HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0986.808 2018-2020From: Lilinoe Wedemeyer
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 9:32 AM COUNTY CLERK
To: Council Testimony COUNTY OF HAWAI II
Subject: SUPPORT 678-20 RESOLUTION RECEIVED
Time qiN &n By
Date JUL 2,1 2020
My name is Lilinoe Wedemeyer.
I am contacting you in regards to the construction of the 5G tower.
Due to environmental concerns I OPPOSE having any 5G towers built here on our Island of Hawai'i.
5G will have an extremely negative impact on:
-B irds
-Bees
-Climate change
-Future of our children
Below I have information that proves my statement correct.
BIRDS
The millimeter waves that are produced by 5G towers, specifically, have been linked to many disturbances in
the ecosystems of birds. In a study by the Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies of Punjab
University, researchers observed that after exposure to radiation from a cell tower for just 5-30 minutes, the
eggs of sparrows were disfigured.
The disfiguration of birds exposed for such a short amount of time to these frequencies is significant
considering that the new 5G network will have a much higher density of base stations (small cells)
throughout areas needing connection. The potential dangers of having so many small cells all over areas
where birds live could cause whole populations of birds to have mutations that threaten their population's
survival. Additionally, a study done in Spain showed breeding, nesting, and roosting was negatively affected
by microwave radiation emitted by a cell tower.
BEES
Studies show that cellular devices had a detrimental impact on bees, beehives exposed for just ten minutes to
900MHz waves fell victim to colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse disorder is when many of the bees
living in the hive abandon the hive leaving the queen, the eggs, and a few worker bees. The worker bees
exposed to this radiation also had worsened navigational skills, causing them to stop returning to their
original hive after about ten days. Bees are an incredibly important part of the earth's ecosystem. Around
one-third of the food produced today is dependent on bees for pollination, making bees are a vital part of the
agricultural system. Bees not only provide pollination for the plant -based food we eat, but they are also
important to maintaining the food livestock eats. Without bees, a vast majority of the food eaten today would
be lost or at the very least highly limited. Climate change has already caused a large decline in the world's
bee population.
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The impact that the cell towers have on birds and bees is important to understand, because all ecosystems of
the earth are interconnected. If one component of an ecosystem is disrupted the whole system will be
affected. The disturbances of birds with the cell towers of today would only increase, because with 5G a
larger number of small cell radio -tower -like devices would be necessary to ensure high quality connection
for users. Having a„largei: number of high concentrations of these millimeter waves in the form of small cells
would cause a wider,exposue to bees and birds, and possibly other species that are equally important to our
environment... -,
CLIMATE CHANGE
The whole aim of the new 5G network is to allow for more devices to be used by the consumer at faster rates
than ever before, because of this goal there will certainly be an increase in energy usage globally. Energy
usage is one of the main contributors to climate change today and an increase in energy usage would cause
climate change to increase drastically as well. 5G aims to use millimeter waves, rather than radio waves, to
open new space for more devices. The smaller size of the millimeter waves compared to radio frequency
waves allows for more data to be shared more quickly and creates a wide bandwidth that can support much
larger tasks. While the idea of more space for devices to be used is great for consumers, this will lead to a
spike in energy usage for two reasons — the technology itself is energy demanding and will increase demand
for more electronic devices. The ability for more devices to be used on the same network creates more
incentive for consumers to buy electronics and use them more often. This will have a harmful impact on the
environment through increased energy use.
Climate change has several underlying contributors; however, energy usage is gaining attention in its
severity with regards to perpetuating climate change. Before 5G has even been released, about 2% of the
world's greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the ICT industry. While 2% may not seem like a very
large portion, it translates to around 860 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas
emissions are the main contributors to natural disasters, such as flooding and drought, which are increasing
severity and occurrence every year. Currently, roughly 85% of the energy used in the United States can be
attributed to fossil fuel consumption. The dwindling availability of fossil fuels and the environmental burden
of releasing these fossil fuels into our atmosphere signal an immediate need to shift to other energy sources.
Without a shift to other forms of energy production and the addition of technology allowed by the
implementation of 5G, the strain on our environment will rise and the damage may never be repaired. With
an increase in energy usage through technology and the implementation of 5G, it can be expected that the
climate change issues faced today will only increase.
The overall contribution of carbon dioxide emissions from the ICT industry has a huge impact on climate
change and will continue to have even larger impacts without proper actions. In a European Union report,
researchers estimated that in order to keep the increase in global temperature below 2° Celsius a decrease in
carbon emissions of around 15-30% is necessary by 2020.
Engineers claim that the small cells used to provide the 5G connection will be energy efficient and powered
in a sustainable way; however the maintenance and production of these cells -is more of an issue. Supporters
of the 5G network advocate that the small cells will use solar or wind energy to stay sustainable and
green. These devices, labeled "fuel -cell energy servers” will work as clean energy -based generators for the
small cells. While implementing base stations that use sustainable energy to function would be a step in the
right direction 1n environmental conservation, 1t is not the solution to the main issue caused by 5G, Which is
the impact that the massive amount of new devices in the hands of consumers will have on the amount of
energy required to power these devices.
Though "claims" state that there are no direct health concerns for humans, these negative impacts on our
environment will certainly effect us and. the future of our children.
MY NAME IS LILINOE WEDEMEYER &
I OT'I'OSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF 5G TOWERS ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII