Health
Hazards Linked to Utility Meters Part 1
Smart Meter Radiation Protection
Smart Meter Radiation Shield
‘Smart’ units blamed for sleep troubles, stress,
headaches, heart problems
Steve Elwart, P.E., Ph.D., is the executive research analyst
with the Koinonia Institute and a subject matter expert for
the Department of Homeland Security. He can be contacted at
steve.elwart@studycenter.com.
Editor’s Note: This
is the final article in a series about smart meters and the
technology that critics fear could allow utilities and
government to monitor how and for what reason energy is used
inside your home. The
first article explained the “other purposes” government has
for the technology. The
second article discussed the dangers from meters that
explode or ignite.
Smart meters have been associated with privacy issues,
data security issues, and fire safety issues, but the
biggest danger from RF (radio frequency) meters may be from
the signals they give off while reporting their data to the
central utility office.
A study conducted by the industry group, the Electric Power
Research Institute, concluded that in their tests the radio
frequency emissions of smart meters are well within federal
safety guidelines. A Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) study
titled, “Summary
Discussion of RF Fields and the PG&E SmartMeter™ System” concluded
that smart meters are “are in full compliance with Federal
Communications Commission regulations by a very wide
margin.”
But are they? Many people would disagree.
Joe Esposito from Owasso, Okla., had a smart meter installed
on his home in 2011 as part of a pilot program developed by
the Public Service Company of Oklahoma. Even though he asked
that a meter not be installed on his home, Esposito found
one mounted on the side of his house when he came home from
work.
It was then his health problems started. Esposito started
experiencing dental problems, from aching teeth to a
constant tingling sensation. He also started to experience
aches in his leg which only got worse at night.
After watching a video titled “Smart
Meters & EMR: The Health Crisis of Our Time”
by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, Esposito followed the advice in
the video and installed some lead sheeting around the meter
on the outside of his house. The results were dramatic. He
had the first good night’s sleep in months and the pain in
his leg was gone. Additional protection inside the home
added later gave relief from many of his other symptoms. As
an experiment, he would sometimes sleep without the
protection and his pains would return.
Joe Esposito’s experience is not unique. Thousands of people
have reported ringing in the ears, insomnia, headaches,
dizziness, nausea, heart irregularities, memory loss, and
anxiety after a smart meter was installed on their house or
business.
According to a survey conducted
by Dr. Ed Halteman, Ph.D., the number of people in the
survey who had sleep problems doubled after smart meters
were installed.
The survey also indicated that the top health issues
suffered by the 318 residents in the survey who had smart
meters installed on or near the home included sleep problems
(49 percent), stress (43 percent), headaches (40 percent),
ringing in the ears (38 percent) and heart problems (26
percent).
In May of 2011, the World Health Organization officially
recognized that wireless radiation such as emitted by smart
meters is a possible carcinogen.
People who also suffer from Electromagnetic Sensitivity (ES)
also seem especially vulnerable to the effects of smart
meters.
In recent years, there has been a 60-fold increase in cases
of autism which may be explained by changes in the
environment. A study by the Association for Comprehensive
NeuroTherapy reports that there may be a correlation between
fetal (pre-natal) or neo-natal (new-born) exposures to
radiofrequency radiation and the increase in the incidents
of autism.
Another phenomenon reported by smart meter users was the
absence of pollinators in their yards. Residents report the
absence of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other small
insects since the meters were installed. (Some studies are
reporting that RF radiation may be a contributing factor to
Colony Collapse Disorder experienced in beehives.)
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has
released a report titled “Electromagnetic
and Radiofrequency Fields Effect on Human Health” which
warns people with a number of medical conditions to avoid
smart meters and has also requested that the Public
Utilities Commission of California impose “an
immediate and complete moratorium on their [smart meter]
use.”
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