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Indybay Feature

Stop Smart Meters! Protest in SF

by J Hart (info [at] stopsmartmeters.org)
Protests have been ramping up in SF to fight against PG&E's stupid meters. Come to the PUC meeting on Thursday March 10th at 9:30am to speak. 505 Van Ness SF.
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Utilities across the country are installing so-called ‘smart’ meters. As a result, bills are skyrocketing, health
and safety violations are being reported, and privacy in our homes is being violated.

Do we really need wireless smart meters? Decide for yourself:

Do you want an accurate, reasonably priced utility bill?

Utility customers have noticed huge increases in their bill after a ‘smart’ meter is installed- in some cases
hundreds of dollars more than usual. A study released in September by the Structure Group, who calls PG&E
one its biggest clients, claimed the meters were accurate. But the study did not examine the meters operating as
part of a mesh network as they are in the field. And overcharging continues. More: http://bit.ly/5GGIky

Do you value civil liberties and the right to privacy?

When a ‘smart’ meter is installed, your utility has access to a treasure trove of information about you- when you
wake up in the morning, when you go on vacation, what kinds of appliances you are using, etc. They will be
able to sell this information to a series of corporations- even law enforcement. Read the interview with the
Electronic Frontier Foundation about how ‘smart’ meters violate privacy: http://bit.ly/hoKAwx

Do you care about wildlife and cutting carbon emissions?

Smart meters do not result in energy savings, according to an Oxford University study: http://bit.ly/gvpYxZ
They may even increase energy consumption. There is also emerging evidence that wireless, non-ionizing
radiation (from cell phones, wifi, and ‘smart’ meters) harms wildlife and damages trees: http://scr.bi/bPT7fE

Are you concerned about job losses in this anemic economy?

PG&E claims that they are retaining 80% of their meter readers. What they don’t tell you is that several years
back, they transitioned their meter readers from full time to temporary so the job loss would not appear so drastic.
We cannot afford to lose thousands of jobs in this economy. More: http://bit.ly/eqinZf

Do you value your health, and the health of your family and friends?

Just as we’re learning that cell phone use is associated with brain tumors, why are we installing the same technology
on everyone’s homes with no right to opt out? Thousands of people have complained of tinnitus, headaches, nausea,
and sleeplessness after a ‘smart’ meter was installed. This is consistent with published studies associating these
symptoms with exposure to electromagnetic fields. Smart meters violate already high FCC limits on human exposure
to microwave radiation (see http://bit.ly/gpLQOF) and are being installed as “electro-sensitivity” skyrockets. See:
http://bit.ly/f90JLi There are also reports of ‘smart’ meter interference with pacemakers and other implants.

Are you in favor of fire regulations that put the safety of residents first?

A number of electrical fires have been caused by ‘smart’ meters. PG&E’s meters are not UL certified, as is
required by electrical code for all electric appliances within the home. Smart meters are potential ignition
sources and remove utility personnel from neighborhoods. If meter readers had been present in San Bruno,
would the gas leak have been detected? Whistleblowers allege unsafe installations: http://bit.ly/fEcvPa

Are you alarmed about the decline of our democracy and informed decisionmaking?

The conversion to ‘smart’ meters is one of the largest technology rollouts in history, and yet virtually no public
consultation with ratepayers or local governments was carried out in advance. The CA Public Utilities
Commission, an appointed (not elected) body who are meant to regulate utility companies, has ignored popular
local opposition and recklessly continues forcing ‘smart’ meters onto the people of CA. http://bit.ly/gvwbfe

SPEAK OUT! Spread the word to friends and neighbors, put a NO SMART METERS sign on your
meters, demand the CPUC and your local government TAKE ACTION, REFUSE installation, and
DEMAND REMOVAL! As of March 2011, more than 30 cities and counties in CA have demanded a
moratorium. Nine have criminalized smart meters. More ways to take action: http://bit.ly/fGCXve
More information and analysis at http://stopsmartmeters.org E-mail: info [at] stopsmartmeters.org
§
by J Hart
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Joseph
Here are some smart meter myths: http://www.energyinyourlife.com/article.php?t=100000066
by ...JR/
Joseph, amongst others.
by Ben Thompson
It's bad enough that PG$E puts out a Press Release or a statement filled with lies and the media delivers it to the public. But PG$E Corporate Management lies have been getting more easily recognized and by many more people.

So now, PG$E Corporate Management has shills come onto these sights and make comments pretending to be one of the people.

William Devereaux, the x-director of the Wireless smart meter program was caught breaking into a private customer List-serve so he was forced to resign.

But PG$E Corporate Management only know lying and cheating and deceiving and murdering children, so having their shills come onto our sights is small potatoes for them.

Can you imagine a living entity with absolutely NO morality, none - that is PG$EE Management.

PG$E'S DECEPTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.

PG$E's Management Strategy was to get the 10 million Wireless Meters deployed as fast as they could without the people knowing much, if anything, about it.

Then PG$E will make huge windfall profits (none shared with customers) by firing all the meter readers and collecting huge $ penalties from customers for reconnection service. PG$E will be able to disconnect and reconnect service remotely with the click of a mouse with the WIRELESS meters.

After installation and problems occur, PG$E will be paid to fix and solve and correct the problems, so the more problems, the more money will flow from to PG$E. And it will all be paid by customers via rate increases and all kinds of other allowances approved by the PUC.

The Attorney, Lindh, for the PUC was previously the attorney for PG$E.
The Chairman of the PUC, Peevey, was previously the President of the Utility Company.

PG$E was caught/busted/revealed prior to completion of deployment of all the 10 million WIRELESS meters.

So the current PG$E PROPAGANDA THEME is that they did a BAD JOB WITH COMMUNICATIONS.

But that is NOT true. That propaganda theme continues to cover up and disguise the REAL PROBLEMS FOR CUSTOMERS.

If PG$E communicated well from the beginning then customers would all know that:
1. The Wireless smart Meters Deployed (WMD) do NOT reduce energy usage.
2. The Wireless smart Meters Deployed (WMD) do not reduce utility bills.
3. The WMD do not facilitate renewable energy integrating into the grid.
4. The WMD jeopardize the overall effectiveness of a smart grid.
5. The WMD create security problems that WIRED smart meters do NOT.
6. The WMD create hacking opportunities for high tech home robbers.
7. The WMD create interference with other electrical and motion detector devices.
8. The WMD have started fires at homes and businesses.
9. The WMD are still suspects in the ignition of the San Bruno Fire & Explosion.
10. The WMD emit pulsed RF signal radiation 24/7 without a shut off switch. Levels of that radiation, even lower than emitted by WMD, have been observed in laboratory tests (in test tubes and the brains of lab rats) to cause CELL DAMAGE, DNA CHAIN BREAKS, BREACHES IN THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER.
11. The WMD emit pulsed radiation approximately 25,000 times per day, contrary to PG$E's claims.
12. The WMD radiation will be absorbed by and pass through our children's bodies and brains without relief in our homes, even when they are sleeping.
13. The WMD will collect personal and intimate private information from our homes and PG$E Corporate Management, the same group that killed children in Hinkley California as documented in the Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich Movie, will be the caretaker of that information. PG$E Corporate Management says they won't "Accidentally" allow our information to be stolen or lost, they won't sell or sneak it to commercial organizations that desperately want it in order to know more about our intimate use to sell us things.

PG$E Corporate Management told the families in Hinkley California that the water was safe (EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW IT WAS NOT SAFE) so the children drank it, swam in it and showered in it and then had to have operations removing organs in their bodies and suffering terrible painful paths to their deaths.

These are the same PG$E Corporate Management that are attending our city council and board of supervisor meetings and holding "Education" meetings for customers.

The PUC and the utility company in Maine are already talking about actual options to Wireless meters after only a couple months of complaints from customers while "PG$E is still "Considering it after four years." And of course PG$E is NOT including a single knowledgeable CUSTOMER in their "Considerations."

These PG$E monsters and the Chairman of the PUC, that previously was the President of the Utility Company, should be tried for crimes against nature, children and humanity.
by Avi
Thanks for the info. I like to hear what both sides have to say.
by mlf
to aaron brook, PGE claims the SM's only emit for some 45 seconds each day, that they are 1000 times weaker than the EMF's of a cell phone, that the old meters were not UL listed either, that the SM's are minimal usage of power to operate and no evidence has been shown to be health hazards to us or animals, so, who to believe?
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