Smart Meter Madness
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
By John Cornish

In Melbourne it is common to find a bed-head up against a bedroom wall with an electrical meter immediately on the outside. In this case it seems possible that for people sleeping in close proximity to a smart meter on the outside wall, their RF exposures may be significantly in excess of a Swiss transmitter study that found increased nervousness, difficulty in falling asleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, general weakness and joint pains. Sleep disturbance was associated with a maximum exposure of 1.85 uW/cm2 and a mean night-time exposure of less than 0.7 uW/cm2.
A recent Melbourne study revealed frequent RF spikes every few seconds that are of far greater intensity – (up to 36.4 uW/cm2)
Higher amounts of electromagnetic field radiation is a huge public health issue for Melbourne (and elsewhere), given the ubiquitous roll-out of the meters. This should call for an immediate halt to the roll-out and a commencement of independent research to determine the extent of people’s exposures, especially when a smart meter is in close proximity to a bedroom. Symptoms reported and their actual home RF exposure levels would be a good start. The BIG question: Is there a research organisation left in Australia that is not financially dependent on $$$ handouts from the corporations promoting smart meter technology?
The Victorian Government is trying to convince us that smart meters are good for us. We should not blindly accept what official sources tell us. In the 1940s governments were saying there was no proven evidence to suggest that smoking was harmful to health, and smoking was deemed to be a safe activity. Tobacco companies knew of the dangers but protected their financial interests by remaining silent over the health risks of smoking. In the 1960s asbestos was still being manufactured and sold to an unsuspecting public even though governments and asbestos manufacturers had known of the dangers of this product for many years. We must not allow the smart meter madness to saturate our region with heightened levels of EMF radiation and endanger the lives of our men, women and most vulnerable children.
Many shires in the USA have had enough of the smart meter nonsense and legislated against further roll-outs in their county. Others have legislated to allow people to opt out of having to accept the devices without financial penalty.
Why is Australia behind other countries in acknowledging the health dangers of ever increasing levels of electro magnetic radiation on the population?

Smart Meter Safety
Sunday, 29 July 2012
By Sarah Elliott

Hugo Armstrong, of CitiPower and Powercorp Australia, states correctly in his letter (The Guardian July 27) that there is a lot of inaccurate information circulating with regard to Smart Meters. There is no doubt that this is true, given that the wider community does not have the resources or education to ensure that they are well informed. He goes on to cite that Smart Meters and their levels of electromagnetic and radio frequency emissions have been found to be safe. What Mr Armstrong does not address, are the concerns regarding the cumulative effects of EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation), which are becoming increasingly well documented by leading world scientists, including those who have had involvement in the World Health Organisation. The WHO has (in May 2011) acknowledged via an IARC designation that this form of wireless technology is “possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)”.
Most of us do not realize that the physiological functions in human beings (as in all living organisms) are electrochemical in nature. Dr Magda Havas PhD, an Associate Professor of Environmental & Resource Studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, has worked in the field of EMF for many years. Her research investigates the biological effects (both positive and negative) of electromagnetic energy. Many of her credible findings are not to be ignored.
The Swedish government have officially recognised EMR Sensitivity as a disability. Highly respected Professor Olle Johannsson PhD, who has worked alongside Nobel laureates, has been instrumental in providing years of research to highlight the impact of EMR.
The Swiss Government has enforced some of the world’s strictest radiation guidelines. One only need to look to Swisscom, the government owned telecommunications provider, who have exercised extreme caution with regard to EMR, including the provision of cable networks rather than wireless WiFi to its schools’ computer systems. To counterbalance such technologies as smart meters, the government has released many standards and advices to its citizens, who as a result are well informed and can exercise due caution. In Victoria, however, it has been admitted that the Government and power companies have not done well in this regard. Switzerland is the home of the WHO, and their caution is to be noted.
The concern is that we are all being exposed to a new potential carcinogen bombarding us daily in our homes. Until the present time we have all had a choice as to how much EMR exposure we allow into our home life. At the local Smart Meter information meeting the Powercor representative, in defeated tones, alluded to the fact that in time, smart meter technologies will also be used to track our water and gas usage. Such devices remove our choice in the matter.
Are we all going to use the let’s wait and see attitude, and allow these extra invisible challenges to our health and immune systems? I’d rather have a choice in this matter.
Mr Armstrong, should I abandon the wireless technologies I have control of in my home for one that I have no wish for, in order to try to balance the cumulative effect on my family? Would my power bill be any cheaper if I did??