What to do Next? Upcoming Events…..

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Josh Hart

Many people have been asking- what do we do next?  We have utilities that are out of control, predating on the public who are being left high and dry by the regulatory agencies and elected officials who are supposed to protect us.  People being driven from their homes by unbearable headaches, sleeplessness, tinnitus and other symptoms from the powerful bursts of wireless radiation that the FCC and CPUC insist are safe but that increasing firsthand evidence (not  to mention peer-reviewed science) says otherwise.  PG&E engaging in extortion, requiring that people pay through the nose for false, half-baked solutions when we didn’t ask for the problem meters in the first place.

An industry in overdrive pushing everything wireless, its head in the sand refusing to acknowledge the mounting health crisis that they are responsible for- while looking nervously at California, Maine and other states where people are rising up and saying enough is enough.  What can we individually do to solve our smart meter problem?  Well, if you live in California, there are a number of upcoming events that provide an opportunity to voice your support for an immediate moratorium, state hearings, and the right to retain your analog meter, or to have it replaced if you are unfortunate enough to have a wireless meter already.

Many of us are not waiting around for self-interested utilities and governments to solve the problem for us- we’re going out and doing it ourselves.   From people organizing ‘smart’ meter free zones, neighborhood teach-ins, building locking devices around their analog meters, installing shielding to reduce the radiation from their meters, to people organizing refugee camps for those made homeless by the radiation and blockades to stop installation, the solutions are out there.  It’s time to take responsibility for our communities and Do It Yourself, not wait around for useless institutions that caused this problem in the first place.

Check out our new calendar containing upcoming ‘smart’ meter related events, listed under the “How YOU can stop ‘smart’ meters” tab.  If we’re missing anything, please drop us a line.

Posted in Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, PG&E | 2 Comments

PG&E Uses Flood to Force ‘Smart’ Meters on Capitola

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Josh Hart

Capitola residents woke up to a new headache after dealing with the nightmare of a flood (photo courtesy SC Sentinel)

Pacific Gas and Electric sure knows how to rub salt in the wounds of communities who are already dealing with loss and catastrophe.  The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported last week that PG&E installed ‘smart’ meters on a number of homes and businesses damaged in the recent floods, violating the City of Capitola’s ordinance banning ‘smart’ meters, and raising the hackles of residents and business owners who- in the midst of having to recover from a disaster, now have to worry about the health impacts and violation of privacy that the meters bring.  According to Toni Castro, head of the Capitola- Soquel chamber of commerce:

“That’s really disheartening because everybody was so against those SmartMeters because of the safety issues,” she said. “There should have been some communication on PG&E’s part. They are taking advantage of a disaster that we had.”

More great PR points for our Northern California utility.  All we can say is that they’re lucky they have a monopoly.  Don’t count on that sweet cash flow nectar lasting for very long the way you are treating your customers, PG&E.

Posted in Citizen rebellion, Democracy, PG&E | Leave a comment

PG&E’s “Opt Out” Plan a Trojan Horse- ‘Smart’Meter IS the Problem

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Josh Hart

What else are they going to do with all those stacks of DumbMeters they've bought? PG&E's "opt-out" option released yesterday is nothing more than a trojan horse to get you to accept a new meter on your home. Don't buy what they're selling.

So yesterday, after more than 100 outraged members of the public packed the CPUC meeting in San Francisco- a perfect storm of outrage against PG&E over San Bruno, Diablo Canyon, new rate hikes, and especially the ‘smart’ meter debacle- the company had an opportunity to redeem itself and propose real solutions that would put health and safety first.

They failed miserably.

PG&E’s plan would require that everyone in CA receive a ‘smart’ meter on their home.  Yes that’s right.   It’s an opt out program that requires mandatory ‘smart’ meter installation.  This thing is getting more Orwellian by the minute.   PG&E says: “Just trust us to turn off your radio transmitter while still being subject to all your neighbors who didn’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars to get their switched off too.”  More false solutions, more doublethink, and more fees charged to the ratepayer.

So, let’s get this straight.   The utilities go to the PUC several years ago, seeking a massive rate increase to pay for their ‘smart’ meter program.  An appointed, beholden PUC rubber stamps their request, raising $2.2 billion from its customers without even asking them (or so much as notifying them.)  PG&E rates skyrocket to some of the highest in the country, but they insist that we will save money on our utility bills.   Then when thousands of customers complain that (not only are their bills higher than ever) and they are getting sick from the strong microwaves, they tell us we have to pay even more to have the privilege of slightly lower electro-pollution in our homes.   We’re not the best at math, but something just doesn’t add up here.

Increasing evidence indicates that there are more health problems associated with the beleaguered ‘smart’ meter than just the rf antenna.   Researchers looking at the remote switching mechanism are suggesting that it may be responsible for many of the reported health impacts, especially tinnitus and other auditory impacts.  Rob States, an electrical engineer who has been studying this, says:

“Since individuals with no history of RF disease are experiencing symptoms the first day the meter is installed, we can assume the meter’s RF emissions are not the only problem.  The RF network is activated months after initial meter installation.  Extensive measurements have demonstrated that all of the meters measured so far, including ABB, GE, and Landis Gyr, emit noise on the customer’s electric wiring in the form of high frequency voltage spikes, typically with an amplitude of 2 volts, but a frequency any ware from 4,000 Hertz, up to 60,000 Hz.  The actual frequency of the phenomena is influenced by the devices that are plugged into the customer’s power.  Some houses are much worse than others, and this observation has been confirmed by PG&E installers that have talked to us.”

What is happening scientifically is beyond most of our understanding- yet there are experts who are beginning to realize what is causing so many reports of headaches and other health impacts from the meters.   We need:

1) Independent hearings at the state level on what’s wrong with the ‘smart’ meter program so that these experts can contribute their knowledge to keep us safe.

2) an IMMEDIATE halt to any further deployment of wireless ‘smart’ meters in California

3) the right to keep your analog meter, and the right to have it replaced if you have had a ‘smart’ meter installed

4) Utilities ordered to keep ALL analog meters in safe storage in CA until resolution if this crisis

5) and finally …..duh……immediate order to decommission Diablo Canyon and all reactors built on fault lines.

The CPUC needs to respond to this crisis in a meaningful way, and if they don’t- perhaps mass civil disobedience is just what the doctor ordered.

Posted in Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, Health studies, PG&E, Safety | 66 Comments

Why Opt Out is a Cop Out

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Josh Hart

180 'Smart' Meters with dwelling above

We received this e-mail and the photo above from a concerned woman the other day:

I live in a large apt complex. all 180 meters are about 12 feet below my living room window. do you think the first step would be to have someone come take a reading of the radio frequency output? if so, do you know anyone local to me and about how much it would cost?        thanks, *******

What good is PG&E’s proposed ‘opt out plan’ going to do for this woman? Say she opts out…  she’ll have 179 meters under her window, and she’ll have to pay for the privilege!  The bottom line is that these devices are dangerous and they are hurting people.   At the VERY LEAST the CPUC must declare an immediate moratorium on further installations, and order ALL utilities to remove unwanted and health damaging meters from people’s homes.  And not just in Northern CA.  Don’t forget about SDG&E and SCE customers as well. Apartment dwellers need rights to opt out not just from one meter, but from cumulative meter exposure.   Cities and counties must (and do) have the right to opt out as well.

The manner in which this ‘opt-out’ plan has come about is instructive in and of itself. Instead of dictating what the utility needed to do to ensure public safety, Peevey asked PG&E to take the lead and come back with a proposal, which no doubt the Commission will rubber stamp.   Rather than regulating the utility industry and protecting the public safety, the utility industry is in fact regulating the regulators and dictating the terms.   Michael Peevey, former executive with Southern California Edison, must step down if the public is to retain any shred of confidence in this commission.

With the addition of Tehama County yesterday, we are up to 34 local governments representing 2,242,123 people in CA who are demanding a moratorium. PG&E shareholders should be very nervous right now that they will be on the hook for a $2.2 billion smart meter program gone bad. Not to mention future damages claims.

One thing is for certain- PG&E should pay this poor woman’s bill for EMF analysis.  Or CEO Peter Darbee should swap homes with her.  But somehow we doubt that is going to happen.

SSM! March Newsletter is now available here.  Speak UP at the CPUC Meeting this Thursday March 24th 9am 505 Van Ness SF (sign in to speak for 1 minute max by 8:45am or by noon on Wednesday- sign up online here)  Join our “adopt a Wellington Installer” day after the commission meeting.

PG&E: See Your Power....Just DON'T get too close...

Posted in Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, PG&E | 17 Comments

“I Want to Die” — One Woman Realizes Her ‘Smart’ Meter is to Blame for Debilitating Migraines

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Josh Hart

Great new article by Jen Pleasants on Salon published Friday about her struggle with migraines, and eventual realization that her (not so) smart meter was to blame.   Her solution in the face of her utility’s refusal to remove here meter- install a faraday cage to block the radiation.  If utilities refuse to remove smart meters that are causing health problems, this is just one recourse that people have.  She says:

“Do we really want to wait until we have ‘dead proof’ before we start taking EMFs seriously?!  I am going with my gut as far as EMFs are concerned and so are thousands of other concerned citizens. Something is not right.  I felt it firsthand.
What I want to know is why are we not studying this more!?!  As our world becomes more and more technologically advanced and we have more and more devices emitting EMFs our health is potentially being put at risk.  We need answers.”
Read  the full article here.
Posted in Cell phones, Citizen rebellion, Democracy, Environmental Concerns, Health studies, PG&E | 5 Comments