Safe Tech Advocates Take Aim at Cell Towers
Dozens of advocacy groups are collaborating in an initiative called 704 No More to restore local control over cell towers and antennas, and slow the military-fueled Tech Tsunami that has proceeded with zero public input, knowledge or consent
In 1996, when cellphones were just becoming “a thing,” a huge piece of legislation called the Telecommunications Act made its way through Congress.
Buried under “Miscellaneous Provisions” near the very end was a tiny clause that would trigger enormous downstream effects by enabling the rapid and largely unregulated proliferation of cell towers and antennas in the U.S.
The clause read:
“No State or local government or instrumentality thereof may regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the Commission’s regulations concerning such emissions.”
Clearly, this clause is bad news for the birds, bees, flora and fauna (another article in itself). But on its face, it doesn’t appear particularly problematic for humans.
However, due to the court’s interpretation of “environmental effects,” the provision became the lifeblood of the wireless industry and a silent threat that looms beneath nearly every hearing on cell tower approvals in local communities.
That’s because for some reason, “environmental effects” was interpreted in several court cases to include human health.
From then on, if a municipality refused a permit application for a cell tower and cited health impacts from cell towers as the reason, the wireless provider sued or threatened to sue the local government to the tune of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This, despite the thousands of studies showing adverse health consequences for humans from wireless radiation, including comprehensive studies from the U.S. government dating back decades.
Health effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, harmful free radicals, DNA damage, reduced fertility, learning and memory deficits, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders and impacts on blood glucose levels, sleep, mood and general well-being.
Moreover, people are increasingly experiencing Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome (EMR-S), a federally recognized condition consisting of a wide range of symptoms cause dby acute and chronic exposures to electromagnetic radiation.
Our 21st-century quest for “progress at all costs,” as well as for economic and military superiority, has led to the digital revolution where nearly everything and everyone is connected 24/7 to the internet, predominantly wirelessly. Data has become the new oil, and artificial intelligence is well on its way to being integrated into nearly every facet of our lives.
All this despite grave concerns about energy consumption, mining and the calamitous effects on natural resources from data storage facilities and pre- and post-consumer e-waste.
When people think of cell towers, they often imagine tall structures far from residential areas. That was largely the case for earlier generations of cellular technology, but 5G technology is another story.
Boasting faster speeds and carrying far more data from video streaming, smart cities, surveillance cameras and the Internet of Things, 5G requires vastly more towers, many of which are butting up to homes and schools.
Though dubbed “small cells,” these antennas employ a wider range of frequencies and carry far more data, making them arguably more bioactive than larger towers.
When people see these “small cells” moving into their neighborhoods, they understandably set out to oppose them. But they can’t. It is not allowed — because Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act stripped state and local governments of their rights to do so.
So now, nearly 30 years later, dozens of advocacy groups are collaborating in an initiative called 704 No More to dismantle Section 704 and slow the Tech tsunami that has proceeded with zero public input, knowledge or consent.
Is this the kind of world we really want?
But what exactly is the rationale behind this push for accelerated and ubiquitous digitization?
Although so-called “progress” and economics are clearly part of the story, perhaps the most significant driver is the military. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are foundational to the military for electronic, cyber, and cognitive warfare, as well as for kinetic weapons of war.
All of these are directly dependent on harvesting vast amounts of data and cutting-edge, low-latency technologies. The “powers that be” believe that the ongoing tech arms race and geopolitical landscape necessitate unrestrained proliferation of cell towers and satellites to win the global race to space, AI and economic and military dominance.
The “thinking” is that whichever nation leads in one or more of these technologies will gain superiority logarithmically into the future, as predicted in the following statement from the U.S. Department of Defense:
“5G is a critical strategic technology: those nations that master advanced communications technologies and ubiquitous connectivity will have a long-term economic and military advantage.”
Georgianna Shea, one of three expert speakers at the Symposium on the U.S.-China Technology Race, stated:
“The U.S. must invest in scalable digital and physical infrastructure to ensure long-term resilience and technological dominance. The race for technological supremacy will determine the next era of global power, and the United States must lead from the front.”
And though based in the U.K., Quorum concurs:
“Nations that fail to apply new technology to their armed forces will fall behind in this new global arms race and find their defences inadequate to protect national security.”
With the Golden Dome missile defense system approved and civilization on the cusp of World War lll, it may be time to face what the Tech tsunami is about: war prep — the byproducts of which are being marketed to the public as convenience, entertainment, education, distraction and research.
Is this the kind of world we really want?
Peace begins one person at a time — encounter by encounter, deed by deed, thought by thought and moment by moment. May we humans find the wisdom, health, and mental clarity needed to carry us and all living beings into a future where all living beings can thrive and be fully alive.
For more information, go to 704NoMore.org.
See more here childrenshealthdefense.org
Header image: Reuters / Erik De Castro
About the author: Kate Kheel is a musician, founding member of Safe Tech International, and serves on the advisory board of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space.
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