October 1 Safe Tech International News and Notes
Joel's Presentation, Microwave News re: Cancer, UK 5G Sarcasm again!, CA A, EV batteries & salt water= bad combination, Device Explosions, South Africa, ANSES FRANCE RF
Our colleagues in the UK have another entertainingly sarcastic video about the 5G debacle, (22 minutes) including the fact that “the names of dissolved companies have been used on safety declarations,” and missing signatures, which demonstrates the lack of a foundation for claims that 5G is safe, and intentionality around misleading the public.
On a serious note. I have been trying to understand the mechanics of the two waves of explosions in Lebanon and the explanation by China Today makes sense to me, that explosives may have been installed in so many varied devices, including a razor, during repairs… See under warfare. Also combined with disruption of GPS as reported in the video by China Today, I realize there is conflicted info and conflicted sources but FYI. Different companies along the supply chain are claiming innocence, implying that the walkie talkies were complete forgeries. Regardless, I agree with other commentators who recommend owning paper maps and teaching children to read them.
The China today video implies that wireless tech can be used as a force multiplier for violence: Because the GPS system was hacked, individuals could not find their way to bomb shelters.
See the notice under events re: France’s RF review in October.
FEATURED
United Kingdom Sarcasm about the 5G fiasco, Rachel Matthews is back: Pants on FIRE! Farcical 5G FIASCO Continues...22 minutes video: Pants on FIRE! Farcical 5G FIASCO Continues... - YouTube Resources: Council Watch 5G Dropbox resource folderhttps://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vipv5flw3wc0trfv8wvfz/ANzuGBZQ3vRgtrnDWWCNIOM Swisscom Patent for Reduction of electrosmog in wireless local networks WO2004075583A1 Abstract - A method and system for reduction of electrosmog in wireless local networks, one or more mobile network units (1) communicating with a base station (2) of a wireless local network (5). After a predefinable time interval without connecting signal, the base station (2) changes over from the normal transmitting-receiving mode into a sleep mode, in which sleep mode no beacon signals and/or other radio frequency signals are transmitted from the base station (2). If a mobile network unit (1) requires a network connection, it transmits an alert signal, and, upon receiving the alert signal of the mobile network unit (1), the base station transmits beacon signals to the mobile network unit (1) and changes over into the normal transmitting-receiving mode. Fundraiser by Karen Churchill and Neil McDougall: Litigants in person protecting public health (gofundme.com) Email for free training: mcdougall1@protonmail.com Ian Jarvis talks and advice https://ianjarvis.co.uk/ Victor Leach 69% harm video and more: ICNIRP: Published Research on Conflicts of Interest and Lack of Protection - Environmental Health Trust (ehtrust.org)
FEATURED
Dr. Joel Moskowitz Webinar On Wireless Hazards: Video Playback From 9/25/24 1HOUR Wireless technologies, including cell phones, wireless internet, and Bluetooth devices, have become ubiquitous in our lives. Most adults in the US own a cell phone, and cell phone use is widespread among children and adolescents. New cell antenna sites are being deployed widely. Wireless technologies and equipment designs also change rapidly. The preponderance of scientific evidence shows adverse biological and health effects from the radiofrequency (RF) radiation, or electromagnetic fields (EMFs), used and generated by these devices. A number of studies have considered the mechanisms of biological harm from RF radiation, and federal studies have documented increased incidence of certain tumors in laboratory animals associated with RF exposure. Epidemiological studies have found increased risk of certain tumors associated with long-term use of wireless phones. In this webinar, Dr. Joel Moskowitz provided a brief overview of selected recent studies on health hazards of wireless technologies. He discussed a meta-analysis of case-control studies of cell phone use and tumor risk, as well as the state of the evidence on children’s brain cancers, thyroid cancers, and other health hazards. This webinar was designed to provide a brief introduction to a subset of the recent scientific evidence, with a focus on cancer and on children’s health. Health Hazards of Wireless Technologies: What do we know now? (youtube.com)
FEATURED
New Clues on Colorectal Cancer Among Young Adults Higher Risks When Cell Phone Is Carried Below the Waist It’s a long-running medical mystery: Why have so many people under 50 in affluent countries been developing colorectal cancer in recent decades? [] Something new is triggering a jump in what’s known as early-onset colon and rectal cancer (EOCRC). The rates have been going up for the last 20 years and no one knows why it’s happening. The usual risk factors for CRC —obesity, smoking, bad diet and lack of exercise— don’t fully explain the increase. Five years ago, De-Kun Li, a senior epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA, offered a new possibility: carrying a cell phone below the waist. When placed in a pocket below the belt, the phone transmits RF radiation into the abdomen. Given that RF has been shown to cause cancer in animal experiments, Li thought it was a plausible risk factor. (This is what I wrote at the time.) The idea didn’t catch on, but Li persisted and conducted a pilot study to test his hypothesis. It convinced him that he may be onto something. It’s a small study, designed to survey 50 cases of EOCRC and 50 matched controls. He found that those who carried a phone below the waist were four times more likely to develop tumors. Li found that the link between cell phone carrying and EOCRC is strongest when the phone was kept on the same side as where the tumor developed. EOCRC tends to develop on the left side of the colon. Those who carried a phone on the left side for more than 30,000 hours were 12 times more likely to develop a tumor on that side of the colon. This elevated risk for what’s called ipsilateral carrying is statistically significant. (36,000 hours is equivalent to about ten years of RF exposure.) Those who kept the phone on their right side —contralateral carrying— had only a slightly increased CRC risk for left-side colon cancer, according to Li. []In the end, neither Straif nor Siegel would endorse a larger study to fully test Li’s hypothesis. As for the next step, Li is planning to apply for federal funding to do a larger study. “If my hypothesis is correct,” he said, “it carries great public health significance because just about the entire population may be at risk.” In closing, Li stressed that even if carrying a cell phone below the waist only partially explains the rise of EOCRC, it’s “easily preventable”: “All you would need is public education; it wouldn’t cost anything more.” [] An Early Warning We may have had a warning about the dangers of putting transmitters in our trousers —or under them— some 30 years ago. In January 1997, the U.K. Sunday Times reported that three members of an elite police unit (E4A) of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had died of colon cancer, after doing undercover surveillance work in Northern Ireland. The officers concealed radio transmitters “in the small of the back or next to the kidneys,” the newspaper was told (see clip below and MWN, J/F97.) “The detectives were in their thirties and cancer of the colon usually affects people in their fifties,” the Sunday Times stated. MICROWAVE NEWS
NEWSLETTERS
South Africa EMFSA September 2024 Newsletter includes Nighttime Light Pollution Linked to Higher Alzheimer’s Risk, Light pollution affects fish into the next generation, Exposure assessment challenges of mobile technology, 5G Scientist Monitor app Study Protocol Preprint (Open Access) Determining the relationship between mobile phone network signal strength and radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure: protocol and pilot study to derive conversion functions, Radon, Effects of Head-Only Exposure to 900 MHz GSM Electromagnetic Fields in Rats: Changes in Neuronal Activity as Revealed by c-Fos Imaging without Concomitant Cognitive Impairments, more at link: Newsletter
NEWS AND NOTES
AI; California's controversial AI safety bill vetoed by Newsom Despite the Assembly being overwhelmingly in favour of SB 1047, Governor Gavin Newsom has now vetoed it. In his veto message published over the weekend, he highlighted that California houses 32 of the world’s top 50 AI companies and that there is serious responsibility to get things right. “By focusing only on the most expensive and large-scale models, SB 1047 establishes a regulatory framework that could give the public a false sense of security about controlling this fast-moving technology,” he wrote.“ Smaller, specialized models may emerge as equally or even more dangerous than the models targeted by SB 1047 – at the potential expense of curtailing the very innovation that fuels advancement in favor of the public good.” The governor went on to say that the bill is “well-intentioned”. He also agrees that something must be done before a major incident occurs. MSN
AI; Blood in the Machine In California, no AI bill is safe The veto of a closely-watched AI safety bill proves one thing above all: Silicon Valley has far too much power over California. [] But whatever your thoughts on the bill itself, unless you are, say, a VC hoping to maximize returns on your investment no matter the cost, there’s one takeaway from Newsom’s veto just about everyone can agree on: Silicon Valley has accumulated far too much power over even the supposedly left-leaning California. Yet again, big tech threw its weight against a bill, crushing a law meant to it in, and demonstrating that even the governor of California would rather weather a round of bad press than alienate Silicon Valley and its donor class. [] you’ve got something of a schism brewing within the tech industry itself, with the x-risk factions, surprise, losing out to big tech.¹ They join journalists, truck drivers, gig workers, and so many other groups whose interests have been steamrolled by big tech and its lobbying machine in Sacramento—just this year, Google tanked a bill built to save local journalism. Word was, Newsom threatened a veto at the industry’s behest, and it died on the table. Last year, he vetoed a bill that would have required safety drivers in autonomous trucks on behalf of industry—mere weeks before a self-driving car pinned and dragged a pedestrian for blocks in San Francisco. The list goes on. There are exceptions—Newsom signed a bill to protect actors’ digital likeness, one to confirm that deepfake child porn was still child porn in the eyes of the law, and one to combat election misinformation—but they are largely either low-hanging fruit that won’t much threaten Silicon Valley’s bottom line, or tweaks to existing laws. When push comes to shove, and a bill meaningfully challenges Silicon Valley’s power, you can now all but count on that bill to die. This will continue to be the case until a few things happen: A grassroots movement grows enough power to challenge the Valley head on, the current governing elite leaves office, and/or the California legislature starts mounting challenges to the governors’ vetoes. State lawmakers haven’t voted to overturn a governors’ veto in 43 years; and by declining to do so, they have allowed power to concentrate in the governor’s mansion—and in the tech giants of Silicon Valley. BLOOD IN THE MACHINE
AI: No, Sam Altman, AI Won’t Solve All of Humanity’s Problems The OpenAI CEO’s recent mini-manifesto argues (again) that AI will make the future impossibly bright. He could use a refresher course on the basics of human behavior. WIRED
AI; GARY MARCUS How much should OpenAI’s abandoned promises be worth? Once upon a time OpenAI promised to be a non-profit, pledged to public benefit. That pledge gave them tax protections, and brought in stellar staff, many of whom have left, perhaps out of a sense that the mission had been abandoned. Now OpenAI wants to renege on its promises, and become a for-profit. Nobody should able to make that switch for free, at no cost, or people will exploit nonprofit rules infinitely, going forward. So how much should the transition cost? SUBSTACK
AI: The Most Sophisticated AIs Are Most Likely to Lie, Worrying Research Finds The AIs are "getting better at pretending to be knowledgeable." FUTURISM
AI: Elon Musk's AI startup under fire for allegedly endangering Tennesseans' health: 'Already having significant ... impact' Elon Musk's xAI uses gas turbines to power its data center in Memphis, Tennessee, without a permit, which adds to the already severe smog problem. According to CNBC, xAI opened a data center in June. Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) announcing that 100,000 of Nvidia's H100 processors were training AI models for xAI. [] Data centers require a lot of energy, so the company has installed at least 18 natural gas turbines, and more may be coming. At the end of August, the Southern Environmental Law Center sent letters to the health department in Shelby County and the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of environmental and health groups. The letter is accusing xAI of using gas turbines without a permit. It also highlights the polluting gases that the turbines emit. [] According to CNBC, the Shelby County Health Department said it doesn't have the authority to regulate these gas turbines until they have been there for at least a year. The department added that the turbines fall under the EPA's purview. [] Why are xAI's gas turbines concerning? Memphis already has poor air quality because of its smog problem. The American Lung Association has awarded the county an F grade for its air quality. The turbines are emitting toxic gases called nitrogen oxides. Low levels of these polluting gases can be harmful to humans, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These gases can irritate the lungs, throat, and eyes and can cause you to experience shortness of breath, tiredness, nausea, and coughing. MSN
AUTOMOBILES: EVS: Why Hurricane Floods Can Cause EV Battery Fires In the wake of Hurricane Helene, authorities are warning EV owners that batteries and salt water are a bad combination. [] “Where it begins to be a problem is if you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That’s where it starts to overcome the moisture seals in the battery,” Barth told the AP.That doesn't mean this is likely to happen. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research, also cited by the AP, after Hurricane Ian flooded 3,000-5,000 electric vehicles. Six hundred were declared total losses and 36 of those caught fire. That means roughly one-tenth of 1% of flooded EVs overall caught fire, but about 6% of those that were totaled did ignite. Research at the Idaho National Laboratory—conducted as part of the NHTSA study—found various ways in which water from Hurricane Ian penetrated the battery packs of flooded cars:Their sample included a Lucid Air, Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model X, Model S, Model Y and Model 3. None of them seemed to pose a fire risk, but researchers were clear that it's possible for EVs to ignite after submersions. Experts also note that a fire can sometimes start after the floodwater has receded, so just because it's dry now doesn't mean it's safe. Like any car, you shouldn't try to use it after a flood before getting it checked out. Even if there's no fire risk, attempting to turn it on may cause further damage. And regardless of your vehicle's powertrain, if the floodwater went past the floorboards you are likely looking at a total loss. MSN
AUTOMOBILES: Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Stops Kamala Harris Motorcade — Authorities Investigate Multiple Similar Events Key Takeaways; A Waymo robotaxi held up Kamala Harris’ motorcade on Friday. A police officer had to enter the vehicle and manually drive it out of the way. California Governor Gavin Newsom has just signed a new bill into law allowing police officers to issue self-diving vehicle companies with traffic tickets. MSN
AUTOMOBILES: Apple Ventures into Automotive Technology With Smart Windshields Apple’s smart windshields leverage augmented reality to project essential information directly onto the glass, minimizing the need for drivers to divert their gaze. A recent patent reveals a groundbreaking system that displays images from exterior rearview cameras directly on the windshield. This allows drivers to see what's happening around them without taking their eyes off the road. For instance, when a driver signals to turn left, the image from the left rearview camera appears on the corresponding side of the windshield. If there are obstacles, pedestrians, or other vehicles nearby, these are highlighted in real-time, enhancing situational awareness. MSN
AUTOMOBILES: 'Partial' Driving Automation Means 'Exceedingly High' Distraction: Study It turns out that drivers are more likely to get distracted when they flip on partial automation features like those found in Tesla's Autopilot, Ford's BlueCruise, GM's Super Cruise, and others. Yes, the very thing that we're using to make us safer on the road is also making us, somehow, less safe by lowering attention levels. [] Enter the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS spent the last few months studying drivers using Tesla's Autopilot and Volvo's Pilot Assist to understand just how drivers behave when the features are engaged. The results are not great. MSN AND Drivers quickly learn to skirt limits set by partial automation systems Drivers were much more likely to check their phones, eat a sandwich or do other visual-manual activities while using Volvo’s Pilot Assist partial automation system than when driving unassisted, a monthlong study of driver behavior that IIHS conducted with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab showed. The tendency to multitask also increased over time for some drivers as they grew more comfortable with the technology, while others were more distracted while using the system from the start. Meanwhile, many drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot system quickly mastered the timing interval of its attention reminder feature so that they could prevent warnings from escalating to more serious interventions, another IIHS-AgeLab study found. Some people used this skill to continue engaging in distracting behaviors, punctuated by quick moves to stop the alerts. []Regardless of the version of the system used, all three groups of drivers engaged in distracting visual-manual activities, including eating, grooming and using electronics, more often when using Pilot Assist than while driving without it. This was true whether they used the feature a lot or hardly at all. IIHS
AUTOMOBILES: Why Modern Connected Cars Are Becoming A Privacy Nightmare Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit alleging that General Motors is collecting data on its car owners' driving habits and selling that information to insurers without consumers' consent or knowledge. More accurately, the allegation is that GM is selling the telematics data taken from private owner's vehicles to insurance companies to specialist companies like LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk Analytics that can then be analyzed and used by insurance companies on an individual basis if names are attached. The level of data that can be gathered by modern cars is staggering, but this issue goes much deeper than people's car insurance premiums rising dramatically. []Back in March, the New York Times published a real-world example of the allegations against GM. According to the publication, upon seeing an unexpected and dramatic rise in Kenn Dahl's insurance premiums, the Seattle-based owner of a Chevrolet Volt was told by an insurance company that his LexisNexis report was a factor in his rising cost in current insurance and further quotes. Dahl used the Fair Credit Reporting Act to acquire his report from the data brokerage company and received a 130+ page report full of timestamped details of his and his wife's 640 trips in the Bolt over the previous six months. The example given from the report is that, "On a Thursday morning in June, the car had been driven 7.33 miles in 18 minutes; there had been two rapid accelerations and two incidents of hard braking." [] according to the Mozilla Foundation, Tesla is the worst for gathering and handling car owner's data. Second worst on the list is Nissan, then Hyundai, then the GM brands Cadillac, GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet. Acura and Honda follow next, then Audi, Lincoln, Ford, Lexus, and Toyota. The best brands regarding privacy on the list available in America are BMW, Subaru, Fiat, Stellantis-owned Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Volkswagen. BWM may be the best ranked of the group available in the US, but you still have to opt out of the brand's data collection. MSN
AUTOMOBILES: Americans aren't buying that EVs are good for the planet America’s switch to electric vehicles is facing all kinds of roadblocks, whether it’s politicians who don’t believe we should be going electric, insufficient investment in charging infrastructure or just a lack of electric options that people actually want to buy. Now, a new study has revealed that the number of Americans that believe in EVs’ one real selling point is dwindling. []one of the biggest selling points is their reduced emissions and lower environmental impact over their lifetime. However, a new study has found that the number of Americans that actually believe EVs are better for the planet than gas-powered cars is dropping, reports NPR. []While EVs emit no tailpipe emissions, producing them is hard on the environment and they continue to require electricity to operate. It’s these environmental costs that leave some people in doubt over their eco credentials. [] However, lifetime emissions of an average electric vehicle here in the U.S. are around 60 percent lower than their gas-powered counterparts. Then, there are the concerns about increased particulate emissions from EV brakes and tires, which are under more strain due to the increased weight of electric cars. But those also might not be as big an issue as many fear, as gas cars also emit these particulates and improvements made to regenerative braking could soon improve the situation. JALOPNIK
AUTOMOBILES: GM’s Cruise fined $1.5 million for omitting details about its gruesome 2023 crash On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) fined Cruise, GM’s self-driving vehicle division, $1.5 million. The penalty was imposed for omitting key details from an October 2023 accident in which one of the company’s autonomous vehicles struck and dragged a San Francisco pedestrian. MSN
CELLPHONES Cell service is still out in Western North Carolina The effects of Hurricane Helene are still impacting the southeastern U.S., with widespread cell service outages in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, days after the Category 4 storm made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region. Major cellular providers—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon—are actively working to restore service, though none have provided a specific timeline for full restoration. AT&T reported that "public safety has made more than 80 requests for emergency connectivity support across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and we will continue to prioritize their response and recovery communications needs." BENTON
CELLPHONES; 'Deep frustration' after cell phone outages persist after Hurricane Helene landfall The loss of service "crippled" the town's ability to communicate during and after a devastating storm, leaving residents few options to get crucial updates on emergencies and check on their loved ones, Smathers told USA TODAY. The mayor publically called out providers, saying they hadn't done enough to help families and first responders stay connected. “I must also express my deep frustration and anger with the failures in cellular communication, particularly the inability to rely on services when we needed them most,” he said in a statement. “From the very start of this crisis, our ability to communicate with basic emergency services was crippled, and there is no excuse for this.” Making cell communication accessible during a disaster should be something these companies have the resources and know-how to offer, he said. Communications in the region could be impacted for days, weeks or even months, and large companies need to do more to prepare for communication breakdowns triggered by disasters fueled by climate change, said Alyssa Provencio, a professor who oversees the disaster management certificate program at the University of Central Oklahoma. “Communication failure is not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when,'” said Provencio. “We know that extreme events are occurring more frequently and with more intensity, and so whether you're talking about hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes, it's something that will impact you and impact your communications.” What are cellular companies doing to restore service? Before Helene made landfall, T-Mobile set up equipment just outside the storm’s path so that teams could respond quickly when the storm hit, according to Nicole Hudnet, the national advisor to T-Mobile's emergency response team and T-Mobile for government. Debris and damage to the roadways have made it difficult for teams to address physical damage to service in some areas, but the company has deployed more than 500 emergency crew members, field engineers and technicians across the Southeast region. While crews set up portable generators to restore power to cell sites long term, the company has also established charging stations with Wi-Fi and deployed multiple Satellite Cells on Light Trucks, also called SatCOLTs, which Hudnet said can provide coverage for a radius of up to 10 miles depending on the topography. Like its competitors, Verizon has deployed more than 20 “mobile satellite assets” to provide temporary connection to cell towers and set up charging stations where community members can use their devices to contact loved ones. In North Carolina, the company has also released a cell-enabled tethered drone that provides cell service from the air. "We are seeing slow but steady progress," the company said in a Sunday evening update. How can people prepare for outages caused by disasters? Landline. If you don't have a landline during a cell network outage, you might still be able to use your cell to send SMS text messages or use Wi-Fi to send messages or make calls. A radio. This is always a good thing to have to receive emergency updates, said Provencio, from the University of Central Oklahoma, but if you don't have one in your home, chances are you do have one in your car. Other supplies. Learn more about packing a go-bag and gathering sheltering-in-place items MSN
CHILDREN EHT Alert Your PTA About EMF Safety in the Classroom https://ehtrust.org/wifi-in-schools-tool-kit/
CHILDREN: Social-Media Companies’ Worst Argument When the tobacco industry was accused of marketing harmful products to teens, its leaders denied the charge but knew it was true. Even worse, the industry had claimed that smoking made people healthier—by reducing anxiety, say, or slimming waistlines. The social-media industry is using a similar technique today. Instead of acknowledging the damage their products have done to teens, tech giants insist that they are blameless and that their products are mostly harmless. And at times, a more audacious claim is made: that social media helps teens, even as mounting evidence suggests that it’s harming many of them and playing a substantial role in the mental-health crisis afflicting young people in numerous countries around the world. []Even some tech companies support the legislation, but digital-rights groups––many of which are subsidized by the industry, including by Meta––have largely opposed it, arguing that KOSPA would take away the benefits that marginalized teens enjoy from social-media platforms. Some of these groups have released statements warning about the dangers that the legislation poses to LGBTQ+ youth, even after many LGBTQ+ advocates dropped their objections once they’d worked with legislators to revise KOSPA. [] A think tank supported by tech companies, meanwhile, has argued that the bills’ ban on targeted advertising for minors might result in “fewer free online services designed for children, which would prove most detrimental to lower-income households.” While digital-rights groups appeal to the political left with unsubstantiated claims about marginalized groups, they tell the right that KOSPA amounts to censorship, even though it wouldn’t limit the kinds of content that teens could search for. Whatever he actually believes, Zuckerberg is wrong that social media is “generally positive” for teens’ mental health. The tech industry is wrong that social media is especially good for teens in historically disadvantaged communities. And its lobbyists are wrong that regulation would do more harm than good for these groups. The evidence—from the private lives of tech executives, a growing body of empirical research, and the testimony of young users—by now strongly supports each of these points. One technique for determining whether a product harms children is to ask the people who designed that product if they let their kids use it. Steve Jobs limited his children’s use of technology. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew doesn’t let his children on TikTok. Bill Gates restricted his kids’ screen time and did not give them a phone until they were 14. Google CEO Sundar Pichai didn’t give his 11-year-old a phone. Mark Zuckerberg has carefully monitored his kids’ screen time and avoided sharing identifying photos of them on Instagram. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel limited his 7-year-old’s technology use to 90 minutes a week. (Compare that with the average American teen, who spends nearly nine hours a day on screens, not including for school or homework.) The examples continue: Some tech executives write up “nanny contracts,” compelling babysitters to keep their children away from screens. Many of them pay more than $35,000 a year to send their kids to the Waldorf School of the Peninsula—a few miles down the road from Meta’s and Google’s headquarters—which doesn’t allow children to use screens until seventh or eighth grade. [] The social-media platforms of today are not like the internet of the 1990s. The early internet helped isolated and disadvantaged teens find information and support, as do many modern platforms. But today’s social media is engineered in such a way that makes it more dangerous than much of the early internet. Do teens really need bottomless, algorithmically curated news feeds that prioritize emotional power and political extremity just to find information? Do they really benefit from being interrupted throughout the day with manipulative notifications designed to keep them looking and clicking? How much was gained when social-media platforms took over teens’ online lives? How much was lost? [] As it turns out, the adolescents being harmed the most by social media are those from historically disadvantaged groups. [] Although social media can certainly provide benefits to vulnerable teens, the industry has regularly dismissed the fact that its platforms are consistently, and disproportionately, hurting them. [] In other words, expanding access to smartphones and social media seems to be increasing social disparities, not decreasing them. As Jim Steyer, the CEO of Common Sense Media, told The New York Times: [Greater use of social media by Black and Hispanic young people] can help perpetuate inequality in society because higher levels of social media use among kids have been demonstrably linked to adverse effects such as depression and anxiety, inadequate sleep, eating disorders, poor self-esteem, and greater exposure to online harassment. Legislators must reject the flawed arguments that social-media companies and tech lobbyists promote in their efforts to block regulation, just as legislators rejected the arguments of tobacco companies in the 20th century. It’s time to listen to the young people—and the thousands of kids with stories like Lennon’s—who have been telling us for years that social media has to be fixed. THE ATLANTIC ON MSN
CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT/ECONOMICS/FIGHT TO REPAIR: Repair is a climate issue Less repair means more consumption, but we can change that. Also: Federal Automotive Repair law faces serious setback in Congress. a 10-year old laptop, or a 7-year old phone is another example of something sustainable. So what does an old phone have to do with sustainability? A lot, actually. Research from IDTechEx estimates that the electronics manufacturing industry accounts for around 4% of global carbon emissions. And that’s just the cost of producing electronics. When we decide to ditch our electronics, the e-waste we generate poisons our water, soil, air and damages public health in the process. That means holding onto electronics for longer would reduce pollution, energy use, and carbon emissions. Repair is a climate issue
5G/6G MILTARY: Pentagon readies for 6G, the next of wave of wireless network TECH MSN
HACKING; China-Backed Group Hacked Over 9,000 Devices in Canada as Part of Global Operation, FBI Says Over 9,000 consumer devices in Canada have been compromised by a Beijing-backed hacker group that installed malicious software on hundreds of thousands home and office internet-connected devices worldwide, an assessment done by U.S. authorities has found. The hacker group called “Flax Typhoon” has controlled and managed a large network of compromised devices—a botnet—that’s been active since mid-2021, says a Sept. 18 “Joint Cybersecurity Advisory“ issued by the FBI and two other U.S. national security agencies along with partner agencies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The devices, such as routers, digital video recorders, internet protocol cameras, and network-attached storage devices, are infected with a type of malware that allows the hackers to have unauthorized remote access and to carry out cyber crimes. Using the botnet as a proxy, they are able to conceal their identities during cyberattacks and other malicious activities. [] “As of June 2024, the botnet consisted of over 260,000 devices. Victim devices which are part of the botnet have been observed in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia,” the advisory stated. The advisory said approximately 9,200 of those devices are based in Canada, accounting for just 3.5 percent of the total. The United States was hit hardest, with 126,000 affected devices, representing 47.9 percent of the total, far surpassing the next most impacted country, Vietnam, with 21,100 compromised devices. The Epoch Times reached out to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Communications Security Establishment Canada for comment but did not hear back immediately. EPOCH TIMES (needs more confirmation?)
HEALTH: Cell Phone Use and Salivary Gland Tumor Risk Cell phone use and parotid gland tumors updated with new research September 30, 2024 https://www.saferemr.com/2016/12/cell-phone-use-and-salivary-gland-tumor.html
HEALTH THE POWER COUPLE: Does EMF cause childhood leukemia? Residential electric fields | Ground current | Paul Harding Webinar 1. How is our power grid electrocuting us?2. How do cell phone chargers contribute to dirty electricity?3. Why are incandescents more electrically stable than fluorescents?4. How are children being affected by EMF in the bathtub? 5. What is ground current, and how does it affect our health? 6. How is our blood affected by EMF? 7. How does EMF affect leukemia? 8. FREE Webinar Oct 3: Paul Harding of Total EMF Solutions
Does EMF cause childhood leukemia? - by Roman S Shapoval (substack.com)
HEALTH: Katherine Martinko | The Analog Family The Importance of Family Mealtime Put away the screens and take advantage of this time together.
HEALTH: Circadian disruption, gut microbiome changes linked to colorectal cancer progression MEDICAL EXPRESS
HEALTH POLICY MAKING TOBACCO SCIENCE TIME MAGAZINE: Products Can Harm People for Decades Before Companies Change. Here's How to Stop Them Tobacco’s stubborn resistance to public-health common sense is an all-too-predictable story. Companies that profit from harmful or unhealthy products—from ultra-processed foods to prescription opioids to social media—often follow a familiar playbook of misdirection and denial to extend their sales for as long as they can. Their strategies can be so effective that public perception takes decades to catch up, fueling public-health crises that seem almost impossible to control. Companies often manufacture doubt just as effectively as they manufacture unhealthy products. []As public-health scholars, we recently introduced the concept of “market-driven epidemics” to describe the dynamics of such harmful consumer products. We estimate that these market-driven epidemics contribute to the deaths of 850,000 people in the U.S. and 23 million worldwide each year. They underlie some of the most urgent health crises on the planet, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, drug addiction and overdose, and certain cancers, and cost health systems trillions of dollars to combat. [] But these staggering social and economic costs are not inevitable. We could save countless lives if we did a better job of recognizing market-driven epidemic patterns sooner, and work more assertively to counteract predictable corporate resistance. [] We recently studied three of the largest scale market-driven epidemics in modern history—cigarettes, prescription opioids, and sugary foods and beverages—to understand how this might be possible. In each of these cases, companies aggressively marketed products despite proven harms and actively resisted public-health efforts to control them. The tobacco industry, for example, funded research aimed at blaming cancer on other causes, like certain foods or hormones, rather than cigarettes. The sugar industry took a page from the tobacco script by funding research that dubiously shifted the blame for America’s obesity crisis toward saturated fats, launching a wave of low-fat foods that conveniently boosted their sugar content to preserve flavor. [] First, researchers must act more quickly to investigate the earliest evidence of emerging health threats, ensuring credible science moves faster than corporate efforts to debunk it. [] Second, public-health leaders need to recognize the important role they have in bending the consumption curve. When the U.S. Surgeon General finally issued its first official warning about smoking in 1964, the bombshell report blanketed newspapers and television, becoming the authoritative voice the public could no longer ignore. It’s no surprise, then, that cigarette consumption in the U.S. began falling from around 1964 onwards. [] Third, the voices of professional organizations, journalists, and even pop culture figures can have outsized influence in beginning to change the direction of a market-driven epidemic. [] Appealing and often addictive products such as cigarettes, sugar, and prescription opioids will, of course, continue to be marketed by companies seeking to capitalize on human needs and desires. But understanding the life cycle of these three market-driven epidemics shows us that it is possible to see dramatic changes in the consumption of such products over time, and that these shifts, while slower than we might like, save lives. Our research has shown that there are ways to intervene to accelerate the shifts, so that the consumption tipping point comes sooner, averting illness and death. The bigger question is how we will react the next time that astute observers begin to point out adverse health effects that appear connected to the use of a popular consumer product. Will we listen? Or will we let the cynical machinations of companies seeking to preserve their profits succeed yet again? If we get better at recognizing the early warning signs—and calling out the inevitable attempts to distract us from them—perhaps the next market-driven epidemic won’t be so costly. TIME VIA MSN
INFRASTRUCTURE/HURRICANE: Half of All Deaths from Hurricane Helene Occurred 485 Miles North of Where It Made Landfall [] local news reports were coming out of Buncombe County, North Carolina that people there had no electric power, no running water, no cell phone service, impassible roads, and no distribution centers had been established for bottled water or food because the tractor trailers with the supplies had not arrived — two days after the hurricane hit. [] Unprecedented levels of rainfall and surging rivers resulting from the Gulf of Mexico hurricane, led to deaths by drowning and fallen trees from saturated tree roots and heavy winds almost 500 miles away.[] A representative from Duke Energy, the primary electric utility in the area, also spoke at the briefing, saying that some substations are completely underwater and will need complete rebuilding. It is abundantly clear that Western North Carolina needs immediate assistance from a vastly expanded FEMA effort, a taskforce from the Army Corps of Engineers, a dramatic increase in the National Guard, immediate airlifted water and food supplies, and the immediate establishment of distribution centers for those supplies. WALLSTREET ON PARADE
SPACE SpaceX rescue mission for stranded astronauts suffers setback After sending the Crew Dragon into orbit, SpaceX said its Falcon 9’s second stage encountered an issue while coming back to Earth. “After today’s successful launch of Crew-9, Falcon 9’s second stage was disposed in the ocean as planned, but experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn,” the company posted on X after the launch. “As a result, the second stage safely landed in the ocean, but outside of the targeted area. We will resume launching after we better understand root cause.” The Dragon capsule successfully docked with the ISS and is expected to return the astronauts to Earth in February.The latest Falcon 9 launch was the 90th this year, with SpaceX completing 96 orbital launches so far in 2024 – equalling its previous record set in 2023. The next Falcon 9 launch was due to take place on Sunday, delivering Starlink satellites to space, however the mission remains grounded until the issue is sorted out. THE INDEPEDENT ON MSN
SPACE FUTURISM; SpaceX Mission Runs Into Mysterious Problem After Dropping Off Astronauts A massive metal structure careening out of control while plummeting to Earth is uh, not optimal.
SPACE: The satellite spectrum battle that could shape the new space economy In early August, when corporate activity was in a summer lull, Elon Musk’s SpaceX quietly opened up a new front in a global battle over a scarce and precious resource: radio spectrum. Its target was an obscure international regulation governing the way spectrum, the invisible highway of electromagnetic waves that enables all wireless technology, is shared by satellite operators in different orbits. And the chosen weapon was the US regulator, the Federal Communications Commission. On August 9, SpaceX petitioned the FCC to loosen globally agreed power limits on transmissions from operators like itself in low Earth orbit, the region of space up to 2,000km above the planet’s surface set to be a pivotal arena in the future of communication, transportation and defence. The so-called equivalent power flux density rules were set more than 20 years ago to ensure signals from low Earth orbit do not interfere with those from systems in higher geostationary, or fixed, orbit. BENTON to read entire article for free at Financial Times, register here.
SUBMERSIBLE EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION: Titanic Sub CEO Was Willing to "Buy a Congressman" to Make Problems "Go Away" The arrogance is astounding. During a US Coast Guard hearing on the Titan's disastrous expedition, former OceanGate employee Matthew McCoy said that Rush made the comments after he tried to raise safety concerns to the CEO at a lunch meeting.Among a host of worrying issues with the submersible, McCoy was uncomfortable with Rush's insistence that they operate Titan without it receiving a Certificate of Inspection from the Coast Guard. FUTURISM
WARFARE CHINA TODAY: After Pager Attack, How Dare the West Speak of Civilization? Israel's atrocities reveal that Western civilization has never had a moral bottom line. Starting from September 17, 2024, a series of large-scale pager and walkie-talkie explosion incidents within Lebanon’s borders have resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent civilians, including children. All signs indicate that Israel is the mastermind behind the first large-scale, indiscriminate, targeted assassinations of ordinary citizens of another country in the modern history of human warfare. The emphasis on assassination is due to the fact that before this, the United States had “invented” carpet bombing targeting civilians during the war in Vietnam, as well as chemical weapon attacks on food-producing areas. In this instance, Israel’s actions in downtown Lebanon, using explosive devices hidden in civilian electronics, without regard for the safety of innocent civilians, through large-scale explosion assassinations, once again redefine our understanding of the words “barbaric”. Since then, all everyday electronic products used by people have become unsettling. Israel’s assassinations have made the word “security” perilous in our daily lives. Faced with this extreme madness, everyone is in danger. The term “supply chain security,” which has recently entered people’s consciousness, is now intimately connected with life and death for each one of us. Before this, some of us might have somewhat believed that “supply chain security” was merely a matter of national rivalry. For individuals, the personal consumer goods bought in the global market seemed “sweet.” No one would question the significant threat posed to personal security, especially life security, by products such as smartphones, watches, headphones, televisions, refrigerators, cars, and airplanes produced in the global industrial chain and circulated in the global market. However, as Israel introduced explosives into these products, each individual is now exposed to pure violence in a terrifying way. Behind this violence stands a complete evil cloaked in the guise of a “nation,” serving only the very few. After Pager Attack, How Dare the West Speak of Civilization? (thechinaacademy.org)
WARFARE ECONOMICS CHINA ACADEMY OPINION: Israel’s Pager Attack Has Cooked More Than Just iPhone Sales in China The pager attack in Lebanon has triggered a trust crisis among Chinese consumers of Western-made electronic products, such as iPhone. In the view of Chinese strategist, Prof. Wang Xiangsui, this once again proves that Western-led economic globalization is only a stage in history, not the final destination. []The remote-controlled explosions in Lebanon came in two waves. In the first wave, the devices targeted were primarily pagers used by Hezbollah members. According to The Washington Post and other Western media, the explosives were pre-installed in the batteries. But in the second wave, the explosions extended to everyday civilian items like mobile phones, laptops, cars, and even electric razors used in barbershops. Chinese media outlet Guancha reported that this is done by mixing batteries with remote-controlled detonators into ordinary batteries in the Lebanon market, which were then randomly installed into these devices during repairs. []it aligns closely with the United Nations General Assembly’s definition of terrorism, reaffirmed since 1994: “criminal acts intended to cause public fear.” In the realm of global economics, this type of terrorism is causing an alarming effect on a conceptual level. []Huawei saw a surge in support. This is because, in the Lebanese explosions, manufacturers from Taiwan island and Japan were unaware that their products had been converted into bombs, claiming that external agents or suppliers had tampered with them. Chinese consumers, recalling that U.S. sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction have prevented Huawei from sourcing parts from Western manufacturers, noted that Huawei has increased the localization of its supply chain. [] Many Chinese commentators argue that U.S. sanctions have, ironically, “de-risked” Huawei phones. The term “de-risking” was originally popularized by Western media during Trump’s trade war with China. But as Israel’s actions escalate, it seems Western media have lost control of their narrative. After all, when the West imposed long-arm jurisdiction on Chinese smartphones, electric vehicles, and 5G suppliers, it claimed that its safety standards were high and its detection methods sophisticated. These claims only hold water if consumers believe in them, making such jurisdiction legitimate in democratic societies. Now, however, Israel’s covert actions have undermined that legitimacy. If Western countries and Taiwan authorities cannot prove that they can protect their supply chain from the Mossad, they will lose their authority to define “safety standards” in China and around the world. This, in turn, offers a significant advantage to Chinese companies. Going forward, Huawei and other manufacturers will no longer need to promote compliance with EU or U.S. standards to endorse product quality. Instead, labels like “Produced according to Chinese standards” or “Entirely non-Western suppliers” could become new selling points. [] In the past, China made extensive adjustments to its economic policies and production standards to meet the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly in food safety. However, during incidents like the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge and the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s technical standards for inspecting seafood and meat products were notably higher than those of Western countries. []If the global market is truly free, then perhaps it’s time to move beyond a globalization dominated by Western-developed countries and shift toward a multipolar globalization that better reflects the comparative advantages of all nations. CHINA ACADEMY
WARFARE VIDEO: 7 1/2 minutes Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon Threatens Chinese 0:16 following the attack many Chinese living in Lebanon reported on social media that during the attack the Google Maps was closed..their location mistakenly showing them in Jordan making them unable to find way to bomb shelters. fortunately, locals helped them, according to Chinese private media Gua a Google engineer revealed that these problems are mostly caused by the GPS interference. the GPS interference refers to electronic warfare tactics that disrupt satellite signals making electronic navigation devices Malfunction or reducing their accuracy Chinese Ministry analyst Wui believes that Israel likely disrupted all satellite signals in Beirut to prevent the leader of Hezbollah from receiving any warning via satellite Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon Threatens Chinese (youtube.com)
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"Radiofrequencies and cancers": public consultation on a draft expert report Public consultation of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety on its expert report "Radiofrequencies and cancer" Since ANSES's last global expert report on the effects of radiofrequency exposure on health, published in 2013, new data have been disseminated in numerous scientific studies. The Agency has initiated the revision of its expert opinion on the carcinogenicity risk of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, applying to the new data an internationally referenced weight-of-evidence method. It is putting the corresponding draft expert report out for public consultation, in order to collect any scientific comments to be considered for the drafting of the final version of the report. This public consultation is open from 30 September to 30 October 2024. "Radiofrequencies and cancers": a draft expert report is put out for public consultation | ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety AND Public consultation by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety on its expert report "Radiofrequencies and cancer" | ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety
10/3 MAKE AMERCA HEALTHY AGAIN CALL This week and next we'll focus on EMFs (Electro-Magnetic Fields). People are beginning to realize that that cell tower near where you live or work, and even that cellphone in your pocket or hand may not be as benign as you have been led to believe. Wireless radiation has been identified by the World Health Organization as a possible carcinogen. EMF expert and Fort Collins resident, Virginia Farver, will be our featured speaker. Virginia believes she lost her son to the effects of a mega-communications tower on the campus of San Diego State University and her story is as compelling as it gets. Please come join us Thursday, listen to Virginia, and receive and share practical steps for mitigating the harms of EMFs and 5G. 7:00 - 8:15 PM MT. Here's the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82385844642?pwd=TMPOenFawCGAYfWiGtKrMe3UaWW5LX.1
10/3 Montrealer Nick Pineault is hosting the EMF SUMMIT 2024 on the topic of electrosensitivity. Canadian scientist Dr. Magda Havas and building biologist Rob Metzinger are two of a wide range of speakers that are sure to present much interesting and relevant information on electrosensitivty. https://emfhazards.com/
10/3 Next EMF FALL WEBINAR WITH THE POWER COUPLE AND PAUL HARDING: 7;00 PM EASTERN TIME ZONE, Meeting Registration - Zoom
10/8 Tuesday, 8 October 2024 7:30 pm ET. CANADIANS FOR SAFE TECHNOLOGY WITH Kerry Krofton Ph.D. Author of Less Screen More Green: Finding freedom with The Mindful Tech Plan™ and the powers of nature, mindfulness and true connection for a healthier tech-life balance– Revised and Updated Second Edition Paperback – July 26 2024