You're welcome to use any researched information below in your email testimony. All testimonies must be unique so the council can hear different points of view. Mahalo for your time and efforts in protecting our way of life!
"Many people have experienced hikes in their utility bill after a “smart” meter was installed. A recent surveypublished on EMFSafetyNetwork.org documented how many people have received higher bills—over one third of those surveyed."
"Thanks National grid! just got my $900 electric bill in! Guess we are going to have to learn to live without electricity cuz this is bullshit! My bill never higher than $300! Definitely can't afford this! How can they do this?! It's so wrong!"
"Smart meters gather information on the amount of electricity consumed in households and communicate this data wirelessly to utility providers. Unfortunately, most of these devices do not utilize encryption when transmitting data, leading to data interception. The collected fine-grained data on power usage can be used to make inferences about household behavior, which threatens homeowners' privacy."
"Enter the Smart Meter. Utilities were told they could turn the smart meters on and off remotely, provide how the power was being used in the home, and reduce response time."
A smart grid is an advanced and
digitally enhanced electricity distribution network that uses technology
and two-way communication to
efficiently manage energy supply and demand. While traditional grids rely on
one-way electricity flow and limited monitoring, smart grids
employ sensors and automation to gather real-time data on energy
usage and grid conditions."
Following
are the drawbacks or disadvantages of Smart Grid:
➨Continuous
communication network should be available. ➨During
emergency situation, network congestion or performance are big challenges in
smart grid system. ➨Cellular
network providers do not provide guaranteed service in abnormal situations such as wind storm, heavy rain and
lightening conditions. ➨Some smart
meters can be hacked which can be used to increase or decrease the demand for
power. ➨It is expensive
to install smart meter compare to traditional old electricity meter".
A smart grid uses sensors that have to be placed on electrical wires. "Smart sensors are devices that take information from a physical
environment and use embedded microprocessors and wireless
communication to monitor, examine, and maintain various systems."
"Of course, just like 5G,
smart meters are advertised to mainly benefit the end user, but the truth is
that the user is ultimately put at risk in several ways, and the biggest
benefits are reaped by the power companies and the government."
Broadband data transmission is represented by a large bandwidth. Consider the internet as a channel for data transfer between
two devices. In this case, the passway that the data is traveling over is
broadband. Broadband connections come in a variety of forms: ASL, DSL, Cable,
Fiber, etc. The goal of all these technologies is to provide customers
with high-speed internet. For example, the greatest technology available to
users is fiber optic lines, which provide high bandwidth and symmetrical
speeds."
Broadband refers to various high-capacity
transmission technologies that transmit data, voice, and video across long
distances and at high speeds. Common mediums of transmission
include coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, and radio waves."
"The
widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and smart home technology has
internet service providers (ISPs) and integrators on the hunt for the most
effective methods of broadband delivery for many scenarios.
The cable will
be closer to the surface and more vulnerable to damage. In this case, a
more expensive cable that can withstand contact will be required. Cables
buried in clay will also need to be of higher quality because the clay can hold
stones and push them against the cable. In clay, the trench will also need to
be much deeper.
In developed areas, the existing infrastructure can be
problematic. Digging through concrete sidewalks and roads is costly and
disruptive."
For example, smart meters don’t always transmit directly to the cloud. They typically transmit data to a local smart meter gateway, which aggregates data from all meters in an area and then forwards it to the cloud, where providers and customers can access it through a platform.
Note: Both components are often indoors and sometimes underground, so they need communication solutions that can penetrate buildings and obstructions." And they need to penetrate our bodies as well.
"Sensors for monitoring electrical parameters over an entire electricity network infrastructure play a fundamental role in protecting smart grids..."
"...a new smart sensor is developed that offers the capability to update its adjustment settings during real-time operation, in coordination with the rest of the smart sensors spread over the network."
From what I have read, Hawai'i Planning's 2045 General Plan doesn't explain broadband or a smart grid, and it doesn't include information on any health risk research.
Links explaining smart grids, smart meters, and broadband health risks because they emit RFR (Radio Frequency Radiation) waves. It's not WiFi, it's a whole other kind of network.
With 5G already being implemented in some test markets, and smart meters being forced on more and more homeowners, there has never been a better time to gain a complete understanding of exactly what smart meters are, what kind of radiation they emit, how much, and how we can protect ourselves.
First of all, RF radiation is a type of non-ionizing radiation, meaning it does not have enough energy to remove charged particles.
However, this does not mean it is not harmful. More and more studies are showing that just because non-ionizing radiation has no thermal effect or ionizing effect, does not mean it doesn't cause long-term health effects.
In fact, the World Health Organization has specifically listed non-ionizing radiation from things like cell-phones, WiFi routers, and smart meters as “possible carcinogens,” meaning they could increase cancer risks.
Even the American Cancer Society, who like many health institutes shy's away from saying much about the harms of EMF radiation, said this in their article about smart meters:
“RF radiation is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” This is based on the finding of a possible link in at least one study between cell phone use and a specific type of brain tumor. Because RF radiation is a possible carcinogen, and smart meters give off RF radiation, it is possible that smart meters could increase cancer risk.”
Concerns have been raised about the safety of smart meters, mainly because they give off the same kinds of radiofrequency (RF) waves as cell phones and Wi-Fi devices.
“There is no doubt that smart and digital meters create pulsed RF emissions and these emissions, from the smart meters’ antennas and the RF created by the SMPS, both enter the house’s electric system. The result is that the entire house is transformed into a radiating RF antenna.”
"Q: My utility says “smart”
meters emit less than my cell phone or WiFi. Is this true?
In some cases this is true, and in some cases not true. The
figures for RF exposure given by utilities are time-averaged numbers which hide
the peak power of the “smart” meter, and disguise the fairly continuous nature
of the pulses. “Smart” meters are unlike cell phones or WiFi in their
bizarre pattern of sharp spikes of RF.
Both of those consumer
devices (cell phones and WiFi) can be strong RF emitters. But people
are becoming increasingly aware of the potential harm done by chronic exposure
to RF radiation-emitting devices and are taking steps to change how they use
them. Growing public awareness of RF exposure has led people
to choose a wired internet connection or use a wired phone at home. But most people are not offered a wired “smart” meter. And you
can’t turn it off once it’s installed."
"Electric “smart” meters were installed in Cindy deBac’s Scottsdale, Arizona,
neighborhood in 2012. She recalls the day a new meter was mounted on her home
as a sort of digital Pearl Harbor attack. “I’ve never been so sick in my life,”
she says. “Nausea, a crushing migraine headache, and painful heart palpitations
laid me low right away.”
"In nearly every community where wireless smart meters have
been installed, a percentage of residents complain of health effects that started after installation. The
residents often did not know that smart meters had been installed. The most
common symptoms are:"
"Groups such as, The AmericanAcademy
of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), an international organization representing
physicians who specialize in Environmental Medicine issued the following
recommendations listed below in their 2012 position paper, “Electromagnetic and
Radiofrequency Field Effect on Human Health.
The AAEM calls
for:
• Immediate caution on smart meter
installation due to potentially harmful RF exposure
• Accommodation for health considerations regarding EMF and RF exposure,
including exposure to wireless smart meter technology
• Independent studies to further understand the health effects from EMF and RF
exposure
• Use of safer technology, including for smart meters, such as hard-wiring,
fiber optics, or other non-harmful methods of data transmission
• Recognition that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a growing problem
worldwide
• Understanding and control of this electrical environmental bombardment for
the protection of society
• Consideration and independent research regarding the quantum effects of EMF
and RF on human health"
"The concepts sound good to many people, but serious
flaws are becoming apparent as utilities rapidly install smart meters across
the country, according to a rising chorus of critics. They are
concerned about privacy (since they say utilities can interpolate many
behavioral aspects of building occupants via the detailed reporting of utility
use), security (since any utility's system could be hacked), and accuracy (with
reports of very inaccurate readings from a small percentage of meters). Each of
these issues warrants investigation and coverage.
Another major issue is possible human health impacts from smart
meters. That is the focus of the remainder of this Tip.
SMART METER HEALTH IMPACTS?"
Go to Electronic Privacy Information Center to learn about your Privacy Rights https://epic.org/
