1. The benefit of the smart meters is entirely to the
utilities, and is economic in nature. If they install smart
meters they can fire those individuals who at present are
employed to go around reading meters. Thus this is a
job-killing proposal, and will increase unemployment in a
state that already
has too much.
2. When a smart meter is installed residents have no choice
in the matter nor ability to avoid exposure. But every
individual has the option to use or not use other personal
wireless devices, until more is know about health
consequences of chronic RF exposure. There is a major
different between an exposure which an individual chooses to
accept and one that is forces on individuals who can do
nothing about it.
3. The statement “The potential for behavioral disruption
from increase body tissue temperatures is the only
biological health impact that has been consistently
demonstrated and scientifically proven to result from
absorbing RF within the band of the electromagnetic spectrum
that smart meters use” is totally wrong. In the first place
there are many adverse health effects other than “behavioral
disruption” demonstrated as a result of tissue heating. The
evidence for increased risk of brain tumors, acoustic
neuromas and parotid gland tumors in individuals who have
used a cell phone for 10 years or more is consistent, and
the tumors occur only on the side of the head where the
phone is used. There is also strong and consistent evidence
for increased risk of leukemia in individuals who live near
to high power AM radio transmission towers, even though this
report characterizes such exposures as being “quite low” and
show in Figure 7 that they are lower than the RF fields from
smart meters.
4. The statement “The scientific consensus is that body
temperatures must increase at least 1oC to lead to potential
biological impacts from the heat” is totally wrong, and
makes it obvious that no persons with medical or biological
expertise participated in this report. Every enzyme system
in the body is exquisitely sensitive to temperature, and
increases activity by even a fraction of a degree increase
in temperature. In fact all RF generates heat, and what is
defined as “nonthermal” is only a function of our ability to
measure the temperature increase.
5. The statement “While concerns of brain cancer associated
with mobile phone usage persist, there is currently no
definitive evidence linking cell phone usage with increased
incidence of cancer” is incorrect. The evidence is strong
and consistent among studies looking at long-term and
intensive
use of cell phones. The AM radio studies mentioned above are
also relevant, particularly because like smart phones radio
transmission towers give whole body radiation, not just to
the head.
6. The statement “There currently is no conclusive
scientific evidence pointing to a non-thermal
cause-and-effect between human exposure to RF emissions and
negative health impacts is inaccurate, and depends totally
on what one defines as “conclusive”. In biology and medicine
there is nothing that is 100% proven. We rely on statistical
significance and weight of evidence when drawing conclusions
about health effects. When one uses these definitions there
is conclusive scientific evidence for adverse health effects
in humans.
7. The evidence for adverse effects of radiofrequency
radiation is currently strong and grows stronger with each
new study. Wired meters with shielded cable do not increase
exposure. The report clearly indicates that “smart meters
could conceivably be adapted to non-wireless transmission of
data. However, retrofitting millions of smart meters with
hard-wired technology could be difficult and costly.”
Clearly the answer to this dilemma is not to install
wireless smart meters to begin with.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this faulty
report, and on the general issue of smart meters. Their use
is unwise from both a public health point of view, which is
where my expertise lies, but and also from a purely short
and long-term economic point of view.
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