16th of December 2023

Widely known causes of insect decline are deforestation, pesticide use, artificial light pollution and climate change.

Although there is growing concern about the effect of anthropogenic (man made) electromagnetic radiation exposure to insects we cannot ignore the effect of another type of anthropogenic EMR, artificial light at night (ALAN).

Vanbergen et al.,2019: “The extent that anthropogenic EMR (ALAN or AREMR) represents a significant threat to insect pollinators and the benefits they provide to nature and humankind therefore remains to be clearly established” (AREMR = anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation).

This Brief focuses on the lighting design adaptations and mitigation measures tailored for sensitive habitats and taxa. It also highlights ongoing efforts by local governments and communities to address Artificial Light at Night pollution (ALAN).

As per the Brief, regarding insects

Insects

There is concern that the increased usage of white LEDs will impact insects as they are more sensitive to short wavelengths. One group that is particularly prone to negative effects of ALAN are moths, and research has shown that light pollution affects their reproduction and development. In turn, it also affects the composition of moth assemblages and the ecosystem functions they perform.

The EU Pollinators Initiative is the first ever EU action framework to tackle the decline of wild pollinators. A workshop took place online in 2022, which aimed to strengthen actions to enhance pollinator friendly artificial night lighting in Europe, through the existing Pollinators Initiative (Stockhammer, Zulka and Schindler, 2022). Organised by DG Environment and the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), the workshop was aimed at experts across stakeholder groups, including public authorities, practitioners engaged in spatial planning, innovation and social change experts, academia, land managers and non- governmental organisations The resulting revised EU Pollinators Initiative was released in January 2023 9, recommending member states to mitigate the impact of light pollution through national and regional policies. The updated initiative also highlighted the Commission’s new guidelines on light pollution mitigation for cities10 and citizens for pollinator conservation11.

The revised EU Pollinators Initiative states that the Commission has integrated recommendations on how to mitigate light pollution into its guidelines for citizens and cities, and will continue to promote them (European Commission, 2023).

The interaction of light pollution with other pollutants is still poorly understood, and therefore a growing concern of the science community. 

Two large scale interdisciplinary research projects investigating the impact of light pollution and effectiveness of mitigation measures, are planned to be funded within the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV01-2)17. Both projects will investigate light and noise pollution with respect to impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services and innovative mitigation measures, with ‘AquaPlan’ (101135471), focussed on European seas lakes and rivers, whereas ‘Plan B’ (101135308) is focussed on terrestrial ecosystems.

What we can all do to reduce light pollution outside your house:

To lower skyglow in your city, town or village you can minimise light pollution outside your house, in your garden, terrace or front door. Do you need lights in these spaces all the time? If not, can they be used only at certain times of night? Motion activation or temporal lighting with automatic timers can help. Extinguish lights when not needed, or dim to the lowest acceptable light intensity. Use lights which are shielded – so light doesn’t travel upwards or downwards unnecessarily, and use warm lights with a red wavelength rather than a blue one. Lastly, simply close your curtains or shutters in the evening when you turn on lights inside your home (IEEP, 2020). https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/future-brief-light-pollution-mitigation-measures-environmental-protection-issue-28_en

Biomonitors

Mair KS, Irrgeher J, Haluza D. Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research. Insects. 2023 Nov;14(11):874. DOI: 10.3390/insects14110874. PMID: 37999073; PMCID: PMC10671894

The study does not consider anthropogenic light or EMF exposure but provides an insight into the biomonitoring of the honey bee and how it  delivers valuable information on the state of the shared environment and how well honey bees can help us monitor pollutants from an environmental health perspective.

The earliest publication on the use of honey bees as bioindicators dates back to 1935, when Svoboda reviewed the negative effects of industrial pollutants on honey bees in former Czechoslovakia, as stated by Porrini et al. [5]. Since then, honey bees have been used in numerous biomonitoring studies, ranging from assessing radionuclides after the nuclear plant incident at Chernobyl to determining pesticide contamination at agricultural sites [5,6,7,8,9].

The systematic literature review provided a comprehensive overview of the utilization of the honey bee as a tool for pollutant monitoring, encompassing articles published within the decade spanning from 2010 to 2020. Nineteen studies were included in the systematic literature review. Of these studies, the majority (n = 15) focused on the detection of heavy metals in honey bees and beehive products, while 4 studies focused on air pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or particulate matter.

The authors state that by using the One Health approach, a safer world for all living creatures, fostering a balance between human development and the preservation of ecosystems, can be achieved. This concept not only protects human health but also recognizes the intrinsic value of biodiversity and the critical role animals and the environment play in our shared well-being. From an environmental health viewpoint, the honey bee can be considered as a model organism for the One Health concept [19].

Read the full article https://europepmc.org/article/MED/37999073

Biological effects of electromagnetic fields on insects: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review summarizes the results of studies investigating the toxicity of electromagnetic fields in insects. According to the authors, biological effects of non-thermal EMF on insects are clearly proven in the laboratory, but only partly in the field, thus the wider ecological implications are still unknown. Reference: Thill, Alain, Cammaerts, Marie-Claire and Balmori, Alfonso. “Biological effects of electromagnetic fields on insects: a systematic review and meta-analysis” Reviews on Environmental Health, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2023-0072

ETAIN is part of the CLUE-H cluster focused on Electromagnetic Fields, Health Risks, and 5G

By developing anatomically and electromagnetically accurate 3D ElectroMagnetic (3D-EM) models of insects, the project quantifies potential changes in their RF-EMF exposure and answers the question whether (non-) thermal effects in insects could occur.

Honey Bees, solitary bees and blue bottle flies will also be studied to test if RF-EMF exposure impacts the immature development and fitness of insect pollinators.

The absorption and penetration of RF-EMF in insects is expected to increase due to the shift towards 5G and 6G, caused by resonance effects in small bodies. 

ETAIN updates systematic reviews on RF-EMF health effects with upcoming evidence from the scientific literature, results from this project such as effects on skin, eye, insects and other anticipated results while creating a white paper with policy recommendations. https://www.etainproject.eu/the-project

Climate Change

“We warn that, if no action is taken to better understand and reduce the action of climate change on insects, we will drastically reduce our ability to build a sustainable future based on healthy, functional ecosystems.” Harvey et al., 2022

Outdoor lighting is not currently included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all members to the United Nations, although most of the 17 sustainable development goals are impacted by light pollution.

To ensure a more ecological sustainable future in Europe, and globally, individuals, cities, governments and international conservation organisations need to include the effects of anthropogenic lighting in planning and decision-making. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/future-brief-light-pollution-mitigation-measures-environmental-protection-issue-28_en

Climate impact disclosure

Despite mobile operators being at the forefront of net zero ambitions and most disclosing their climate impacts, a significant part of the ecosystem currently does not report its impact. Of total global connections, 2.8 billion (34%) are currently provided by mobile operators that do not disclose their climate impact. While operators from more developed countries are likely to have higher levels of disclosure, less developed countries in Asia and Africa have the strongest representation in the list of those that do not disclose. To fully understand the emissions of the mobile industry, harmonised and ubiquitous climate impact disclosure is essential. 

5G

Although 5G offers a significant energy-efficiency improvement per gigabyte when compared to previous technologies, new 5G use cases and the adoption of mmWave will require more sites and antennas. This leads to the prospect of a more efficient network that could paradoxically result in higher emissions in the absence of active intervention. 5G is the first wireless technology where energy efficiency has been considered during standardisation.

Each cellular technology has become more energy efficient since 2G as the transmission technology has improved. On top of this, a number of energy saving measures are built into the 5G standard, such as sleep or shutdown functions in the transceiver and a low-energy scheduler solution. 5G has been designed with network energy efficiency in mind, with 5G’s specification offering the potential for a 90% reduction in energy use to transfer each bit of data compared to previous wireless technologies. https://www.gsma.com/betterfuture/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Moble-Net-Zero-State-of-the-Industry-on-Climate-Action-2022.pdf

Solutions that are effective, economical and pragmatic – South African National Report 2022

The number of LIGHT, EMF and Climate Change related complaints received by various government departments has been increasing over time. In the past, these have not been handled optimally, but there is now a general consensus to strive toward cooperative solutions and synergy. One of the proposed means employed is to increase both technical and non-technical communication strategies. This will encourage the nation’s inhabitants to become citizen scientists in a pedagogy that is aligned with this committee’s voice. Dialogue and growth in working together is needed and why the designed and carried out solutions in this report are effective- economical and pragmatic, enabling all residents of SA and globally to employ, test, and enhance within their own personal spaces, work and government facilities.

Example:

Reference:

Lech, James; Krüger, Tjaart; Boros, László; Venter, Derik; Obajuluwa, Adejoke; Abrahamse, Heidi; et al. (2022). World Health Organization – International EMF Project – International Advisory Committee (IAC) – 11th anniversary of the International Optical Radiation and 26th anniversary of EMF Project meeting, World Health Organization – International EMF Project – International Advisory Committee (IAC) . figshare. Conference contribution. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20012759.v1; also available at

In conclusion

It is vital to lead by example and adapt our residences and businesses accordingly for the sake of environmental health.

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Photo by redcharlie | @redcharlie1 on Unsplash

Comments submitted by EMFSA in 2022:

The bill is important to us because we are concerned about increasing pollution caused by ionizing and non ionizing radiation, as well as light pollution.

We support this very important bill, however we have some concerns and suggestions:

There is a lack of research on the effects of co- exposures of non ionizing radiation and other pollutants, for example radon, light pollution, and air pollution.

The bill should incorporate interdisciplinary science:

Electromagnetic / sub-molecular medical science treatments can be implemented in an economically affordable and sustainable manner within the Climate Change Framework.

The number of EMF and Climate Change related complaints received by various government departments has been increasing over time. In the past, these have not been handled optimally, but there is now a general consensus to strive toward cooperative solutions and synergy. One of the proposed means employed is to increase both technical and non-technical communication strategies. 

Magnetic field drop zone:

NASA has been observing an unusually large weak spot in the Earth’s magnetic field called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA. Initially, over South America, it is migrating and extending over Southern Africa. Particle radiation in this SAA region can knock out onboard computers and interfere with the data collection of satellites that pass through it. Research groups must take into account current observations and model the behavior of the SAA in order to monitor and predict future changes. This will help prepare for future challenges to satellites, humans, and agriculture affected by the SAA. It is not only the magnetic field drop that is of importance but solar photon levels as well.

The bill should address the vulnerabilities of the unique diversity of the South African public – priority should be given to Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and the role of coupled and uncoupled haplotype groups. What works in the rest of the world might not work for South Africa.

Mobile Telecommunications Industry

The bill should include and ensure that carbon emissions by the technologies (as used by the mobile telecommunications industry in South Africa) be captured, quantified and easily accessible to the public. A pathway that emissions will be reduced over a period of time should be clearly indicated.

There is concern in South Africa as in the rest of the world of the impact of 5G on climate change and it would be reassuring to know that these concerns are being addressed.

Department of energy’s role:

The bill should address concerns about renewable energy:

•Utilities SMART meters: Similar to both France and the Netherlands in SA some members of the public, and municipal pilot projects have submitted complaints about SMART meter installations. One of the main complaints surrounds RF emissions. Both in FR, and the NLs some members of the public have been granted the “old” or digital meter system over the newer SMART meters. In the SA High Court 2017, it was suggested the primary setting default to ethernet (hardwire) for utility SMART meters. This brings about advantages synergistic with other promoted services, i.e. increased data security, faster-broadband infrastructure, and reduced RF spurious emissions. However, according to USA court case reviews, there may still be an issue of voltage transients. If this is still the case it can have detrimental effects on electronics and or sensitive medical or scientific research equipment. 

•Energy transmission: Similar to Germany, with increasing electrical energy demands and services the generation and transmission of power is requiring increasing proximity between the generating source, transmission line, and the population. This is also evident with the expansion of renewable energy and the upgrading of existing infrastructure. There is general consensus that additional precautionary and safety measures are required when erecting or significantly altering low-frequency installations and direct current installations. Possibilities must be exhausted to minimize the EM and EMF generated by the respective installation using state-of-the-art processes taking into account the circumstances within the respective installers’ sphere of influence. Installations of low-frequency electricity transmission infrastructure (with a frequency of 50 Hz and a rated voltage of 220 Kilovolt and more) which are being erected in new areas are not allowed to be erected over buildings or parts of buildings intended for the long-term occupation of humans. Recent advances in technology, unified with the requirements of the state promise substantial reductions in project CAPEX and ongoing operating costs.

•Electric vehicles (EV): EVs require an expanded and accelerated rollout of necessary infrastructure. After reviewing the positive and negative concerns raised in the literature, there seems to be an emerging consensus that EVs design can be modified with minimal effort to address negative factors. In the context of the RSA, the opportunity to export EVs into the AU presents a number of economic opportunities. At the same time, it presents an opportunity to address environmental concerns related to EVs. EV’s are here to stay and the field must be addressed.

The bill should make strong provision for regulation of renewable energy products, for instance as EMFSA we encounter some products sold as having a “pure sine wave” when in our opinion, it does not. 

The bill should incorporate the effect of renewable energy products on wildlife:

•Wind power: eagles, bats etc.

•Marine life:

Powerships, gas exploration, underwater cables etc.

As well as how fishing communities will be affected.

Partially referenced from:

World Health Organization – International EMF Project – International Advisory Committee (IAC) – 25th anniversary of the International EMF Project and the 10th Optical Radiation meeting, South Africa National Report 2021 https://tinyurl.com/mtsremt4

Lech, James; Krüger, Tjaart; Boros, László; Venter, Derik; Obajuluwa, Adejoke; Abrahamse, Heidi; et al. (2022): World Health Organization – International EMF Project – International Advisory Committee (IAC) – 11th anniversary of the International Optical Radiation and 26th anniversary of EMF Project meeting, South Africa National Report 2022. 

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Link to the report: https://bit.ly/3HkQ4vh

Report chaired and presented by: James C Lech

Committee members 2022: page 43-44 of the report

Timestamps:

0:00 Solutions: Update from Energy-flux Models to Photon-flux Models; NASA Human Research Program

1:42 VW Dieselgate; Cellular Phonegate

2:58 One photon excites one electron explanation

3:42 Poor oxygen in a deuterium enriched room results in an inability to process photons or light correctly from the environment (or internally).

3:56 Blue light: information processed differently

5:00 Broken window theory: improve medical services and facilities

6:40 IV solutions; deutenomics

7:30 Deuterium depleting protocols: cancer; diabetes; auto-immune diseases

8:05 Beach Tennis: Cost effective application of applied medicine 8:54: Surfskating; bringing people together and use nature to heal better

10:05 Breastfeeding- deuterium, milk banks, photonbiomodulation

11:49 Climate Change Model suitable for South African and Sub-Saharan context. Feynman Approach.

13:00 Coal power plants; micro algae; nanobubble generation and carbon sequestration

14:29 Goat and cow milk

15:52 Magnetic Field Drop Zone

18:14 Light, photons drive all biochemistry

19:22 COVID-19 Germ Theory versus Terrain Theory

21:26 Applied science example: cleaning without chemicals

24:12 Deuterium as a GPS marker in nature

25:01 The value of where deuterium is, is already embedded in law

25:34 With biophysics “the answers have changed”

Part 4 https://youtu.be/Iw_RdriINMQ

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the night sky (Section 1);

wildlife and ecology (Section 2);

human health (Section 3);

public safety (Section 4);

energy security and climate change (Section 5);

and social justice (Section 6).

It also includes a discussion of the emerging threat from light pollution caused by objects orbiting the Earth (Section 7).

Finally, it concludes with a discussion of the knowledge gaps that exist within these topics and the research questions whose answers can fill the gaps (Section 8).

It is intended be useful to those seeking to broaden their understanding of research on the causes and consequences of artificial light at night.

Source:

https://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SOTS-post-final-version-220527.pdf

https://www.darksky.org/artificial-light-at-night-state-of-the-science-2022-report/

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https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/B9-2022_Climate_Change.pdf

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By replacing your outside lights you will draw attention to your concerns about 5G that can lead to further discussions within communities. In other words, a positive, beneficial way of raising awareness.

Satellites and 5G

Red lights reduce light pollution in order to see the stars and satellites as astronomers do.

Seeing the night skies more clearly enables better public awareness and application to focus on solutions.

Photonbiomodulation is one of the bioadaptive strategies to the increased non native EMF exposure, including 5G complaints and solutions, as per the published WHO National Report. *

Energy Consumption, exposure levels and climate change:

The light stimulating effect leads to better sleep induction, which in turn lowers device use. The result: less 5G transmitters usage data and power density levels. 

Red lights help plants with drought resistance, increase growth and sequestrate carbon to make oxygen.

Covid:

Red light assists in helping to boost the immune system and has an anti – inflammatory effect.

How to participate in this campaign:

If you would like to support this already active campaign, send us your images https://www.emfsa.co.za/contact/

With your consent images received are cataloged, and then published into a WHO report, thereby assisting with policy changes.

Residential and industrial settings are suggested but anywhere will suffice.

*https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/World_Health_Organization_International.pdf

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Nature 595, 7 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01735-z

A low-carbon future rests on an essential, yet also problematic, technology. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries — already widely used in laptops and smartphones — will be the beating heart of electric vehicles and much else. They are also needed to help power the world’s electric grids, because renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy, still cannot provide energy 24 hours a day. The market for lithium-ion batteries is projected by the industry to grow from US$30 billion in 2017 to $100 billion in 2025.

But this increase is not itself cost-free, as Nature Reviews Materials explored in a recent series of articles. Lithium-ion technology has downsides — for people and the planet. Extracting the raw materials, mainly lithium and cobalt, requires large quantities of energy and water. Moreover, the work takes place in mines where workers — including children as young as seven — often face unsafe conditions.

Policymakers, industry leaders and researchers need to mitigate these problems, and quickly, to reduce the unintended consequences of an important technology. One crucial intervention, which needs further study, is the acceleration of battery reuse instead of, or in addition to, recycling them or disposing of them in landfills.

Around one-third of the world’s lithium — the major component of the batteries — comes from salt flats in Argentina and Chile, where the material is mined using huge quantities of water in an otherwise arid area. Battery-grade lithium can also be produced by exposing the material to very high temperatures — a process used in China and Australia — which consumes large quantities of energy. There are ways to extract lithium more sustainably: in Germany and the United Kingdom, for example, pilot projects are filtering lithium from hot brines beneath granite rock.

Cobalt is an important part of a battery’s electrode, but around 70% of this element is found in just one country: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Around 90% of the DRC’s cobalt comes from its industrial mines (90,000 tonnes annually). But in a country where people earn, on average, less than $1,200 annually, the world’s demand for cobalt has attracted thousands of individuals and small businesses, called artisanal miners — and child labour and unsafe working practices are rife.

Read more at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01735-z

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https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/solutions-climate-change-environment-health-ehs

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Nov 2020

Authors: Tim Hatt, Emanuel Kolta

https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/research/research/research-2020/5g-energy-efficiencies-green-is-the-new-black

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