News Updates

If AT&T and Verizon have their way, we can kiss our beloved landline phones goodbye.

Stay alert. AT&T and Verizon are introducing legislation state-by-state that would put an end to land lines. The bills the telecom companies get introduced would allow cell phone towers on all state lands and preserves. The bills are fundamentally deregulation schemes dressed up with confusing language that makes legislators think the bills are about promoting better technology, therefore progress and jobs. Four out of five people use landlines for the majority of their phone and computer communication needs. The health, environmental, and social impacts are profound. Twenty-three states have already fallen for the telecoms’ schemes.

Click here for a PDF of the article, written by Blake Levitt, former New York Times reporter well-known for her work on electromagnetic fields and health, and click here and here to go the website for this two-part article.

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ALEC calls for penalties on homes with clean energy

An alliance of corporations and conservative activists (ALEC) is mobilizing to penalise homeowners who install their own solar panels – casting them as "freeriders" – in a sweeping new offensive against renewable energy, London’s Guardian newspaper has learned. Read the full story. This is the same group that is attempting to put an end to landlines across the nation. In related news, ALEC is proposing that its chairs in each of the 50 states, who are drawn from senior legislators, should be required to put the interests of the organization first, thus setting up a possible conflict of interest with the voters who elected them. (12/4/13.)

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NIST Requests Public Input On Grid Security Guidelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting public comments on the first revision to the guidelines it is proposing for secure implementation of smart grid technology. The agency’s NIST Interagency Report (IR) 7628 Revision 1: Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber-security report is the first update to NISTIR 7628 since it was first published in September 2010. Since that time, use of smart grid technology has expanded dramatically, especially the number of smart energy meters in homes along with technology and regulations, all of which prompted NIST to update its document.

Public comment period: October 25 – December 23, 2013.

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"Public Needs to Know Smart Meter Health Risks," Says Oakland Press Editor Glenn Gilbert

In an about-face from his previous position, Oakland Press editor Glenn Gilbert discusses why smart meters are harmful, including a discussion of the drive behind the installation. The article features an extensive interview with Amy Dean, D.O., President of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, who has a practice in Ann Arbor.  Check out the article on our website or at the Oakland Press website. We urge you to write the editor, Glenn Gilbert, and thank him for this informative article. Let him know why you are concerned about smart meters, and if you are being made ill by them, let him know how.7

This opinon piece was also published in the Macomb Daily on November 1, 2013. 

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Ann Arbor-Based Group Files Appeal Of DTE Advanced Meter Mandate

A group headed by two Ann Arbor women is appealing an order by the Michigan Public Service Commission approving DTE Energy’s use of radio-disabled advanced meters for customers who chose to “opt-out” of the smart meter service.

The Smart Meter Education Network has filed a claim with the Michigan Court of Appeals claiming the MPSC did not properly consider the evidence presented by critics of the new meters before reaching their decision. “The commission and the judge completely ignored our extremely detailed argument on the cost of installing the radio-disabled meters,” organizer Linda Kurtz said. “… And all of the health testimony we had was barred. One of the big things is that these so-called 'opt-out' meters do not solve the health problems for people who experience them.”

Click here to read the Ann Arbor News article.

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Schuette Sides With Opponents Of Smart Meters

Opponents of electric service smart meters have appealed a Michigan Public Service Commission order that allows their installation and allows utilities to charge a monthly fee for people who don't want them activated. They continue to have an ally in Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office represents government agencies like the MPSC but also functions as a consumer protection advocate.

"I think the poeple ought to be able to opt out and then not face a penalty, a payment, for choosing to opt out and not purchase a smart meter," Schuette said Tuesday in a meeting with The Oakland Press.

Click here to read the Oakland Press article.

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Fcc Is Reconsidering Its Radiation Exposure Limits

Comments Due by SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The Federal Communications Commission is requesting comments on “whether its limits should be more restrictive, less restrictive, or remain the same.” If you have something you want to tell the FCC about what has happened to you, now is the time to do so!

Click here and read more.

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Landmark Lawsuit Launched Against Edison And Pg@E Over Health Effects From Smart Meters/Smart Grid

The law firms of David Kyle and Paul Overett have filed suit against SCE Edison and PG@E for health effects from smart meters/smart grid. A total of 16 plaintiffs, 10 SCE Edison and 6 PG@E with health effects ranging from headaches, loss of energy and ringing in the ears to cancer, heart attacks and medical implant interference/defibrillator shut offs, are holding those responsible for the new wireless digital meters accountable.

Click here and read more.

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Newsletter, Facebook—Stay Up to Date

Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter (it comes out every 1 to 4 weeks). We constantly update our website, so check back often. You can find updates and time-sensitive actions to take under our “Alerts and Breaking News” box. We also use Facebook to send out quick news updates. (While we understand the privacy concerns with Facebook, at this point in time it is a useful tool for us, and is a great way to spread the word about smart meters. If you only wish to use Facebook for access to our updates, you can get an account without revealing personal information—it’s all in what you choose to share, and you can give them any name or birthdate you like.)

Our newsletter comes out every 1 to 4 weeks. It will keep you informed and tell you what actions you can take to fight smart meters. Note that most email programs will filter out our newsletter unless you adjust your email settings. Even though you may receive individual emails from us, when we send the newsletter out to a large group, the emails may be placed in a folder other than your inbox. This happened to us! We weren’t even getting our own newsletter.. Please make sure you look for emails from smartmetereducationnetwork@ gmail. com in your Promotions, Spam, Junk, or other folders. Please contact your email provider to learn how to adjust your settings, or search on the internet.