It was a warm summer day in Queen’s Park, Toronto. Hundreds of Canadians had gathered in that location alone to protest the COVID-19 lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccine passport. But rallygoers held signs and handed out pamphlets and papers concerning a wide range of issues. One of these issues was the alleged harm caused to human health and the environment by 5G towers.
These physical structures bolster the digital world. But some say they are not environmentally safe. 5G towers have no visible emissions, which would make any damage they may cause the environment that much more dangerous.
5G is an emerging and controversial cellular technology, differing from 4G due primarily to increased speeds, but also requiring far more towers than 4G or 3G technology. The towers are how the technology functions – they are an important part of the municipal infrastructure.
The concerns about 5G towers are not new, but many experts continue to insist they are unwarranted.
Andrea Daigle, media relations for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, explicitly defends the use of 5G technology. Daigle says, “The radio frequency waves that are emitted from 5G antenna tower installations are a form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, much like those from FM radio broadcasting and existing cellular systems…. All antenna tower installations must satisfy Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (ISED) general and technical requirements.”
“5G technology will provide the opportunity for energy efficiency gains in many other sectors, thereby seeing an overall benefit in combatting climate change,” she says.
Joe Oliveira, spectrum management officer for ISED’s spectrum management operations branch, similarly defends the towers. “Spectrum” refers to the radiofrequency spectrum, a frequency range for electromagnetic waves that modern technology, particularly the telecommunications industry, has exploited.
Oliveira says 5G “is a complex question and issue, actually.” He describes 5G as “many, many technologies working together, as opposed to 4G, where they use just the LTE technology.”
“It’s in its infancy right now. They’re still playing with it, kind of experimenting,” he says.
“We haven’t really received training in 5G yet, although we are still licensing the sites, for Rogers and Bell, mostly, across the country,” he says.
He says whatever environmental impact 5G may have is unknown at this point because, “This is a new technology.”
“It probably will not be offered in full capacity as they intended it to be for another five or ten years. That’s my take on it,” Oliveira says.
One of the primary environmental concerns relating to 5G towers is the amount of radiation usually emitted by the towers.
Physicians for Safe Technology says 5G towers have a 1500-mile radius of high-powered radiation with a much larger radius of low-powered radiation. According to experiments performed primarily in Europe, 5G towers can cause, “not only human symptoms but also affect widespread forest health with loss of birds, thinner growth rings on trees, poor seed germination and loss of duckweed, among other effects. When these towers were removed, not only did residents’ symptoms disappear, the forest recovered.”
Meanwhile, the banking and Big Pharma industries are promoting 5G. In an article titled, “Next-Gen Networks: What 5G Means for Pharma,” Andrew Grojean says, “In short, 5G can help healthcare organizations meet the growing needs of their patients in an increasingly digital world.” In an article titled, “The Impact of 5G on Banking,” Binesh K. of SunTec Group says, “As more countries and regions adopt this technology, banks must work on aligning their digital transformation strategies with the possibilities of the 5G era…. Thanks to the pandemic, the banking industry now has no choice but to accelerate the pace of digital transformation.”
Perhaps those promoting 5G towers are not intentionally promoting the poisoning of the environment. In all likelihood, scientific experts will continue to study the environmental effects of 5G towers. One thing is certain: this issue warrants further investigation.
