1) In Ontario, people are in health crises because of the high cost of electricity forcing many to choose between electricity and feeding their families. And Ontario has had smeters for many years. Where are the benefits that were promised? Hydro One’s most recent rate increase was effective May 1 because people hadn’t used enough electricity over the winter!!! Wait until this winter – even less will be used and the rate increase next spring will be even larger.
“Dobbyn said things have become so bad for certain residents that this has evolved from an issue of social housing and affordability to one of public health and safety.
“We have had people admitted to the hospital for a mental health crisis because of their utility bills,” said Dobbyn.
http://globalnews.ca/news/2808094/sky-high-hydro-rates-an-absolute-crisis-for-rural-ontario/
2) Protests in South Africa to stop installation of $$meters because of the high costs.
http://www.dailysun.co.za/News/National/no-to-smart-meters-20160706
3) In Los Angeles, the street poles are being replaced with “$$mart poles” which can house several cell phone transmitters, increasing the RF level immensely and in areas near homes, schools, hospitals. This will leave the city and community with no consultation or control over the siting of cell transmitters – they will be everywhere.
“Mobile phone coverage is also being improved as a result of the smart city initiative. Existing streetlight poles are being replaced with smartpoles. The city has already replaced 95 such poles during the past year, and approximately 500 additional poles will be installed during the next four years, Ebrahimian said.
The smartpoles include 4G LTE wireless technology, and improve cell phone usage in the densely populated city.
“We replace the entire pole and install a brand new pole which is a little big bigger, but has accommodation for small cells in the upper part of the pole where the arm of the fixture is located. Where the lower part of the street light is, there is a cabinet and there is room to install various equipment especially for cell phone carriers,” he explained.”
4) Computer repair person forced to quit because of EHS. Please read the comments at the end of this article from other IT people who have become sensitive – there are several in our own group.
“A KIDDERMINSTER man who fixes computers and phones for a living says he has been forced to close his repair business of 20 years as technology has made him ill.
Richard Kimberley, 36, is shutting csmicros on July 22 after claiming radiation signals from wireless technology has given him a rare condition known as electro-hypersensitivity (EHS).
He says he suffers from black outs, headaches and tiredness as a result of working with phones, computers and Wi-Fi signals on a regular basis since launching his business in 1996.”
5) Non-$$meter. A member sent this video about how Microsoft 10 invades your privacy in many different ways. How can this be legal?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLiozMpqV80
6) The Santa Clara Medical Association and Monterey County Medical Society in California are very concerned about the efforts by the phone companies to eliminate landlines, forcing everyone to have a cell phone. A letter written to the legislators explaining the importance of maintaining land lines is at:
https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/AB2395-letter-Appropriations-Comm.pdf
As well, there is an article on page 26 of their monthly bulletin at:
http://www.sccma-mcms.org/NewsEvents/BulletinMemberMagazine.aspx.
Could this be Telus’s next step after putting microcell transmitters on poles outside every home? If you want to see what these look like, here are some photos provided by members across the province:
http://emrabc.ca/?page_id=7467
7) AN EHS INCIDENT: A member sent a warning as a result of his wife having minor surgery this week. She is so sensitive to RF that they have moved to an area where she is safe from cell towers and neighbours with wireless devices. Upon going into the Wi-Fi-loaded hospital, her blood pressure spiked to levels which were considered dangerous. The BP continued to increase during her visit to the hospital, and did not begin to reduce until she returned home. It took quite some time for it to return to normal. Apparently, before this happened, she was not aware that her BP increased when exposed to Wi-Fi, but she got a BP monitor. Over the last couple of days, every time she has gone into a store with Wi-Fi, her BP has increased to dangerous levels. She is going to monitor her BP a few times each day at home and record the occurrences when she is exposed to Wi-Fi. The member has suggested that others, especially those who are sensitive, do the same.
Not everyone who is sensitive experiences the same symptoms to the same exposures, but if others experience similar BP increases, this would be evidence that even our Provincial Health Officer would be hard pressed to ignore. This is a measurable, “medically recognized” response. Monitors are available at any drug store and are not expensive.
Please, if you do test and find that your BP changes when exposed to Wi-Fi or RF from some other wireless device, let me know. We need to figure out how to gather this info on a regular basis and share. Send me an email with “BP monitor” on the subject line.
Letters:
From: X
Sent: July 06, 2016
To: Sharon Noble
Subject: FW: BC Hydro Forces Smart Meter
Hi Sharon. I just wrote the Auditor General. Please continue to encourage others to do the same. I am sick and tired of what appears to be oppression by BC Hydro and of our own Government allowing it to happen when they promised NO ONE would be forced to take a smart meter. BCUC can’t help us so I agree with other perhaps the Auditor General of BC representing well being of the people of BC will take a stand. Somebody in government has to stand for us!! If you want to print this without my name and email that would be fine.
Thanks, X
= = =
From: X
Sent: July 06, 2016
To: ‘bcauditor@bcauditor.com’
Subject: BC Hydro Forces Smart Meter
To : Auditor General of BC
It is my understanding that it is your mission is to provide independent assurance and advice to the Legislative Assembly, Government and the Public Service for the well-being of the people of British Columbia.
I would like to say that to live in one’s own home should afford the right to NOT be forced to have a smart meter put on one’s OWN home when there is a long time proven safe device, the analog meter available. This is our own personal space…our home….that no one should be controlling putting on a device, known to be a danger. Surely I should have the right to protect our family’s health and safety. I had hoped that BCUC would step in here and advocate for the rights of the citizens as should be their mandate….but unfortunately…particular projects have been removed from their oversight as it appears their hands are tied because the government has allowed this smart meter project to be overseen solely by BC Hydro. What then is the point of having BCUC, an office that was implemented to protect consumers, tax payers of BC. It appears with BC Hydro’s new found powers given to them by the government that they could care less about each individual’s choice on the issue of a smart meter verses an analog. It appears BC Hydro don’t have to care, the Government has allowed them to continue on even though its citizens have spoken out with justifications of NOT wanting the Smart Meter for health and safety reasons. I have written several letters to BC Hydro indicating my position on this and they simply write back that I DO NOT have the choice of keeping an Analog meter…and they will FORCE me to take a Radio-Off which is still a meter that is harmful to my health and safety as you will see here in this article I read and info shared with me:
“http://www.smartmetereducationnetwork.com/dirty-electricity-and-smart-meters.php
What Is the Opt-Out Meter? Except for the disabling of a single radio transmitter, the smart meter and the opt-out meter are exactly the same.
DTE’s so-called opt-out meter is just a smart meter with the wireless turned off. Turning off one of the two wireless (radiofrequency) transmitters will not solve the health or privacy problems associated with these meters. Wireless transmissions are not the only health hazard of a smart meter. Smart meters—whether or not their radio-transmitter is disabled—generate dirty electricity (line noise) that travels through your home’s wiring, creating a harmful magnetic field that radiates out into your living area. People who have the opt-out meter are experiencing the same health problems as people with smart meters, just to a slightly lesser degree. Some families have removed their opt-out meters and replaced them with analog meters because the opt-out meter made them very ill.
Let us reiterate: DTE’s opt-out meter is still a smart meter. The only difference between the DTE “opt-out” smart meter and the “regular” smart meter is that one of the two wireless radio transmitters is turned off in the opt-out meter. Except for the disabling of a single radio transmitter, the smart meter and the opt-out meter are exactly the same.”
There are numerous scientific reports regarding the dangers of EMF (electro-magnetic fields) and wireless technology out there ….but it appears that the public at large are not being disclosed the full details about the risks of same. (Wifi , baby monitors, cell phones, hand held phones..etc.etc)…it’s everywhere……technology advancement is great….and all of these devices are loved by people including me BUT I would guess that is the case ONLY if all these people believe it is safe technology.
Our government officials and representatives have a duty to their citizens to warn and work to protect us from known dangers. They need to find other technological options that are safer. They need to stop the technology provided by an industry now making billions of dollars of revenue from the sale of these dangerous products…and FIND safe technology to replace it. There will be huge resistance of course to this from that industry. Look at the Tobacco companies years ago……..and how many people were harmed being told that smoking wasn’t dangerous and promoting smoking for many years…….to eventually the laws in place today. Governments shouldn’t allow this just because people love these devices…..somehow making it all OK. . Lots of people loved smoking years ago….but once they understood the dangers….the mind set around it changed drastically. Of course people want devices that are so convenient and enjoyable…….BUT it is not right to allow dangerous technology to continue especially now that some of the dangers are known by the leaders of our country. NOW is the time to act before any more suffering occurs…..for some it is already too late!
May 11, 2015, at least 220 of the world’s leading experts on EMF (electro-magnetic fields) from 41 countries have signed the “International EMF Scientists Appeal” which was addressed, by name, to the Secretary General of the United Nations, to all UN-member countries and to the Director General of the WHO, urging them all to: “Protect mankind and wildlife from electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) and wireless technology.” http://www.iemfa.org/emf-scientist-appeal-to-the-united-nations/.
My more specific concerns to you over and above the devastating dangers of EMF… are:
(a) being forced to take a Smart Meter by BC Hydro even though Hon. Bill Bennet told BC citizens that no one would be forced to take a smart meter.
(b) NO help allowed from BCUC as it appears the government decides which projects BCUC can deal with…. without considering the public’s position.
Here are a couple copies of letters I have seen that make a lot of sense and relate to my concerns and so I am providing under quote below:
1.
Subject: Scrutinize or get out …. “Let me just add, that a public watch dog that can pick and choose items to scrutinize, according to the current government’s wishes (not public interest) is less than useless! It smells of corruption in some upper levels of the political stratosphere.
We fought and defeated the earlier Site C project in the 80s. Food is more important than more hydro power. How about some wind turbines instead. Wonder if these comparables were done? If not why not? Would water for the US be the real aim?
Smart meters — well the fires are just one problem. The issue for electro hyper sensitive people like me is the devastating health effects. For example, I can’t even go to downtown Vancouver any more. Where are my constitutional and charter rights?
A good motto for you, and BCUC should be “Scrutinize all projects equally or stop wasting taxpayers’ money and retire the department!”
Sincerely,
2.
“I am wondering how the office of auditor general can form an opinion on the effectiveness of the BCUC without considering the impact of Site C and smart meters. Will the report discuss the limitations of the report given that the two largest projects have been removed from the jurisdiction of the BCUC and the impacts of that limitation?
Will your office include investigation of the reported fire hazards of smart meters? Apparently there is no consistent reporting protocol of fires associated with smart meters. Further, Hydro removes the meters before a valid investigation occurs. Will the auditor general be able to recommend/require that Hydro leave the meters in place until after a valid fire investigation has occurred?
At present, because of the removal of the two major projects from BCUC supervision and the lack of due diligence investigating fires associated with smart meters, there has been a complete loss of confidence in the BCUC’s ability to do its job. Considering the inability of BCUC to supervise the major projects, does the expense of running the BCUC exceed the benefit to the public?”
Sincerely,
I thank you for your consideration into looking into these matters. Currently..citizens of BC are being forced by BC Hydro to take a Smart meter. This appears to be what feels like “oppression” at the hands of Big business and appears they may have the support of our BC Government. I would like to see the BC Government stand for the people and for the promise made by the Hon. Bill Bennett….and allow those of us who do not want a smart meter TO NOT BE FORCED…and to continue to have the original option of an Analog meter.
Sincerely,
X
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!”
~ Bob Marley