Major improvements in the Village of Alfred, but what about “electrosmog?”
A COLUMN By Frederick Sinclair
It is extremely heartening to see the Village embarking on mindful evaluation and successful completion of critical community needs. The improvement of public water storage and delivery is a major accomplishment that insures this critical infrastructure is more secure. The repositioning of electric delivery and transport lines on new and higher poles has created healthier separation, safe support and room for cable installations. Sidewalks are under repair and the community is being included in the development of perspectives for improved and expanded housing, business retention and expansion. These initial successes and current preliminary work on updating the ‘master plan’, sets the stage for a bright future in Alfred. Although zoning is being brought up to date, implementation of enhanced Planning Board environmental review and expanded code development is needed, to address ever expanding issues pertaining to the maintenance of a healthful living environment in Alfred.
An example of a threat, to healthful living in the Village, that was recently imposed on residences and businesses, involves the metering of electrical usage. ‘Smart Meters’ (SM) were installed, essentially, without local environmental review or adequate informed consent, regarding the impact to public health and safety, from these wireless microwave transmission devices. The combined number and intensity of the SM transmissions represents a significant increase in microwave saturation of the community. Each SM also introduces out of phase harmonics to the wiring; commonly referred to as ‘dirty electricity’. This has increased harmful exposure to electric fields; via internal building wiring and this less efficient ‘juice’ also increases cost of running and reduces the lifespan of appliances. Electric bills are also higher because the SM sends a report on your usage, hundreds of times per day and the provider can now accurately charge peak and off peak rates. To make the impact of microwave exposure even worse, however, providers are now planning the installation of full time Wi-Fi like modules into the SM that will report your usage, via microwave transmission, constantly, 24/7/365.
Smart Metering and the attendant exposure to wireless microwave radiation is only one example of how some aspects of modern technology are accepted and or promoted without appropriate analysis or understanding of environmental, public safety and health impacts. This process absolutely needs to be built into Alfred community planning now under way. Enhanced surveillance, street lighting, mass Wi-Fi coverage, and all potential actions that increase ambient electro-magnetic spectrum noise (Electrosmog), need informed evaluation and decision making. As a community, we can avoid having wireless communications and exposure to microwave radiation end up teaching us hard lessons; like those of Tobacco, DDT, Thalidomide, asbestos, lead in water pipes and house paint, forever chemicals, etc.
Native American culture considers it an insult and extremely rude to offer criticism without providing solutions and, in that Spirit, suggestions to mitigate Electrosmog in Alfred, are to:
- Require that all future installation and alterations of wireless and or microwave emitting sources which involve public exposure, are subjected to State Environmental Quality Review and provide for public notice and comment.
- Review the City of Chattanooga Tennessee, 11 cities in Utah, and multiple successes in New York and northeast, where municipally owned and operated systems are providing, hard wire (optic cable) access to fast, secure, economical, inexpensive and future proof access to broadband communications. Hard wired access to fiber optics, plug in and docking stations can be installed in every home, business, farm, apartment and dorm room. Revenues, from these municipally owned and operated systems, augment the tax base, create jobs and trend the community away from expanded wireless. Such access has also been seen to stimulate home based business by supporting the fastest, most economical, and reliable and secure access for work from home.
NOTE: Future articles will dive deeper into the science and truth backing the above suggestions and ways of implementing such. To those groups in support of and organizing Alfred community planning, I volunteer my services, please contact me at fpsinclair@yahoo.com
