain cancer or other head and neck cancers. Following a press conference and embargoed media release, the research results reached over 9 million Australians and was published in almost 1500 media outlets worldwide. It was the most media coverage a research paper involving ARPANSA has received. Additionally, Ken presented this work and was the recipient of the best presentation award at the recent Australasian Radiation Protection Society conference in Coffs Harbour in October. The most recent systematic review focused on various other cancers including leukemia, lymphoma, thyroid and oral cavity cancer. In exciting news, it has now also been accepted for publication, with the final full version of the paper to be available on February 4. Occupational exposure to radio waves Quality research shows no effect Meanwhile, in other research news, ARPANSA and Swinburne University published a paper that showed the quality of a study matters when it comes to research outcomes: good quality studies showed no effect from radio wave exposure on plants and animals, while poor-quality studies showed an effect. BioEM Conference 2026 In 2026, ARPANSA and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association will be hosting the eminent international conference on health effects from electromagnetic energy – BioEM. Environmental EME report Since 2022, we’ve been collaborating with the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network to update the Environmental EME Report. We completed this update in November 2024. The new report is available on our website, and is now being used by telecommunications providers. The EME report provides information to the community on their exposure to RF EME from wireless technology infrastructure to demonstrate that it is below the exposure limit in ARPANSA’s safety standard. Science Week In August, the EME program organised and participated in public engagement activities to coincide with National Science Week – a highlight of our year. Staff went to schools, gave lectures, engaged with the public, and participated in a panel discussion to provide health and safety information about exposure to radio waves and other types of radiation. World Health Organization In August we announced that we are continuing our almost 40-year-old partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) by extending our formal agreement as a radiation protection collaborating centre for another 4 years. Our EME program team has contributed and continues to contribute substantially to the WHO’s radiation protection work. In September, we hosted the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority at ARPANSA’s Yallambie offices. The visit was an opportunity to share knowledge. Engaging with international stakeholders and authorities allows us to build new knowledge as well as sharing our own expert advice on EME and health. International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Our engagement with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is another example of our work with leading international health authorities. Ken has officially commenced his tenure as the ICNIRP Vice Chair and Rohan, Sean and David will join ICNIRP as collaborators in different working groups.
Note/reminder: The WHO studies have been challenged including: ICBE-EMF Sees “Serious Flaws ”January 15, 2025 The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) has published a scathing assessment of Ken Karipidis’s WHO systematic review on RF radiation and cancer. ICBE-EMF, which was formed a few years ago as a counter to ICNIRP, spells out five key flaws in a letter published in Environment International. The stated flaws are:
1. The conclusions are based on studies with flawed designs;
2. An overreliance on RF exposure categories that don’t reflect actual exposures;
3. Distorted evidence on brain cancer time-trends;
4. Understated uncertainty about cancer risk after long latency periods;
5. A failure to follow scientific guidance for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Overall, ICBE-EMF concludes: “There is no scientific justification for concluding there is any certainty that RF exposures do not cause cancer.” - as reported by the highly esteemed Microwave News. Microwave News | ICBE Sees Major Flaws and Microwave News | Old Wine in New Bottles
EVENTS
The National Call registration link, Friday January 24, 2025, 1-3pm ET
Here is the registration link for Friday's National Call for Safe Technology:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4JVU238hQY2UsE-idhpDng
*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The agenda will be sent out later in the week.