Smart Meters: A New Environmental Battleground

Note: Times Colonist, February 3, 2013.  Smart Meter foes fume at Coleman   Updated comments in the footer.

Note:  A copy of the following letter, purported to have been circulated by the President and CEO of BC Hydro, was sent to me by an anonymous source. I accepted and reproduced it at face value. Is it possible someone was spoofing me?

Victoria, BC

January 25, 2013

Re: Refusal to Allow Smart Installation

Dear Mary Beth and James,

We at BC Hydro appreciate your ongoing concern about the Smart Meter program and we realize considerable conflicting information is floating around about whether BC Hydro and the Government will make the final installations mandatory. You must realize that with over 95% of the meters now installed, we are in so deep there is no turning back.

We understand that you and the others have given as a your primary reason for refusing to allow installation, some perceived health dangers posed by the technology. As this technology comes at a cost of some $1,000,000,000 of taxpayers dollars, you can rest assured we did a fair amount of research with your money.

To help resolve your situation, we are providing you and the other 84,999 homeowners who think as you do, an opportunity to justify your refusal.

In order to determine your eligibility for this exemption, please answer the following questions truthfully and to the best of your knowlege:

HAVE YOU EVER used a cell phone, wireless phone, wireless internet connection, wireless router, baby monitor, garage door opener, video game, walkie-talkie, car radio, GPS, satellite TV receiver, wireless home security system, microwave oven or other wireless or microwave device in your home? Have you ever sat in front of a monitor using cathode ray technology?

HAVE YOU EVER ever travelled by land, sea or air to a destination where you were required to submit to a search using an electronic body scanning system?

HAVE YOU EVER had an x-ray of any kind (including dental work), or were you ever admintted to a modern hospital where wireless electronic devices are wide use?

HAVE YOU EVER gone out in the summer sun without wearing a long sleeved shirt, full length pants or skirt, and wearing a wide brimmed hat? If you went swimming, did you wear a full body bathing suit and head protection?

HAVE YOU EVER purchased any food that was subjected to radiation, was genetically modified or contained a preservative, or have you eaten any food from a source that may have been contaminated by contact with water, air or soil that may have been irradiated or subjected to chemical treatment?

HAVE YOU EVER riden in a car or motorcycle, rode a bicyle, traveled in an airplane or ship or walked along a public street in a busy downtown area?

HAVE YOU EVER drank an alcoholic beverage, smoked a cigarette or used drugs of some form (legal or illegal)?

If we are satisfied that you and your family have managed to avoid the majority of these perceived dangers to your health, BC Hydro will consider exampting you from the Smart Meter program.

This exemption will be given on the compassionate ground that you and your family are living such fear-filled, joyless lives it would be totally unfair of Hydro to impose the additional stress created by having a Smart Meter attached to the side of your home.

However, before giving our final assurance, we await further direction from the Minister of Energy and Mines, Rich Coleman, who seems, at this moment at least, a little conflicted about which direction he should jump.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Charles Reid
President and CEO
BC Hydro

c/c   Honourable Kristy Clarke, Premier of BC
Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines

Footnote:

While most concerns regarding Smart Meters seem to focus on the health aspects, the real story, in my opinion, is about the cost.  The one billion dollar up front costs in BC will be paid entirely by tax payers, as will all furture costs. Will it lead to efficencies? Some studies suggest future cost saving by home owners will be minimal.  When dealing with an essential consumer product such as hydro, it makes little difference as it is always the same pocket, the consumer.

The largest rollout of Smart Meters was in Europe were a total of 39,000,000 installations were complete by the end of 2008. Opponents in Europe focussed more on the cost and only time will tell if smart meters provide significant efficiencies.

In British Columbia, contrary to Europe, complaints by the majority of the 85,000 holdouts focus on ‘health concerns’. This might be described as something of a ‘tempest in a teapot’ given the majority of those same households will likely have more electronic and microwave gadgets installed in their home, car and cottage than at any other geographical location on the globe.

In that sense, resistence to Smart Meters is no different than the resistence to cars, airplanes, gas street light, electricity, microwave ovens, radio, tv sets and a million other innovations over the history of mankind.  It seems people do not take kindly to change.

As a very conservative friend is fond of saying:  “Harold, if I was running things, we would still be living in caves.”

Oh well, an issue that seem’s silly to one person is likely close to the heart of another.

Harold
February 3, 2012

Times Colonist Friday, July 12, 2013. 60,00 people given and exemption link here:  B.C. Allows smart meter alternatives

Times Colonist, February 3, 2013.  Smart Meter foes fume at Coleman 

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