I am passing on the letter below because it critical that people be aware that these “Smart” meters are dangerous. It is not just theoretical.
I know people who are quite ill from being exposed continuously to the level of transmitted microwave frequencies. Not having the meter on their own house is better, but they are still continuously exposed by other people’s meters and have been unable to recover completely as a result.
This is a dangerous technology and should not be installed on anyone’s home.
Public outcry has stopped it before and would again. If you are in a neighborhood targeted for “Smart” meter installation, you should make sure your neighbors also get the information below. (The “smart” meters that transmit over the power lines are not better. They still result in significant exposure to high frequencies.)
It is far easier to prevent smart meter installation, than to get them removed, so please take the time to educate yourself by reading the information below, pass it on to friends and relatives, and sign the petition at the link above.
Catherine ( www.electricalpollution.com)
Below is my letter to the editor of our small local paper. So far, he’s printed every letter I’ve written, so I hope this will inspire some other folks to refuse the meters. And to think about their other wireless
exposures.
To the Editor,
Residents in our area are receiving a postcard from We Energies informing them, in small print, that We Energies personnel will be by soon to attach a radio-broadcasting “smart meter” to our homes. The purpose of this is to save WE Energies personnel from having to get out of their vehicle when they occasionally come by to read our electric meter, as they will be able to cruise a neighborhood and pick up the radio-broadcast information right from their vehicle.
The meters emit a pulsed signal every 14 seconds, continually, that will saturate your body, your home and also your neighborhood, as they have a range of 1/4 mile. This in spite of the fact that only very occasionally will a truck drive by and pick up the information. This may appear “smart” to We Energies, but residents who allow these meters will pay a hidden price, as their health will be affected.
Epidemiological studies from Israel, Germany, Netherlands and Spain document a greater risk of cancers and symptoms classified as electrosensitivity (ES) for people who live within 400 meters of cell phone antennas. The frequencies for cell phone antennas range from about 800 MHz to 2 GHz and overlap with those of “smart meters,” which operate at 920 MHz.
Symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, such as poor short-term memory, difficulty concentrating and problem-solving; as well as dizziness, vertigo, tremors, facial flushing, skin rashes; chest pressure, rapid heart rate or disturbed cardiac function, depression, anxiety, irritability, frustration, insomnia, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and tinnitus.
Pulsed transmissions are the type that most actively disrupts brain function. For more information, please see http://tinyurl.com/55286a and also download Professor Andrew Goldsworthy’s executive summary of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields at www.radiationresearch.org/research.asp/. Some important points include:
1. Well-replicated studies show that weak electromagnetic fields remove calcium ions bound to the membranes of living cells, making them more likely to tear, develop temporary pores and leak. (This “binding” is electrical in nature. This is why EMF and RF can disrupt it, disrupting calcium metabolism.)
2. DNAase (an enzyme that destroys DNA) leaking through the membranes of lysosomes (small bodies in living cells packed with digestive enzymes) explains the fragmentation of DNA seen in cells exposed to mobile phone signals. When this occurs in the germ line (the cells that give rise to eggs and sperm), it reduces fertility and predicts genetic damage in future generations. This leakage can have all sorts of unwanted biological effects totally unconnected with their so-called thermal effects. These include allowing foreign materials, such as toxins, carcinogens and allergens to enter cells more easily. Also, the leakage of digestive enzymes through their internal membranes can damage the DNA, leading to the formation of genetically aberrant cells. When this occurs in the sex organs, there is a loss of fertility. Also, genetically damaged cells in any part of the body can be carcinogenic, although this may not become evident until later in life when the natural ability of the immune system to deal with them deteriorates.
3. Leakage of calcium ions into the cytosol (the main part of the cell) acts as a metabolic stimulant, which promotes the growth of tumors.
4. Leakage of calcium ions into neurones (brain cells) makes them more inclined to transmit nerve impulses. This makes the brain hyperactive so that it is more difficult to get to sleep and we may get stress headaches, pain and other neurological symptoms. It also degrades the signal-to-noise ratio of the brain making it less likely to respond adequately to weak stimuli.This may cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In adults, it may be partly responsible for the increased accident rate when people use cell phones while driving. You are four times more likely to have an accident, even with hands-free types. Another effect of brain hyperactivity is to speed our reaction times to outside stimulation. However, because some of the nerve impulses are false, it tends also to cloud our thinking; we lose concentration and become more easily distracted.
Although electrically sensitive individuals experience symptoms upon exposure, others are likely to experience them gradually, as the biological effects of exposure are cumulative. We will have to pick up the pieces as people’s health deteriorates, their ability to do work that requires concentration declines and learning disability problems in children increase. It will be much more costly in the long run to deal with the health problems than it would be to take our time and consider a way to lessen exposures of this kind, such as by having these systems report over the phone line, via fiber optics or (at the very least) have the transmitter turn on only when the mobile data-collecting unit is at work in the area, then turn off again.
No one wants to be put at a greater risk of developing cancer and people with ES certainly don’t want to be exposed to more radiation. The money We Energy saves won’t be worth the price we will pay.
We Energies does not have a right to summarily inform us that they are about to fasten a radio-broadcasting unit to our home. They ought to be requesting permission. And we have every right to refuse.
I called the 800 number on the card we were sent and was told that we “had to” have this unit attached to our home. When I replied that we certainly do not have to, I was put on hold. After a few minutes the employee returned and informed me that they will not attach this broadcaster to our home, but will read our meter as usual.
In the best interest of your health, you may wish to do the same.
Shivani Arjuna
www.LifeEnergies.com