96 year old local leads Hikurangi smart meter education campaign in Hikurangi
Ninety-six year old retired special education teacher Betty Hooper recently took advantage of living on a main street of her Northland town to help educate her community about the smart meter issue.
She turned her front garden into a smart meter education display, putting up a variety of posters and banners that she and friends had created for the occasion. (See photos, below.)
Betty has been interested in both health and education all her life. Her work with special needs children stimulated an interest in how good nutrition (or lack of it) affects children’s health and ability to learn. She is a member of the Patients Rights Advocates Waikato Incorporated which provides support to people who have chronic health problems, and helps them navigate the maze of the modern medical and social welfare systems.
A talented artist and craftswoman, Betty recently combined her interests in spinning and creating home-made dyes with her quest to educate parents about the value of good nutrition and the importance of avoiding artificial additives. She dyed homespun wool with “Raro” (imitation fruit drink) crystals – and displayed the results at a stall at a health expo as a conversation starter.
The highly coloured crystals make a beautiful, and apparently permanent dye for natural fabrics such as cotton or wool, she says. (NZ allows many artificial colours that are banned in Europe to be included in foods and beverages.)
Betty’s smart meter education display in her garden was a temporary initiative but she is still working on the smart meter campaign by giving out leaflets in her neighourhood.
NB: Please click on the images below, to enlarge them.
Betty with her smart meter display, February 2016
Above: A close up of one of the signs
NB: If you would like to download one of the Te-Reo English posters as used above, you will find this poster on our Resources Page or you can read about it here.
Smart meters are NOT compulsory in NZ
Please note that while staff from some electricity companies have been telling their customers that smart meters are compulsory or are some sort of government requirement, this is NOT true. (There is more information about this issue at this link ) If you do not want a smart meter because you are concerned about the higher bills that could follow a smart meter installation, or Time of Use pricing, many people in NZ are successfully refusing to have a smart meter installed using the techniques described at this link
NB: If you would like to keep up to date with information about electromagnetic radiation and health, including the “smart” meter issue in NZ, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz. Thank you
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