VICTORIA, BC –– All jurisdictions imposing blanket implementation of wireless

Smart Meters face citizen backlash. Many have placed a moratorium on the

installation of wireless Smart Meters pending further study. Others have

cancelled their programs.







BC Greens support development of a Smart Grid, of which Smart Meters may be one

small and expensive component. If we are to encourage conservation, many other

things need to be in place long before a decision is made to purchase a different

kind of meter. The type of meter should be the last part of the plan and only

implemented if they are proven cost effective and safe.







BC Greens believe feed-in-tariffs, time of day pricing, incentives for conservation,

programs and incentives to make homes and buildings more energy efficient, and

a distributed grid must all be in place before switching meters. A cost benefit

analysis needs to be presented to the public. BC should not follow Ontario down

the road to higher costs and no net benefit. As well, wireless technology poses

a potential risk to health and the environment and further research that is

independent of industry funding is needed.







Prior to implementation, all aspects of the plan must be placed before the

regulator. The Clean Energy Act has done the opposite and removed the ability

of the BC Utilities Commission to provide oversight on behalf of the citizens

of BC.







Magda Havas is Associate Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at

Trent University where she teaches and does research on the biological effects

of environmental contaminants. Since the 1990s, Dr. Havas’s research has focused

on the biological effects of electromagnetic pollution including radio

frequency radiation, electromagnetic fields, dirty electricity, and ground

current. She works with diabetics as well as with individuals who have multiple

sclerosis, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and those who are electrically

hypersensitive.







Dr. Havas joins Jane Sterk, leader of the Green Party of BC in calling for

cancelling implementation of the wireless smart meters. Elizabeth May, leader

of the Green Party of Canada and MP for Saanich supports this change.







“The smart meter program is another example of unsupportable assumptions based

on industry lobbying rather than best practices,” says Jane Sterk, leader of

the Green Party of BC. “Greens believe all public policy should be evidence

based and founded in the Precautionary Principle.







“BC Hydro’s wireless smart meter program violates that principle. There are

environmental, privacy and security concerns as well as the potential for

adverse health risks. This is an issue that hits at the heart of democratic

rights. Individuals have no ability to opt out of a program that may impact the

health of those with electro-magnetic sensitivity,” says Sterk.







“I have great concern regarding the current levels of microwave radiation in

North America,” says Dr. Magda Havas. “Instead of promoting wireless

technology, we should be promoting wired technology and reserving wireless for

situations where wired in not possible.







“Shortly after X-rays were discovered, they were used in shoe stores to

determine shoe-size for young children. Fortunately, we recognized that X-rays

were harmful and we restricted their use to essential medical diagnoses.







“We need to recognize that microwaves are also harmful and we cannot use this

technology in a frivolous manner. With more frequencies being used, with the

levels of radiation increasing, and with so little research on the long-term,

low-level effects of this technology we are creating a potential time bomb. If

smart meters are placed on every home, they will increase our exposure to radio

frequency radiation–a potential human carcinogen–and this is both unwise and

unsafe,” says Havas.







"The Green Party of Canada, through a resolution of our entire membership,

has called for the current inadequate Health Canada regulations to be upgraded

to the equivalent of the EMF regulations in Germany,” says Elizabeth May,

leader of the Green Party of Canada. “We are entirely too complacent about the

growing evidence of health effects from wireless technology."







The Green Party of BC is calling on the provincial government to stop BC

Hydro's implementation of wireless smart meters, to call formal public hearings

on the program, to gather third party independent data on the health effects of

wireless, and to put all aspects of the process under the purview of the BC

Utilities Commission.







“BC Greens believe people should have a right to feel safe and secure in their

own homes,” says Sterk. “As it stands now, people cannot opt-out of the smart

meter program.







“We favour a well formulated long-term plan with conservation as the driver.

Most conservation goals could be achieved without replacing any meters. If it

is determined we need new meters, people still need to be able to say no. With

pricing and incentives and technology that has been demonstrated to be safe,

opting in can be made the more attractive option,” concludes Sterk.







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Contacts:







Jane Sterk, leader Green Party of BC



(250) 507-1715



leader@greenparty.bc.ca







GPBC office



(250) 590-4537



office@greenparty.bc.ca







Dr. Magda Havas



(250) 478-7892 or



(705) 748-1011 ex

7882 after Thursday



drmagdahavas@gmail.com







Elizabeth May, O.C., M.P., leader Green Party of Canada



(250) 657-2000



emay@greenparty.ca