Saturday, March 03, 2012

Aprueban por unanimidad la primera localidad libre de radiaciones electromagnéticas


Aprueban por unanimidad la primera localidad libre de radiaciones electromagnéticas 






En Olvera un bello pueblo de Cádiz, el concejal de Medio Ambiente, Jacobo Camarero, confirmó que el Pleno del Ayuntamiento ha aprobado por unanimidad declarar a la localidad “Municipio Libre de Contaminación Electromagnética”.
Es importante recalcar que; la unanimidad es del partido Izquierda Unida, pero también han votado a favor el Partido socialista Español y el Partido Popular, ya que lo unció que ha motivado a las diferentes fuerzas políticas, es la de garantizar un entorno sano y seguro a los habitantes del pueblo.
Podemos decir abiertamente y sin temor a equivocarnos, que no existen mas registros oficiales de municipios, con este mismo tipo de decisiones. Solo se sabe que en Cartagena y varios pueblos de Murcia las federaciones de vecinos pidieron algo similar, como en muchas provincias de España, pero que al igual no han progresado.
Como ampliación de la noticia, el concejal de Medio Ambiente Jacobo Camarero expresó: “Como nuestro pueblo es pequeño, no tenemos el típico problema de los mamotretos de antenas repetidoras encima de los tejados; al  contrario; el paisaje urbano de la parte alta de la población se ve adornado por una torre de hormigón con antenas instaladas y que carecen de legalidad, la cual nos hemos propuesto eliminar inmediatamente“.
Y es que este tema cada dia se pone mas candente y para no ir tan lejos; la semana pasada el diario la razón dio a conocer una noticia, en la que Una ex azafata y la directora técnica de una universidad, ambas de origen francés, viven refugiadas en una cueva en los Alpes para protegerse de los «dolores insoportables» que les producen las ondas electromagnéticas.

http://www.wavesguard.es/blog/blog/2011/11/29/pleno-de-ayuntamiento-aprueba-por-unanimidad-la-primera-localidad-libre-de-radiaciones-electromagneticas/



First Town Free of Electromagnetic Radiation Unanimously Approved in Spain

In Olvera, a beautiful town of Cadiz, the Councillor for the Environment, Jacobo Camarero, confirmed that the full City Council unanimously approved to declare the town a "Electromagnetic Pollution-Free Municipality".

It is important to note that this decision was taken with the unanimity of the United Left party, but that it was also voted for by the Spanish Socialist Party and the Popular Party, as the link which
harnessed and motivated the different political forces, is to ensure a safe and healthy environment to the citizens.

We can say openly and without fear of error, that there are no official records of municipalities, with the same kind of decision. We just know that in Cartagena and Murcia several villages in neighbouring federations called for something similar, as have many provinces of Spain, but have just not progressed.

As an extension of the news, Environment Councilman Jacobo Camarero said, "As our town is small, we do not have the typical problem of the tomes of masts on the roofs, on the contrary, the urban landscape of the upper population is adorned by a concrete tower with antennas installed which are illegal, and which we intend to remove it immediately."

And every day this issue gets more heated -- just last week, the newspaper released a story in which a former flight attendant and a former technical director of a university, both of French origin, became refugees living in a cave in the Alps to protect themselves from the "unbearable pain" produced by electromagnetic waves.
 


March of the tall grey poles has residents fuming

March of the tall grey poles has residents fuming
Matthew Moore
March 12, 2011
‘‘People will be outraged’’ ... Scott Collins in front of an incomplete version of one of the new electrical towers.
‘‘People will be outraged’’ ... Scott Collins in front of an incomplete version of one of the new electrical towers.Photo: Jon Reid

ENERGY Australia is quietly installing a network of 140 giant concrete poles from Sydney to Newcastle as part of a plan that will eventually lead to the replacement of all domestic power meters.
The poles, at least 20 metres high, and some three times that size, are fitted with radio antennas that will communicate with 12,000 sensors being installed in electricity distribution devices on the street, dubbed ''green kiosks''.
Once installed, Energy Australia - now called Ausgrid - will have its own 4G radio network with the ability to communicate directly with two million proposed radio-enabled domestic electricity meters.
Having radio on the meters will allow automatic collection of billing information without the need for meter readers.
The poles are a critical part of Ausgrid's transformation of the electricity network into a more efficient ''smart'' grid, giving customers and Ausgrid more flexibility and information about when electricity is used.
Not everyone is enamoured, especially when it means a pole more than twice the size of a normal power pole in their street.
Scott Collins has been trying to stop Ausgrid erecting a 20.5 metre pole about 70 metres from his house in Arncliffe. He wants it placed in an industrial area where it would be less visible and where there would be less exposure to its electromagnetic radiation.
He and other locals have met the Environment Minister, Frank Sartor, organised a public meeting, and convinced Rockdale Council to pass a resolution last week calling on Ausgrid to find another site.
But he has discovered that under a 2007 infrastructure policy, Ausgrid can decide where it puts these poles regardless of what councils say.
Real estate agents have told him a pole near a house could reduce its value by $40,000 to $60,000, a claim Ausgrid has disputed in a letter to Mr Collins, ruling out compensation.
Mr Collins believes residents in Sydney, the central coast and the Hunter will be appalled when they discover there is no way to stop these poles.
''People will be outraged, scared and entirely disappointed in democracy because Ausgrid pays lip service to locals, nod their heads and then do what they want.''
An Ausgrid spokeswoman said the site near Mr Collins's home was chosen because it is on top of a ridge, allowing for the shortest pole. It meant only one radio network facility would be needed to service more than 12,000 homes and businesses in Rockdale.
Many of the planned poles would be placed on existing substation sites, she said.
Ausgrid had investigated other sites in Arncliffe, including the golf course, but it would have required a pole 65 metres high, she said.
Mr Collins was also concerned the new network would expose his family to more electromagnetic radiation in addition to that from mobile phone towers and other devices.
Ausgrid said the antennas needed only 40 watts of power to operate and the maximum signal strength would be 400 times below Australian and World Health Organisation safety limits.
While the new radio-enabled smart meters were planned for all customers, the Ausgrid spokeswoman said no decision had been made on when that would happen.

Opposition to smart meter systems in growing


Opposition to smart meter systems in growing

March 1, 2012
The Maui News
A Feb. 6 letter by the project manager of the Maui Smart Grid Project invited 100 Maui Meadows residents to participate in an ongoing study that utilizes new wireless smart meters to monitor electric usage.
There is a growing groundswell of opposition nationally and internationally to the implementation of this monitoring system, primarily because of health concerns, along with resistance to utility companies forcing this technology on consumers.
In response to the outcry, the California Public Utilities Commission passed a resolution in February making their installation voluntary. Maine's PUC passed a similar opt-out provision last May.
Citing concern that the devices emit electromagnetic radiation 24 hours a day and cannot be turned off, the British government recently decided to not make them obligatory throughout the U.K.
In January, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine announced official opposition to the installation of wireless smart meters in homes and schools based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature.
"We have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which can potentially affect large populations," the physicians stated. They called for an immediate moratorium on smart meter installation.
Jon Woodhouse
Kula
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/558665/Opposition-to-smart-meter-systems-in-growing.html?nav=18

Protesters gather to fight smart meters


Protesters gather to fight smart meters



Local actor and movie maker Joely Collins — daughter of Phil Collins — is opposed to the proliferation of radio microwaves. “I can feel them and they make me sick,” she said.

Local actor and movie maker Joely Collins — daughter of Phil Collins — is opposed to the proliferation of radio microwaves. “I can feel them and they make me sick,” she said.

Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider , PNG

































A small group of protesters opposed to the installation of smart meters demonstrated outside the corporate offices of B.C. Hydro in downtown Vancouver Wednesday morning.


Lower Mainland resident Una St. Clair said the new meters, which emit radio waves similar to cellphones, are a health hazard.
“We’re calling for democracy and full public hearings [on smart meters],” St. Clair, executive director of the Citizens for Safe Technology (CST) Society, told The Province.


St. Clair launched a class action with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal against Hydro two weeks ago alleging smart meters create “an environmental sensitivity resulting in an inability to be well while residing in a residence . . . in which a wireless smart meter has been installed.”


“This is for people with medical diagnosis of a condition that could be negatively affected by microwave radio frequencies,” said St. Clair.


The Clean Energy Act, passed in 2010 by the Liberal government headed by Gordon Campbell, exempted the smart meter program from the oversight of the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC).


St. Clair said her group also has filed a complaint with the BCUC.


“The wireless component is outside of the exemption of the Clean Energy Act,” she said.


“The Clean Energy Act speaks to smart meters, but there’s no provision for wireless.”


The CST is also undertaking other unspecified legal action against Hydro, a Crown corporation, she said.


Lending glamour to the demo was actor and filmmaker Joely Collins, who said she is opposed to the proliferation of radio microwaves.
“I can feel them and they make me sick,” said Collins.


“I’ve become very sensitive to electromagnetic frequencies — WiFi and all sorts of things. I’ve got smart meters at my place of work and they make me feel sick.”


Hydro plans to replace all of its 1.8 million analog meters with wireless smart meters.


Hydro spokeswoman Jennifer Young said Wednesday the corporation has installed 843,000 new meters.


Dr. Perry Kendall, provincial health officer, said the radiation emitted by smart meters “is similar to [cellphone] radiation, but the exposures would be a lot lower with smart meters.


“We don’t think there’s any health risk from smart meters in terms of carcinogens,” he told The Province last year.


Gary Murphy, chief project officer of Hydro’s smart meter program, said in a prepared statement: “The new meters are a necessary part of our infrastructure — like poles, wires and substations.”


They will keep B.C.’s hydro rates “among the lowest in North America,” he added.


“I want to ensure our customers that safety is B.C. Hydro’s top priority and we would never put the safety of our customers at risk.
“Provincial and national health authorities and the World Health Organization have confirmed that wireless meters pose no known health risk,” said Murphy.


St. Clair, Collins and other opponents of the program are demanding Hydro allow its customers the option to opt out of having a smart meter installed, allowing them to keep the old, analog device, which is wired to the network.


Smart meter opponents in California have the right to opt out, after widespread complaints were heard by the local electrical utility.


aivens@theprovince.com


twitter.com/andyivens


Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Protesters+gather+fight+smart+meters/6229457/story.html#ixzz1o4PUYrXS

'Twisted' waves could boost capacity of wi-fi and TV


'Twisted' waves could boost capacity of wi-fi and TV



"Signal received" message on Palazzo DucaleIn a public event in 2011, Venice's Palazzo Ducale lit up with "signal received" when the test worked
A striking demonstration of a means to boost the information-carrying capacity of radio waves has taken place across the lagoon in Venice, Italy.


The technique exploits what is called the "orbital angular momentum" of the waves - imparting them with a "twist".


Varying this twist permits many data streams to fit in the frequency spread currently used for just one.
The approach, described in the New Journal of Physics, could be applied to radio, wi-fi, and television.
The parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are used for all three are split up in roughly the same way, with a spread of frequencies allotted to each channel. Each one contains a certain, limited amount of information-carrying capacity: its bandwidth.
As telecommunications have proliferated through the years, the spectrum has become incredibly crowded, with little room left for new means of signal transmission, or for existing means to expand their bandwidths.
But Bo Thide of Swedish Institute of Space Physics and a team of colleagues in Italy hope to change that by exploiting an entirely new physical mechanism to fit more capacity onto the same bandwidth.
Galilean connection
The key lies in the distinction between the orbital and spin angular momentum of electromagnetic waves.
Artist's Impression of spinning black hole (Courtesy B Thide)The orbital angular momentum of light may also manifest itself in what we see from black holes
A perfect analogy is the Earth-Sun system. The Earth spins on its axis, manifesting spin angular momentum; at the same time orbits the Sun, manifesting orbital angular momentum.
The "particles" of light known as photons can carry both types; the spin angular momentum of photons is better known through the idea of polarisation, which some sunglasses and 3-D glasses exploit.
Just as the "signals" for the left and right eye in 3-D glasses can be encoded on light with two different polarisations, extra signals can be set up with different amounts of orbital angular momentum.
Prof Thide and his colleagues have been thinking about the idea for many years; last year, they published an article in Nature Physicsshowing that spinning black holes could produce such "twisted" light.
But the implications for exploiting the effect closer to home prompted the team to carry out their experiment in Venice, sending a signal 442m from San Giorgio island to the Palazzo Ducale in St Mark's square.
"It's exactly the same place that Galileo first demonstrated his telescope to the authorities in Venice, 400 years ago," Prof Thide told BBC News.
"They were not convinced at all; they could see the moons of Jupiter but they said, 'They must be inside the telescope, it can't possibly be like that.'
"To some extent we have felt the same (disbelief from the community), so we said, 'Let's do it, let's demonstrate it for the public.'"
Marconi style
In the simplest case, putting a twist on the waves is as easy as putting a twist into the dish that sends the signal. The team split one side of a standard satellite-type dish and separated the two resulting edges.
Helicoidal antenna (Bo Thide)The relatively crude antenna could be replaced with more sophisticated signal processing
In this way, different points around the circumference of the beam have a different amount of "head start" relative to other points - if one could freeze and visualise the beam, it would look like a corkscrew.
In a highly publicised event in 2011, the team used a normal antenna and their modified antenna to send waves of 2.4 GHz - a band used by wi-fi - to send two audio signals within the bandwidth normally required by one. They repeated the experiment later with two television signals.
Crowds were treated to projections beamed onto the Palazzo Ducale explaining the experiment, and then a display of the message "signal received" when the experiment worked.
Prof Thide said that the public display - "in the style of (radio pioneer) Guglielmo Marconi... involving ordinary people in the experiment", as the authors put it - was just putting into practice what he had believed since first publishing the idea in a 2007 Physical Review Letters article.
"For me it was obvious this would work," he said. "Maxwell's equations that govern electromagnetic fields are... the most well tested laws of physics that we have.
"We did this because other people wanted us to demonstrate it."
Prof Thide and his colleagues are already in discussions with industry to develop a system that can transmit many more than two bands of different orbital angular momentum.
The results could radically change just how much information and speed can be squeezed out of the crowded electromagnetic spectrum, applied to radio and television as well as wi-fi and perhaps even mobile phones.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17221490