5G FAQs: Why is there an international appeal to stop the rollout of 5G?

The 5G Space Appeal is signed by over 260,000 international scientists, medical doctors and engineers warning against the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields on humans, animals and the environment.

The appeal calls for a moratorium on the roll-out of the fifth generation, 5G, for telecommunication.

The 5G Space Appeal can be found here  and states, “We the undersigned scientists, doctors, environmental organizations and citizens, urgently call for a halt to the deployment of the 5G (fifth generation) wireless network, including 5G from space satellites.

5G will massively increase exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation on top of the 2G, 3G and 4G networks for telecommunications already in place. RF radiation has been proven harmful for humans and the environment. The deployment of 5G constitutes an experiment on humanity and the environment that is defined as a crime under international law.” 

What is 5G?

The term 5G refers to a fifth-generation cellular wireless technology. It is a new wave form of short wave radiation and will utilise not only the frequencies currently in use from 1G to 4G of wireless technology, but also higher millimeter wave and sub-millimeter wave frequencies.

5G aims to enable “smart” homes, “smart” businesses, “smart” highways, “smart” cities and self-driving cars. Virtually everything we own and buy, from refrigerators and washing machines to milk cartons, hairbrushes and infants’ diapers, will contain antennas and microchips and will be connected wirelessly to the Internet.

In fact, 5G as a global standard is meant to power the Fourth Industrial Revolution and change the social and economic landscape. In this article, we focus instead on the biological impacts of the technology.

5G antenna — closer, denser

(Note that this is different from current WiFi radio signals that are at either 2.4 GHz or 5GHz. 5G celluar technology uses higher frequencies in the THz range. Older WiFi runs at 2.5GHz while newer runs at 2.5GHz and 5GHz. Many devices such as laptops can only use the 2.5Ghz signal.)

5G is a new wave form of short wave radiation, which the WHO classifies as a Group 2B carcinogen. [https://www.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr208_E.pdf]

Little is known about these millimeter waves (30GHz-300GHz). While these frequencies only permeate a small fraction of the human epidermis (the skin), the effect on the cornea, in particular, needs serious research. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180823220918/https://www.pcmag.com/commentary/363244/the-problem-with-5g]

As Frank Clegg, former President of Microsoft Canada, explains, because these waves are poor at travelling long distances, more transmitters will be needed to make 5G work:

"5G will impact you personally. There are designs that show the requirement for small cell 5G antennas as close as every third house in the neighbourhood and could be as close as every 500 feet in public areas. The impact of that radiation at that level of frequency and intensity and power, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week is unprecedented and is not understood.” [https://ehtrust.org/former-president-of-microsoft-canada-frank-clegg-on-safety-5g-wireless-technologies/]

What is the controversy around 5G?

The word “controversy” leads us to think there is “Contention; dispute; debate; discussion; agitation of contrary opinions” (borrowing from a dictionary here).

However, you will find that such disputes come from different interests and perspectives, less about the actual facts themselves.

One example: for a long time, it was thought that non-ionising radiation had no health impacts, unlike ionising radiation such as X-rays. As the use of wireless technology became ubiquitous, and as we increased our exposure to wireless technologies of 2G, 3G and 4G — that we use today with our cell phones, computers and wearable tech, there is increasing evidence for concern around high frequency radiation.

The Bio initiative Report was instrumental in gathering thousands of studies showing the biological impact of 5G, leading to the WHO recognition of wireless technology as a possible carcinogen.

Thousands of independent studies conclude that non-ionising radiation like wireless radiation does cause biological harm, including:

• oxidative stress

• cancers

• brain tumours

• sperm/testicular damage

• neuropsychiatric effects

• DNA damage

• hormonal changes

More about the health impacts [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118300355?fbclid=IwAR0YSqoBqW2OE2zUIzBQiR5JAVEGxuoimf0CGyPbNAWKqtP-BWasDGk_BcM]

As our EMF exposure increases with 5G networks, we need to critically evaluate our exposure. Mounting evidence are calling for concern and precaution over biological effects of wireless radiation on people as well as the ecosystem and our environment.

Meanwhile, rollouts for 5G continue to be ever more ambitious. Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX was authorised by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November 2018 to launch a fleet of 7,518 satellites in a scheme to provide global satellite broadband services to every corner of the Earth— a “smart planet” of sorts. [https://futurism.com/spacex-satellites-approval-fcc]

What is the science behind 5G (fifth generation wireless)?

The wireless industry admit they have no safety studies on 5G and do not plan to do any. "The stark truth is the health hazards are unknown and unstudied." Senator Richard Blumenthal, Dec 2018, in a February 2019 US Senate hearing [https://youtu.be/z8I4XDKX2a4]

5G is not simply an upgrade from 4G. It will be tens to hundreds of times more powerful and will use a completely different technology that has never been tested. 4G networks use frequencies below 6 GHz, but 5G uses extremely high frequencies in the 30 GHz to 300 GHz range.

Most common wireless devices currently operate below 10 gHz. 5G will operate 10gHz+ into the tHz, which is uncharted territory. It has shorter wavelength and a higher frequency. Theoretically those higher frequencies cannot penetrate as easily and cant travel as far. To compensate for these, more devices will likely need to be built to get coverage and power increased.

So far, over 134,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experts have signed an international appeal to the UN, the WHO, the EU, the Council of Europe and governments of all nations to stop the rollout of 5G.

Read the appeal in English here:

https://www.5gspaceappeal.org/s/International_Appeal_Stop_5G_on_Earth_and_in_Space-4dfh.PDF

As the 5G standard is new, there are no studies that have looked at long term human exposure to 5G.

However, evidence that wireless technology is harmful to life is already overwhelming—enough data for scientists to call for a moratorium. [https://ehtrust.org/scientific-research-on-5g-and-health/]

If the telecommunications industry’s plans for 5G come to fruition, no person, no animal, no bird, no insect and no plant on Earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of RF radiation that are tens to hundreds of times greater than what exists today, without any possibility of escape anywhere on the planet. These 5G plans threaten to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent damage to all of the Earth’s ecosystems.

Immediate measures must be taken to protect humanity and the environment, in accordance with ethical imperatives and international agreements. — The 5G Space Appeal

5G harms the ecosystem, including bees

Beekeepers were recently added due to the increasing scientific and direct observation that RFR and cell towers are injurious to bees.

Which countries and cities have opted out of 5G?

Cell phone companies began deploying 5G in 2019. In USA, 5G coverage is already available in many areas.

But not everyone is as enthusiastic about the deployment of 5G. Many towns, cities, and whole countries have decided to ban 5G, or halt its rollout, for two growing concerns: it has not been proven safe and it may take more time to ascertain its fuller effects; and growing concern about the data emerging over 4G/5G densification.

Their decisions affirm that technological advancement will never be at the expense of the health and welfare of their citizens.

Why the rush for 5G?

The 5G rollout is being called “progress” in the drive for "faster, better internet”. As most of us already own mobile phones and have access to the internet, expanding to 5G holds untapped markets for the wireless carriers and for the IoT device and sensor makers.

Read more about the wireless industry https://safeg.net/5g-the-real-story/.

How much of this push is really a gold rush for the wireless industry? Much of the things being touted by the wireless industry—such as “smart meters”, driverless cars, the Internet of Things, remote surgery by camera, and improved virtual reality—are things most people can live without, or can be done better and more securely with wired connections.

The practical considerations may prove cumbersome instead, as smart cities “will be exceedingly complex to manage, with all sorts of unpredictable vulnerabilities” — Shoshanna Saxe, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto writes.

Billions are being invested in 5G. But will technologies, as in the case of smart meters considered as one of the most mature and most widely adopted applications of IoT technology, rapidly become obsolete?

Are savings, whether to the consumer or to government, worth the expense of capital and infrastructure?

Who determines accuracy, privacy, and efficacy? [https://www.smh.com.au/business/smart-meters-too-toxic-to-touch-20120906-25ge2.html] [https://www.ema.gov.sg/reply_to_forum_letter.aspx?news_sid=201612075WEXOFyHRyge] 

How can we exercise precaution?

While debate continues, there are many steps we can take as individuals to protect our own health amidst a denser electro-polluted environment.

I list a few considerations that, when implemented, could have the most impact in reducing our exposure to wireless radiation:

• Children are especially susceptible to EMFs. Children’s developing brains, eyes and bone marrow absorb electromagnetic radiation three to 10 times deeper than adults. Their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner and their relative size is smaller. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213879X14000583] Microwave exposure can result in degeneration of the protective myelin sheath that surrounds brain neurons, at critical stages of their development. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/myelin]

• Understand microwave exposure limits have remained unchanged for over 20 years. Take responsibility to educate yourself on EMFs and how to recognise and reduce your exposure to this environmental toxin.

• Rethink your SMART home. The more devices connected to your Wi-Fi or cellular network, the more EMF exposure your family is going to have. Decline having a smart meter installed by the utilities. Ditch the “smart home” devices that offer to turn on/off lights or air conditioning.

• Avoid living near cell antennas. Don’t buy a house or rent an apartment right next to cell antennas, especially if you have or plan to have kids.

• Consult a Building Biologist trained in EMF mitigation. If you want to understand your real exposure to wireless radiation and other sources of EMFs, get in touch with me or another Building Biologist in your area.
  What can you do?

If you are concerned about the possible health impacts, and you want to ensure your own safe living environment:

1. Sign the international appeal.

2. Join “Stop 5G” groups in your part of the world. Connect through the internet and in-person. More people are becoming aware of wireless radiation as an environmental toxin and recognise health symptoms as a sign of hypersensitivity. Sign any local petitions and support the appeals in any way you can.

3. Learn more about the 5G Global Protest Day. 205 events in more than 195 cities in 33 countries are being planned for 25 January 2020. Events are planned in: Australia (5 cities), Belgium. Bermuda, Canada (13 events), Croatia (6 cities), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (7 cities), Finland, France, , Germany (11 cities), Greece - Patras, Hungary (3 cities), Ireland - Dublin, Italy (39 cities), Japan - Tokyo, Kenya, Malta, Netherlands - Amsterdam, New Zealand (15 cities), Norway (5 cities), Poland (9 cities), Portugal - Lisbon, Romania (4 cities), Serbia - Belgrade, Slovenia - Ljubljana, South Africa - Durban and Cape Town, Spain, Sweden (3 cities), Switzerland (13 cities), United Kingdom (13 events), and the United States (34 events).

4. Subscribe to the SafeG Alliance mailing list to receive updates. Subscribe to my newsletter as I share updates and research about EMFs.

5. Share this information with others.

References and resources:

1. Birds Bees and Mankind: Destroying Nature by “electrosmog” by Urlich Warnke. https://www.naturalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kompetenzinitiative-ev_study_bees-birds-and-mankind_04-08_english.pdf

2. https://ehtrust.org/international-actions-to-halt-and-delay-5g/

What You Should Know about Wireless Radiation: Health Impacts on Babies and Children

Wireless radiation is just one form of electromagnetic fields (or EMFs).

These are invisible waves of energy emitted by electronic devices like WiFi routers, cell phones, and baby monitors.

You can’t see them, but these EMFs are how your iPad and all mobile devices connects to the cell tower.

You cannot sense these as with other pollution such as smog, noise pollution, but your body is definitely sensitive to these fields.

Children are uniquely vulnerable to wireless radiation.

Children are more vulnerable to wireless radiation and cell phone radiation because they have smaller heads, they have thinner skulls, and they have developing brains. Research shows that children absorb higher levels of wireless radiation.

Wherever you are using your wireless device, this radiation is being absorbed into your body, quite intensely, whenever it’s nearby. So, if it’s in your head, you’re going to get high levels of absorption of the non-ionizing radiation into your head and brain. If it’s near the abdomen and you’re pregnant, your body will receive that radiation as will your developing baby.

Wireless radiation is linked to a wide range of symptoms.

Before it even becomes an acute disease, Some studies of people living near cell towers have also confirmed an array of health complaints, including dizziness, nausea, headaches, tinnitus and insomnia, from people identified as having "electromagnetic hypersensitivity."

Wireless radiation is considered a carcinogen.

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, cited troubling but uncertain evidence in classifying wireless radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

In 2018, a study by the federal government that was nearly two decades in the making found “clear evidence” that cellphone radiation caused cancer in lab animals. A major study in Italy produced similar results.

The main reason for this new classification was its linked to gliomas.

Cellphone radiation was classified a “possible carcinogen” in 2011 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, a conclusion based on human epidemiological studies that found an increased risk of glioma, a malignant brain cancer, associated with cellphone use.

Gliomas are the most common CNS tumors in children and adolescents; it is usually a fast-growing cancer that affects your child's brain or spinal cord.

Leukaemia and brain cancer are BOTH among the top five most common childhood cancers in most countries that track such statistics, from Singapore, Malaysia in the tropics to the UK, across Europe.

In fact, leukaemia and brain cancer account for more than half of all childhood cancers. Check out the population statistics in countries such as the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. By contrast, these cancers are rare in adults.

While these childhood cancers are rare and have high overall survival, it remains the first cause of death from

disease in children and adolescents. Can you imagine what the leading factor to such cancers are?

They’ve been concerned for a long time.

“They” being the many official institutions. For example, before the WHO’s 2011 official declaration, between 2008 and 2011, the European Union Parliament and the Council of Europe passed multiple resolutions against the “early, ill-considered, and prolonged use of mobiles and other devices emitting microwaves.”

The European parliaments’ advice for an exposure level was called A.L.A.R.A. (as low as reasonably achievable). (How low is still up to you to achieve as there are no standard regulations.)

Many medical associations in North America and Europe have also issued public statements to warn about the serious health risks associated with using wireless devices. Among them, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine wrote:

Wireless radiation is linked to autism and spectrum disorders.

A majority of studies that have looked at something called oxidative stress have found an effect. Now oxidative stress can lead to inflammation and more inflammation can lead to a lot of other health implications.

Dr. Martha Herbert documented in her publications, looking at autism and ADHD, there is inflammation in the brain. With electromagnetic fields, there are studies showing inflammation as well.

Many clinicians, doctors, and health professionals have found reducing electromagnetic fields can help with kids who have behavioral problems or have autism and other health issues. It’s been a way to impact or reduce electromagnetic fields that can support the child’s resilience.

Wireless radiation can cause behavioural problems in children.

If you are pregnant and exposed to cellphone radiation, your baby could be born susceptible to behavioural issues. A Yale study in 2012 found hyperactivity and reduced memory in mice exposed to cellphone radiation in the womb, consistent with human epidemiological research showing a rise in behavioral disorders among children who were exposed to cellphones in the womb.

The researchers exposed the pregnant mice to radiation from a muted and silenced cell phone positioned above the cage and placed on an active phone call for the duration of the trial. A control group of mice was kept under the same conditions but with the phone deactivated (such as being on “airplane mode”).

After the mice were born, researchers conducted psychological and behavioral tests, as well as measured their brain electrical activity.

“We have shown that behavioral problems in mice that resemble ADHD are caused by cell phone exposure in the womb. The evidence is really, really strong now that there is a causal relationship between cellphone radiation exposure and behavior issues in children. — Dr. Hugh Taylor, the author of the mouse study and chair of the obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences department at the Yale School of Medicine”

Concerned scientists are advocating for education around possible harms of wireless tech and how it should be used with care around children.

The BabySafe Project was conceived jointly by Dr. Devra Davis of Environmental Health Trust and Patti and Doug Wood of Grassroots Environmental Education after attending a conference in Stonington, Connecticut — it was where Dr. Hugh Taylor of Yale School of Medicine presented the results of his important study on fetal exposures to cell phone radiation. https://www.babysafeproject.org/science

Your child may already be suffering from EMF

A case in Canada saw three young children with an environmental intolerance, medically known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). They regularly suffered with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, concentration and memory problems, anxiety, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, ringing in the ears, and more. These symptoms were otherwise unexplainable.

In May of 2012, to accommodate children with EHS and to provide choice for parents who want to heed health warnings to reduce exposure for children who are most vulnerable, the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) called for a moratorium on Wi-Fi in schools.

EMFs health impacts begin pre-conception.

Higher levels of exposure could reduce sperm quality in men and increase miscarriage risk in women. The two miscarriage studies, conducted by Kaiser Permanente and funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, are particularly interesting because they're some of the only ones to date that actually measured EMF exposure in subjects using a magnetic field monitoring device.

"We took [913 pregnant women] and asked them to wear the monitor for the duration of their pregnancy. Studies right now aren't using the meters because most of them are focusing on cancer. Cancer can take 20 years to develop—you can't measure your exposure from 20 years ago, so in those cases, you just ask how much the person uses their cell phone." — reproductive epidemiologist De-Kun Li, MD, PhD, the principle investigator on both studies (one published in 2002, one published in 2017).

Any safety regulations is out of date.

Any safety data is so out of date, it is not even funny.

No standards even consider the impact to a pregnant woman, as that research didn’t exist 25 years ago.

For example, the US Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, based on an adult male and they don’t even consider a child’s developing brain. They last adjusted its woefully outdated health standards for wireless radiation a quarter-century ago, well before wireless devices became ubiquitous, heavily used appliances synonymous with modern life.

5G wireless radiation is a new beast.

Until now, most of us use the second-, third-, and fourth-generation cell phones (2G, 3G, 4G) that emit radiofrequency in the frequency range of 0.7-2.7 GHz.

Fifth-generation (5G) cell phones are anticipated to use the frequency spectrum up to 80 GHz.

That’s an astounding leap!

I hope this compilation of research and studies will help you make a more informed decision about Wifi and its use in your family.

Resources & recommendations

• https://www.babysafeproject.org/science

• Read the study of real-world exposure to non-ionizing radiation from magnetic fields in pregnant women found a significantly higher rate of miscarriage (December 13, 2017)

• Your quick guide to reducing exposure at home

• Is your child already experiencing exposure to EMFs? Check out 12 common symptoms that you may not know about.

• Get in touch for a free discovery call on how to kick wireless radiation exposure out of your house.

11 Baby and Infant Products And Their Common Toxins

Some products come with the territory when you’re expecting a new baby, others are entirely optional but have hidden toxins that you need to be aware of. The list of toxins to avoid is ever-growing and the marketplace a mind field of potential hidden toxicities. Marketing does not always help as it may obscure more than offer helpful information.

Ultimately, this leaves the responsibility to you, mums and dads, to know the ingredients and materials behind your products — what's good for you and baby and what is not.

To cut to the chase, here is a list of the MOST COMMON baby products that you may not know are frequently full of toxins. For all of these products, you can choose better alternatives that are actually safe and support your baby’s biological development.

baby monitors

It would be difficult to actually study the effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from baby monitors on babies (not to mention the ethics of such a study), but we can infer a lot from the thousands of studies that look at how wireless radiation from cell phones affects children. Moreover, baby monitors tend to be used close to the baby (at least within the same room) and during sleep, which is a critical period of rest and growth for the baby.

If you need a baby monitor, check out this low-EMF baby monitors guide.

Infant car seats

Is your infant car seat treated with flame retardants? Many common baby products such as baby bedding, pillows, mats, and even car seat may be treated with toxic flame retardants, depending on the country of production (that governs regulations). The only way around this is to choose one NOT treated with chemicals and to seek 100% natural materials in your baby bedding.

Plastic baby bottles

Made out of plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, plastic feeding containers contain plasticisers that disrupt hormones. These are the big four (in)famous Phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polystyrene

Even after BPA was banned (only for some products, by the way — check out this article for more details) in 2012, its “BPA-free” alternatives (BPS, BPE, BPF, etc.) are just as toxic and harmful. Even low doses of endocrine disruptors can still have an effect.

In order to totally avoid BPA and its alternatives, it’s best to choose products that are not made of plastic, such as stainless steel, hospital-grade silicone, and glass.

Luckily, nowadays many sturdy glass alternatives are available. I used the glass Natural Start baby bottles from Tommee Tippee, and it was such a breeze to clean and scrub glass vs soft plastic too.

Fragrances

Things can get a bit messy especially during the postpartum to early years, and we might rely on our powerful sense of smell for a soothing reminder of calmer things. However, you want to strictly avoid artificial fragrances! Fragrances can contain synthetic chemicals that are derived from harmful sources like coal and petroleum, which can cause skin, respiratory, and even neurological issues. They also contain pthalates are harmful as they are linked to developmental disorders, respiratory issues, and fertility issues

Hand sanitisers

Triclosan is an antimicrobial ingredient often found in hand sanitizers and antibacterial soap) and it has been linked to such a significant impact on the thyroid and reproductive hormones that it’s banned in several countries.

Sunscreen lotion

These common skincare products often contain parabens and phthalates that are harmful, endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Talcum powder

While talcum powder itself, as a smoothing agent, is generally safe; it is made from talc, a mineral made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. However, it has the potential to be contaminated with asbestos, which is a known carcinogen and instigator of lung disease.

Baby Shampoo

There are more formulations for baby that any parent can keep track of. Look beyond ““gentle” and “pure” to find out the ingredients. One common ingredient, Formaldehyde some baby shampoos, and body washes. Many preservatives actually release formaldehyde (they’re called formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs)). are used in many personal care products. (Yes, the same found in particleboards that causes lung issues.)

Short-term exposure to formaldehyde may cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat and skin irritation. Formaldehyde and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, are significant sensitizers and causal agents of contact dermatitis in children. Even trace amounts are a concern as it is enough to sensitive the body.

Wood-composite furniture

While new “ultra low-emitting” formaldehyde (ULEF) and no-added formaldehyde (NAF) resins were developed, it is a concern especially if youhave just finished a renovation and/or bought new furniture. Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels (less than 0.03 parts per million) in both indoor and outdoor air. It can be many times that usual amount within homes due to the choice of materials and pool ventilation.

new furniture

Likewise, a lot of the materials we use to coat furniture contain solvents, and also other materials to seal them in, that can be harmful. One example can be formaldehyde, this is a chemical that’s used in furniture polishes and stains. Off-gassing can last long after your furniture loses its new shine.

It’s not a good idea for the postpartum phase if you’re going to be ensconced with baby in a small space, breathing in these fumes.

References & resources

1. Weatherly LM, Gosse JA. Triclosan exposure, transformation, and human health effects. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2017;20(8):447‐469. doi:10.1080/10937404.2017.1399306