Hess David J, Coley Jonathan S
Public Underst Sci. 2014 Aug;23(6):688-702. doi: 10.1177/0963662512464936.
Wireless smart meters (WSMs) promise numerous environmental benefits, but they have been installed without full consideration of public acceptance issues. Although societal-implications research and regulatory policy have focused on privacy, security, and accuracy issues, our research indicates that health concerns have played an important role in the public policy debates that have emerged in California. Regulatory bodies do not recognize non-thermal health effects for non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, but both homeowners and counter-experts have contested the official assurances that WSMs pose no health risks. Similarities and differences with the existing social science literature on mobile phone masts are discussed, as are the broader political implications of framing an alternative policy based on an opt-out choice. The research suggests conditions under which health-oriented precautionary politics can be particularly effective, namely, if there is a mandatory technology, a network of counter-experts, and a broader context of democratic contestation.
无线智能电表（WSMs）有望带来诸多环境效益，但在安装时并未充分考虑公众接受度问题。尽管社会影响研究和监管政策聚焦于隐私、安全及准确性问题，但我们的研究表明，健康担忧在加州出现的公共政策辩论中发挥了重要作用。监管机构并不认可非电离电磁辐射的非热健康影响，但房主和反专家都对官方关于无线智能电表不存在健康风险的保证提出了质疑。文中讨论了与现有关于手机信号塔的社会科学文献的异同，以及基于选择退出选项制定替代政策的更广泛政治影响。该研究提出了以健康为导向的预防性政治可能特别有效的条件，即如果存在强制性技术、反专家网络以及更广泛的民主争议背景。
