2018-02-08 Investors raising concerns with tech companies about mental health of children

[Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud Ltd. – Andrew Wilkinson – Attention-sapping Effects of Wireless Devices – BC Hydro – Bell Cell Towers – California State Teachers’ Retirement System – Center for Humane Technology – Chamath Palihapitiya – Children – Cigarettes – Contact Erik Andersen (not Anderson) re Stop Site C – Cost of Cancer in NSW – Cure Brain Cancer Foundation – Depression – Digital Detox – Elimination of Copper Wire Landlines – Emotional Health – EV Charging Stations – Google – Highway Rest Areas – iPad & iPhone – Inbox When Ready – Instagram – Jack Dorsey, Twitter – Jana Partners LLC – Joe HewittJon CallaghanJustin RosensteinLance Charlish, Circle – Luca MaestriTim Cook, Apple – Marc BenioffMark Zuckerberg, Facebook – Microsoft – Mindfulness – Payphones – Power Outages – Rogers – Safety – Sean Parker – Silicon Valley – Slava Rubin, Indiegogo – Smartphone Addiction – Social Media – Studies – Telstra Blackout – Thomas MeyerhofferTim Cook, Apple – Tony Fadell – Wally Oppal – Write to Claire Trevena re Free Wi-Fi Telus Contract | Kitwanga & Nanaimo & Terrace & Victoria, BC – Alberta – Harden, New South Wales, Australia – Paris, France – California, USA] & (video)

 

1)    More “free Wi-Fi” in the beautiful wilderness of BC. A member called the Transportation Minister’s office about this and was told to write a letter. A real letter would be best (harder for them to ignore – copies could still be shared here) but an email would be better than nothing. The member is hoping for an intensive letter-writing campaign to Minister Trevena, and your MLA.   Please take a few minutes to express your concerns, and please don’t forget the wildlife, migrating birds, etc.

https://www.telus.com/en/bc/support/article/network-coverage-and-service-map

(click on photos to enlarge)

Honourable Claire Trevena
PO Box 9055
Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC
V8W9E2
CANADA
Minister.Transportation@gov.bc.ca
250-387-1978

https://www.wltribune.com/trending-now/free-wi-fi-coming-to-rest-areas-along-highway-1-and-16/

Telus entered into a contract with the Liberal government in 2011 – the full details of which are not in this article – but which results in Telus installing cell towers throughout the province. Perhaps the “free Wi-Fi” is part of that contract but when were we consulted? When were we given the opportunity to voice our concerns?  Given the increasing amount of evidence of serious harm from microwave radiation, we need to apply pressure.

Cell service improves along Hwy16

“The 40 kilometres of upgrades, including a section between Terrace and Kitwanga, are part of a 10-year agreement the province of British Columbia signed with Telus in 2011. In exchange for the lucrative government contract, the telecommunications company has committed to implementing cellular service along rural highways in the province.”

https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/cell-service-improves-along-hwy16/

2)    In Australia, as in North America, the push to replace safe, reliable landlines is gaining strength.  There are so many concerns, one of which is increased exposure to RF.  But what about emergency calls when the power is out, especially for those in rural areas?

https://savelandlines.org/

Reliable and safe phone landlines to be history?

“An increase in brain tumours is but one of the many adverse outcomes which studies have highlighted as being a possible result of long-term exposure to radiofrequency radiation.  Brain cancer is a rare disease; however, according to Australia’s Cure Brain Foundation it now kills more children in Australia than any other disease.  According to an independent study prepared for the Cancer Council New South Wales, using data available to June 2006, the average lifetime financial costs to households for brain cancer were $149,400; this increased to $449,100 for males up to 14 years old…

It appears that the Government is also labouring under the assumption that wireless communications are as robust as hard-wired landlines and payphones.  This is remarkedly short-sighted.  Even damage from a storm can render communication towers useless for days, if not longer.  Is the Government going to factor in the potential cost to the community of events such as this?”

https://stopsmartmeters.com.au/2018/02/07/reliable-and-safe-phone-landlines-to-be-history/

3)    For those concerned about Site C, please see the email below (Letters)  from Erik Andersen  —  the battle to stop Site C is not over. Erik has asked me to share this information and for anyone interested in participating in this developing effort to reverse the decision, to contact him.

4)  Tech companies’ investors are becoming concerned about the addiction and emotional health concerns related to wireless gadgets. No mention of the physical health problems but possibly some will soon become equally involved with confronting these. New laws to regulate these companies??   If investors raise the issues, the companies will take this seriously.

Tech Diets Catch on With Apple Executives, Facebook Billionaires and Googlers

“There’s a growing body of evidence about the harmful effects of social media and smartphones, particularly on younger people. A recent report by researchers at San Diego State University and the University of Georgia concluded teens who spend more time online are less happy than those who spend time on other activities. Another report by Facebook’s own researchers last year found people who passively scroll through posts felt worse afterwards. A group of pediatric and mental health experts are lobbying Facebook to discontinue its Messenger Kids app. In Paris, schools are banning mobile phones altogether…

The warnings are beginning to reach boardrooms, too. Apple investors Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, recently asked Apple to study the harmful effects of smartphones on mental health and offer more protections for children. A Facebook shareholder is pushing its board to create a risk committee that will study the potential financial harm to Facebook if its product leads to depression or other mental health problems. The Center for Humane Technology said it will be begin lobbying for new laws to regulate the technology companies.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-05/tech-diets-catch-on-with-apple-executives-facebook-billionaires-and-googlers

Letters:

From: ERIK ANDERSEN [mailto:twolabradors@shaw.ca]  (name and email given with permission)
Sent: February 8, 2018
Subject: Site C decision reversal

Good Morning.

A few of us who attended the Victoria Summit met yesterday to see if we could put together a non-partisan plan of action that would bring about a reversal of the NDP cabinet’s decision to carry on building Site C.

Of all the options shown to us in Victoria, we felt recall of several NDP MLAs would be the most promising, being the biggest threat to unseating the government. We know that the most current pressing need is money to help the legal action of the First Nations and we expect to lend a hand to their cause at and after the upcoming Nanaimo meeting.

In our discussion yesterday, there was a strong feeling by members of a betrayal by the NDP leadership and even our local MLA.

Over the past years, a reoccurring theme by BC Hydro has been to build Site C for future domestic need. Many of us ridiculed these claims because the demand numbers never came close to validating the claims of BC Hydro and, by extension, the government.  Interestingly, the recent remarks by Alberta’s premier publicly validated BC Hydro’s condition of being in a large surplus condition to what is needed for BC-only customers. We now know that BC Hydro was trying to secure a large purchase contract from Alberta, likely at about $30 per MWhr (market rates now) for electricity that we produce at an $80 cost or much more from Site C.  This was not looking like a good business deal but rather a “dumping” to get desperately needed cash.

What I am hoping is that you will know of others who see the way to proceed now as close to what we are tentatively thinking for ourselves.  Standing by.

Cheers from Erik

 

Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
~ Albert Einstein

 

www.facebook.com/Coalitiontostopsmartmeters

Smart Meters, Cell Towers, Smart Phones, 5G and all things that radiate RF Radiation