Be afraid. Be very afraid.
I don’t say this because Halloween has arrived. I say this after attending last week’s presentation by retired Canadian military captain Jerry Flynn, who is not only an outstanding speaker, but a man armed with an abundance of knowledge and common sense.
He’s also a man who thankfully is on a crusade to inform the public about so-called “smart meters” – the same meters utility companies across this great country and around the world are trying to impose on an increasingly cynical and frightened public.
These are the same utility companies that have provided so little actual and factual information to customers about how these smart meters actually work that it almost defies logic.
These companies – and their public relations spin doctors – go on ad nauseum about how smart meters are safe, don’t emit any kind of significant radiation, will save their customers money and are generally the greatest invention since the wheel or sliced bread.
According to Flynn, who worked at the highest echelons of the Canadian military when it comes to studying electronic warfare, the amount of medical and scientific data relating to smart meters and wireless devices in general is staggering.
And very little of it is good news.
Rather, it borders on frightening.
After 28 years in the newspaper business, I have never seen such outcry from members of the public as there has been about smart meters over the past six months.
Not only do members of the public not have sufficient information at their disposal, they have little or no faith in the utility companies, they don’t want these meters installed on their property and they’re outraged there appears to be little or nothing they can do about it.
On the Osoyoos Times website, there are literally dozens of comments from members of the public about smart meters. Almost all of them are negative.
“The more you learn about this stuff, the angrier you will get,” said Flynn, during his presentation to an overflow crowd at Medici’s Gelateria in Oliver last Wednesday night.
Flynn made it very clear that companies like FortisBC, that have formally applied to the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) to bring smart meters to all of its customers in the South Okanagan, have not properly informed the public about the dangers associated with having them on your property.
They blow hot air talking about following procedure and adhering to government policies in the application process, but they refuse to talk about radiation and human health.
Leading scientists around the world are now convinced and have published hundreds of detailed studies detailing about how pulsing electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) signals emitted by smart meters and numerous other wireless devices pose the single-biggest threat to human health in modern society, said Flynn.
Every single fact during his presentation can be found by anyone with a laptop computer and access to the Internet, yet the utility companies continue to insist these products are safe and will save consumers money, which is blatantly untrue, said Flynn.
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot more faith in a respected Canadian military captain than I do with utility companies trying to convince me these things are safe, reliable and are going to save electricity and money.
Call me cynical, but I remain more convinced than ever that utility companies are introducing smart meters so they can pad their bottom line.
Not only will they save a lot of money in no longer having to pay meter readers good money to read thousands of meters every week, but their application details time of day provisions, where they would be able to charge significantly higher electricity rates to all their customers during prime daytime hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
As has been reported time and time again, the majority of electricity bills have skyrocketed – sometimes three and four times higher – for the majority of customers after smart meters are installed.
In theory, your bills would be reduced if you don’t cook, do laundry, vacuum your carpets or run the electric lawnmower during daylight hours.
But that’s not how life works. The reality is people are going to get hit hard in the pocketbook if they continue their normal lifestyle if and when smart meters are installed.
If seniors in care facilities are forced to eat dinner at 8 p.m. because it will save a few dollars on an electricity bill, that would be a very sad day indeed. But that will become reality if smart meters are allowed.
The fact there has never been a major scientific study done in this country – or any country in the world –about smart meters and their effect on human health remains perhaps the most troubling aspect in this entire debate.
Of course, utility companies looking to maximize profits are going to do and say what’s necessary to get government approval.
But when you listen to people like Flynn present detailed information from some of the world’s leading scientists about the serious health hazards posed by smart meters and all wireless devices, it makes you wonder how these things have ever been allowed in this country.
At the very least, each and every customer should be allowed to opt out and tell these utility companies they have no interest in these devices being forced on them.
Flynn pointed out the adverse health symptoms include, but are not limited to, sleep disturbance, exhaustion, depression, headaches, restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, learning difficulties, joint and limb pain, nerve and soft tissue pain, numbness or tingling, allergies, tinnitus, hearing loss, impaired balance, eye inflammation, rapid heartbeat, hormonal disturbances, thyroid disease, frequent urge to urinate, weight increase, nausea, loss of appetite, nose bleeds, skin complaints, tumours, diabetes and more.
The fact even scientists with the World Health Organization have stated they believe it’s highly probable that wireless devices are cancer-causing just adds fuel to the fire about just how dangerous these things really are.
Flynn said the refusal to allow smart meters to be installed on your property will eventually make a difference.
Many have already done so by registered mail and sending “no consent” letters to their utility provider. He also encourages people to post “no trespassing” notices on their property and by your current analog meter, while still allowing meter readers to have access, as required by current Canadian law.
It’s important to not give in to the pressure and maintain your stance of no consent and no trespassing with a dignified and non-threatening posture and know your rights at all times, he said.
The BCUC turned down a similar application from FortisBC back in 2008. With people like Flynn leading the way, the public outrage over smart meters is only going to continue to grow and BCUC should be left with no choice but to reject the current application. But when it comes to money and corporate influence on government, you never know if common sense will triumph over the almighty dollar.
So I remain scared.
