SmartMeters have many drawbacks for consumers but a recent New York Times articles asks
"... are they actually dangerous? A study released last week by environmental consulting firm Sage Associates contends that they are. The report claims violations of federal emissions standards at a variety of distances from the meters and argues that the devices are more dangerous when grouped together and when coupled with other wireless technologies. "Indiscriminate exposure to environmentally ubiquitous pulsed RF from the rollout of millions of new RF sources (smart meters) will mean far greater general population exposures, and potential health consequences," the study says. As more and more utilities move to this type of metering to help save on their costs and manipulate your energy usage too,
you might want to consider the issues and how they can impact your life and health.
EMF Backlash: Cell towers and SmartMeters from Natural Notes by herbalYODA
UPDATE: 10 August - Clothing that stalks you: Wal-Mart employees will not be removing the RFID tags when items are sold or deactivating the tags > read more UPDATE: 1 August - As WIFI and other wireless devices escalate so do reports of increasing health risk.
Pulse-modulated microwave emissions from masts and mobile phones
Report on a cancer cluster in an antenna ranges facility
Cancer Mortality near Air Force Bases (include airfields in general)
And note that those RFID tag readers in WalMart - they do read your RFID enhanced (and hackable) driver's license data too.
I've been involved in researching and educating about EMF (electro-magnetic fields) since the mid/late 90s when I helped stop a cell phone tower at the school in my small Cascade foothills town in Washington state.
As EMF exposure escalates so does the science and so does health risk.
Cellular carriers do know the problems but don't usually include it in marketing material. The data can be found in their patent applications if you really want to learn more about the issues. This concern has led to the newly passed legislation in some areas that now required radiation data to be provided withe phones and other similar type appliances you can can buy. And this isn't limited to phones, it does apply to all wireless applications.
In 2004 I taught a class on the technology and increasing problems with the ability to diagnose health complaints. This group of health professionals was aghast when I relayed all of the known health concerns that had been identified from EMF exposure in the scientific literature dating back to the 1940s. Much of this had been classified in Navy archives, but had been released in the 90s.
Fast forward to Arizona and 2010.
Not too long ago I noticed a parent in group in Gilbert taking a very courageous tack against the school board regarding erection of a cell tower on an elementary school yard. Being a bit courageous myself, I sent some information to the group. So far that cell tower is tabled. I noticed an older article on azcentral from 2007 about a cell tower going up at another school. Then I found even more reporting on the proliferation of cell towers throughout the area. Yikes! Do I need to carry a tin foil hat with me now?
Perhaps the money is the lure, but, unwittingly, those who allow these applications may not be fully educated about the risk, and the cell phone companies like it that way.
This takes me a step further in my plan to be in the area soon so I started researching utilities for the area where I'll be. I noticed that SRP was the power company for my area and they are involved in a change over to SmartMeters.
SmartMeters meters use wireless technology that sends out short, high intensity bursts (pulsing) of microwave radiation that communicates your energy use data to the utility. With very little public input meters get installed and thus begins the influx of complaints about inaccurate bills and even spontaneous combustion of the meters. Some governments have wisely responded by planning to place a moratorium on further installations. Read about the risk of almost constantly emitting pulses from the SmartMeter here and here. I'm not opposed to progress or new technology, but I am a proponent of the precautionary principle. I fall back to "precaution" from my days as a Planning Commissioner and member of the Health and Environment Commission in places where I have lived in the past.
I believe there does need to be an effort by those who are elected to represent the people in any community to require companies that develop and manufacture the technology, and those who introduce them into daily life, to prove the technology is safe before it is globally implemented.
So far the batting average weighs on the side of higher health risk with wireless. Be forewarned.
And to see just how viral EMF is becoming, read my post about tagged clothing that tracks you...
