HEALTH
Smart Meter Opt-Out Policies Daniel Shea and Kate Bell
Updated August 20, 2019 – Like most other technologies, electric meters look much different than they did 20 years ago. They function differently too. These new “smart meters” are considered vital to grid modernization efforts, providing an array of real-time information to utilities and grid operators that allows them to develop a better understanding of electricity usage and consumer behavior. So far, utilities have installed more than 70 million smart meters covering over 50% of U.S. households. By 2020, that number could reach 90 million.
But as utilities increasingly deploy smart meters, a small number of groups oppose their installation, citing a variety of health and privacy concerns about the new technology. This opposition has led at least seven states to enact policies to allow customers to opt-out of having a smart meter installed on their home, while New Hampshire requires customer consent for smart meter installation and Pennsylvania law prohibits opt-outs. In another 22 states, utility regulators have ruled on whether utilities can implement opt-out programs on a case-by-case basis. In recent years, the issue has more frequently landed before state legislatures, with at least 17 states considering smart meter opt-out legislation in the past four legislative sessions.
Smart Meter Opt-Out Policies [by State]:
Don’t Want a Smart Meter? Take It Up With Your State Lawmakers, Experts Say By Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.
State legislatures and the state utility commissions are where the battle to opt out of smart meters must be fought, according to W. Scott McCollough, former Texas assistant attorney general, and telecom and administrative law attorney and lead litigator for Children’s Health Defense.
Massachusetts last month became the latest state to introduce smart meter legislation with a bill that would require the state’s utility companies to obtain written consent from consumers before installing a smart meter.
The bill also would also eliminate fees for consumers who want to opt out of smart meters.
Massachusetts Sen. Michael O. Moore introduced the bill on Jan. 19, less than a week after the state’s two largest utility companies — Eversource and National Grid — filed tariff requests seeking to charge consumers a smart meter opt-out fee of $34 per month and $11 per month, respectively.
Massachusetts is one of at least seven states that have a statewide smart meter opt-out policy, according to an August 2019 brief by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
The Truth About Sleep [57:58] Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
February 17, 2023 – This Nighttime Mistake Ages Your Heart and Brain
Many people don’t realize how they may be harming their heart and brain when they do this. But research shows it prematurely ages your heart, raises your blood pressure and promotes vascular inflammation. Plus, it can fuel your risk for Alzheimer’s.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Our modern lifestyle, which glamorizes constant internet connectivity and round-the-clock activity, conspires to keep us awake far longer than is healthy
- The standard recommendation for adults is to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Teenagers need around nine hours, while younger school-age children may need upward of 11 hours
- Healthy sleep consists of five general stages, each stage lasting five to 15 minutes, with a complete cycle (light, deep and REM sleep) taking between 90 and 120 minutes. You cycle through these stages four to six times each night, and this cycling is tremendously important, from both a biological and psychological perspective
- So far, 51 DNA markers that appear to influence sleep have been found, including markers for long and short sleep duration, morning and evening personalities, insomnia, and high or low sleep efficiency
- Sleep deprivation has a number of concerning health ramifications, including the promotion of diabetes, excess weight, heart disease, cancer and cognitive decline, just to name a few
[Ed.: DO opt-out! We did. The neighbors didn’t, and do they have problems! They’re getting zapped ever 30-seconds 24/7. But, they’re millennials, and won’t listen to emphatic, repeated, and written advice! The poor shmucks…]
Study: Over 1 Billion People Are at Risk for This Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
February 17, 2023 – There is evidence this can damage your health, and new data show an association between this device and an increased risk in 1 billion young people. There are several ways you can protect yourself.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Unsafe listening practices in young people using personal listening devices (earbuds) and attending loud venues increase their risk of hearing loss, which one study estimates will affect 1 billion 12- to 34-year-olds worldwide
- The effects of noise pollution do not stop at hearing loss; heart attack, stroke, reduced cognitive function, stress and early death are also possible. Not only that, hearing loss increases the risk of depression and dementia
- Wireless earbuds increase the risk of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) or nonionizing radiation, which 250 scientists worldwide have petitioned the United Nations to address, as it is associated with genetic damage, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders and cellular stress
- You can protect your hearing and lower your EMF exposure by avoiding Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices, using a battery-powered alarm clock, switching to a steam convection oven from a microwave and avoiding “smart” devices such as appliances, thermostats and TVs
