Not To Be Depressing: Things You Should Know About 5G

The amount of people in the world that use a cell phone is staggering; the number is said to be over 5 billion users worldwide. Most don’t think for half a second about the health risks associated with cell phones, because they seem negligible. The biggest worry with cellular devices is cancer via radiation. There is conflicting evidence and no scientific consensus regarding cancer risks from the 3G and 4G eras, although there are ongoing studies being carried out. However, 5G technology emits radiation of a different caliber - it has been proven to be detrimental to living things.

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(pixabay)

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The idea behind 5G is kind of what one would expect - faster data transfers between devices by a factor of 50, such that “feature-length HD movies can be downloaded faster than you can read this sentence” (1). 5G is also touted as being useful and necessary for emerging “cloud traffic” technology and self-driving cars. The future is bright, right?

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Although this new technology is certainly game-changing for the development of “smart cities”, some people have concerns. This new generation of data transfer will utilize high-energy millimeter waves, which operate in a higher frequency bandwidth than the radio waves that are used now and travel a much shorter distance (see: conservation of energy). Some places have already seen 5G infrastructure showing up on the streets - these antennas emit bursts of radiofrequency radiation (RFRs), that have been proven to be harmful to stuff (more on this in a minute). But here’s the kicker: because the high-energy RFRs don’t travel very far, we’re going to start seeing these 5G antennas on lots of street corners in big cities. Shower us in your irradiated knowledge, mystery boxes!

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(source)

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In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer classified RFRs as a potential 2B carcinogen, noting that long-term cell phone use had been determined to have some correlation with increased brain tumors in humans. No big deal.

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From Eluxe Magazine (2):

Many studies have associated low-level RFR exposure with a litany of health effects, including:

• DNA single and double-strand breaks (which leads to cancer)
• oxidative damage (which leads to tissue deterioration and premature ageing)
• disruption of cell metabolism
• increased blood-brain barrier permeability
• melatonin reduction (leading to insomnia and increasing cancer risks)
• disruption of brain glucose metabolism
• generation of stress proteins (leading to myriad diseases)

It sorta seems like maybe we should calm the fuck down with the US rollout of this whole thing and think about the implications 5G has for public health (like many other countries are doing). According to the Environmental Health Trust, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Virginia have passed 5G development bills. 5G bills are currently pending in Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington (3).

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The powers that be have made it clear that the American people don’t really get much say in whether this rollout happens or not. Some city legislatures have turned down bills to integrate 5G, which is at least a bit of hope in this seemingly dark situation. Many of the most populated cities, however, are already blazing ahead with development of small cells, projected to be placed about 500 feet from each other. I hope enough people see the potential damage that this could cause to everyone, just by living in proximity to the 5G transmitters. Something must be done about all of this, and people won’t be happy once 5G becomes a household name and a hot-button issue. Spread the word, and stay safe out there friends!

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# Further Reading:

What is 5G? - Verizon (1)

Frightening Frequencies: The Dangers of 5G & What You Can Do About Them - Eluxe Magazine (2)

List Of US State Bills Streamlining Wireless Small Cells/DAS/Nodes On Rights Of Way - Environmental Health Trust (3)

5G Cell Towers – Are They Safe & Who Decides Where They Go? - Vertical Consultants

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