Action Plan for Activists

Turning the Tides on 5G in Canada in 10 Easy Steps

 

Adapted with Thanks from the Center for Electrosmog Prevention, Americans for Responsible Technology and Citizens for 5G Awareness

 

To download, print & share this Action Plan Click Here. 

Want to Compare Action Strategies? Check out these Simple Action Ideas  or this detailed 12-Week Action Plan from the We Are The Solution Community Kit created by Australia’s Stop 5G Northern Rivers NSW Group. .

OVERVIEW

Bad for Health, but Good for Business

Microcell transmitters and the 5th Generation of cellular connectivity may be coming to your neighbourhood soon. They will not replace 3G or 4G, but will add to the electrosmog in our communities. Science links the microwave radiation all wireless tech and cellular transmitters emit to biological harm. In Canada, a federal loophole denies us the right to be consulted before a small cell tower is installed on an existing structure like a lamppost or a utility pole right by our home.

If things go as planned, we will also soon have thousands of 5G-enabled satellites in our sky. Telesat Canada plans to earn $1.2 billion in revenue from using low orbit satellites to “bridge our digital divide”, and the Canadian government has pledged up to $600 million to help them do it. Experts warn these rocket-launched satellites will interfere with  the work of weather forecasters and astronomers, threaten our earth’s ozone layer, and signal the end of our dark night sky.

The driving force behind this push is corporate profit – selling us wireless products and services we don’t need, tracking our consumption habits and then, in turn, selling our personal data. 80% of wireless traffic is generated indoors. We do not need microcell antennas placed by our homes or satellites polluting our skies to provide cell service for the 20% of the time our usage is mobile. Also, existing evidence is raising significant questions about health risks from cell phones and the safety of our growing dependence on them.

Wired fiber-to-the-premises – coined “SafeG™” – will always be faster and more secure than 5G or any wireless network and can safely fulfill most of the “smart city“ functions promised by the proponents of 5G. 

THE STEPS

1. LEARN the facts about 5G. Read this Primer. Get a quick overview of the issues here. For more in depth learning, visit Environmental Health Trust to read some of the latest scientific studies on wireless exposure and human health. Watch “Generation Zapped“, a powerful documentary film that covers the basics of wireless radiation and its impacts.

2. JOIN A GROUP – Check here for one where you live – OR HERE for tips on how to start one. A simple way is to invite some friends to watch “Generation Zapped”. After the film, ask who would like to be involved on an on-going basis to help protect your community from involuntary exposure to wireless radiation. Collect email addresses and promise to be in touch. Or distribute this Community Meeting Invite or Invitation to Gather Letter to friends and neighbours and get started!

3. GROW Your Group. Start a Facebook Groups page. Invite all the members of your group to like the page and share it with neighbours. Make sure to include the name of your community in the name of your page, and keep the name positive (“Mytown Citizens for Safe Technology”). Find more tips for building a movement here.

4. PRINT flyers that include the name and web address of your group and hand them out at public events, town meetings, school events, street fairs and other places where people congregate. You will be surprised how many people share your concern about 5G and will want to learn more. Encourage them to join your group. (For sample flyers you can use, click here.)

5. ORGANIZE a showing of “Generation Zapped” either physically or virtually. This should be done once your group has reached a certain size (25?). Invite the community, write a letter to the editor of your local paper, and make sure everyone in your group encourages a friend to join in. Find tips for writing letters to the Editor here.

 

6. CALL your town/village hall to ask about their position on 5G and small cells antennas. Does your city/village have an Antenna Siting Protocol? Work with them to make it more protective. Use this to guide you. You may also submit this cover letter and Information Kits for Councils to them.

 

 

7. WRITE letters to all your elected officials and to the Editor of your local paper. CIRCULATE petitions. Tell them you don’t want a microwave radiation-emitting cell antenna in front of your home or on your street and that community-owned, wired fiber to the premises is the best connectivity option. (Learn more about community-owned fiber here.) Remind leaders that it is their responsibility to keep your family and the public healthy and safe. Send your own letters or personalize these templates. Use the guides found here to create effective petitions.

8. MEET with local/provincial/federal representatives to voice concerns and to ask for support. The info on this webpage: Tips for Meeting with your Elected Official will help you prepare. Plan to share the science that shows 5G is dangerous. Consider printing out the title page of all the studies found here, and arrive at each meeting with a binder in hand.

 

9. ATTEND local government meetings where “5G”, “small cell wireless” or “antenna siting protocols” are on the agenda, or go to a local government meeting to voice your concerns about 5G before it is on the agenda. Get inspired by one of many visits residents of Santa Rosa, California made to their council. If you are permitted to do a presentation, these Presentation Tips and Templates will help you prepare.                                        

The “ASKs”:                                                               

If your local government has not yet signed contracts allowing microcells to be installed:

      • Will you represent me by writing a letter of non-concurrence to any telecom wanting to install 4G and 5G cell antennas in residential areas in our town?

If Contracts Have Been Signed or Not:

      • Will you ensure the public will be informed when macro sites are being upgraded to 5G or when 5G antennas are co-located at existing sites?
      • Will you create an Antenna Siting Protocol that is as protective as current federal laws allow? This resources will show you how:
        Creating a Proactive Antenna Siting Protocol                                                          
      • Will you insist on full and well-publicized community consultations hosted by the City prior to making any decision on the roll-out of 4G or 5G microcells? (Hint – to do this, the City must have an antenna siting policy and must amend it to include the requirement of having public consultations for the installation of cellular antennas of “non-tower structures” within City limits. )
      • Will you pass a moratorium on wireless expansion and 5G until proven safe? (By a panel of medical doctors and scientists recommended by the Environmental Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.)

10. STAGE A PROTEST, a boycott of 5G products and services, or an event – invite media, hold a press conference, let wireless companies know your intentions. Consider safe, peaceful, creative direct action. It has a proven record of success. You will find slogans and templates for posters and protest signs here and lots of great community action ideas here.

Remember to always post about your activities and events on social media. As ironic as it may be, the (wired) internet is our best organizing tool. To use email & social media effectively, use these tips:

WRITING POWER-PACKED EMAILS    ~  HARNESSING THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA.