It’s been a while since I sent out an update about “smart” meters, so I thought I would take this opportunity to fill you in on the latest news. There are now 36 cities and counties that have called for moratoriums or passed ordinances banning “smart” meters, people have been arrested trying to stop the roll-out, thousands of people have sent letters of complaint, or testified at CPUC meetings, smart meters have exploded and caused fires, and a growing number of people have developed health problems from the meters, yet PG&E has continued its unrelenting “deployment” of these dangers meters (“deployment” is an apt term).
San Francisco is next in the line of fire. If you live in S.F. you should be particularly concerned, since the “smart” meters in S.F. emit considerably stronger frequencies due to the obstructions they have to overcome in transmitting their data http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/01/21/san-francisco-in-pge%E2%80%99s-crosshairs-for-%E2%80%9Cextra-strength%E2%80%9D-smart-meter-radiation/ )
The most important piece of information I would like to impart is to place a sign on both your gas and electric meters saying “DO NOT INSTALL SMART METER” and sign it with your name. You can download a sign at this link http://emfsafetynetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Samrt-Meter-NOTICE-.pdf Many people postpone taking this simple action and live to regret it, since once “smart” meters are installed it is very hard to get them removed. So I encourage you to do right away!
The latest recommendation for keeping “smart” meters off your property is also to call BOTH PG&E (1-866-743-0263) and Wellington, the installing company (866-671-1001 (M-F 8-8). Tell PG&E you want to be on the “last to install list.” Then call Wellington to make sure that PG&E has received the information from PG&E (some people have called Wellington first, but the important thing is to call both companies).
Another way of keeping a “smart” meter off your property is to install a lock that is placed over the meter. The following company will make a utility meter lock for you at a cost of $57 plus tax and shipping. They will ship anywhere, although they cannot guarantee that it will fit, and will not reimburse shipping costs for the return. Call (707) 579-3183
Many of you may of heard about the PG&E’s opt-out plan (aka cop-out plan), but for those of you haven’t, PG&E suggested a plan that offers customers the privilege of paying extra money to avoid being radiated. The scheme is to have you pay an initial fee of $270 to avoid having the RF function of your smart” meter activated, plus an ongoing charge of $14 per month for meter-reading, or $135 up front and $20 per month.
There are multiple problems with their proposal, beginning with the fact that even if you pay the extra fee, you will still be exposed to the RF radiation from surrounding meters. Also, the plan is NOT to return to the old (safe) analogue meters, but rather to give you a “smart” meter that has the radio frequency component disabled. This means that the Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) will remain in place. What we have discovered is that it is not only the radio frequencies that are causing people’s health problems, but the dirty electricity or "noise" emitted by the SMPS which is carried on the electric wiring of people’s homes. All models of meters tested so far emit noise in the form of high frequency voltage spikes
If you are experiencing a health problem I encourage you to find out if you have a “smart” meter, and if so when it was installed to assess if there might be a connection. You can read some accounts of the sorts of health impacts people are experiencing at http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=2292 Please be sure to add your own story if you have one.
Other-than-human animals are also susceptible to microwave and radiofrequency radiation, so please pay attention to you companion and animals and other animals in your neighborhood to see if they have developed any health problems. Birds, bees and bats are particularly susceptible to RF radiation.
If someone you know is experiencing health problems that may be caused by a recently-installed “smart” Vicki Sievers, from the Sun Valley Neighborhood Association may be able to help. Contact: victoriasievers@earthlink.net
Other Actions You Can Take at This Time
PG&E's proposal has not been approved by the CPUC. Right now, it is important to call Governor Brown's office and the CPUC to ask them to 1) call an immediate moratorium on any further installation of smart meters, 2) conduct research on the health impacts of “smart” meters, 3) allow people to keep their analog meters.
To contact Governor Brown: (916) 445-2841
Or email: http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php
You may select Energy as a subject, although it may be better to create your own subject by checking that you "want a reply". Then select "submit." You will get an email box in which you can enter your own subject, "PG&E Smart Meter Opt Out proposal to CPUC." Then enter your message.
To submit comments to the CPUC contact the Public Advisor's Office at 1-866-849-8390 or 1-415-703-2074; or email public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you don’t have time to write your own letter you can send a form letter from this link:
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=1588
There are also two actions taking place tomorrow, April 14 (sorry for the late notice). The first is speaking up (for 1 minute) at the CPUC meeting(505 Van Ness Avenue, at McAllister, near City Hall) at the open comments period, which begins at 9 a.m. (sign up by 8:45). You can sign up in advance at: https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/requesttocomment/ To watch the meeting live (or any other archived meeting online- seehttp://www.californiaadmin.com/cpuc.shtml
Then later in the day, there will be a PROTEST in Mountain View before a talk being given by Federal Communications Commission Chair Genachowski. The protest will be outside the Computer History Museum beginning at 5:30pm at1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. Genachowski’s speech begins at 7pm and you can buy tickets online. Please RSVP to nbeety@netzero.net if you are planning on attending.
The FCC’s weak limits on human exposure to microwave radiation- one of the most lenient in the world and based solely on thermal impacts- are largely responsible for the smart meter debacle with all of its devastating health impacts.
The following are some good links:
For ongoing news about “smart” meters I encourage you to check out the following websites:
www.emfsafetynetwork.org
stopsmartmeters.org
smartmeterdangers.org
You can also join the Face Book page Stop Smart Meters Now http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Stop-Smart-Meters-Now/146643745375104?v=info&ref=ts
Informative 30-minute presentation by electrical engineer Rob States:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZ_KGN2vAc
So that’s the update for now.
If you wish to be removed from these occasional updates please let me know.
Good luck staying safe.
Warm Regards,
Marti
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Marti Kheel, Nature Ethics: An Ecofeminist Perspective. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008.
To learn more about Nature Ethics, upcoming speaking engagements, and other news, visit my website, www.Martikheel.com
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