The corruption at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) continues to unfold.

The corruption at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) continues to unfold.

Warren Woodward 

More revealing emails have been uncovered. 

In the press release below from Stop Smart Meters!, you'll read how the CPUC colluded and conspired with the utilities that the CPUC was supposed to be regulating.

For example (and just like here in Arizona), the "official" story was that people who refuse "smart" meters are "cost causers." But the real story as shown in the emails is that, in order to protect the utilities' reckless investment in a flawed and toxic technology, the CPUC and the utilities plotted to initiate so-called "opt out fees" to discourage people from refusing "smart" meters at all. Sickeningly, the poor were even set up as special targets.

Several CPUC commissioners experienced firsthand such "smart" meter failings as over-billing and appliance interference, yet in public they never acknowledged that. 

PG&E suggested that people made sick from "smart" meters be given Prozac. 

These people are criminally insane. Read all about it:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Josh Hart, Director, Stop Smart Meters!

Thursday February 26th, 2015       josh@stopsmartmeters.org 

PG&E SUGGESTED “PROZAC” FOR THOSE INJURED BY SMART METERS
SCE SCHEMED HIGHER FEES TO FORCE SMART METERS ON THE POOR

SAN FRANCISCO- New e-mails brought to light between Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reveal the extent of corruption and backroom dealing that have characterized the state’s smart meter program.  E-mails reveal that former CPUC President Michael Peevey was aware of health problems caused by smart meters early on in the program, and that commissioners and staff themselves experienced overcharging and electronic interference issues with smart meters.  Meanwhile, utilities schemed with regulators behind the scenes to raise opt-out fees to force people in poverty to stick with the unpopular meters as a means to prop up the failing multi-billion dollar smart grid program in California.

Former CPUC President Michael Peevey, who retired in December and is currently the subject of a criminal probe by the U.S. Attorney and State  Attorney General who are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption, assured the public that the meters were accurate, were no fire hazard, and no threat to health. A different picture has emerged from initial research into more than 120,000 e-mails and memos between CPUC and PG&E. Peevey wrote to PG&E in September of 2010 (emphasis ours):

“There really are people who feel pain, etc., related to EMF,etc., and rather than have them become hysterical, etc., I would quietly leave them alone. Kick it around.”

In another e-mail from 2010, Peevey’s Chief of Staff Carol Brown writes to PG&E:

“…so far I have done OK just listening to the sad tales of EMF poisoning – and telling them thank you for bringing it to our attention – and then not offering them any solution!!! I just wanted to have a resource in case!”

Brian Cherry, VP of Regulatory Relations at PG&E replies:

“Prozac might be a solution!”

Suggesting that people take pharmaceuticals to treat health problems caused by the company’s meters is unspeakably arrogant, dangerous, and  corrupt. The only thing that has consistently helped people suffering health effects from EMF has been the removal of smart meters and other nearby wireless transmitters.  And the utilities knew it. But to officially have smart meters removed, the CPUC under Peevey, required Californians to pay an upfront fee and monthly charge starting in January 2012.

In public, the utilities and CPUC have justified the $75 initially and $10/ month fees for analog meters (to have the same thing that customers have always had) by arguing that individuals should pay for the costs they create.  In private however, a different story emerges. In e-mails between California utilities and Marzia Zafar, CPUC’s current Director of Policy and Planning, a 15 year utility industry employee including 4 years as a So Cal Gas lobbyist who was involved in the Bill Devereaux Spy Scandal, Zafar tells the utilities:

“I think if there is not an initial fee your estimate of 2% opt out goes out the door and you’ll have more like 20% or 50% opt out which will then make the whole project that we spent over $7 billion on a complete and total waste.”

Zafar is saying if they eliminate the initial opt out charge for analog meters, up to half of California’s electric customers may refuse smart meters, given all the publicity around safety and inaccuracy problems, and that needs to be avoided at all costs – by ensuring fees remain unaffordable.  This e-mail demonstrates clearly that the opt out fee is intended not to “cover costs” but to suppress choice, prop up a failing and dangerous smart grid and penalize people for disobeying a forced, corporate and undemocratic deployment.

Making it more difficult for those in poverty to opt out seemed to be a particular priority for Southern California Edison, Peevey’s former employer. Many low-income customers live in apartment buildings where banks of smart meters expose residents to high levels of pulsed RF radiation that the World Health Organization considers a Class 2B Carcinogen.  “CARE” is a reduced utility rate program for families living below the federal poverty line. In January 2012, Michael Hoover of SCE wrote to Zafar of CPUC and Cherry of PG&E:

“We need an up front fee that is significant, or a path to achieve that. This is especially true for CARE customers. This is a big deal for us and I think the potential for significant increases in opt out is rather large if the fee is set too low.  Are we all on the same page?”

It turns out Marzia Zafar knew from personal experience that there were serious problems with the meters. She wrote in January 2011 to PG&E:

“I’m also copying Cliff to this e-mail as I spoke with him this morning; he came to my house :-). I have a smart meter and a motion light interference that is hopefully now resolved.”

According to the LA Times, when a smart meter was installed on former CPUC President Michael Peevey’s 3118 sq. foot second home in Sea Ranch on the Sonoma County coast (where Peevey and PG&E’s VP of Regulatory Relations Brian Cherry shared bottles of Johnny Walker Blue Label according to e-mails) Peevey’s bills went through the roof and he complained to PG&E in November 2011:

“Please check something out for me. Just had a “smart meter” installed at Sea Ranch. And, now I have the bill for the first month. Something is screwy. The bill says we used 973 KWH versus 438 for the same time period one year ago. Yet, there was no one at the house during the most recent 30 day period.  Nor was there anyone there one year ago. Obviously something is wrong. I would like an explanation.”

Apparently Peevey wasn’t the only Commissioner who reported significant overcharging.  PG&E wrote in an e-mail that two commissioners in one night complained about inaccuracies on their  bills after smart meters were installed.

While CPUC officials privately grappled with problems caused by smart meters at their own homes, publicly they denied these problems existed despite thousands of complaints to the contrary confirming these were systemic problems. An unfair and extortionate opt out policy was approved in violation of the CA Public Utility Code, charging customers hundreds of dollars a year to protect their safety.  Thousands still refuse to pay this extortion.

According to Josh Hart, Director of the Grassroots anti-smart meter group Stop Smart Meters!, "Those responsible for this criminal activity should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and the California legislature needs to do its job and hold hearings to get to the bottom of these criminal relationships that have cost Californians their lives.  All redacted e-mails must immediately be made public. Peevey and company should be put behind bars."

Full Story at: http://stopsmartmeters.org/2015/02/26/pge-suggested-prozac-for-those-injured-by-smart-meters-sce-schemed-higher-fees-to-force-smart-meters-on-the-poor/

Special Thanks to the following groups for ongoing collaborative research efforts that have led to the discovery of these e-mails:

EMF Safety Network, Sebastopol, CA
Center for Electrosmog Prevention, La Mesa, CA
Ecological Options Network, Bolinas, CA

Joshua Hart, MSc

Director, Stop Smart Meters!

http://stopsmartmeters.org

Over two hours screen time a day may raise a child’s blood pressure

Over two hours screen time a day may raise a child’s blood pressure

Thursday February 26 2015

 

More time watching TV means less time exercising 

"Watching TV for more than two hours a day increases the risk of raised blood pressure in children," The Daily Telegraph reports. 

A large study, involving more than 5,000 children who were followed up over two years, found a link between time sitting in front of a screen and an increase in blood pressure rates. 

It found that a worryingly high number of children – more than one in 10 – developed high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in later life. CVDs are conditions that can damage the heart and blood vessels, such as a stroke.
Children who spent more than two hours a day on “screen time” over the two years were at increased risk, as were those with low levels of physical activity.
This study supports previous evidence that a sedentary lifestyle and low levels of physical activity are associated with high blood pressure, although it does not prove that the former causes the latter.
There are many factors that can affect blood pressure, including genetics, development in the womb, socioeconomic status and weight.
That said, the more time your child spends watching TV or playing on their PlayStation 4, the less time they are physically active.
In the UK, children aged five to 18 are advised to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from several academic centres worldwide, including the University of Glasgow in the UK. It was funded by the European Community Sixth Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Framework Programme.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal International Journal of Cardiology.
Both The Daily Telegraph’s and the Daily Mail’s reporting was fair, although neither paper included comment from independent experts, and they failed to explain the fact that this kind of study cannot prove cause and effect.

What kind of research was this?

This was an observational cohort study looking at the incidence of pre-high blood pressure and high blood pressure in children in Europe and any association between blood pressure, levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
The study’s authors say high blood pressure is one of the most important factors for cardiovascular disease, and studies have shown that blood pressure levels in children and adolescents are linked to high blood pressure in adulthood. However, little is known about the risk factors for high blood pressure in childhood. Their hypothesis is that low levels of physical activity (and high levels of sedentary behaviour may contribute to the development of high blood pressure.
Sedentary behaviour was classified as the amount of time parents reported their children spending in front of a screen – whether watching TV, videos or playing computer games. It did not include other kinds of sedentary activity – such as reading.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is recorded as two figures:

• systolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart beats to pump blood out 
• diastolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart rests in between beats, which reflects how strongly your arteries are resisting blood flow 

In children, high blood pressure is defined as blood pressure greater than the 95th percentile for their age, height and gender.

What did the research involve?

The researchers used data from a study of 16,224 children from eight European countries (Spain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Cyprus, Estonia, Sweden and Belgium) looking at the effects of diet and lifestyle on health. The current analysis was based on 5,221 children who were between two and 10 years old at the start of the study, for whom all data was available. Of these, 5,061 children were re-examined two years later.
The children had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured at the start of the study and at two years follow-up. Pre-high blood pressure was defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure from the 90th to 95th percentile for their age and height; and high blood pressure was defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure above the 95th percentile for age and height.
Physical activity in the children was measured using an accelerometer – an electronic device which measures the intensity of exercise. The unit had to be worn for at least six hours a day, for at least three days during one week (two weekdays and one weekend day).
From this, the researchers calculated the time children spent in moderate physical activity and in vigorous physical activity. Moderate activity includes activities such as cycling, while vigorous activity includes running, football and energetic dancing.
The children were classified into two groups – those who met current physical activity guidelines – doing at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily – and those who did not meet the guidelines. They were further classified as to whether changes in physical activity levels had taken place over the two years.
The children’s parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire on their children’s sedentary behaviour, as measured by hours of TV/DVD/video viewing and computer/games-console use for both typical weekdays and weekend days. Researchers used this information to calculate the children’s “total screen time” per day. Participants were classified into two groups – those who met (US) guidelines on total screen time (two hours or less a day) and those who did not. Researchers also calculated changes in sedentary behaviour at two years.
They also included a range of potential confounders, including season, sex, age, parental education and waist circumference.
Researchers estimated the relationship between physical activity levels, reported screen time and the risk of developing high blood pressure or pre-high blood pressure.  

What were the basic results?

• Researchers found that the yearly incidence of pre-high blood pressure was 121 per 1,000 children, and high blood pressure was 110 per 1,000 children. 
• Children who maintained sedentary behaviour of more than two hours a day during the two year follow-up had a 28% higher risk of having  high blood pressure (relative risk (RR) 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.60). 
• Children not performing the recommended amount of physical activity (60 minutes a day) at the start of the study had a 53% higher risk of high blood pressure (RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.09). 
• There was no association between pre- high blood pressure and children’s behaviours. 

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers say that the incidence of pre-high blood pressure and  high blood pressure is high in European children, with those doing less than 60 minutes of physical activity daily or spending two hours or more per day in front of a screen at higher risk. They say that the results suggest regular physical activity should be promoted and sedentary behaviour discouraged in children to prevent high blood pressure and its consequences in adulthood. 

Conclusion

The study found a worryingly high incidence of high blood pressure in children of just over 10%, instead of the expected 5%. It also found that low levels of physical activity and high levels of “screen time” raised the risk.
Although researchers adjusted their analysis for a range of other factors which might affect blood pressure (called confounders), it is always possible that other unmeasured factors could have affected the results. In addition, the study was reliant on parental estimates of the amount of sedentary behaviour their children had per day, which may be an over- or underestimate. Wearing the accelerometer may also have influenced the amount of physical activity that was performed on those days, which could also affect the results.
It’s generally agreed that many of today’s children spend too much time in front of a screen – and too little on physical activity. The real question is – what can we do about it?  
Children are more likely to accept changes to their lifestyle if they involve the whole family.  Read more about getting healthy as a family.
Also, evidence has shown that placing limits on the use of any type of screen equipment in the hours before bedtime can improve the quality of their sleep. This could then help them improve their energy and activity levels during the day.

Read more about how TVs, phones and screens impair kids' sleep.
Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/02February/Pages/Over-two-hours-screen-time-a-day-may-raise-a-childs-blood-pressure.aspx 

Study eases brain cancer fear, despite increase in cellphone use

Joel's comments:  Researchers who dismiss the results of the analytic epidemiologic research that finds increased glioma risk among mobile phone users often point to flat brain tumor incidence trends in the cancer registry data from a few countries to support their claims. They argue that the three independent, case-control studies that have found a significant association between long-term mobile phone use and brain cancer risk (Hardell and colleagues' Swedish studies, the WHO 13-nation Interphone Study, and the French CERENAT Study), are meaningless.

The interpretation of cancer registry data is fraught with problems-- other historical events may impact brain tumor incidence over time (e.g., decreased exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear weapons testing; increased incidence of allergies; increased use of x-rays and CT brain scans). Other factors that undermine interpretation of tumor incidence trends include the long latency for solid tumor expression (often decades), lags in tumor diagnosis and reporting, under-reporting of tumors, as well as changes over time in diagnostic and screening procedures.

In a webinar I presented to CDC cancer prevention staff last Fall, I reported on increases in brain tumor incidence that have been observed in recent years in four European nations (Norway, Finland, Denmark, and England) in addition to increases in brain tumor incidence in specific anatomic locations for population subgroups within the U.S. (see slides 26 - 31).

The authors of the current study dismiss the evidence that the incidence of glioma in New Zealand increased by a significant 2.5% per year for adults over the age of 70 even though similar increases over time have been observed in other studies (in New Zealand, Australia, England, and Saskatchewan). They attribute these increases to "improved diagnostic technologies."

The current study focused on the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain and ignored the frontal lobe. The authors cited the claim by Inskip et al (2010) that the frontal lobe is "an anatomical site not thought to be highly exposed to radiation from mobile phone usage." This seems short-sighted.

In sum, given the issues discussed above, I am not concerned that a few descriptive epidemiologic studies like the one below have yet to report across-the-board increases in brain tumor incidence. In my mind, this is not sufficient evidence to ignore the results of the analytic epidemiologic studies.

--

Study eases brain cancer fear, despite increase in cellphone use

Despite increase in cellphone use researchers find ‘no consistent link’ to risk of tumours 

Martin Johnston, New Zealand Herald, Feb 26, 2015

New Zealand researchers have found "no consistent increase" in brain cancer during a period of rapidly increasing cellphone use.

They made the same finding, across their 1995-2010 study period, for the particular kinds of tumours that might arise in certain areas of the brain if cellphone use actually did cause cancer.
For all brain cancer counted together, the rate per capita declined by 0.86 per cent a year for people aged 10 to 69. When broken down by sex, age group and type and location of cancer, some groups experienced an increase, but those findings do not implicate cellphones as a cause of cancer.

The University of Auckland findings may come as a relief to frequent cellphone talkers who are anxious they are increasing their risk of a brain tumour, but the study is just one more piece of evidence on the question, which remains not fully answered.
The closest thing to a definitive answer was the 2011 report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which concluded that cellphones and cordless landlines were "possibly" a cause of cancer.

"I don't think [our study] changes the position as described by IARC; it just adds another little piece of the jigsaw," said Professor Mark Elwood, one of the authors of the new study, published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Figures on how many people talk on cellphones and for how long is hard to come by. Instead, Professor Elwood and his colleagues cite telco data to show that cellphone subscriptions increased from 0.2 per cent of the population in 1986, to there being more subscriptions than people by 2007.

There were 4212 cases of cancer of the brain or a related area in the 15-year study period.

The researchers say that if there was a substantial, causal relationship between cellphones and brain cancer, there should be a rise in the incidence of the tumour called glioma in both sexes. And the increase should be greater in the areas of the brain called the temporal and parietal lobes as they are exposed to more radio-frequency radiation than other areas when a person makes voice calls from a phone held to the ear.
They didn't find evidence of either.

The only clear glioma increases were in women aged 30-49, where it was not matched in men of the same age; and in men over 70, where the rise was smaller in the most-exposed areas of the brain.

Professor Elwood said, "Our study adds to the evidence against there being a substantial increase in risk within a short or moderate time-frame.
"That does not exclude the possibility that mobile phones could have a small increased risk or an increased risk with a very long time delay."
Brain cancer study

• 4212 cases of cancer of brain or related areas from 1995 to 2010.
• Rate of brain cancers per capita in people aged 10-69 reduced by 0.86% a year.
• If cellphones caused brain cancer, the rate of glioma cancers in the parts of the brain most exposed to cellphone radiation should have risen (It may have dropped by 0.39% a year).
• Conclusion: Cellphones don't increase brain cancer risk substantially in the short/medium term.

Frequent caller has no worries - for nowReal estate agent Geoff Thorne talks frequently on his cellphone, undeterred by the international scientific consensus that they may "possibly" cause brain cancer.
Mr Thorne, 62, sells commercial properties and is based in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore. Like many real estate agents he does a great deal of work on a cellphone. He has had one since 1990.

He estimates he talks on his cellphone for 600 to 1000 minutes a month. That's about 20 to 30 minutes a day. Ninety-five per cent of his calls are for work.

Mr Thorne said he did not worry about the stories reporting a possible link between cellphone use and brain cancers.

"I have seen lots of speculation about it. We get radio waves from so many sources."
He said that because cellphones had been in use for more than two decades, he believed if they did cause brain cancers then by now there would be clear and certain evidence of this.

"I'm comfortable at this stage."

A father and grandfather of cellphone users, he said, "We've spoken about it. I think you tend to tell your children to do as I say, not as I do.

"I don't have any concerns at this stage. I do need to say 'at this stage' because - who knows?"

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11407964

--Kim, S. J.-H., Ioannides, S. J. and Elwood, J. M. (2015), Trends in incidence of primary brain cancer in New Zealand, 1995 to 2010. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12338
Abstract

Objective: Case-control studies have linked mobile phone use to an increased risk of glioma in the most exposed brain areas, the temporal and parietal lobes, although inconsistently. We examined time trends in the incidence rates of brain malignancies in New Zealand from 1995 to 2010.

Methods: Data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry was used to calculate incidence rates of primary brain cancer, by age, gender, morphology and anatomical site. Log-linear regression analysis was used to assess trends in the annual incidence of primary brain cancer; annual percentage changes and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

Results: No consistent increases in all primary brain cancer, glioma, or temporal or parietal lobe glioma were seen. At ages 10–69, the incidence of all brain cancers declined significantly. Incidence of glioma increased at ages over 70.

Conclusion: In New Zealand, there has been no consistent increase in incidence rates of primary brain cancers. An increase in glioma at ages over 70 is likely to be due to improvements in diagnosis. As with any such studies, a small effect, or one with a latent period of more than 10 to 15 years, cannot be excluded.

The authors have stated they have no conflict of interest.
http://bit.ly/1DrI1We

Excerpts

Many ecological studies have been undertaken in various countries to evaluate associations between the use of mobile phones and the incidence of primary brain cancer. The majority of previous studies have relied on data on mobile phone subscriptions to estimate the prevalence of mobile phone use and used cancer incidence data from large population-based cancer registries. The results of many previous ecological studies are summarised in the IARC report,2 which concluded that the overall results of different time-trend analyses do not support the hypothesis that the increase in the use of mobile phones elevates the risk of primary brain cancer. Discussed within that report, Scandinavian4–7 and American studies8,9 found no evidence of an increase in incidence in primary brain cancers from the 1970s to the 2000s, in keeping with the growing number of people using mobile phones over this time period. An exception to this was the 20 to 29 year age group of women in the Inskip et al. study,8 which showed a steady increasing trend in primary brain cancer incidence; however this was due to an increase in frontal lobe cancer, which is an anatomical site not thought to be highly exposed to radiation from mobile phone usage. A UK study found no increase in overall primary brain cancer trends between 1998 and 2007, but did find an increasing trend in temporal lobe tumour incidence in both men and women over the study period.10 In Osaka, Japan, rates at ages 20–74 increased from 1975 to 1988, and at ages 75+ increased until 1984, but then stabilised; these changes were attributed to diagnostic improvements.11 A recent study in Australia based on clinical data showed some increases.12,13 No increases were seen from 1986 to 1998 in a previous study in New Zealand (NZ).14 The present study was undertaken to assess if there had been any increase in more recent years in NZ.

The incidence rates of all primary brain cancers for the 1995–2010 period demonstrated a bimodal pattern, with a peak among children aged 5–9 years, lower rates at ages 15–24, and the highest rates at ages 60–64 or 65–69. Males had higher incidence rates than females at all ages except 10–14 and 15–19; both the childhood and the age 60s peaks are greater in males. Brain tumours at ages under 10 (n=247) have quite different pathologies and so were excluded from further analyses.

The time trends in annual incidence rates were also assessed. For ages 10–69, for all brain cancers, a significant decreasing trend in yearly incidence rates was observed, with an annual percentage change (APC) of −0.86 (95% CI −1.55 to −0.16). This decrease was more pronounced for men, −1.19% (95% CI −2.34 to −0.03), than for women, for whom it was not significant; APC −0.30% (95% CI −1.48 to 0.89).

The trends assessed by sex, age group, morphology and anatomical site are shown in Table 2. In the age group 10–69 years, a non-statistically significant downward trend in parietal and temporal lobe gliomas was observed for both genders combined, APC −0.39% (95% CI −1.72 to 0.96), and for males, APC −0.70% (95% CI −2.25 to 0.87). For women, a small non-statistically significant upward trend was seen, APC 0.35% (95% CI −1.61 to 2.35); (Figure 1).

Analysis of narrower age groups (10–29 years, 30–49 years, 50–69 years) showed few consistent results (Table 2). There was a significant increase in all brain tumours in females aged 30–49, and this was most marked for glioma of the parietal and temporal lobes (APC 3.63, 95% CI 1.21 to 6.10); but in males in this age group a non-significant decline was seen. In younger subjects, aged 10–29, rates of all brain tumours declined over time, significantly for both sexes combined (APC −3.91), and the decline appeared greater for gliomas of the parietal and temporal lobes (APC – 6.32), but these estimates are based on small numbers. At ages 50–69 years non-significant declines were seen.

In the 70+ age group, there was a decreasing trend in the incidence of all brain tumours in females, APC −1.40 % (95% CI −2.72 to −0.05), however, there was a non-statistically significant increasing trend for males, APC 0.56% (95% CI −1.48 to 2.63). A significant increasing trend in the incidence of glioma was seen in males (APC 2.98, 95% CI 0.31 to 5.72), and a smaller and non-significant increase occurred in females; but in both, the increase was no greater for gliomas in the temporal and parietal lobes.
There are no clear causal factors that explain the overall downward trend seen here in the incidence of primary brain cancer in NZ. A decline seems unlikely to be due to late reporting or under-ascertainment, as cancer registration has generally improved over time. Classification issues between benign and malignant tumours may be possible: the NZ Cancer registry does not register benign tumours, so if some types previously regarded as malignant were more likely to be classified as benign, that would lead to a decrease in the recorded incidence of malignant tumours; however, we have no direct evidence of this. 

At ages over 70, the incidence of glioma increased in both sexes. The increase in glioma of the temporal and parietal lobes was less than the increase in all glioma, and the trend for brain cancers other than glioma showed a small decrease. An increased incidence of brain cancers or other intracranial tumours among the elderly is consistent with previous studies done in several countries,10,12,13,27–30 and is likely to be related to improved diagnostic technologies.27,28,30–33 In 1986, only about 0.2 % of the NZ population were subscribers to mobile phones; by 1995, this had risen to 9.5 %.14 By the year 2000, there were 1,542,000 subscriptions to mobile phone companies, about 40% of the total population, and since 2007 there have been more mobile phone subscriptions than people in NZ.35 The NZ National Household Use of Information and Communication Technology Survey shows mobile phone use by 80% of people aged over 15 in 2006, and 85% in 2009, with the highest usage rates at ages 15–44; but gives no comparison by sex.34

The interpretation of time trends is limited by the lack of information on the latency period for non-ionising radiation exposure from mobile phones (if there is a causal relationship), the limited information on other risk factors, and documentation of the effects of improvements in diagnostic technologies and practices. However, it seems reasonable to conclude that mobile phone exposure has been high in NZ since about 2000, so if this caused a substantial increased risk of brain tumours with a latency of 10 years of less, an increase in incidence would be seen; in fact, at ages 10–69, there have been decreases in the incidence of these cancers.

This study shows no consistent increase in primary brain cancers over the period 1995 to 2010 in NZ and no consistent increasing trends in the incidence of gliomas occurring in temporal or parietal lobe of the brain were seen. This is despite high mobile phone prevalence since 2000 and so does not support the hypothesis that mobile phone usage increases the incidence of brain cancer in NZ, although it cannot exclude a small effect or a latency period greater than 10 years.

-- 

Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

Website:              http://www.saferemr.com
Facebook:            http://www.facebook.com/SaferEMR
News Releases:    http://pressroom.prlog.org/jmm716/
Twitter:                 @berkeleyprc

Con Ed spending $1.5 billion on ‘smart meter’ program

Con Ed spending $1.5 billion on ‘smart meter’ program

Electric meter. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

By David Giambusso  5:31 a.m. | Feb. 12, 2015

Con Edison is planning to spend $1.5 billion to make its electric and gas meters "smarter.

The utility, which serves nearly 10 million people in New York City and Westchester, wants to embark on an eight-year "advanced metering initiative," as part of its recently filed rate case. If successful, the program would replace roughly 4.7 million meters and could serve as a platform for many of the state's renewable energy plans in New York City, by far the biggest consumer of energy in the state.

Advanced meters provide near real-time, two-way communication between customers and the utility, allowing for precise voltage control, demand response and a more streamlined incorporation of the myriad renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies envisioned for New York's power grid. 

"The smart meters enhance that capability," said Thomas Magee, general manager for Con Ed's Smart Grid Implementation Group. "They facilitate the ease with which you can integrate these resources into the grid."

But even before many homes and offices are equipped with solar arrays, wind turbines and battery systems, the advanced meters can change how customers understand and engage with their energy use right now—a major tenet of the state's plan to overhaul its energy grid, officially called Reforming the Energy Vision.

The utility has explored demand response initiatives for more than a decade to get customers to turn down the power during peak demand periods, typically on hot summer afternoons. Advanced metering involves the same principle, though with much more precision.

Customers would be able to track when energy is most expensive and adjust their use, conceivably doing so remotely by smart phone.

Karl Rábago, director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center, refers to the technology as Smart Grid 2.0—a more modern version of traditional demand response and efficiency programs.

"Smart Grid 2.0 is about a wealth of new services built on the Smart Grid 1.0 platform," he said, adding the advanced technology is about "offering customers value, mostly from third parties, and including, if there is a market for it, the option to control our toasters with our phones."

What other energy companies will be watching for over the course of the rate case is how welcoming Con Ed's system is to competing forms of energy. The utility touts a wide array of technologies that can interact with their new meters but renewable energy companies are concerned that Con Ed will shut out competing power vendors.

Ultimately it will be up the state Public Service Commission to determine the rules of play.

Con Ed is excited about voltage control—essentially raising or lowering the level of power pumped into buildings with greater accuracy.

"We manage the grid here to a certain voltage level but we really don't know where are customers precisely," Magee said.

If voltage can be lowered to certain areas, the utility can deploy it elsewhere where it might be needed more.

The meters would also provide real-time information on outages, allowing the utilities to more quickly pinpoint where problems lie and how to isolate them.

Smart meters have been the subject of some controversy. Because they receive and send signals like wi-fi devices or cell phones, some people fear they emit harmful electromagnetic waves. A group of mid-Hudson valley residents recently upbraided P.S.C. staffers at a hearing in Kingston, N.Y., over the technology.

Customers have also expressed privacy concerns, because the information exchanged between the utility and customer would give a much more detailed profile of how a single household uses electricity

Rábago, a former Texas energy regulator, said utility companies already know plenty about their customers.

"The utility already knows how you use your electricity," he said. "If you're growing pot, they know it, believe me,"

Con Ed proposes rolling out the program over an eight year period. They plan to spend $8 million in 2015, $69 million in 2016, $174 million in 2017, $317 million in 2018 and $306 million in 2019

Future expenditures will put the total price tag at roughly $1.5 billion. Each meter, with installation, will cost the company $270 a piece.

"We're hoping that that price comes down now," Magee said. "We think we're coming in with this at the right time."

In 2010, using federal stimulus dollars, governments and utilities around the country began installing smart meters. There are about 50 million advanced meters in the U.S., covering 43 percent of households.

Magee said there is more competition now that the technology has been deployed on a wide scale.

Over the next few months Con Edison will put out requests for proposals from meter vendors, but the program can't begin in earnest until the utility's rate case is approved by the Public Service Commission.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2015/02/8562149/con-ed-spending-15-billion-smart-meter-program

Occupational exposures and Parkinson's disease mortality in a prospective Dutch cohort

Occupational exposures and Parkinson's disease mortality in a prospective Dutch cohort

 
Brouwer M, Koeman T, van den Brandt PA, Kromhout H, Schouten LJ, Peters S, Huss A, Vermeulen R. Occupational exposures and Parkinson's disease mortality in a prospective Dutch cohort. Occup Environ Med. 2015 Feb 23. pii:oemed-2014-102209. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102209. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between six occupational exposures (ie, pesticides, solvents, metals, diesel motor emissions (DME), extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and electric shocks) and Parkinson's disease (PD) mortality in a large population-based prospective cohort study.

METHODS: The Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer enrolled 58 279 men and 62 573 women aged 55-69 years in 1986. Participants were followed up for cause-specific mortality over 17.3 years, until December 2003, resulting in 402 male and 207 female PD deaths. Following a case-cohort design, a subcohort of 5 000 participants was randomly sampled from the complete cohort. Information on occupational history and potential confounders was collected at baseline. Job-exposure matrices were applied to assign occupational exposures. Associations with PD mortality were evaluated using Cox regression.

RESULTS: Among men, elevated HRs were observed for exposure to pesticides (eg, ever high exposed, HR 1.27, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.88) and ever high exposed to ELF-MF (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.36). No association with exposure duration or trend in cumulative exposure was observed for any of the occupational exposures. Results among women were unstable due to small numbers of high-exposed women.

CONCLUSIONS: Associations with PD mortality were observed for occupational exposure to pesticides and ELF-MF. However, the weight given to these findings is limited by the absence of a monotonic trend with either duration or cumulative exposure. No associations were found between PD mortality and occupational exposure to solvents, metals, DME or electric shocks.

http://1.usa.gov/1BBVA8d

What this paper adds

• Different occupational exposures have been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), but evidence from prospective cohort studies is limited.
• The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer is a large prospective cohort study with complete occupational histories up to baseline and 17.3 years of follow-up, enabling a comprehensive study on the association between different occupational exposures and PD mortality.
• This study found associations between PD mortality and exposure to pesticides and extremely low frequency magnetic fields, but neither association with exposure duration nor a trend in cumulative exposure was observed.
• No association between PD mortality and occupational exposure to solvents, metals, diesel motor emissions or electric shocks was found.
• This study does not support the hypothesis that the investigated occupational exposures increase PD mortality, although we cannot exclude that small risks may exist.

Excerpts
... Other neurodegenerative diseases (ie, AD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)) have been associated primarily with electrical occupations rather than extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) exposure and it has been hypothesised that this association may be related to electric shocks rather than to magnetic fields.18 ,19 Few studies have reported on a positive association between occupational exposure to ELF-MF and PD 20 but it is possible that electric shocks are involved as little knowledge exists regarding a potential association between electric shocks and PD....

... ELF-MF exposure was determined with an adapted version of the ELF-MF JEM of Bowman et al.26 ,27 Furthermore, risk of electric shocks at work was assigned with a newly developed shock-JEM based on electrical injury registration data.28 ...

... For men, the percentage of cases ever exposed (ever only low or ever high) varied between 10% (herbicides) and 52% (ELF-MF) (table 2). Women had shorter occupational histories than men (13 vs 36 years on average) and very few women were ever high exposed to any of the occupational exposures, with ever high exposure to pesticides being most prevalent. Owing to the overall low prevalence of (high) exposed women, we only present the results for men here ...

... Ever high exposure to ELF-MF was significantly associated with PD mortality (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.36), but there was no trend with increasing cumulative exposure (p=0.79). Decreased HRs were observed for the first tertile of aromatic solvent exposure (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.97), and for risk of electric shocks (ever high, HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.06), of which the latter association was non-significant ...

... When analysing exposure to pesticides, insecticides, aromatic solvents, ELF-MF, electric shocks or DME, pairwise adjusted for the other occupational exposures, the HRs for exposure to pesticides, insecticides and ELF-MF only changed marginally (see online supplementary table S3) ...

... Elevated HRs for PD mortality were observed for exposure to pesticides and ELF-MF, which remained so even after adjusting for the other occupational exposures. However, we found no association with exposure duration and no trend in cumulative exposure for these two exposures. No associations between PD mortality and occupational exposure to solvents, metals, DME or risk of electric shocks were observed....

A significant increased HR was observed for PD mortality among men ever high exposed to ELF-MF. Literature on the association between ELF-MF exposure and PD primarily shows null findings, 20 which is strengthened by the absence of knowledge on possible biological mechanisms involved. Studies focusing on occupations with potentially high ELF-MF exposure did find weak associations with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and ALS, but generally not with PD.19,20  As no effect of cumulative exposure or exposure duration was observed in our study, the weight given to this finding is limited, but we cannot rule out that high exposures to ELF-MF may be related to PD. In this study we did not observe an association between the risk of electric shocks and PD mortality. Little knowledge exists regarding a potential association between electric shocks and PD, but this occupational factor was included because for ALS the suggested association with ELF-MF has been hypothesised to be related to electric shocks, rather than the magnetic fields. 20 When the analysis of ELF-MF exposure was adjusted for risk of electric shocks, the association between ever high exposure to ELF-MF and PD mortality became stronger (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.85). This suggests that, if the observed association between high exposure to ELF-MF and PD risk is true, this is likely not driven by electric shocks.

In this large prospective population-based cohort study of Dutch men and women, with 17.3 years of follow-up, we found some suggestions for an association between PD mortality and occupational exposure to pesticides and ELF-MF. However, the weight given to these findings is limited by the absence of a monotonic trend with either duration of exposure or cumulative exposure. We found no evidence for associations between PD mortality and occupational exposure to solvents, metals, DME or risk of electric shocks. This study does not support the hypothesis that the investigated occupational exposures increase PD mortality, although we cannot exclude that small risks do exist.
18. Li C, Sung F. Association between occupational exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a review. Am J Ind Med 2003;43:212–20. doi:10.1002/ajim.10148
19. Vergara, Kheifets L,Greenland S, et al. Occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and neurodegenerative disease: a meta-analysis. J Occup Environ Med 2013;55:135–46. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e31827f37f8
20. Kheifets L,Bowman JD,  Checkoway H, et al. Future needs of occupational epidemiology of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields: Review and recommendations. Occup Environ Med 2009;66:72–80. doi:10.1136/oem.2007.037994

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Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

Website:               http://www.saferemr.com
Facebook:            http://www.facebook.com/SaferEMR
News Releases:   http://pressroom.prlog.org/jmm716/
Twitter:                 @berkeleyprc

Risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Ingre C, Roos PM, Piehl F, Kamel F, Fang F. Risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Clin Epidemiol. 2015 Feb 12;7:181-93. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S37505. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease. It is typically fatal within 2-5 years of symptom onset. The incidence of ALS is largely uniform across most parts of the world, but an increasing ALS incidence during the last decades has been suggested. Although recent genetic studies have substantially improved our understanding of the causes of ALS, especially familial ALS, an important role of non-genetic factors in ALS is recognized and needs further study. In this review, we briefly discuss several major genetic contributors to ALS identified to date, followed by a more focused discussion on the most commonly examined non-genetic risk factors for ALS. We first review factors related to lifestyle choices, including smoking, intake of antioxidants, physical fitness, body mass index, and physical exercise, followed by factors related to occupational and environmental exposures, including electromagnetic fields, metals, pesticides, β-methylamino-L-alanine, and viral infection. Potential links between ALS and other medical conditions, including head trauma, metabolic diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases, are also discussed. Finally, we outline several future directions aiming to more efficiently examine the role of non-genetic risk factors in ALS.
Open Access: http://bit.ly/17Ygoc4
Excerpt
Occupations

Workers in various occupations with seemingly disparate exposures have been reported to be potentially at altered risk of ALS, including athletes, carpenters, cockpit workers, construction workers, electrical workers, farm workers, hairdressers, house painters, laboratory technicians, leather workers, machine assemblers, medical service workers, military workers, nurses, power production plant workers, precision metal workers, programmers, rubber workers, shepherds, tobacco workers, veterinarians, and welders.124,125 These occupations potentially involve work exposures to chemicals, pesticides, metals, and electromagnetic fields (EMF).125–127 However, common denominators among these different occupations are not easily identified.

Military personnel are exposed to a battery of unique and potentially harmful factors, including physical and psychological exertion and trauma, transmissible agents (eg, viruses) and vaccines, toxic substances (eg, heavy metals and chemicals), and other environmental toxicants specific to particular deployment areas. A review article focusing on the potential links between military-related factors and ALS has been published recently, and concluded that although there is evidence suggesting a role of military service in ALS, it is too premature to draw a firm conclusion regarding a causal relationship.128

Electric occupation, electric shock, and electromagnetic field

ALS has been associated with “electrical” occupations,129,130 especially welding.131 Magnetic fields, electrical fields, contact currents, microshocks, and both perceptible and imperceptible electric shocks all contribute to occupational exposure to extremely low frequency EMF. The reported association of ALS with EMF is generally weaker than that with electrical occupations.129,130 Evidence is not yet available to distinguish whether electric shocks or exposure to EMF underlies the association between electrical occupation and ALS.132–134 A meta-analysis suggested that there might be a slight but statistically significant increase in ALS risk among people with job descriptions related to relatively high levels of EMF exposure.135 However, studies using residential proximity to power lines as a proxy for EMF exposure have failed to support such a relationship.136,137 Different exposure levels investigated in studies of occupational, compared with residential, exposure to EMF may partly explain the different findings to date.

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Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

Website:              http://www.saferemr.com
Facebook:            http://www.facebook.com/SaferEMR
News Releases:    http://pressroom.prlog.org/jmm716/
Twitter:                 @berkeleyprc