Dear editor,
I urge the BC Utilities Commission to give very serious thought as to whether BC Hydro's smart meter program should be allowed to continue.
I especially urge you to not approve any request from BC Hydro for interim or permanent approval of their (and government's) proposed opt-out "fee" for those many British Columbians who, like me, have decided for any number of reasons that they do not want a smart meter installed on their property.
I have communicated to the BCUC before that I consider any such fee nothing less than extortion to punish me for refusing a device that I consider dangerous, unhealthy, unsafe, intrusive and uneconomical.
Though BC Hydro, as well as various other industry and government agents and departments, continue to declare that these meters are safe and comply with government safety guidelines, there is an ever-mounting body of evidence to the contrary.
And there are increasing jurisdictions and organizations around the world issuing warnings, moratoria, limitations and even shutdowns on smart meter (and other RF) projects.
It is difficult to know just what the role of the BCUC is these days, with the way government can step in at its whim and dictate what you can and cannot review and approve.
However, I am going to assume that the BCUC still exists to promote and guide the policies and projects of BC's utility companies in the best interests of the public. Therefore, I urge you to please educate yourselves as much as possible on the various dimensions of the smart meter — and indeed, the entire radio frequency technology — dilemma.
As a global society, we can no longer allow the never-ending expansion of wireless technologies without invoking at least a precautionary approach, if not an outright cessation — no matter how convenient and habit-forming they may be to us all, and how profitable they may be to those corporations behind them.
We need a hiatus to give us all time to research, review and evaluate whether we really want to go any further down this road, before it's too late.
Mark de Bruijn,
Courtenay