HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0986.812 2018-2020From:
Cat Ruth
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 11:36 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Re: SUPPORT 678-20 RESOLUTION
On Tue, Jul 21, 2020 at 11:33 AM Cat Ruth
My name is Caitlyn White.
I am contacting you in regards to the construction of the 5G tower.
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
RECEIVED
Time 11 % am By
Date JUL 2 1 2020
wrote:
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:
-Birds
-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
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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.
The impact that,,%tile cell towers have on birds and bees is important to understand, because all ecosystems
of the earth are inter -co'n'nected. 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 cellradio- tower -like devices would be necessary to ensure high quality connection
for users. Having a larger number of high concentrations of these millimeter waves in the form of small
cells would cause a wider exposure 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 shall cells. While implementing base stations that use sustainable energy to function would be a step in
the right direction in environmental conservation, it 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 CAITLYN WHITE.
I OPPOSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF 5G TOWERS ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII