Marilyn Svihovec: Smart meters: Citizens deserve a vote
I recently found out through my community newsletter that Longmont has been considering “Smart Meters” for two years now. A Smart Meter measures and records energy consumption data but differs from a traditional meter because it’s a digital device that can communicate remotely with your utility.
Smart Meters are not new and I have reason for concern. It is known that these meters generate radiation.It is also known that not all emissions are within the government guidelines for safety.
Just as we may eat sugar for breakfast at recommended allowances then sugar at lunch and again as a snack we have the accumulated content per day now going beyond daily recommendations.
Research has been done on human blood cells exposed to smart meter radiation for as little as one minute. View the below links for more data. It was found that the cells exhibited irregular shapes, broken bonds and other unhealthy configurations. It was also shown that exposed skin had scarring like burns.
When a town explores newer options whether it be sewer, electric, gas or water we as community members have a right to be informed and cast a vote. The impact is more than monetary and should not be just about big business desires.
I am not sure if options of connecting the meter information through the household internet services, which are already in place, have been explored. The practice of charging homeowners to opt out without quality information distributed ahead of changes, does not appear reflective of informed consent. Taxpayers deserve a vote,
Since some towns have paid to replace existing meters with Smart Meters and then paid to remove them it would be prudent to view two sites:
A film “Take Back Your Power” www.takebackyourpower.net/watch-take-back-your-power-2017/
And The Michigan House Energy Policy Meeting 2018 at www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOQve5FMb8
Please connect with your town council for fair input before choices are made concerning you.
Marilyn Svihovec
Longmont
Anna Segur: Library District: You will see a difference
Recently, Boulder city councilmember Bob Yates wrote about the Boulder library in his newsletter. I expect leaders to avoid knowingly distributing misleading information that could confuse or inflame voters. I’ve been following the library district proposal for some time, so I was surprised to see a number of incorrect assertions in his newsletter.
Yates boldly asserts that a district will do “nothing you will probably notice.” That’s an odd way to describe how a creation of a district would bring about the creation of a Gunbarrel branch, a Niwot branch, restored hours to the main library, George Reynolds, Meadows, and the ability to restart and expand programs like BoulderReads, the adult literacy program, early literacy programs for our Latino population, or the BLDG 61 makerspace. As a parent of young kids, I will notice and benefit from the changes a Library District will bring, and many other community members will, too.
Furthermore, why does Yates characterize the proposed property tax for a district as one that is based on what your home is worth? Property taxes are very specifically based on the assessed value of your property. Property assessments are not the same as sales prices. The district proposal is a 4% increase: $27 per $100,000 in assessed property value. You can do the math using info from the Boulder County Assessor.
There are many additional issues with Yates’ piece, too many for 300 words. Things like the ability for council to appoint (and remove) trustees, to lease (not give away) the buildings, and do popular, much-needed things with the savings to the budget. Bob Yates knows better. So, why is he publishing inflammatory pieces that don’t hold up to established facts? The library deserves better from city leadership, because its financial future is on the line and our community depends on it.
Anna Segur
Boulder
Michael Clinton: Our spinning planet: Ignorance would be nice, but impossible
I’ve been thinking about two different quotes a lot lately. Especially as war in Ukraine rages and calls for more fossil fuel extraction increases.
The first quote is by the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, who said “Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!”
Vladimir Putin loves Russian heroes and I wonder if anyone has shown him that quote lately? On the 60th anniversary last year of Gagarin going into space, Putin laid a wreath on his monument and said, “This is without a doubt a great event that changed the world. We will always be proud that it was our country that paved the road to outer space.” It appears Putin didn’t hear what Gagarin had to say about the planet.
The other quote I’ve been thinking about is by Thomas Gray, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” I think about that quote a lot in terms of climate change, but it also applies to the war in Ukraine. It seems that the more one knows about either topic, the more despondent one can become. Would our mental health be better off if we just ignored these issues and headed to the beach or the mountains? Probably. But what if we can’t ignore these things? What if we are consumed by them? How can we take care of ourselves and still care about world events?
I’m not a psychologist, and if you are feeling helpless and hopeless, you should see one. But it seems that taking some sort of action, no matter how small, could help. Volunteer or donate towards one of these causes. You can find many sources by searching online.
Michael Clinton
Longmont
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