" . . . While there is much information and misinformation on the effects of the high-frequency pulse on the health of humans, there is little research into the effect on small wildlife such as birds. The meters operate at a frequency similar to cell phones and other portable communications devices and while some minor health effects have been reported, such as problems sleeping or dizziness or nausea, the meters are generally considered safe for humans.

"Ouellette said he thinks the city's meters may be different somehow, as the power and gas meters in the neighborhood were also fitted with smart meters last year and they did not seem to have an effect on the neighborhood's wildlife.

"But since the city's have gone on, he and Chase both said the change was obvious and immediate. . . .

" . . . What has most likely driven the cat and increasing numbers of humans to the breaking point is the new juxtaposition of pulsed microwave radiation generated by the deployment of the smart meter grid across the United States. She (the cat) has retreated to the downstairs bathroom, sleeping in the sink and eating, drinking and eliminating within two confined rooms at the mid-point of radiation from the antenna-laden water tower up the hill from the house and the pulsing electric meter on the other side. . . .

"Cellphone radiation exposure during pregnancy impacts fetal brain development and may cause hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers say. Dr. Hugh Taylor, a medical professor and chief of Yale's Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, co-authored a recent study to probe the impact of cellphone exposure on pregnancies.

"We had pregnant mice in cages and we just simply put a cellphone on top of the cage. In half the mice, the cellphone was active and in half of the ... cages the cellphone was turned off so it wasn't transmitting a signal at all," Taylor said. Taylor said the researchers allowed the mice to give birth and waited until offspring were young adults before behaviours were tested.

"The mice exposed to cellphones were more active," Taylor said. "Their memory was slightly decreased ... these mice were basically bouncing off the walls and didn't have a care in the world." Taylor says the study shows there is a "biological basis" to suggest cellphone exposure can impact pregnancies. He says he is encouraging patients to be cautious with devices and recommends pregnant women hold phones away from the body.

"Health Canada has recommended that parents should encourage youth under 18 to cap mobile phone use, but the federal government says it does not intend to bar companies from advertising products to children. Health Canada says Canadians can use headsets and slash the length of calls in order to reduce radiation exposure . . .

" . . . The biochemical tests indicated that after exposure there is a decrease in assimilatory pigments like chlorophylls and anthocyanins which shows decrease in photosynthetic rate in plants. At the same time, the carotenoid pigment content increased which resulted in the aging effect," director of Junagadh-based Noble Group of Institutions Ved Vyas Dwivedi said . . .

"At the same time, carbohydrates like starch and cellulose, which are the main constituents of leaf cell wall decrease upon long term exposure.  Sugar and water content also got decreased," said Dwivedi . . .

"Shockingly, in tulsi, which is a medicinal plant, its anti-microbial activity reduced after the plant was exposed to electromagnetic waves.

"If plants and trees are not taken care of, then it would be unrealistic to think of green world in a few years," they say. The scientists now plan to submit their work and results to Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, Gandhinagar so that a mass scale awareness campaign can be taken up . . .

"Apart from birds getting disoriented and dying in the vicinity of cell phone towers, could the radiation be responsible for the persistence of what we call the bird flu? The illness has been killing chickens and other fowl and is officially attributed to a common virus with the designation H5N1. Former Royal Canadian Navy officer Larry Blackhall thinks there may be a connection.

"Apart from the appalling and very stressful conditions of the birds caged in huge factory farms, there may be another factor that has not been considered enough. In a paper he submitted to the Canadian Parliament's Standing Committee on Discussing the bird flu disaster in BC, Canada, in early 2004 when 19 million birds (the entire provincial stock) were destroyed, Blackhall gives some further specifics . . .

"Radiation from mobile towers may have varying negative impact on wildlife especially birds and bees, according to the Environment Ministry.

"Amid concerns over health hazards and impact on wildlife due to mobile tower radiation, the Environment Ministry has issued an advisory asking the Department of Telecommunications not to permit new mobile towers within a one-km radius of the existing ones.

"Noting there was a need to prevent the negative impact of electro-magnetic radiations (EMR) on birds and bees, the Ministry directed that the new towers should be constructed with utmost care and precautions "so as not to obstruct flight path of birds, and also not to increase the combined radiation from all towers in the area". . .

". . . GIS mapping of all cell phone towers should be maintained which would, inter alia, help in monitoring the population of birds and bees in and around the mobile towers and also in and/or around wildlife protection areas . . .

"A possible effect of long-term exposure to low-intensity electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone (GSM) base stations on the number of House Sparrows during the breeding season was studied in six residential districts in Belgium. We sampled 150 point locations within the 6 areas to examine small-scale geographic variation in the number of House Sparrow males and the strength of electromagnetic radiation from base stations. Spatial variation in the number of House Sparrow males was negatively and highly significantly related to the strength of electric fields from both the 900 and 1800 MHz downlink frequency bands and from the sum of these bands . . . This negative relationship was highly similar within each of the six study areas, despite differences among areas in both the number of birds and radiation levels. Thus, our data show that fewer House Sparrow males were seen at locations with relatively high electric field strength values of GSM base stations and therefore support the notion that long-term exposure to higher levels of radiation negatively affects the abundance or behavior of House Sparrows in the wild . . .

"My dogs wear a collar and then it gives them a little shock if they get too far past the fence," Davis explained. "There's never been an issue. Ever."

"The smart meter gives my dogs electric shocks when they go near the meter," Davis explained.

"The collar starts bleeping and shocks them to the point where they yelp."

"Davis decided to investigate. He took the collars off his dogs, held them in his hands and marched up to the meter himself. That was all the proof he needed to know there was a problem.

"His call to BC Hydro left him unsatisfied. Vancouver Island's BC Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said staff were investigating the claims and working with Davis . . .

Letter to the Honourable Michael de Jong:

" . . . When I voiced my concern, B.C. Hydro said I had "no choice in the matter" and that if I refused to have one installed that they would cut off my power."

"  . . . Shortly after the installation, which was on the outside of my house nearest to my den, my 12 year old dog Trapper started to exhibit distress and odd signs of behavior which we had never experienced before. The den was where he slept since he was a 3 month old puppy and where he went to seek refuge if he was ever scared. After December 14th, he avoids that room at all costs and has spent many sleepless nights walking and pacing from room to room, trying to sleep and lifting up his head in distress countless times, and the only place he can calm down is outside on our deck, outside of the house. . . . 

"When we take him to friends' homes (who don't have smart meters) to get some moments of solace, he is like our old dog, relaxed, sleeping peacefully . . . no whining, crying, pacing etc. . . and then as soon as we bring him back home, it all starts in again. . . . 

"At issue are the effects of radio-frequency and microwave emissions from the transmission resulting from the operation of 120kV transmission line located southeast of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec having a particular configuration and function. Mortality rates in the metal-clad pig barn 250 meters from the transmission line have increased from less than 1% before the line's installation in 2004 to 5-10%.

"According to EMF expert Michrowski, microwave and radio frequency emissions from the line will continue to increase, and eventually, the barn and the family home/office are likely to become unusable. Until the line became operational in 2004, White Canada Geese used to land and feed by the thousands each fall in front of the home. Dr. Michrowski believes that the reason they no longer do so is because the microwave emissions from line induce large nerve, sciatica pain. Microwave emissions are frequently employed as a technology to ward off birds from airport runways . . .