Dear Editor:
I am responding to recent concern expressed in letters to the editor about the safety of smart meters.
I am not an authority on smart meters, but I am a retired professional telecommunications engineer with more than 60 years experience.
I can state unequivocally that those who oppose smart meters have nothing to fear from them with regard to radio frequency emissions. Einstein showed us long ago that, by the laws of physics, radio waves cannot damage living cells except by heating them - their photon energy is simply too low. The heat energy of the emissions of smart meters is far, far, below the level of any perceptible heating.
Yes, the WHO still makes statements about radio waves being a "possible carcinogen." What else can they say? They are physicians, not physicists. In spite of years of research and the ubiquity of radio emission sources around us, there are still no proven cases of human cancer being caused by radio waves at power levels below the heating threshold. That makes the level of risk so low it's impossible to measure.
You want proof radio waves won't cause cancer? How does one prove a nullity? On the other hand, there are many proven cases of cancer being caused by exposure to sunlight, and sunlight is just another form of electromagnetic radiation, but of much, much higher photon energy than radio waves. Do the writers of these letters propose that we avoid all exposure to sunlight?
There were 411 accidental electrocutions in the United States in 2001, of which about 180 were consumerproduct related (www.cpsc.gov/library/ foia/foia05/os/electrocutions2001.pdf). If the writers were really concerned about safety, they would eliminate all electrical consumer products from their home.
I say, enough of fear-mongering about radio waves. If you don't like smart meters, fair enough. But find other reasons to oppose them, and get off the "radio waves are dangerous" soapbox.
Bill Tracey North Vancouver
