Let's make this simple - smart meters are a dumb idea.
After hearing from thousands of people, here are the top 3 smartest reasons to stop wireless meters:
1. They're unhealthy. Wireless microwave radiation can cause cancer in humans and that includes smart meters. Putting a cancer-promoting meter on the side of everyone's home is stupid.
If you are not being radiated by your own meter, your neighbours’ meters will do the job.
People get sick around wireless devices. This sickness used to be called Microwave Radiation Sickness, and is now called electrohypersensitivity.
Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, heart irregularities, anxiety, extreme exhaustion, nausea, tinnitus and memory and concentration difficulties.
I have heard from hundreds of people in British Columbia who have made their homes a sanctuary, free from wireless devices of all kinds. Wireless smart meters could make them so sick they can't work or even live in their own home.
Some parents just want to keep their kids safe, and with information available now about damage to fertility and DNA from low-level microwave radiation, who wouldn't want to?
Nature and wildlife won't escape either. The meshed wireless web constantly receiving and transmitting microwave signals from thousands of houses in every town will guarantee environmental impacts, which may spell the ultimate disaster for all humans.
This includes Christy Clark's Families First. Now, that's just plain stupid.
2. They abuse privacy. Do you want BC Hydro to be able to document your private information, which can be sold for marketing purposes?
How about an insurance company denying a claim because they use your power-usage habits to discount a health condition? The data from these meters will provide a snapshot of your life - when you get up, eat, leave home, sleep and vacation.
People just hate spy meters. And if it isn't BC Hydro spying on you, it could the latest Hacker 101 graduate.
All wireless systems are notoriously easy to hack, and you might never know who has accessed your family habits until it’s too late. As one person said, "It's plain creepy...." Smart people get rid of creepy things in their homes, one way or another.
3. They cost jobs and money. Sketchy technology putting real people out of real jobs makes people pretty upset. So does telling them that smart meters will stop electricity theft.
Smart people don't see the sense in letting current infrastructure fall into the river while spending $1 billion on risky wireless technology. But the most stupid thing of all is the promise smart meters will reduce costs to households.
What I hear is people reducing consumption, and their bills increasing no matter what they do. The moment this wireless smart meter arrives, up go the bills even if you are making all your meals after midnight.
We need proper BC Utilities Commission oversight before it is too late.
Getting smart on stupid meters is not too hard when you keep it simple. Keeping your democratic rights can be simple too - speak out now for yourself and future generations - don't let your rights of voice and choice be ignored.
If you want to get involved you can reach us at www.citizensforsafetechnology.org.
Una St. Clair is the Citizens for Safe Technology Society executive director.
