The fifth generation of mobile communications networks has begun encroaching on our public space over the course of the last decade. On April 3, Verizon flipped the switch in the US cities of Chicago and Minneapolis, making the telecom company the first carrier in the world to make the 5G network accessible to properly equipped devices. As many as 30 other U.S. cities will get access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network in 2019. The service is being embraced through various other providers to other countries, including Canada, over the course of the next year. [2][3]

The big pitch is that the networks dramatically increase the speed of wireless communications. Not only will this innovation improve download speeds of high definition video, it will allow for virtually instantaneous connections between gadgets, thereby allowing for everything from virtual reality game-playing in real time, to driver-less cars with much better reaction times than humans (thereby reducing the likelihood of traffic fatalities) to surgeons in far-away communities able to conduct delicate surgeries using robotic mechanisms. [4]

Intriguing as these technological novelties may be, they do come with a significant downside. A multitude of peer-reviewed scientific studies have pointed to the negative health impacts associated with the microwave radiation used in existing wireless networks. These include childhood cancer and behavioural effects, brain tumours, neurological effects including memory and cognitive deficits, male infertility effects, neuropsychiatric effects including depression, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, DNA damage, and malignant melanoma.

Remarkably, regulatory agencies like the US based Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission consider the risks of this technology to be within tolerable levels. To quote the FDA:

“According to current data, the FDA believes that the weight of scientific evidence does not show an association between exposure to radiofrequency from cell phones and adverse health outcomes. Still, there is consensus that additional research is warranted to address gaps in knowledge, such as the effects of cell phone use over the long-term and on pediatric populations.”[5]

Scientists, environmental groups, doctors and concerned citizens have warned that the 5G roll-out constitutes “an experiment on humanity and the environment” and that it should be considered a crime under international law.



Citizen groups in the United States are responding and have dubbed Wednesday May 15th a National Day of Action. Rallies are planned in 36 American cities (including Chicago.) Find details at www.5Gcrisis.com

This week’s Global Research News Hour critically examines the hype surrounding the fifth generation of mobile communication networks, and the potential for harm that it poses to the public.

In our first half hour, we get a breakdown of the health hazards of wireless radiation, and Canada’s regulatory stance from Canadian scientist Meg Sears, PhD. In our second half hour, we’ll hear from Patti Wood of the non-profit information hub Grassroots Environment Education about citizens’ efforts to protect the public from the 5G roll out. Toward the end of the show we’ll hear an excerpt from the CFUV program Gorilla Radio with activist and citizen journalist Walt McGinnis who has further insights into the new wireless technology, including an interesting connection with the University of Victoria.

One further note, Sunday May 12th is Environmental Sensitivities Awareness Day, a date on which environmental health organizations attempt to raise awareness about potentially disabling conditions such as Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and other crippling ailments induced by environmental factors, including EM radiation. Find a link here.

Selected Articles: The Dangers of 5G Wireless Communication

Dr. Meg Sears is the Chair of Prevent Cancer Now. Meg was trained in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (University of Toronto), completed a doctorate in biochemical engineering (McGill University), and has diverse laboratory experience including in energy research. Her achievements include writing the Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities for the Canadian Human Rights Commission, leading to a policy under the Canadian Human Rights Act; conducting a scoping review on toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) with Canadian Institutes for Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funding; and numerous collaborations with members of the Environmental Health Committee of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and prominent Canadian environmental health and legal groups.

Patricia (Patti) Wood is the Founder and Executive Director of Grassroots Environmental Education, a multi award-winning 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, science-based organization located in Port Washington, New York. Throughout her career, Patti has developed nine educational campaigns and programs to spread awareness about climate change and the biological impacts of chronic, low-level exposures to environmental toxins on humans and on the environment at large. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at Adelphi University and lecturer on the environment and related health issues in the College of Nursing and Public Health.

Walt McGinnis is a Victoria-based political activist, citizen journalist and co-host of Citizens Forum, a local political affairs program. He’s also the past president of Stop Smart Meters.ca, a citizen’s coalition to reverse BC Hydro’s imposition of the so-called “Smart Meter” without due consultation, and at great cost to British Columbians. Walt McGinnis appeared on Gorilla-Radio, the public affairs program hosted by Chris Cook which aired on November 15th, 2018 on CFUV 101.9FM in Victoria, BC, Canada.

(Global Research News Hour Episode 259)