Dear Editor:
I am an electrical engineer with a masters degree in power systems and more than 40 years of experience. I teach a power systems course to graduating engineers at UBC-O where I am also registered as a PhD student.
I read the letters by Mr Karow, Mr Sielmann and Ms Whitehead.
I noted comments (Karow) on a paper rejected by the B.C. Utilities Commission.
The presentation was based on papers, none of which were peer reviewed and many of which contained only opinions or unproven theories. Many of the references appeared to be written by people with strong opinions and little knowledge.
And then — inconsistency. Protesters seem to carry cell phones or tablets.
A smart meter, mounted outside a home, transmits periodically with a power of about one watt. The radiation from a cell phone, at five watts, will expose a person to more than 600,000 times the radiation that will come from a smart meter that runs only periodically.
Consumer electronics is another issue. Notebook computers, iPods and tablets are equipped with transmitters that send and receive signals.
The best comparison is our sun.
The sun is a nuclear fusion reaction that has been ongoing for centuries. Our only radiation shield is the atmosphere and natural magnetic field. These features block part of the incoming radiation. Much of it reaches the ground.
A young lady asked about the smart meter on her home. She was concerned about potential impacts on her baby. Calculations showed the monitor was delivering more than 500,000 times more intensity than the smart meter, and the baby monitor was transmitting continuously.
She wanted to eliminate the monitor but realized that her mother had used one on her crib, with no issues. She kept the smart meter.
I saw the letter from Kathryn Whitehead, suggesting she wanted biological information from experts in biology. I agree with that position. I have not checked the references she gave, but I know the IEEE has many papers done in conjunction with experts in fields outside engineering. None have showed problems. The IEEE is likely the largest organization of its kind.
Opting out should be allowed, and many utilities offer this.
Are we serious about a society that hides in a cellar and cannot use the electronics that makes our life what it is?
Malcolm Metcalfe
Penticton