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Environmental and Health Groups join to raise awareness about 5G

In response to increased community concern, Greenrock, Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, Ocean Rock Wellness, Bermuda Advocates for Safe Technology and Dr. David Wingate are all joining together to bring awareness to concerns regarding the potential deployment of 5G Technology in Bermuda.  The groups are also advocating for an extension to the public consultation, being administered by the Regulatory Authority (RA), which is currently scheduled to close on November 23rd.

We strongly urge the RA to extend the public consultation on 5G, which is being held during a time when our focus has been on a global pandemic, for at least 30 days. Given the vast and potentially negative impact 5G could have on the health of Bermudians and our natural environment, it is important that adequate time be allocated for the general public to understand the potential risks and provide their input. This is about the health and safety of the people of Bermuda, especially our most vulnerable, and as a result, we are deeply concerned that this push for 5G is placing profit over people.

5G is very different from previous generations of wireless technology.  It promises an increase in data transmission rates by using high-frequency, short millimeter waves, which require a large number of antennas to be erected in close proximity to homes, schools, and places of work. The technology requires massive increases in energy consumption and there are genuine concerns that 5G also poses risks to birds, bees and tree canopy.  For full coverage, antenna installations will need to take place island-wide, therefore involuntarily exposing all of us to a substantial increase in wireless radiation. At the moment, we can all choose the extent to which we use wireless technology in our homes, however should 5G technology be approved in Bermuda, the rollout of 5G infrastructure, and our subsequent exposure to considerable increases in wireless radiation, will happen without our consent. 

5G is globally controversial, with a growing list of countries and cities halting its implementation.  In Bermuda, we need to determine our position, and the window of opportunity for influencing the outcome has arrived.  We must act now if we wish for our voices to be heard. A petition to stop the deployment of 5G in Bermuda is currently circulating, with over 3,500 signatures to date, and the link to sign and share the petition is as follows: 

Before the deployment of 5G technology is even contemplated for Bermuda, it is critical that policy is created to protect the populous. Doctors and scientists have repeatedly advised that the FCC guidelines, we currently follow in Bermuda, for exposure to cellular radiation are outdated and no longer suitable for protecting our health.  This is very concerning, and needs to be addressed with haste.  Regulations on where cell towers and antennas can be installed must be created, inclusive of quantities and minimum distances from residential areas, rest homes and schools. A long overdue registry of existing cell towers and antennas needs to be established, and the public should be informed of proposed installations as well.

We welcome the advancement of technology; as long as that technology has proven to be safe. There are alternatives to 5G, such as fiber optics, which is faster, more reliable, less susceptible to hacking and can be deployed without increasing health and environmental risks. It is important to note that 5G has not been tested for safety, despite the fact that testing is required for numerous products before they enter the market.  Swiss Re classified 5G as a “high” emerging risk, cautioning that, “potential claims for health impairments may come with a long latency.” In fact, most of the world’s leading insurers have excluded policy coverage for any negative health effects as a result of wireless technology. Therefore, if insurance companies refuse to take the risk, why should we?

References

Reference 1. How 5G is different

Reference 2. Global controversy around 5G

Reference 3. With respect to 5G not being safety tested

Reference 4. Doctors / Scientists request FCC safety guidelines be reviewed and updated

Reference 5. About  insurers excluding coverage | Swiss RE reporting 5G as emerging risk

 

https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/events/tort_trial_insurance_practice/2013/02/a-day-at-lloyds/lloyds_cover_to_cover.authcheckdam.pdf

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