We Shut Down PG&E Smart Meter Installation in Santa Cruz County Today!

Come and join us tomorrow (Friday) morning and every morning until the County protects the citizens and passes an emergency ordinance banning ‘smart’ meters in Santa Cruz County.  Call your supervisor at (831) 454-2200 and demand that they act ASAP!

PROTESTERS HALT SMART METER INSTALLATION IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

PG&E Contractor Wellington Energy Backs Down as Local Governments Unite Against Meters

Early Thursday morning, outraged Santa Cruz County residents gathered at the gates of Wellington Energy at 38th and Portola in Capitola to protest what they say is a forced installation of radiating ‘smart’ meters against the will of residents and nearly two dozen local governments throughout the Greater Bay Area.  Despite the fact that the $2.2 billion program is being funded by ratepayers, and the new meters installed on people’s homes, there has been virtually no public consultation in advance of what PG&E itself admits is one of the largest rollouts of technology in history.

PG&E’s smart meter troubles have mounted significantly this week.  Tuesday night, the City of Novato demanded a halt to the program, and Watsonville unanimously passed the most stringent law in the state banning smart meters within city limits, following the lead of Fairfax in Marin County.  Santa Cruz County, Capitola and numerous other local governments throughout the state are planning to follow their lead, responding to inaction by PG&E and the CA Public Utilities Commission in the face of peer-reviewed scientific studies that suggest the meters may have serious unintended health consequences, similar to cell phones which have been linked with brain tumors in many recent studies.[1]

Heidi Bazzano, one of the protesters at 38th and Portola this morning, said, “there are so many problems with ‘smart’ meters. PG&E, the government, and any hacker worth his salt will know when you wake up, what appliances you use, when you go on vacation.  The meters overcharge people, increase carbon emissions, expose us to EMF which is a confirmed carcinogen, and worst of all, we’re paying for them through hikes in our electric rates!”

Those who are electrically sensitive have reported that the intense bursts of radiation from ‘smart’ meters are amongst the worst they have ever experienced.  People throughout the state have been reporting headaches, nausea, dizziness, sleep disruption and other health impacts after smart meters are installed.   PG&E has declined to remove the new meters even though they are causing adverse health impacts, leading some local residents to flee the state and stay with relatives.  Some have even been forced into homelessness, living in their cars with the hope that their smart meter will be removed.

In addition, plans to charge customers more during peak times have been condemned by consumer groups.  The elderly, invalid, and people with small children are typically unable to avoid using energy during peak times, especially during winter and daylight savings time. These vulnerable populations will be penalized the most by being forced to pay dramatically increased rates during peak times.

Protesters vow to continue their protests at the former Big Creek lumber site at 38th and Portola in Capitola until the County of Santa Cruz passes an emergency ordinance banning smart meters in the County.

The following local governments, politicians, and organizations are calling for a moratorium, have enacted a ban, or are opposing Smart Meters:

The Utility Reform Network, State Senator Dean Florez, the City and County of San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Marin County Board of Supervisors, Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo, the cities of Sebastopol, Berkeley, Cotati, Fairfax, Santa Cruz, Piedmont, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Watsonville, Sausalito, Belvedere, Monte Sereno, Novato, Richmond, Ross, Bolinas, Camp Meeker, the Peace and Freedom Party, the Marin Association of Realtors and The EMF Safety Network.

Details of tomorrow’s emergency protest:

Where: Corner of 38th and Portola, Capitola

When:  Friday, August 27th 7:30am- 9:30am or longer


[1] http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59296/title/Interphone_study_finds_hints_of_brain_cancer_risk_in_heavy_cell-phone_users

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24 Responses to We Shut Down PG&E Smart Meter Installation in Santa Cruz County Today!

  1. Terri says:

    Wow, fantastic. Good job!

  2. Ralph Florea says:

    Good luck pulling that off the next time Josh. BTW, the rest of the interphone study says there is no evidence of cell phone causing brain cancer when used at normal levels. smart meters don’t even come close to the RF levels of a cell phone. Get back on your bike to chase ARCO issues.

  3. James says:

    I see at least thirty trucks every time I drive by that facility. Way to go. You’ve stopped an insignificant percentage of work for one day and, at the same time, managed to take a day’s pay from at least thirty workers and their families. Good job. Continued obstruction probably will not stop this rollout at all, but you’ll at least delay it by forcing all of those workers onto unemployment. Your protest is doing a great disservice to both the economy and the rights of those workers to earn for their families.

    • onthelevelblog says:

      Hi James, the information we have is that all the Wellington workers received full pay for the days the facility was shut down. Essentially, they got a paid four day weekend, and Santa Cruz County got a reprieve from PG&E’s wireless assault. We have been in touch with the union and have presented them with information on the health risks associated with this technology. The workers- like the rest of us- have much to lose. Once their temporary health insurance runs out, they will be left to pay for the health damage that the wireless meters may cause on their own. We stand in solidarity with the workers who are suffering at the hands of a corporate policy that does not give a damn about human health, the environment, or our long term financial wellbeing. Keep in mind that these smart meters will eliminate over 1000 steady meter reading jobs throughout the state.

      • Mike says:

        Actually Your wrong they do not get paid if they don’t work, so every day your preventing these workers from working they don’t get paid, and they have a 3 day weekend and cell phone produce way more rf signals then the smart meters could ever produce, and the meter readers will be training for new positions for pg&e they will not be losing their jobs, pg&e is very good about keeping workers.

  4. SANDAURA says:

    Kudos from Massachusetts!!!! We must all connect and work together in order to get back our human rights, stolen from us over 100 years ago, by continuing to put pressure on our legistlatures, so they are working for us and not the Corporate Culture, who choose profit over safety and common sense. The youtube link will reveal our struggles in dealing with the utilities, Massachusetts regulatory agencies and Federal Gov’t.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLtygxIaFs

    PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE-When we speak of the benefits of alternative energy and wireless technology, we are unleashing a dragon who’s head can’t be cut off easily after the fact. I am speaking about the proper impact studies of the wireless microwave pulsing in our environment and its health risk on humans, animals and wildlife. Pre market testing has NEVER been done on cell phones. How do you study children’s exposure to wireless radiation..by waiting 10-20 years and then count the carnage?
    Wind power is no different. It sounds good on paper to the untrained, uneducated eye. Once you begin an awareness into the issues of dirty electricity, non ionizing radiation, microwave pulsing, it changes how one views the safety, protection, exposure limits and regulatory over sight of all these technologies. .Awareness, education, safety first, profits second. Corporate culture has it backwards. People are raising good arguments; common sense being ignored.

  5. Mike says:

    Oh and another thing their has not been any cold hard evidence that the smart meters affect peoples health, or that people have had headaches that’s all rumors and BS.

    • Michelle says:

      That is your opinion. Of course the same was said about nuclear testing in the Nevada desert. Not that you would care, until you get cancer.

  6. Marcus Schluschen says:

    Bravo, keep up the fight!

    It is time the public is made aware that not all modern technology is safe!

    My wife is a sufferer of electronic sensitivity. Most are not aware how hideous EHS really is and how life altering it can be. It hits people of all age groups and professions.
    The dangers are real and smart meters will compound the suffering of many.
    It is a most brutal physical assault for those who suffer from EMS.

    For a small sampling of how EMR negatively effects the human body, check out the
    FREIBURGER APPEAL. Over 6500 medical doctors and scientists have signed this appeal which started in 2002 in Germany. Scientists and doctors from other countries are now joining in.

  7. James says:

    Marcus, while EHS may be a very real and awful affliction, a cursory exam of the Freiburger Appeal doesn’t seem to show any scientific data. It is not a study of the effects of EMR, rather an appeal for such a study. If there are in fact studies that reliably connect EHS to EMR exposure, please link them. I’m looking for these and have only found that the medical community regards EHS as a collection of inconsistent symptoms, the sufferers of which have not been able to detect EMFs in any reliable study. I’m not disputing EHS’s existence, just looking for the data that connects it to the EMR levels found around a SmartMeter.

    • mike says:

      haha, its not my opinion its a fact i have actually gone out and tested the meters to see how powerful of a radiation it was and it was a lot weaker than my phone, what proof do you have, other than lies about getting headaches, and yes sometimes some people get bills that are higher than usual and thats because some of those meters are over 30 years old and they dont work properly anymore and because some of those meters are tampered with so once you put a new meter in that works perfectly well the bill goes up because its reading the current correctly. so get your facts right!

  8. Marcus Schluschen says:

    James,
    I fully understand that you have doubts. If it was not for my wife’s EHS affliction, I would never have believed that modern technologies are not safe.

    The Freiburger Appeal is only the tip of the iceberg. You are mistaken that no scientific tests have been conducted by members of the Appeal. I mentioned the Freiburger Appeal for those who are not familiar with the subject, how radiation of modern technologies negatively effect the human body.

    Several thousand independent studies have proven, there is NO SAFE level of radiation! As one researcher put it: “It is wishful thinking, to believe that radiation does no harm to the human body over a period of time.”

    For more in depth information on this subject, check out:

    http://www.magdahavas.com

    http://www.citizensforsafetechnology.org

    Incidentally, the U.S. and British governments had knowledge of this already back in the 50’s and 60’s, that even at low levels of radiation, negative health consequences will occur over a period of time.
    Some research documents were recently made public.

    Some former researchers such as, Dr. Rory Glaser (U.S.)
    and Dr. Barrie Trower (Great Britain) are now speaking out about this cover up.

  9. James says:

    Marcus, I made an error in initially requesting studies that show a connection between EHS and EMR exposure. That is just a little vague. For that I’m sorry, and I’ll try to be more specific here.
    At the end of my message, I specifically asked for data linking EHS to exposure to EMR levels found around a Smart Meter.
    It’s obvious the scientists and doctors who’ve signed the Freiburger Appeal conduct tests and studies. They are scientists and doctors! However, the Appeal has nothing to do with Smart Meters.
    None of the links on this blog have anything to do with the level of EMR found around a Smart Meter. The links you provided are for cell transmission tower radiation. Radiation at that level is far too high to be deemed safe within 20 miles of a school or residential neighborhood. But that is not the level of radiation found around a Smart Meter. At 45 seconds a day, with less power than a cell phone, the Smart Meters do nothing.
    To say there are no safe levels of radiation is obvious. But is it practical? It’s absolutely absurd to suggest that we not stand within 50 feet of a person using a cell phone, to avoid public roads where transformers are mounted on almost every power poll, to never use a microwave, television, or computer, or to ever walk outside on a sunny day.
    Are all modern technologies safe? Absolutely not! That’s why you shouldn’t spend hours a day on your cell phone, sit in a wi-fi enabled cafe surfing the internet all your life, or, more relevant to this conversation, live within six inches of a Smart Meter for 24 hours a day for the next 1,000 years.

  10. Marcus Schluschen says:

    James,

    I am sure that if you follow the links you will find what you are looking for.
    More information can be found on weepinitiative.org

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  12. Dan says:

    I was amazed when I found out that smart meters could possibly affect some people.
    I can’t remember exactly when it started but my hearing has changed with a wierd kinda high pitch ringing when turning up the volume on tv radio etc almost to a point where it hurts. All I know is that my hearing isn’t the same and I can’t hear as well.
    I was also involved in a rearend accident that I assumed was the problem to my hearing change around the time so it’s anyones guess.
    I’m not saying that the smart meters are causing my problems but it is intresting to know of this and I guess I need to do more investagating before I can place any blame.
    Just my thoughts and I thank the general public for taking a stand in case the meters are causing old guys like me one more problem with growing old..
    I do not suffer any other of the symtoms except sleep problems and terrible headaches now but I will check and see if the meters were installed around the same time as the accident I was involved in.
    I have never been one to get headaches so I have to wonder.
    Dan

    • onthelevelblog says:

      Thank you for telling your story Dan. So many people are coming forward with similar symptoms- the media needs to start covering this and the CPUC and PG&E need to be held accountable for their lack of planning and consultation. If the proper precautions had been put in place, regular people from all over the state would not be paying the price now.

  13. Rob says:

    Mike wrote: “their (sic) has not been any hard evidence that the smart meters affect peoples health, or that people have had headaches that’s all rumors and BS”.
    ——-
    Mike obviously hasn’t read the published research on the damaging effects of microwave radiation (the same radiation that ‘smart’ meters/wi-fi devices emit).
    Check out: http://www.straaling.dk/scientific_research.php

  14. sajmri says:

    well I wha to to how how today it going up with humans every day lif by he way thee usto say about life metar so what to know the new genereations but hay thee usto say much but not things have happend at all we the usto say so how to Iknow this pne thee you to liey to them self but we are alnly hemau the way they treat us all hay be your self it days meat what thee usto say about this days Sajmir

  15. Laura says:

    That’s great. But I am trying to get smart meters removed and not getting any response. children and the rest of us are living under these conditions, without warning. the effects have been disturbing. Any advice about the process of smart meter removal is greatly appriciated.

    • Hi Laura, see current article about the faraday cage that Jen Pleasant installed- also a handful of people have been successful at having PG&E remove their smart meters- in cases of electronic interference (not human interference). Come to the PUC meeting this Thursday in San Francisco 9am 505 Van Ness and make your demand directly to the commissioners. Don’t take no for an answer! Inform your neighbors, take it to the Governor if you have to. We need to come together to reject the insanity of the wireless meter program.

  16. michael harrington says:

    Hi, Anyone know how to get these uninstalled…the covertly and unlawfully entered our property on King Street in santa cruz and installed the meter…immediately I fell ill with chronic fatigue. Please help me get this meter out of here….Thanks, Michael

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