Editor: Enough with the tinfoil hat jokes. Black Press legislative reporter Tom Fletcher (B.C. Views, The Times, Aug. 2) has now joined the ranks of other journalists who use sarcasm and damaging accusations to muddy the waters of understanding and awareness.
In his column headlined 鈥淕reens lose credibility,鈥� he dismisses the growing wealth of scientific research and information that strongly supports what people like Elizabeth May and Jane Sterk were brave enough to put forward in their press conference last week.
To enter into a constructive conversation with a powerful conglomerate like Hydro and the provincial Liberals isn鈥檛 often attempted. To face ridicule when presenting a reasonable, balanced alternative view is a sad commentary on our media and on us as a society.
Must we ignore any opinion or insight that doesn鈥檛 reinforce our own? If so, how will we gain or cultivate any kind of reasonable perspective?
To date, in most newspapers there has been precious little balanced local information presented about smart meters. This in light of the fact that, if Hydro has its way, in spite of a growing outcry, these wireless meters, with all their drawbacks, will be mounted on every home and business in B.C. And most people here are still saying, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 a smart meter?鈥�
This is becoming a very real issue for those who care about their personal security, cost of living, safety, health, human rights and our children鈥檚 future.
In attempting to discredit the WHO鈥檚 rating of RF radiation as a possible 2B carcinogen by pointing to pickled vegetables, Fletcher embarrasses himself yet again.
He conveniently fails to tell anyone that the 2B rating also places RF in the same category with lead, chloroform, DDT, diesel exhaust, dry cleaning chemicals and about 200 other possible carcinogens. Among them are, yes, pickled vegetables from China, where questionable chemicals are used in their manufacturing.
There is much to learn.
Deployment of a radiation-emitting device on every home and business in the province, without due diligence, public education or oversight, is alarming to say the least. B.C. Hydro executives have joined with big business, 鈥済reen washing鈥� their message, manipulating the public in ways that will have major human, environmental and societal costs.
Please listen up, journalists who jump on bandwagons and write without knowing what you are writing about. Read the literature you are avoiding and discounting.
Look more deeply at the gold standard, peer-reviewed and published scientific studies and the highly qualified sources listed and showcased on the websites you haven鈥檛 bothered to search, and the books you haven鈥檛 time to read. Listen to brave voices.
Visit www.citizensforsafetechnology.org. Research, and read intelligently, findings and insights unfamiliar to you, before putting your own ignorance on display.
Linda Ewart
White Rock
