Cell Towers, Birds, Bees and Trees: The Science and Policy on Environmental Impacts with Theodora Scarato
A Presentation to the Long Island, New York Community
Register for the presentation at this zoom link.
Download a factsheet on wildlife and cell towers here.
Theodora Scarato MSW is Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust (EHT), a scientific non profit think tank focused on prevention. EHT publishes research on the scientific, and political issues related to environmental exposures and is currently focused on wildlife impacts. EHT was lead petitioner in a winning lawsuit against the US Federal Communications Commission whereby the US Court of Appeals DC Circuit mandated the FCC respond on the issue of environmental impacts from cell tower radiation.
The proliferation of wireless networks is increasing artificial electromagnetic exposures to wildlife. Emerging science indicates numerous effects to animals and plants even at very low levels, with pollinators uniquely impacted due to their size.
In her presentation, Scarato will describe the latest science including a three part review of over 1,200 studies by leading U.S. experts that found impacts to wildlife including to orientation and migration, reproduction, mating, nest, den building and survivorship. She will also present the latest published research on effects to trees and other plants. “A review of the ecological effects of RF-EMF” which reviewed 113 studies found RF-EMF had a significant effect on birds, insects, other vertebrates, other organisms, and plants in 70% of the studies (Cucurachi 2013). Development and reproduction in birds and insects were the most strongly affected.
Scarato will highlight impacts to pollinators. The research review “Electromagnetic radiation as an emerging driver factor for the decline of insects” published in Science of the Total Environment found “sufficient evidence” of effects including impacts to flight, foraging and feeding, short-term memory and mortality. Further, recent studies of the higher frequencies used in 5G systems have found insects to be uniquely impacted, even at legally allowed power levels.
In 2014 the U.S. Department of the Interior sent a letter reviewing several research studies documenting harm to birds which concluded that “The electromagnetic radiation standards used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continue to be based on thermal heating, a criterion now nearly 30 years out of date and inapplicable today.”
