| | Published October 9th, 2013
| Letters to the Editor
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Editor:
Temple Isaiah is in contract with AT&T to house cellular antennas in the roof of their building. Some members and parents of students in school on the premises are concerned about health effects. In a member only meeting on October 1 the issue was addressed. I understand the meeting was well run and many left with their fears calmed by a panel of consultants typically paid for by industry. A leading worldwide expert on wireless radiation was in town and offered to be on the panel. That offer was denied because they did not want a "biased" opinion presented.
I live in Lafayette and I am a past temple member and I care deeply about the temple community. I am the Director of the California Brain Tumor Association and, sadly, know many victims of wireless radiation. I study this issue extensively and have testified to Congress and worked with the Government Accountability Office on their report to the FCC stating they must reassess their exposure limits. I have testified against this industry across the nation and know their sound bites and war gaming well.
The member's fears are prudent based on science that warranted the World Health Organization to classify radiofrequency electromagnetic fields a possible human carcinogen. This is the same category as DDT and lead. Would they spray the students with DDT 5 days a week 6 hours daily? We need to do the right thing for our helpless children whose safety has not been assured.
The Temple cannot be blamed; the allure of $45,000 a year combined with assurances of no harm made it appear too good to be true. Bingo! The real blame lies with a $5 trillion industry that plays on the fact that this is invisible, there is a long latency period for illness and we are addicted to this valuable technology.
I do not advocate against cell phone use or cell towers. I advocate for safer use and safe placement. I understand the real science versus the bought science and the fallacy behind the FCC exposure limits which are not protecting us. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also expressed concern to Congress and the FCC as children are disproportionately affected by environmental exposures.
Educational facilities around the world are removing cellular facilities from their campuses. Temple Isaiah may place them near children in exchange for revenue without providing members the opportunity to hear from experts who have no financial interest in this. The rabbis, temple board and members should be outraged that AT&T would even consider this. The new Lafayette wireless communications facility ordinance states educational facilities are a discouraged site.
Others have been successful in getting out of these contracts. If the temple does go through with this the parents will have a tough decision to make. Do they continue to send their children to an excellent school while risking deleterious effects such as brain cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, and damage to future offspring? Seems like a no brainer to me.
Ellen Marks
Lafayette
Editor:
The evidence is clear that a BART strike will have a crippling impact on the Bay Area economy and the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on mass transit to get to their jobs, schools and personal appointments.
The Bay Area Council's economic forecast indicates that for each day of a BART strike, our economy takes a $73 million hit.
The environment takes a hit as well: 800,000 gallons of gas will be consumed each day by the extra traffic on our roads, and 16 million pounds of carbon will be put into the air.
These are unacceptable consequences of a breakdown at the bargaining table.
I am advocating for a new law banning public transit strikes in California. Similar laws have worked in Chicago, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.
BART riders and our environment should not suffer because management and labor can't reach an agreement.
If you want your voice to be heard, please go to banBARTstrikes.com and register your support for a state ban on public transit strikes.
Steve Glazer
Orinda
Editor:
In mid-September, a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on President Obama's climate change plan. Unfortunately, the hearing focused almost exclusively on criticizing the President's climate plan. What a missed opportunity! It could -- and I believe should - have evaluated the serious risks that climate change poses to our nation and to the world. It should have focused as well on the potential solutions that are available. There are many experts who are known and admired by both Democrats and Republicans, and who could have spoken knowledgeably and thoughtfully on the science of climate change, the grave threats it poses, and the potential solutions that have already been identified.
One solution is a revenue-neutral carbon fee that would charge polluters and give the collected money back to households. This is a market-based solution championed by conservatives, moderates, and liberals alike. It compliments President Obama's approach and can appeal to Republicans as well as Democrats because it charges those who cause a large portion of the problem, helps level the playing field for alternative energy sources, and does all of this without growing our government.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, 97% of climate scientists in the world agree that climate change is occurring and that human actions are the primary cause. Given this almost unanimous agreement, and given the warnings that time is running out, it is time for our Congress to seriously address the issue of climate change and begin to take available, effective actions.
As a mother and grandmother, I've felt a deepening concern that our representatives in Congress are not truly addressing the threat of climate change, and I've watched this issue grow increasingly critical as a result of our ignoring it. I joined a grass roots climate change organization called Citizen's Climate Lobby so that I could learn more about the subject and add my voice to the growing call for action on this issue that is so critical to our future and to the future of our children and grandchildren. Congress can play a leadership role by inviting qualified experts to attend hearings and give their testimony on the dangers of climate change and the solutions available. I've called my representatives to ask for this crucial action, and I hope others reading this will do the same.
Marcia Cannon
Moraga
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA