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Protect Berkeley from 5G Harm

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Telecommunications companies are planning to blanket towns throughout the U.S.--including Berkeley--with huge numbers of wireless “small” cell installations, in order to implement 5G, which stands for 5th generation wireless. Many people assume that 5G stands for 5Ghz, the number they see on their internet connection. This 5G is something entirely different, and will have devastating impacts on our health, quality of life,  and environment.

Unless we can delay, stop, or circumvent these installations, soon there will be ugly, radiation-emitting structures appearing on utility poles throughout our residential and commercial areas, even directly outside of our homes.

The frequencies of the new 5G antennas will be much, much stronger than the current 4G (4G operates at 6Ghz or less, while 5G begins at 24 Ghz and can go up to 100 Ghz). Thousands of studies have found harm to health and the environment from wireless radiation, and these dangerous effects will be magnified tremendously with 5G. 

Cities have been severely hampered in their ability to regulate or prohibit the 5G rollout, based on federal legislation and regulations issued by the FCC.  Numerous cities are suing to get these FCC orders overturned and our group, Wireless Radiation Education and Defense (WiRED), is pursuing different strategies to try to stop the rollout and/or protect Berkeley residents and workers to the extent legally permitted by law. 

One of our most important strategies is to hire an attorney, experienced in 5G issues, to thoroughly review the city's telecom policy and make recommendations regarding how they can be strengthened and improved.  We have found such an attorney, and now we need to raise the funds to cover his fees.  After Berkeley's new telecom policy is adopted, we will continue to need his help to implement WiRED's recommended changes to city ordinances.  We have come up with what we believe is a realistic estimate of the amount needed for the attorney's fee, which is our goal for this GoFundMe campaign. 

Given the current federal regulatory environment, it is urgent that we take action on the local level to protect our community.  Please donate to our campaign to stop this assault on our democratic decision-making.  If it turns out later that not all the funds are needed for attorney fees, either because the  FCC Order has been thrown out in court or some other change in the legal situation, we will gladly make refunds to those who request it.   Otherwise, the funds will be used for our ongoing expenses, such as other types of legal endeavors, putting on educational events, passing out flyers, and distributing door hangers.  None of our members are paid for the countless hours we are putting into this campaign.  We welcome you to join us.  Please contact us at [email redacted] to get involved. 

If you would like more information about why 5G will be so detrimental to the health and well being of the people in Berkeley, and to that of the natural world, keep reading--

Each wireless small cell can have over 1000 antennas that are transmitting simultaneously and 24/7.  https://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/5g-from-blankets-to-bullets/  In addition to the pole-mounted equipment that contains the antennas, there is also a back-up power supply for each installation on the ground.  Overloading utility poles has been recognized as a major cause of fires (for example the huge Malibu fire in 2007) and the back-up power boxes usually contain either propane or lithium batteries, both known fire hazards.  Cars run into utility poles and strong winds can knock them over.  Do we really need to add more fire hazards to our residential neighborhoods, in a state which has already seen so many lives utterly devastated by fire?

5G will not only utilize 3G and 4G wireless frequencies already in use, but also add higher frequency millimeter waves.  As described in an article by Joel Moskowitz of Berkeley’s School of Public Health, over 250 scientists and medical doctors from around the world issued a declaration calling for an immediate moratorium on the rollout of 5G cell antennas, citing human health effects, and impacts to wildlife.   https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/we-have-no-reason-to-believe-5g-is-safe/


Peer reviewed, published science indicates that exposures to wireless radiation increases rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, male infertility, memory loss and Alzheimers. (See www.bioinitiative.org and Sarah Benson’s review of numerous studies here https://biocircuitry.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2014-Joining-the-Dots-now.pdf . Of particular note are the cancer clusters that have been found to occur in people living close to cell towers, which Benson describes beginning on p. 9.) The evidence of harmful health impacts was given a big boost recently with the release of a $30-million dollar study, conducted by the National Toxicology Program of NIH, which found “clear evidence” of a link between wireless radiation from cell phones/wireless devices and cancer. https://microwavenews.com/news-center/ntp-final-rf-report

In Europe, where 5G installations are much further along than in the U.S., there have been large demonstrations of people opposing 5G (see photo accompanying this campaign of doctors protesting 5G in Germany), since residents immediately noticed the detrimental effects on their health.

Contrary to popular belief, 5G will do nothing to bring high speed internet to under-served communities. For those who already have highspeed access, it may provide even faster download speeds and connect the Internet of Things. Wireless radiation harms various forms of wildlife, and will provide much more surveillance of our personal lives. (Info about surveillance and cyber security issues here: https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/the-terrifying-potential-of-the-5g-network)

Because 5G is somewhat blocked by buildings and trees, the quality of connections will not be great and the speeds will slow down when many people are using it. 5G even prevents accurate weather prediction, which is so essential in these days of increasingly devastating climate events.  

If you agree with us that we should not trade the health and safety of our community, our internet security and privacy, and protection for the natural world, so that some can have access to a vast number of new wireless gadgets that no one needs, or so they can have (possibly) slightly faster download speeds, please support our campaign in whatever way you can.   All donations will be profoundly appreciated.
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Donations 

  • Sarah Aminoff
    • $20
    • 9 mos
  • Phoebe Sorgen
    • $5
    • 9 mos
  • Stephen Bonn
    • $10
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $50
    • 3 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $10
    • 3 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Connie Anderson
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
Meave OConnor
Beneficiary

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