Dr. David Carpenter Shines on Witness Stand

Dr. David Carpenter Shines on Witness Stand

 July 10, 2015

Gives very strong and credible testimony on the health problems caused by “smart” meters in DTE’s current rate case.

July 6th, 2015

We were and are convinced that having the testimony of a highly credible and seasoned professional could help us strike a blow against “smart” meters in this rate case. More importantly the testimony will help us to make our case before the legislature and for our upcoming battles with DTE in the regular courts.

DTE brought the current rate case to the Michigan Public Service Commission. In this case, U-17767, DTE is seeking across the board rate increases for most of its services but also requesting the Commission to approve continued customer funding of “smart meters.”

Dr. Carpenter is known in professional circles all over the world. He is known for his view that smart meters represent a real threat to the health of utility customers. Dr. Carpenter was the leader of a group of 45 doctors and scientists who signed the “Toronto Statement” warning of the dangers of smart meters in 2012. He was one of the authors of the Bio-initiative Report and about 350 articles that have been published in peer reviewed journals. He is currently the Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment, State University of New York at Albany.

The doctor generously contributed his time for this case, asking only to be reimbursed for his out-of-pocket expenses for travel from New York. Even so, Michigan Stop Smart Meters is out about $1000 for the trip expenses so that we need to appeal to you, our fellow smart meter activists. You all now have a better shot at keeping a smart meter off your own homes because of the facts this doctor got on the record this week!

In accordance with the Commission’s normal procedures, all witnesses submit their direct testimony in written form many weeks prior to a hearing. They are required to be present at the hearing so that opposing parties may cross-examine them on that testimony. Dr. Carpenter’s cross-examination gave him an opportunity to make his written testimony come alive and to establish his credibility with the judge as a seasoned and highly credible professional.

Our thanks go to all of you activists, who made the trip from Detroit to Lansing to show support for our issue and for the doctor’s testimony. About half the people in the room were activists known to us. The other half were MPSC staff people, including all of the ones directly involved in the planning of smart grid.

Our thanks also go to smart meter activist Richard Meltzer, who conducted the primary cross-examination of the doctor, lasting more than two hours. This was necessary because we had advance indications that the attorneys for DTE and MPSC staff were going to waive cross. We think they made that choice in hopes of denying the doctor an opportunity to establish his bona fides. As it turned out DTE did not cross and staff’s cross was limited to about 3 questions. But their strategy ultimately failed because of Richard’s outstanding questions.

Richard was allowed only to ask questions designed to clarify the original testimony, not to expand on it. There were many objections from the attorneys for DTE and MPSC staff. Despite all the objections we wound up getting more than enough of the critical facts developed on the record.DTE and staff did not put any evidence into the record that would establish that smart meters do not cause harm.

In the end what we got on the record was that smart meters will adversely impact about 5% of the population almost immediately following installation, and are likely to cause cancers or neurological illnesses in the long run for a much larger share of the public. We got on record that the first cause of harm is the pulse modulation of the microwave radio carrier. This makes smart meters very different than am or fm radio broadcasting. We also got on record the fact these meters, even with radio off, put dirty electricity on the wiring of homes and businesses. This is critical because it shows that the so called “opt-out” meter DTE is offering is no true opt-out at all!

Michigan Stop Smart Meters asks you to consider if you are not better off because we finally got some real testimony on the record. This event set us back about $1000. Some have already made generous contributions. If you can send in a contribution of $100, $50, $25 or whatever you can afford, we will be made whole for the expense of this event. Any excess of contributions that come in will put us in a position to undertake other projects to advance the goals we all share of protecting our health and our privacy and forcing DTE to stop the bullying.

Please mail contributions to:

Michigan Stop Smart Meters
215 West Troy #4004
Ferndale, MI 48220

Why Southeast Asia Is The Perfect Spot To Digital Detox

Why Southeast Asia Is The Perfect Spot To Digital Detox

The Huffington Post   |  By Suzy Strutner and James Cave

Posted: 03/22/2014 7:00 am EDT  Updated: 07/15/2015 3:59 pm EDT

If the flocks of postgrad travelers in elephant print pants haven't told you already, Southeast Asia is having what we like to call "a moment." 

And just because it definitely has its share of over-touristed sites, don't let the region fool you: there are some seriously stunning spots that are perfect for your next digital detox.

Want to know which authentic places backpackers really get amped about?

1. Pai, Thailand
If you uprooted the hippie neighborhoods of San Francisco and plopped them into the jungles of northern Thailand, you'd (roughly) end up with Pai. Ride your motorbike a few hours into this mountain town for a chillaxing weekend of zenning out at Rasta bars, napping in woven hammocks, and -- if you can manage to leave your field hut -- exploring the waterfalls and hot springs.

2. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Almost everybody agrees that Phu Quoc is about to become Vietnam's next hot destination, but thankfully the perfect beaches are still mostly empty. You can rent a motorbike (no license needed, no questions asked) and zip up, down, and around the red dirt roads of this island paradise. Then, take a snorkeling or scuba dip. Hurry up, before other people discover the secret.

3. Bagan, Myanmar

Temples seem to pop out of nowhere in Bagan, which has the highest concentration of Buddhist ruins the world. A hot air balloon ride over the temples during the quiet dawn or sunset hours is an absolute must. 

4. Mui Ne Sand Dunes, Vietnam

They're not far from Saigon, but these sand dunes seem like they belong on another continent entirely. You can sled, bike, or just freely frolic down both white and red mountains of bliss. Be sure to find the Fairy Stream, a magical river with a soft, sandy bottom that flows between dry rocks.

5. Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

This is a pristine chain of hundreds of tropical rainforest islands in the Andaman Sea. Check in at one of the two hotels and kayak or sail the uncharted blue waters, where you might run into sea gypsies who, for part of the year, live on boats while they dive for pearls. 

6. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

This is one of Southeast Asia's most popular hill stations, holiday towns at the base of lush, low mountains. Travelers agree the Cameron Highlands are a perfect escape when you're too hot to withstand another day of astronomically-sizzling Malaysian temperatures. You can tour one of several authentic tea factories before cozying up to a mug overlooking the rolling green hills.

7. Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar

Weary travelers looking to literally escape it all should head to Ngwe Saung, an astonishing NINE MILES of beach that just recently opened to the public. It's unspoiled, uncrowded, and some of the best scenery you'll see in Myanmar.

8. The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong River creates a rich marshland responsible for the bulk of Vietnam's rice crops. There are oodles of tiny villages and floating markets to visit, with kindly locals who will gladly let you sample their fruit or teach you to birdwatch. Avoid feeling like a yuppie in a tour boat by biking the Delta-- that way, you can see the impressive rice paddies and stop off at destinations on your own.

9. Sapa, Vietnam

There's nowhere on Earth like Sapa: tiers on tiers of bright-green rice fields are dotted with the colorful clothes of hill-tribe dwellers and roofs of French colonial villas. Sometimes the view gets clouded by a warm, jungle-y mist, but it only makes your day of hiking even prettier.

10. The Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

This $5.7 billion hotel -- which also boasts shopping, a dinosaur museum, and a concert hall -- has a yacht-shaped infinity pool teetering on the 57th floor. When you take a swim, it feels like you're about to spill over the edge and onto glittering Singapore beneath you.

11. The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand

It may look ancient, but the White Temple (technically named Wat Rong Khun) was actually designed by a Thai artist in the 1990s, and it's still a work in progress. A tangle of gnarled statues and outstretched hands -- symbolizing the cycle of rebirth -- lead you into the temple, where you'll find intricate (although haunting) murals of Keanu Reeves and planes hitting the Twin Towers. 

12. Luang Prabang, Laos

UNESCO named Luang Prabang a World Heritage Site, partly for its architecture that fuses Asian and European styles together. As in much of Asia, elephant tourism is huge here. But not many places have four-day mahout courses where you can learn to expertly (and humanely) ride elephants as their keepers do. 

13. Kep, Cambodia

This seaside village was a hip getaway for wealthy Frenchies in the early 1900s, and it's about to tip over into another big tourist boom. For now, though, you can feel like a total local in Kep's tranquil beaches, where cute seafood spots on stilts serve some of the yummiest crab in the world. 

14. Mae Sot, Thailand

"Perfectly remote" might be a good way to describe Mae Sot, which teeters right at the border of Thailand and Myanmar. The crowd here is a zesty mix of Burmese, Thai, hill-tribe natives and Westerners making visa runs. Locals hang out at the town's herbal sauna and open-air markets, and visitors get a kick out of adorably furry rescued apes at the Highland Farm Gibbon Sanctuary.

15. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

This larger-than-life temple complex really is as epic as it looks. The biggest religious monument in the world is surrounded by a wide-open moat-- you'll march down a massive stone causeway to enter a village of temples, life-size stone-carved faces, and giant tree roots that have grown to twist over and around dark, windowed hallways.

16. Inle Lake, Myanmar

This massive, shallow lake is over 13 miles long and a big draw for visitors, as it's inhabited by many local tribes who set up waterside "workshops" for intriguing traditional crafts. Despite the touristy-ness of it all, most agree Inle is unmissable because of its peaceful floating gardens and entire towns hoisted onto stilts.

17. Ko Lanta, Thailand

When backpackers want to visit one of the hundreds of islands off Thailand's coast, they normally head for the "big names" like Ko Tao(known for its scuba diving) or Ko Phangan (home of the famous full moon parties). These islands are pretty and so are the foreigners that visit them, but for a true Thai experience, try the blissfully empty Ko Lanta, where the National Marine Park protects unpolluted oceans that explode with angelfish.

18. Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon, Vietnam

Viet Cong soldiers used these narrow, claustrophobia-inducing tunnels as hiding places during the Vietnam War. Trap doors in the jungle led down into the underground network, where soldiers suffered from malaria and parasites while guarding food sources. The eeriness is all too real during a modern-day tour.

19. Chiang Dao, Thailand

This forested region is a Disneyland for nature junkies complete with waterfalls, hot springs, and incredible limestone cliffs. The biggest attractions of all are the Chiang Dao Caves, which consist of about 100 caverns that extend as far as 40,000 feet into the mountains. You can enter five of the caves alone or with a guide to explore narrow rocky hallways, hanging stalactites and hidden Buddha statues. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/13/where-to-go-southeast-asia_n_4986232.html

Smartphones now causing permanent health problems in chronic users

Smartphones now causing permanent health problems in chronic users

Friday, June 19, 2015 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: smartphone dangers, chronic pain, occipital nerves

(NaturalNews) Skull on fire, writhing in pain, one journalist tells his own story about the onset of searing headaches and the feeling of being "hit over the head with a rod of steel." That's how journalist Adam Estes described the mysterious "bolts of pain" that shot from the top of his neck and across his skull.

The pain was debilitating and confusing. He was never physically attacked or hit across the head. He hadn't been in a car accident. He didn't have a sports injury. The pain stemmed from something much simpler, something right under his nose. It all had to do with his posture.

"[It was] as if someone had hit me over the head with a red hot rod of steel sending electric bolts of pain across my skull," wrote Journalist Adam Estes in an article for Gizmodo.

Constant craning causes severe damage to occipital nerves 

Afraid that the pain was a sign of a brain tumor, Adam Estes sought out a neurologist. After careful examination, Estes and his neurologist concluded that the nerve damage was coming from Estes incessant craning over to use his smartphone. The neurologist pointed out that the nerves at the top of Estes neck had become compressed and in a perpetual state of inflammation, all because Estes bent his neck over routinely to see his smartphone.

The diagnosis for this condition is occipital neuralgia, and by the time the damage is done it's hard to reverse it. Some doctors say this condition now causes permanent health problems that cannot be reversed without surgery. In this condition, the occipital nerves become compressed and inflamed. The occipital nerves are the nerves that start from the top of the spinal cord, reaching through the muscles in the back of the neck, and spreading throughout the scalp on either side of the head. When these nerves are pinched, it feels like a headache sets in on one side of the scalp. The headache is described as a shooting, electric, or zapping pain that tingles. The pain may also feel like its is projecting toward one eye.

The pain is sensitive to touch as well. It can be excruciating just to lie down or gently massage the scalp. Some patients report a numbness or a tenderness at the top of the neck where the nerves enter the scalp. It's common for patients to tighten up, especially in the neck; however, this pain reaction only entraps the nerves further.

Smartphone addictions causing near-permanent health condition

The neurologist that diagnosed Estes said he's seen this kind of thing increase over the past 10 years, as smartphones and handheld tablet addictions become more common in society.

The science behind the compression is simple. When looking down at a screen at a 60 degree angle, one puts 27 kg or 60 lbs of pressure on their cervical spine -- the area right above the shoulders. This is like carrying a seven-year-old child on one's shoulders constantly. Over time, the pressure silently does damage on the nerves in the back of the neck.

When it's too late, a patient can end up with shooting pain in their scalp and permanent damage that may only be undone through surgery. In Estes case, his neurologist shot him up with 20 different steroids. This cumbersome strategy doesn't work forever, as the pain rushes back in time.

Estes was also encouraged to start practicing yoga techniques that could help him correct posture and restore muscle elasticity. A yoga class could help patients relax the nerves that are inflamed from the top of the spine into the scalp. Yoga discipline can also help patients be more mindful of pain reactions, muscle tensions and habitual body movements that can lead to health problems.

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://gizmodo.com

Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/050368_smartphone_dangers_chronic_pain_occipital_nerves.html#ixzz3htUN8dFV

Policies on children's radio frequency exposure confusing

Policies on children's radio frequency exposure confusing

July 7, 2015

New research suggests guidelines on children's exposure to radio frequency waves from technology are confusing for parents.

The review into the polices of 34 countries, carried out by Dr Mary Redmayne, from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, found varying degrees of advice about children's exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF).

RF-EMFs are emitted from technology including WiFi, tablets and mobile phones. Associated with an increased risk of some brain tumours in heavy and long-term phone users, RF-EMFs have also been linked to biological changes including increased production of free radicals in the body. Dr Redmayne said that whilst this, and other observed effects, were not in themselves 'health effects' if the body did not have the chance to repair the related damage and restore balance it could eventually lead to a variety of health effects.

"Where RF-EMF is responsible for this imbalance, then the chance to repair is most likely to come with periods of minimal RF-EMF exposure such as at night time, when WiFi can be turned off and devices can be put in flight mode or switched off. Such steps to minimise children's exposure are recommended in many countries including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, and Switzerland," she said.

Dr Redmayne said there was continuing concern among researchers and the public about the possible detrimental effects for young people from their exposure to RF-EMFs.

"In recent years there has been an amazingly rapid uptake in the use of mobile phones and other wireless devices. Increasingly younger children are using these devices, and we know they are more vulnerable to environmental harm than adults," she said.

"However safety regulations and guidelines in most parts of the world only consider short-term heat and shock effects, and have not traditionally considered chronic or very low exposure," Dr Redmayne said.

The review found a wide variety of different protocols and guidelines in the 34 countries. Australia's legislation is based on scientific research, but limited to acute heating effects, such as heat-damage, shocks and burns. It does not consider effects from long-term or low exposures because the science for how these occur is not understood. However, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency does suggest reducing children's exposure.

Russia and China's regulations went further by advising that exposures are low enough so that they do not prompt the body's processes to take protective action, both in the short and long term. Exposure levels in Russia and China were based on scientific research done in each respective country.

Some countries set lower, but manageable maximum exposure levels, as a precautionary approach.

The review also found some official bodies, including the European Parliament and the European Environment Agency, now recommend those aged under 18 to increase the distance of the head and body from devices including using a headset or speaker phone, use a wired landline, and sending text messages rather than calling. Several countries advised schools and pre-schools to prefer wired over WiFi/WLAN (such as Austria, France, Israel, Germany, Russia) and to offer education in schools on RF-EMF exposure issues (Russia, Tunisia, Turkey).

Dr Redmayne said the wide range of policy approaches can be confusing to parents and educational facilities wanting to know what is the best thing to do for their children.

"The message on RF-EMFs is really in the same category as health advice around diet and exercise: it's important to be aware and take steps to minimise exposure to radiofrequencies as part of daily life."

Dr Redmayne recommended using and storing a device at least 20cm away from the body, and when using devices offline then to put them in flight mode, turn WiFi off at night, and to avoid keeping devices in the bedroom.

The review was published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine.

Provided by: Monash University http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-policies-children-radio-frequency-exposure.html 

How Radio Waves Make You Sicker

How Radio Waves Make You Sicker

The US CDC says that 50% of US Adults suffer from chronic disease. That 50% are potentially having  their disease symptoms made worse by Electrosmog from wireless communication devices. It seems that the primary harm from Radio Waves is not brain cancer, but exacerbation of the diseases people already have... 

At the 5th International Symposium on the "Interaction of Nervous and Immune Systems in Health and Disease" in St Petersburg, Russia, on 26 June 2015, Prof. Trevor Marshall described two simple experiments which demonstrate that many patients with chronic disease also exhibit Electromagnetic Hyper-Sensitivity (EHS). The experiments  are easily replicated, and the Autoimmunity Research Foundation is making available equipment to speed that process. 

The presentation video is on YouTube at URL: http://youtu.be/37j2jDN8IVo

Half of all US adults must surely be a large enough number to finally make EHS a Public Health priority ???

Professor Trevor Marshall

http://www.buergerwelle.de:8080/helma/twoday/bwnews/stories/6630/ 

The medical link between EMF pollution and 'unexplainable' chronic disease symptoms

The medical link between EMF pollution and 'unexplainable' chronic disease symptoms

Friday, July 03, 2015 by: Jonathan Landsman
Tags: EMF pollution, chronic disease, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt

(NaturalNews) The health danger of 'electrical pollution' is grossly misunderstood by Western medicine. But, for those suffering with the ill effects of electromagnetic frequency (EMF) exposure – this is no laughing matter. If you're suffering with chronic fatigue, headaches, insomnia, autoimmune disorders or hormonal issues – I strongly suggest you continue reading this article.

Are you suffering from 'unexplainable' chronic disease symptoms? On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour, learn about the very real health threats posed by EMF pollution – especially the wiring in your home; commonly used wireless devices and other household electronic devices.

To hear this FREE show - visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email address for show details + FREE gifts!

The medical link between EMF pollution and chronic disease symptoms

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD, founder of Klinghardt Academy, links the ever-increasing exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with the rapid rise in neurological illnesses like low-level depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue, numbness, tingling and "unexplainable" muscle aches and pains. In fact, Dr. Klinghardt believes that "smart" meters -- which are being forced on homeowners as a way to "save energy" (yeah right) -- are "the worst invention that we've followed in the last 2 years with absolutely devastating consequences."

Samuel Milham, MD, MPH warns the public in his book, Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization, "that because of the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from cell phones and towers, terrestrial antennas, Wi-Fi and Wi-max systems, broadband internet over power lines, and personal electronic equipment, we may be facing a looming epidemic of morbidity and mortality."

Make no mistake about it: We are 'electrical beings' and, since WWII, the proliferation of electrical power lines and wireless technology has placed an enormous stress on our biological systems. And, just in case you think I'm just making all this stuff up, you ought to read the "BioInitiative 2012" – a scientific document talking about the risks associated with EMF pollution prepared by 29 authors from ten countries, ten holding medical degrees, 21 PhDs, and three MsC, MA or MPHs.

On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour, you'll discover what the mainstream media refuses to discuss about the health dangers connected to commonly used electrical devices; home environmental toxins plus much more. If you're suffering with allergies, irregular heartbeats or any other 'unexplainable' disease symptoms – be sure to join us for a lifesaving program.

To hear this FREE show - visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email address for show details + FREE gifts!

How can a building biologist help you to avoid chronic disease?

We live in an increasingly toxic world which does NOT support healthy living. Chemtrails and other environmental chemicals pollute the sky; heavy metals, artificial sweeteners and GMOs are invading the food supply and household poisons from mold to wireless radiation often place too much stress on the immune system and inhibit our ability to prevent, even reverse chronic disease conditions.

So, why should I care about 'building biology?' Well, we all know that illnesses and ailments are on the rise. In fact, allergy experts claim that 50% of illness is caused or worsened by indoor pollution; asthma has doubled since the 1980s and chemical sensitivities has grown to 18% of the population.

So, although a healthy diet and exercise routine can help to prevent disease – we should never ignore the relationship between buildings and human health. That's where a 'building biologist' can help to identify and resolve environmental issues.

On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour, Jonathan Landsman and Larry Gust, an experienced environmental expert will help you to identify one of the most ignored health threats of our time – EMF pollution. Join us for a great show!

This week's guest: Larry Gust, Electrical engineer and environmental consultant

Learn how to protect yourself from EMF pollution to REVERSE disease symptoms – Sun. Jul. 5

Larry Gust received a BS Electrical Engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Gust has a 25-year business background with two Fortune 500 companies. He studied environmental technology at the International Institute for Building Biology and Ecology and is a certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant and a certified electromagnetic radiation specialist.

Larry's expertise includes the areas of indoor environmental inspection, measurement and interpretation of environmental parameters, safe building practices, air purification systems and water purification systems, and electromagnetic field countermeasures. Since 1993, Larry has been consulting, teaching and speaking about the health effects of the indoor environment and what people can do to clean up their own environments.

REVERSE disease symptoms naturally. Hopefully, Western medicine will eventually realize that EMF pollution could be the reason why so many people are suffering today – despite living a relatively healthy lifestyle. Learn how to eliminate the unwanted physical (and emotional) stress connected to EMF pollution.

To hear this FREE show - visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email address for show details + FREE gifts!

Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/050285_EMF_pollution_chronic_disease_Dr_Dietrich_Klinghardt.html#ixzz3htIOV8qf

Victory in 16-month Standoff as PSREC Drops Fees and Restores Electric Service

Victory in 16-month Standoff as PSREC Drops Fees and Restores Electric Service

Posted on July 6, 2015 by onthelevelblog

At the appeal court hearing on June 29th, after it was revealed that Superior Court Judge Ira Kaufman has a no-cost self-read analog meter at his home, and after PSREC’s legal arguments defending their “opt out” program fell apart, the utility’s General Manager Bob Marshall agreed to reconnect our electricity, drop all past fees and provide self-read analog service at no charge.

Electricity was restored at our home on Thursday afternoon, and the analog meter remains in place. 

Thank you to our attorney Michael Jackson, and everyone who has supported us and kept us going through our 16-month stand. It has not always been easy.  However, when push comes to shove, it is clear that utility company bullying just does not stand up in court.

In the end, PSREC did not want medical experts testifying about the health hazards of their smart meters.  Their desire to “have their cake and eat it too” significantly undermined their case.  For example, they claimed their AMR meters were not “smart meters” but then insisted that the recent CPUC smart meter decision justified their ability to charge residents fees for avoiding them.  They proclaimed their independence–as a cooperative–from CPUC regulations, but then leaned heavily on the CPUC’s December opt out decision–limited to the four main investor owned utilities in California, to justify the legality of those fees.

The takeaway? For customers of municipal or cooperative electric utilities not regulated by a state utility commission, small claims and superior courts are able and often willing to take an independent look at the legality of utility policies, unencumbered by state regulatory decisions. Don’t just go along with a forced smart meter or unjust fees- take them to court!

Here are the legal briefs submitted for the appeals phase of our case, available for download:

PSREC Brief
Hart Response Brief

Hart v. PSREC is officially still an open case pending the signing of a written agreement this week. We reserve the right to a superior court trial if PSREC fails to carry out any of the agreed actions.

This entry was posted in California, Citizen rebellion, Electro-Hyper-Sensitivity, legal issues, Plumas County, PSREC. Bookmark the permalink.

http://stopsmartmeters.org/2015/07/06/victory-in-16-month-standoff-as-psrec-drops-fees-and-restores-electric-service/

France: "I am 18 Years Old and Electrohypersensitive"

01 July 2015

France: "I am 18 Years Old and Electrohypersensitive"

Mélody, electrohypersensitive

Toulouse:  The long, hard battle of Mélody, electrohypersensitive, to pass the baccalaureate

by Fabrice Valery, france3-regions,
26 June 2015 (translated from French by the Editor of this blog)

This is an unusual story:  Mélody, 18, diagnosed with electrohypersensitivity, suffers terribly from electromagnetic waves.  She is taking distance-learning courses and will take the baccalaureate (bac) L this year.  Not always easy.

She could be a student like any other, taking the bac in literature, at the Saint-Sernin high school test center in Toulouse.  But Mélody suffers from electrohypersensitivity and "benefits" (in theory) from accommodations to take these tests in conditions which keep her away from the electromagnetic waves that make her suffer so much.


Isolated during the written tests

In order to take the written tests, Mélody was placed in a room away from other bac candidates, alone with a proctor.  She has a certificate for electrosensitivity and it is this document which allowed this special accommodation.  "No cell phone nearby", explains her mother.  "No Wi-Fi and even less wave interference which is very powerful and aggravates the situation."

The bac is also... an ordeal!

But all did not happen as foreseen:  during one of the written tests this week, the proctor switched on his cell phone and computer while Mélody was taking the test.  Thursday, for the oral in English, she had to wait two hours in a corridor with other final-grade students... all having cell phones!

Courses at home since her 5th year [7th grade in U.S.]

Mélody is used to working alone.  She has not been going to class since the 5th year and takes courses at home from the national center for distance-learning education [centre national d'éducation à distance (CNED)].  A task that is often difficult and less substantial than classroom studies with a "real" teacher.  However her health takes priority.



Tremendous pain



Mélody's (and her parents') electrosensitivity was detected only in 2011 by Professor Dominique Belpomme, well-known Parisian oncologist and specialist in the effects of waves on the body.  Years before, her parents wondered what ill was affecting them:  violent headaches, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, loss of concentration, electrical current in the neck and throat... It was torture.
Mélody even developed an auto-immune disease, cholinergic urticaria.  "It's a little like the pores of your skin being brutally transformed into small blisters, with the burns that go with it", explains her mother.



A mobile phone tower opposite the home



Mélody's parents appealed to Antenne 31, a group of associations which oppose the installation of mobile phone emitters near places of residence.  "As part of the initial measures in our home," explains Mélody's mother, "they advised us to remove cordless phones and cell phones and try to protect ourselves from the mobile phone tower which is near our house".  In order to "protect" themselves, the family had to change the layout of rooms in the home in L'Union, near Toulouse:  on the ground floor near the garage, the waves are not as strong as upstairs!

Here you may consult waves near your home on the site of the French Frequency Agency (ANFR - Agence nationale des fréquences



Thriving, nevertheless



This handicap (which is not however recognized as such) has made Mélody a bac candidate like no other.  She is not, however, a young lady cut off from the world.  She is passionate about information, politics, culture.  Music is for her a true haven of peace:  piano especially, which she learned to play by herself.  She also loves the movies.  But she must go during off-peak hours and hope that other moviegoers will switch off their cell phones and not just keep them in silent mode.



Explaining, always explaining "the invisible"



"No," says her mother, "it is not a genetic disease;  nor does one catch it, as people often ask us."  Electrosensitivity is a reaction of the body to the electromagnetic waves that surround us.
The most difficult thing, even passing the bac with a certificate like Mélody, is to explain, and continue to explain, that one is suffering "because of something intangible and invisible."  This affliction is unknown to the general public and even scientists continue to battle over the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body.



With a degree and... free



On 7 July, Mélody will, like the other candidates, become impatient over learning her results.  "I don't want any more of the CNED [distance-learning program] ," she says.  The bac, for her, will be a liberation.




"I am 18 years old and electrohypersensitive" by Mélody



We are publishing here a long letter written by Mélody for a better understanding of her situation.

I am 18 years old and electrohypersensitive (EHS).  I am studying through a distance learning program with the CNED.   It was when I was 13, on the terrace of our home on 27 May 2010 towards 4.30 in the afternoon, that I found myself covered with giant hives from head to toe for no apparent reason.  On the tower opposite our house, Orange had had an antenna installed on 21 May 2010.  We did research to try to understand what could have caused the hives, called "cholinergic".  The conclusion was objective and clear.  We understood that I had an allergy to electromagnetic waves.

The relay antenna, 66 meters [216 feet] high, located 280 meters [918 feet] from our house, was making us sick without knowing it, each time an important change occurred on the antenna.  The discovery of my electrohypersensitivity was a relief, because for years, my parents and I had had many health problems without understanding the origin of these painful ailments which neither we nor the doctors could name.  Today, this affliction which sticks to the skin has a name, but I am extremely worried about the future, for ours as well as that of today's and future children, and for the people who are still ignorant about the potential danger of electromagnetic waves.

We are far from being against modernity, but we do not want to be sacrificed, like they said at a meeting of the Regional Health Agency (ARS).  I was only 13 years old at the time, and to my great disillusion, an engineer told me: "In any case, we prefer sacrificing the electrohypersensitive people rather than depriving the world's population of their cell phones".  I was shocked to hear this.  Afraid of having misunderstood, we had him repeat the word "sacrifice".  He replied, "Yes, sacrifice" without hesitation and without any qualms.
I know full well that we must make progress in modernity but without danger to humanity...

We must not doubt the danger of this new scourge.  What is the future of an EHS child?  These new wireless technologies:  Invisible, Intangible, Odorless, Silent, Tasteless, have many consequences for health.  Much proof has already been established in France and in the world.  Is money more important than human lives on this magnificent planet?

My affliction often results in headaches (very strong compression on the skull like a vise), continuous tinnitus, at times, more brutal and intense, a lack of concentration, memory problems like forgetting the words one means, backaches, tingling in the neck (like an electrical current), muscular aches, especially in the mornings when the body has remained sedentary during the nighttime, stinging of the eyes and sometimes red, dry eyes that itch, burning sensation in the stomach and sometimes vomiting.  The nights are at times short, with insomnia from 2 to 4 in the morning.  All these painful ills do not come at the same time, but some occur daily.  What makes this physical (not mental!) ailment worse is to not be taken seriously and to be considered a hypochondriac.

We would very much like to move, but where?  We like our city and to move does not mean being safer.  More relay antennas have to be installed without lowering the threshold... they are even more powerful in the countryside.  The exposure to waves is more and more dangerous and stronger since 4G.  We are developing more and more new invisible wireless technology.  However, a cell phone can function with less voltage, and one can lower the threshold to 0.4 V/m instead of 60 V/m.  We live with this ill daily, all the while trying to find a solution to survive day to day, because we love life.

This sensitivity to electromagnetic waves is for me the sixth sense of our body.  We feel invisible pulsations.  If some people are not sensitive like us, the waves are still going through them.  It is here that we can become aware that the invisible on this earth may be as dangerous as the visible.
I would like to live a normal life like everyone else, to be a young lady who is free to go everywhere without being confronted by these electromagnetic waves.  I am trying to have a social life like everyone else.   Often I pretend that there is nothing, but unfortunately I pay for it when I have become too exposed.

In the courtyard of my school, there is also a 33-meter-high relay antenna [108 feet].  During this time, I was suffering unbearable headaches.  I remember that it was only beneath a protective covering in the school playground that I felt some relief, without knowing why...

This wireless technology is a new addiction worse than drugs because it starts much earlier.
It is not too late to react!


Mélody



Original article in French:
http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/midi-pyrenees/haute-garonne/toulouse/toulouse-le-chemin-de-croix-de-melody-electro-hypersensible-pour-passer-le-bac-756381.html