WASHINGTON D.C.—Citing thousands of instances of ‘smart’ meter fires, health problems, and violations of privacy laws, the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters and Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition are calling for a National Day of Action on October 4th to demand an immediate moratorium on further “smart meter” installations and a blanket recall due to safety problems. Join us!!
What are “smart” meters? ‘Smart’ meters are digital devices that monitor utility usage and maintain continuous two-way communication between the customer’s property and the utility company. Utilities are attempting to replace traditional analog meters on homes and businesses all around the country as a supposed energy-saving measure, but these claims are not supported by the evidence.
What’s the problem? Many utilities are not permitting customers to “opt out,” and are even disconnecting service to those who refuse. For those utilities permitting “opt outs” exorbitant fees are being charged. As ratepayers and taxpayers we believe we are being forced to accept a questionable technology not in our family’s best interest. On October 4th, together we say NO!
Why Oct 4th? Industry, lobbyist & government officials will be holding a ‘Smart Grid’ industry conference in Washington DC on Oct 4 – 6th called “Gridweek” Gridweek is designed to promote continued expansion of dangerous and insecure Smart Grid technology and continued siphoning of federal taxpayer money to this debacle, which has already amounted to $3.4 billion for its current deployment nationwide.
Who are we? The Oct. 4th National Day of Action is being brought to you by the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters, a grassroots effort bringing together dozens of local groups to strengthen and unify our opposition to “smart” utility meters nationwide as well as the Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition, which advocates at the U.S. national level for the public’s health, safety, privacy, freedom from surveillance, and for the environment from the many adverse effects of wireless radiation products and infrastructures.
What we Believe: We demand an immediate moratorium on further “smart meter” installations and a blanket recall due to safety problems, serious risk of fire, higher utility costs and health damage.
Your Participation is Vital to Show Nationwide Strength in Numbers!!
If you or your local group wish to plan your own local event for Oct. 4th, start by visiting our Plan Your Own Event page, where you can find sample press releases, flyers, and other ideas for planning a successful event. E-mail us so we can post your event on our site and let others know!
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Health Experts Caution About Smart Meters
More than 50 scientists and medical professionals from 20 countries call for precaution regarding deployment of wireless “smart meters.”
PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 20, 2012 –
Fifty-four experts on the health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have called for “use of common sense and the development and implementation of best practices in using these technologies in order to reduce exposure and risk of health hazards.”
These scientists and medical professionals who come from twenty countries have published hundreds of peer-reviewed studies on the health effects of EMFs.
Following are excerpts from the open letter they signed, “Smart Meters: Correcting the Gross Misinformation”:
• “the mass deployment of smart grids could expose large chunks of the general population to alarming risk scenarios without their consent.”
• “many scientists and medical experts urgently recommend that measures following the Precautionary Principle be applied immediately — such as using wired meters — to reduce biologically inappropriate microwave exposure. We are not advocating the abolishment of RF technologies, only the use of common sense and the development and implementation of best practices in using these technologies in order to reduce exposure and risk of health hazards.”
• “the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radiofrequency radiation as a 2B, possible human carcinogen“
• “Children are especially at risk.”
• “While the specific pathways to cancer are not fully understood, it is scientifically unacceptable to deny the weight of the evidence regarding the increase in cancer cases in humans that are exposed to high levels of RF/microwave radiation”
• “more than 1,000 studies done on low intensity, high frequency, non-ionizing radiation, going back at least fifty years, show that some biological mechanisms of effect do not involve heat. This radiation sends signals to living tissue that stimulate biochemical changes, which can generate various symptoms and may lead to diseases such as cancer.”
• “this energy can cause DNA damage indirectly leading to cancer by a combination of biological effects. Recent publications have documented the generation of free radicals, increased permeability of the blood brain barrier allowing potentially toxic chemicals to enter the brain, induction of genes, as well as altered electrical and metabolic activity in human brains upon application of cell phone RF/microwaves similar to those produced by smart meters.”
• “High frequency EMFs such as the microwaves used in cell phones, smart meters, Wi-Fi and cordless ˜DECT” phones, appear to be the most damaging when used commonly.”
• “authorities are worried about the growing number of citizens who say they have developed electrohypersensitivity (EHS), especially since for many of them, the symptoms developed after the installation of such meters.”
• “adverse neurological effects have been reported in people who sustain close proximity to wireless meters, especially under 10 feet”
• “Wireless smart meters typically produce atypical, relatively potent and very short pulsed RF/microwaves whose biological effects have never been fully tested. They emit these millisecond-long RF bursts on average 9,600 times a day with a maximum of 190,000 daily transmissions and a peak level emission two and a half times higher than the stated safety signal”
• “RF levels from various scenarios depicting normal smart meter installation and operation may violate even the out-of-date US public safety standards which only consider acute thermal effects.”
• “caution is warranted because the growing variety of RF/microwave emissions produced by many wireless devices such as smart meters have never been tested for their potential biological effects.”
Dr. David Carpenter, founder of the University of Albany (NY) School of Public Health, drafted the original letter with input from experts from many countries.
The letter was just updated and signed by many additional scientists and medical professionals. In the U.S., co-signers include researchers at Columbia University, Michigan State University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Colorado, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Washington.
In addition to the need to take precaution, we need research to develop safer technologies to reduce our exposure to electromagnetic radiation from wireless devices including smart meters, Wi-Fi, and cell phones. The Federal government needs to step up and fund a major research initiative independent of industry to prevent conflicts of interest. This research could be supported by a small fee of 50 cents per year assessed on each cell phone.
The open letter, a list of the 54 experts who signed it and their affiliations, and links to supplementary resources are available at:
http://maisonsaine.ca/smart-meters-correcting-the-gross-m… .
Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Family and Community Health
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
http://www.prlog.org/11978228-health-experts-caution-about-smart-meters.html
Anyone planning something in Columbus Ohio?
If no one is planning a protest in your area, please call the White House on October 4. The phone number to call is 202-456-1111, or you can write to the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments.
If you are unable to attend a protest, please call the White House on Thursday, October 4 to express your concerns. The phone number to call is 202-456-1111. You can write to the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. You could say, “Tell President Obama that you oppose wireless smart meters and want a moratorium on smart meters because of health problems, loss of privacy, hacking, cyber security risks, fires and increased costs associated with smart meters.” Add your personal reasons.