Green Party of California Statement on 5G Wireless Technology Environmental Oversight

California Greens

 (February 21, 2021) — The federal government is fast-tracking a rollout of 5G technology on earth and in space. [1]

5G requires an additional 800,000 proposed small cell sites in the United States alone placed in proximity of people, parks, and wilderness, as well as tens of thousands of satellites linked with an array of land-based macro-towers.

This infrastructure has already been brought to market with no safety testing,[2] and no environmental agency has set limits to ensure safety for living organisms such as insects, birds or vegetation.[3]

A 2018 FCC ruling, as well as federal legislation, have limited local control regarding aesthetics, public safety and welfare of 5G in the public right-of-way.[4] The FCC has not updated its own 1996 safety guidelines with the latest scientific findings and is playing a subservient role to industry demands over community safety.

The Green Party of California advocates for local control, environmental review and public consent that present policy supporting 4G/5G technology takes away. We support minimizing energy consumption to limit climate change, and we advocate requiring risk assessment for human and environmental health, public safety, security, and privacy.

The Green Party of California calls on Federal, State and local representatives­ to:

1. first and foremost, apply the Precautionary Principle to the development and deployment of 5G, as a philosophical and legal lens to all innovations with the potential for causing harm and to;
2. require robust and independent scientific environmental review of 4G/5G wireless exposure and to halt FCC satellite networks on earth and in space in light of new findings on climate, pollution, and health impacts and to;
3. reduce exposures per the As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle and allow for local control over the deployment of 4G/5G and future generations of these technologies’ small cell installations and to;
4. move forward with safer alternative technologies to 5G, following the lead of other municipalities[5] [6] and to;
5. adopt recommendations such as those put forth by the New Hampshire Commission on 5G in its comprehensive final report[7] citing recent science on non-ionizing radiation health and 5G environmental impacts.

 [1] New rules will enable rapid development and deployment of next generation 5G technologies, see:
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-rules-facilitate-next-generation-wireless-technologies

[2] Wireless carriers concede they are not aware of any independent scientific studies on safety of 5G technologies, see:
https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-senate-commerce-hearing-blumenthal-raises-concerns-on-5g-wireless-technologys-potential-health-risks

[3] FCC and ICNIRP limits were not developed to protect our flora or fauna. New “small” cell towers (taller street lights and utility poles) will substantially increase ambient environmental levels of radiation. Birds perch on cell antennas, bats bees and pollinators will be flying directly through radiation plumes. Trees will receive high exposures.
https://ehtrust.org/research-studies-on-impacts-to-the-environment-from-wireless-trees-plants-pollinators-birds-and-wildlife/

[4] FCC removes barriers to wireless infrastructure deployment, see:
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-facilitates-wireless-infrastructure-deployment-5g

[5]Hawaii County Council bans 5G until proven safe, see:
https://ehtrust.org/hawaii-county-council-to-consider-resolution-banning-5g-until-proven-safe/

[6] Furragut-Tennessee Resolution, see:
https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Furragut-Tennesse-5G-Resolution-.pdf[7] 5G health and environmental effects, see:
https://mdsafetech.org/2020/11/17/new-hampshire-commission-studies-5g-technology-health-and-environment-effects/