Open letter to Premier Christy Clark:
I write with many concerns regarding the so-called smart meters.
This project is just now coming to the attention of citizens. May I suggest this would be an excellent opportunity for the new provincial B.C. Liberal government to take some leadership initiative and call a halt to this before any more time, money and energy are consumed.
Let’s all take a summer breather until this project can be proven not to be detrimental in a number of ways.
The concerns range from health issues due to electromagnetic radiation (three to five per cent of the population of the province) and privacy concerns to fire safety concerns and environmental concerns (incidence of bee and insect demise). Last but not least, there are concerns regarding the lack of public oversight.
For every piece of data BC Hydro has to sing the praises of this project, there are equally expert and opposite opinions.
I think the number of unanswered questions alone is enough reason to call for a moratorium on the project until concerns can be way laid.
The people of this province have a number of past experiences with large projects, which in hindsight, don’t seem so “smart.” Perhaps in hindsight it will seem like a wise move to have pulled the plug on this project.
If former premier Glenn Clark had listened to some of the naysayers, we wouldn’t have had the fast ferry fiasco.
One-size-fits-all is not always the wisest choice. There are states that set up a pilot project, and after reviewing the results, have chosen not to go ahead installing smart meters. Perhaps we need to ask why they came to that conclusion.
Perhaps someone needs to look at some of the literature coming out of Europe and other states where smart meters have been found to be “not so smart.”
I would think the whole debacle over the lack of information shared with the people of the province over the Harmonized Sales Tax issue would make a moratorium a wise move for this project at this point in time.
Sherry Ridout
Victoria
