How do Butterflies that live in temperature and northern environs survive Winter?................."Most survive deep snows and frigid temperatures in a stage called winter diapause, in which metabolic and respiratory rates are low and slow"........... "The cold itself is not a direct hazard to the butterflies – rather, it’s the formation of ice crystals in body tissue that can quickly be lethal"............... "To keep from freezing, butterflies reduce the amount of water in their blood by as much as 30 percent and then thicken it with glycerol, sorbitol, or other antifreeze agents"............"Adults that overwinter store fat in their bodies in the fall"................"Before entering diapause, they find a place to hide such as a hollow tree or log, a crack in a rock, or inside an old building"..................... "In these protected and somewhat insulated hideouts, they enter diapause until the longer and warmer days of spring bring them forth to mate and lay eggs for the next generation".............."Before breaking diapause in the spring, an individual must first experience a long period of cold weather followed by a longer daylight period"....................."The cold period must be months long to trigger the end of diapause, for if it were shorter, the individual might end diapause during a winter thaw only to be clobbered by the next arctic front"

https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/the-butterflies-of-winter

The Butterflies of Winter

by Kent McFarland

March 16, 2003

6 Comments

526822

Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol

At 5 degrees below zero, butterflies were the last thing on my mind as I brushed the fluffy snow from the porch. But as I swept away the last flakes along the railing, I noticed a small, brown sack about the size of a Tootsie Roll attached to the wood. It was firmly held in place by fine threads. Back inside, with a warm cup of cider and my field guide, I identified it as the chrysalis of a black swallowtail butterfly. Many black swallowtail caterpillars had fed on my dill plants in the nearby garden for most of the late summer. Could this pupa be one of them?

All butterflies develop from egg to larva (caterpillar) to pupa (chrysalis) and finally to the winged adult that we see fluttering around. Each species has evolved a strategy that allows it to successfully survive the winter in one of these four life stages. For example, swallowtails pass the winter in the pupal stage, like the black swallowtail I found on the porch. Skippers – quick little butterflies whose identification can challenge even avid butterfly enthusiasts – spend the winter as caterpillars. The beautiful little coppers and blues remain as eggs through the winter. Monarchs glide to more hospitable temperatures in the south. And some, like the mourning cloak, hunker down and spend the winter as adults.

Most temperate-zone butterflies survive the deep snows and frigid temperatures of New England in a stage called winter diapause, in which metabolic and respiratory rates are low and slow. The cold itself is not a direct hazard to the butterflies – rather, it’s the formation of ice crystals in body tissue that can quickly be lethal. To keep from freezing, butterflies reduce the amount of water in their blood by as much as 30 percent and then thicken it with glycerol, sorbitol, or other antifreeze agents. Mourning cloaks can withstand temperatures down to minus 80 degrees F, but only if they have time to produce these antifreeze agents. If you put a mourning cloak in the freezer on a warm summer day, it will quickly die because it lacks any antifreeze.

Mourning Cloaks overwinter in sheltered areas and emerge in early spring to feed on tree sap. Photo by Cathy Passler.

Adults: Butterflies that remain in cold-winter areas as adults find safe places to rest, like cracks in rocks or tree bark, and enter a state known as diapause. This is essentially a kind of hibernation for bugs, where butterflies shut down all their non-essential systems like reproduction and slow their metabolism dramatically. Special chemicals in their bodies work as anti-freeze, and the butterfly remains dormant until warmer weather arrives. These are usually the last butterflies to be seen in an area each fall, and the first to reappear in the spring. :

Some species of butterflies produce several complete generations each summer, with the last generation entering diapause for the winter. As day length decreases over the summer, it triggers the scheduling of diapause later in the season, either in the insect’s current stage or at a later life-cycle stage. There are more hours of summer sunlight in the northern latitudes than in the southern ones, so northern butterflies must enter diapause earlier to prepare for the earlier onset of winter. Viceroy larvae are programmed to enter diapause after they receive less than 13 hours of daylight in Maryland, 13.5 hours of daylight in Vermont, and 15 hours in Newfoundland.

Butterflies whose eggs overwinter employ one of two strategies. Eggs are laid either on the twigs of host plants, where they remain until larvae emerge in the spring to feed on new leaves, or in the leaf litter at the base of plants whose leaves are destroyed by frost, where the larvae feed on new plant sprouts. Some butterfly species, like the endangered karner blue, rely on an insulating blanket of snow to protect their eggs from harsh weather. When there is little snow, eggs can be damaged by dry, cold air.


Some Butterflies successfully overwinter underneath the
shredding bark strips on trees

Adults that overwinter, such as the mourning cloak or Milbert’s tortoiseshell, store fat in their bodies in the fall. Before entering diapause, they find a place to hide such as a hollow tree or log, a crack in a rock, or inside an old building. In these protected and somewhat insulated hideouts, they enter diapause until the longer and warmer days of spring bring them forth to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. These early spring adults often have wings that are very tattered and ragged from a relatively long life of eight to ten months. Most butterflies spend only a few weeks as adults.


Other adult overwintering butterflies survive by staying
inside the bark cracks of trees

Before breaking diapause in the spring, an individual must first experience a long period of cold weather followed by a longer daylight period. The cold period must be months long to trigger the end of diapause, for if it were shorter, the individual might end diapause during a winter thaw only to be clobbered by the next arctic front.

Beautiful butterflies are still around us, despite this cold, snowy winter. Their special adaptations will enable them to emerge during the warm days of spring. I’ve been watching the little black swallowtail chrysalis on my porch throughout the winter. On the day it bursts from its case and spreads its wings, I’ll know it is truly time to put the snow shovel away and sharpen the garden spade.

Kent McFarland is a research biologist and the director of the Vermont Butterfly Survey for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science.

"Supplemental feeding(whether winter or summer) isn’t helpful at all to deer"............... "Instead, it’s detrimental to their digestive health and encourages overcrowding of deer in a given location, upping the ante for Chronic Wasting and other diseases to reach epidemic proportions".........."In winter, deer reduce their energy expenditures by hunkering down during extended cold stretches"............"In this way, they can focus their activity during times when temperatures are warmer".............. "Similar to animals that hibernate, deer store fat – it can constitute up to 20 percent of their body weight".........."They can use that fat as a sort of energy savings account"................. "A deer’s digestive system also goes through changes to cope with less abundant – and different – food sources".............."Deer are ruminants, which means they have a four-chambered stomach, like cows and sheep"............"Each chamber contains microorganisms to help with digestion"............."These microbes become tuned in to a winter diet of twigs and buds, nuts, any fruits and berries that persist, and whatever grasses they can find".............. "A sudden change in diet – say to supplemental corn or rich hay – can wreak havoc on this system".............Therefore, the key to a healthy deer herd, is QUALITY HABITAT-----“Quality winter habitat is far better for the long term management and sustainability of deer populations"..............."Having to rely on winter feeding is not a management approach, it is a complete management failure"

https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/feeding-deer-does-much-harm

Feeding Deer Does Much Harm, Little Good

by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul

February 18, 2019

4 Comments

2.2K30

Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol

A few winters back, there was a doe who frequented our compost heap. The garden fence around it proved an inadequate barrier, as she simply hopped over it to nosh on the rotting shards of jack-o-lanterns and the latest veggie scraps tossed atop the pile. Not far from the garden sits an old orchard, and we’d also spot her there, scratching with sharp hooves to get to the long-frozen, shriveled fruit beneath the snow.

Watching deer forage for whatever bits of food they can find through the cold months of winter, I can understand why some people feel an urge to feed them. Only supplemental feeding isn’t helpful at all to deer. Instead, it’s detrimental to their digestive health, and it pulls them away from safer, more nutritious food sources.

“Supplemental feeding has little or no benefit to the overall health of deer,” said Nick Fortin, Deer Project Leader for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “Interestingly, northern deer will lose weight in winter no matter what or how much they are fed, even in captivity.”


A recipe for disaster--supplemental feeding(hay) to deer in Winter

A recipe for optimum deer health and vitality--Optimum Winter deeryard
with conifers to keep snow from piling high, allowing Deer to dine on their
normal winter diet of  twigs and buds, nuts, any fruits and berries that persist, and whatever grasses they can find

Like virtually all animals living in climates where winter is cold and snowy, deer use a variety of adaptations to adjust and survive. In the northern part of the Northeast, they often gather in deer yards, where softwood cover offers shelter from wind and cold as well as decreased snow depth. As deer move to and through their winter shelter, they pack down paths, allowing for easier travel to food and quicker escapes from predators.

In winter, deer reduce their energy expenditures by hunkering down during extended cold stretches; this way they can focus their activity during times when temperatures are warmer. Similar to animals that hibernate, deer store fat – it can constitute up to 20 percent of their body weight, said Fortin – and they can use that fat as a sort of energy savings account.

A deer’s digestive system also goes through changes to cope with less abundant – and different – food sources. Deer are ruminants, which means they have a four-chambered stomach, like cows and sheep. Each chamber contains microorganisms to help with digestion. These microbes become tuned in to a winter diet of twigs and buds, nuts, any fruits and berries that persist, and whatever grasses they can find. A sudden change in diet – say to supplemental corn or rich hay – can wreak havoc on this system.

“As their diet changes with the seasons, so do the microorganisms,” said Fortin. “Deer can easily deal with a slow transition to supplemental feed, but a rapid transition can actually be fatal… There was a case in New Hampshire a couple years ago where 12 deer were found dead as a result of feeding.”

Because of this and other dangers of supplemental feeding, it is illegal to feed deer in Vermont. Maine and New Hampshire have not outlawed the practice; New Hampshire Fish and Game Deer Project Leader Dan Bergeron said several bills – supported by his department –  seeking to ban deer-feeding have been introduced in the state legislature over the years, but none have passed into law.

So, what about the doe in my compost pile? “There shouldn’t be enough food [in a compost pile] to draw deer in from long distances and concentrate large numbers,” Bergeron said. Larger feed sites, however, where people put out corn or livestock feed, can cause problems beyond harmful digestive effects by drawing deer away from the shelter of deer yards, leading to greater expenditure of stored energy reserves. The animals often have to cross roads to access the feeding sites, leading to fatal collisions.

Large gatherings of deer outside of natural wintering sites can also lead to increased – and easier – predation. And with so many animals concentrated in a small area, transmission of diseases – like chronic wasting disease, which is present in both New York state and Quebec – becomes a concern as well.

Bergeron and Fortin agree that the best way to help deer survive winter is to focus on efforts to conserve, support, and create areas that offer good shelter and natural food sources.

“Quality winter habitat is far better for the long term management and sustainability of our deer population,” Bergeron said. “In my mind, having to rely on winter feeding is not a management approach, it is a complete management failure.”

Meghan McCarthy McPhaul is an author and freelance writer based in Franconia, New Hampshire.

"White-tailed deer feeding habits shape the acoustic properties of their forest habitat, potentially affecting the vocal communication of understory-dwelling songbirds and other species, according to a Vassar College study conducted June 10-16, 2015"............."Heavily-forested areas tend to reverberate and scatter sound more easily than open space, and thus the sound transmission is a crucial component of communication for species including songbirds"............."The site of the research was the Vassar College Farm and Ecological Preserve, a 527-acre preserve surrounded by a suburban residential matrix in Poughkeepsie, New York".............."The habitat is primarily mixed deciduous forest(oak, ash, maple), interspersed with coniferous tree(White Pine, Hemlock, etc) species"............."At the time of the study the deer population density at the site was estimated to be between 19 and 21 animals per square mile"............ "Deer density of this magnitude has previously been shown to have a significant impact on both vegetation structure and avian communities, such as reduced understory vegetation diversity and abundance and decline in forest-songbird species dependent on understory vegetation"........."The findings suggests that songbird vocalizations might be more effective and transmit information more clearly, to both intended receivers and unintended receivers such as predators, in deer-browsed environments"

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://phys.org/news/2019-02-white-tailed-deer-acoustic-properties-forest.html&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoTOTc1MDk5NDEwMTc0MTUyOTI2NTIaZmMyNWRjZGYxNDI0NmQ5MTpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNEfkyjpU86tNnO_ajubmGRiXiWmJw

White-tailed deer shape acoustic properties of their forest habitat

February 13, 2019, Public Library of Science

White-tailed deer feeding habits shape the acoustic properties of their forest habitat, potentially affecting the vocal communication of understory-dwelling songbirds and other species, according to a study published February 13, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Timothy J. Boycott from Vassar College and colleagues.

Doe and her fawns at Vassar College Farm and Ecological Preserve-site of Study

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are on the rise throughout North America. Their feeding habits (browsing) directly shape their forest habitat—primarily by reducing the abundance and diversity of understory shrubs and trees. Heavily-forested areas tend to reverberate and scatter sound more easily than open space, and thus the sound transmission is a crucial component of communication for species including songbirds.

Site of Acoustic Study-Poughkeepsie, NY

To determine the effect of deer browsing on sound transmission, the researchers played recorded sounds representing songbird tones and trills, as well as white noise, in paired plots that were either fenced off to exclude deer or left open to deer as normal. To compare acoustic differences between the plots, the authors examined the fidelity, amplitude, and attenuation of the sounds across the plots.

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The deer-browsed plots had significantly greater sound fidelity than the deer-excluded plots, though there was no significant difference in amplitude, which the authors attributed to the reduced density of understory vegetation in the deer-browsed plots. The finding suggests that songbird vocalizations might be more effective and transmit information more clearly, to both intended receivers and unintended receivers such as predators, in deer-browsed environments.

This study examined sound transmission over distances of 11m or less so future studies examining songbird vocalizations across longer distances and with different levels of deer browsing may be needed. Nonetheless, these results suggest that white-tailed deer browsing in forests could have acoustic as well as ecological effects.

Gall adds: "While we know quite a lot about the effects of deer browsing on vegetation and we know quite a lot about the effects of vegetation on sound propagation, the two had never been linked. Here we're looking beyond traditional deer browsing ecology and asking how deer might be influencing the communication space for animals."

 Explore further: Deer prefer native plants leaving lasting damage on forests

More information: Boycott TJ, Gao J, Gall MD (2019) Deer browsing alters sound propagation in temperate deciduous forests. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0211569. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211569

"It has been suggested by naturalists and biological historians that lynx may have been widely distributed in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan in the 1800's"......... "However, six of seven verified records from the 1800s are from the Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border; a lynx killed in Washtenaw County".......... "Five lynx trapped along the Au Sable River in Oscoda County in 1917 represent the only verified records of lynx from the Lower Peninsula"..........."Verified records of lynx occurrence in Michigan in the early 1900s are extremely scarce with five specimens collected on Isle Royale in 1904 and 1905".........."These records appear to illustrate the historical rarity of lynx in Michigan, though they do not provide any indication of individual fitness or population viability"............"Many current day biologists caution that some of the historical lynx records from Michigan may be unreliable given the potential misidentification of bobcat for lynx"...........The overwhelming consensus of biologists is that the lynx was extremely rare, if not already extinct in the ninth Biennial Report (1937-38) of the Michigan Department of Conservation"........With all this said, gratifying that the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources confirmed that the "cat" seen entering the woods near Lexington, Michigan on Feb 16 is in fact a Canadian Lynx and not a Bobcat..............This is only the 3rd confirmed Lynx sighting in Michigan since 2002, likely a dispersing transient from Canada

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan-dnr-animal-caught-on-video-could-be-rare-lynx

dnr lynx

click this link to view Lynx strolling into the woods in Michigan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TpBU-2nbis

Michigan DNR: Animal caught on video could be rare lynx

by: Ken Haddad; 2/19/19

An animal caught on video in Michigan could be a rare lynx, according to the DNR.

Monique Touchette-Soper of Lexington, Michigan captured the animal walking through woods near her home on Saturday.

Tracks are large, averaging 3.7 inches wide and 4.5 inches long for front paws and 3 x 3.1 inches for rear paws. Pads are usually round and unlobed; unlike canids (dogs), all felid (cat) tracks generally have no claw marks.

According to Michigan State University, lynx sightings have only been confirmed three times in Michigan since 2003. The lynx is classified as a federally threatened species.

The Michigan DNR's experts looked at the video and said they're convinced it's a lynx, and not a bobcat.

The lynx is a medium-sized cat 2.5 to 4 feet long with girzzled, silvery-gray fur, prominent, long black ear tufts (2 inches long), and a short stubby tail that is completely black at the tip.

Tracks are large, averaging 3.7 inches wide and 4.5 inches long for front paws and 3 x 3.1 inches for rear paws. Pads are usually round and unlobed; unlike canids (dogs), all felid (cat) tracks generally have no claw marks.

According to Michigan State University, lynx sightings have only been confirmed three times in Michigan since 2003. The lynx is classified as a federally threatened species.

"Carrion consumption by herbivores is increasingly being observed in nature"............. "In the Yukon, Canada between January 2015 and July 2017, U. of Alberta researchers witnessed Snowshoe Hares scavenging 12.4% of carcasses deployed and were more likely to scavenge during the winter"........... "Hares consumed meat from a variety of different species, including Canada Lynx as well as the carcasses of dead hares"..........."On one occasion, an individual repeatedly ingested feathers from a Spruce Grouse carcass"............"Scavenging by hares may result from food or nutrient limitations during winter months and appears a relatively common phenomenon"

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/snowshoe-hares-carnivores-cannibals-photos-yukon/

Click this link to watch Snowshoe Hare eating carrion
https://www.inverse.com/article/52305-snowshoe-hare-meat-eating-study?jwsource=cl

1/11/19;  BY ADAM POPESCU

Hares are cannibals and eat meat, surprising photos reveal

The consumption of dead flesh by herbivores is increasingly being observed in nature, scientists report in the December issue of Bio One. Look no further than the snowshoe hare, normally a herbivore: Between January 2015 and July 2017, Canadian researchers observed hares eating the flesh of grouse, Canadian lynx, and even other hares. Normally, the population cycles of snowshoe hares and lynx are closely linked, but it’s typically the lynx eating the hare as its primary food source. The natural order, however, seems to be turning upside down.

“There have been reports of hares scavenging in older natural history observations, but I was surprised by the frequency that they scavenge and the diversity of species they will consume meat from — particularly the Canada lynx, given they are the main predator of snowshoe hares,” first author Michael Peerstells Inverse.

A series of motion captured images from December, 2015 showing a snowshoe hare eating the feathers of a dead spruce grouse. FROM THE PAPER SCAVENGING BY SNOWSHOE HARES (LEPUS AMERICANUS) IN YUKON, CANADA

I bet very few of you blog readers would surmise that the state where I grew up, New Jersey, is still 40% forested despite being the 5th smallest in land mass and most densely human populated.........."Indeed,the Garden State(NJ nickname) while often maligned for its Turnpike-strewn array of industrial plants, still retains 2 million acres of woodland"........... "Ownership is evenly distributed among private (47 percent) and public (53 percent)"..........A healthy Black Bear, Eastern Coyote, Red and Gray Fox, Whitetail Deer, Wild Turkey, Beaver, River Otter, Mink, Muskrat, Opossum, skunk, Weasel, gray squirrel, chipmunk and a wide array of other smaller mammals carve out a living in Jersey's open space habitat...........And I am happy to report that the state is wild and healthy enough to now also harbor a growing Bobcat and Eastern Fisher population.............Ecologist Emily Southgate Russell is noted for her pre-colonial research on THE VEGETATION OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY BEFORE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT............And you can clearly visualize why there was a cornucopia of wildlife roaming the full of New Jersey's landmass as you read her descriptions of the diversity and density of fauna(then and now) that blanketed the region........."The land was forested except for scattered lowland meadows and clearings made by the Indians"............"Several Oak species dominated the forests"........"Chestnut was common in steeper areas and Hickory was common throughout".........."Hemlock and the northern hardwoods such as Sugar Maple and Beech wwere present but not abundant"............"Overall, the dominants of the 17th and early 18th century upland forests were similar to those in todays forests, but with more Chestnut and Hickory and less Birch and Maple"

New Jersey

Most Densely Populated U.S. States

Rank	State	People Per Square Mile
1	New Jersey	1,210
2	Rhode island	1,022
3	Massachusetts	871
4	Connecticut	742

THE HUDSON SKYLANDS(ORANGE

 ON ABOVE MAP) OF NEW JERSEY, WHICH

REMINDED THE EARLY EUROPEAN SETTLERS OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS OF EUROPE.....BOBCAT, WHITETAIL DEER, EASTERN COYOTE, GRAY AND RED FOXES AND BLACK BEARS CALL THE SKYLANDS AND ALL THE FORESTED REGIONS OF THE STATE HOME

Is the next step forward in wireless mobile telecommunications going to "jump the shark" in terms of endangering animal(human animal as well) and plant health?..............Is the planned 2020 rollout of 5G broadband celluar network platform being vetted properly to allay the health concerns of many healthcare professionals and biologists?..............."Until now, mobile broadband networks have been designed to meet the needs of people"................. "But 5G has been created with machines’ needs in mind, offering low-latency, high-efficiency data transfer"................ "It achieves this by breaking data down into smaller packages, allowing for faster transmission times"............"5G high frequency millemeter waves(MMWs) travel a short distance"................."Furthermore, they don’t travel well through buildings and tend to be absorbed by rain and plants, leading to signal interference"................"Thus, the necessary infrastructure would require many smaller, barely noticeable cell towers situated closer together, with more input and output ports than there are on the much larger, easier to see 4G towers".............."This would likely result in wireless antennas every few feet, on every lamp post and utility pole in your neighbourhood"..............."The new 5G technology utilizes higher-frequency MMW bands, which give off the same dose of radiation as airport scanners"................"The effects of this radiation on public health have yet to undergo the rigours of long-term testing"................."Adoption of 5G will mean more signals carrying more energy through the high-frequency spectrum, with more transmitters located closer to people’s homes and workplaces–basically a lot more (and more potent) radio frequency radiation (RFR) flying around us"................"It’s no wonder that apprehension exists over potential risks, to both human and environmental health"..........."The American Cancer Society’s understanding of radiation and cancer, and sparked them to state that our ignorance of RFR’s impact on human health could be compared to our previous obliviousness to the connection between smoking and lung cancer"........................."5G will potentially threaten natural ecosystems".............. "According to several reports over the last two decades–some of which are summarized here–low-level, non-ionizing microwave radiation affects bird and bee health"..................."It drives birds from their nests and causes plume deterioration, locomotion problems, reduced survivorship and death".............."And bee populations suffer from reduced egg-laying abilities of queen bees and smaller colony sizes"..............."More evidence of ecosystem disruption comes from a 2012 meta-study, which indicates that 593 of 919 research studies suggest that RFR adversely affects plants, animals and humans".............

https://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/dangers-of-5g/

FRIGHTENING FREQUENCIES: THE DANGERS OF 5G & WHAT YOU can do about them

By Jody McCutcheon

As the old saying goes, give us an inch and inevitably we’ll want a mile. And certainly, this sentiment is true with technology.

Who doesn’t want faster, bigger (or smaller), more efficient? Take wireless mobile telecommunications. Our current broadband cellular network platform, 4G (or fourth generation), allows us to transmit data faster than 3G and everything that preceded. We can access information faster now than ever before in history. What more could we want? Oh, yes, transmission speeds powerful enough to accommodate the (rather horrifying) so-called  Internet of Things. Which brings us to 5G.

Until now, mobile broadband networks have been designed to meet the needs of people. But 5G has been created with machines’ needs in mind, offering low-latency, high-efficiency data transfer. It achieves this by breaking data down into smaller packages, allowing for faster transmission times. Whereas 4G has a fifty-millisecond delay, 5G data transfer will offer a mere one-millisecond delay–we humans won’t notice the difference, but it will permit machines to achieve near-seamless communication. Which in itself  may open a whole Pandora’s box of trouble for us – and our planet.

More bandwidth – more dangers of 5G

Let’s start with some basic background on 5G technology. Faster processing speeds require more bandwidth, yet our current frequency bandwidths are quickly becoming saturated. The idea behind 5G is to use untapped bandwidth of the extremely high-frequency millimeter wave (MMW), between 30GHz and 300GHz, in addition to some lower and mid-range frequencies.

High-frequency MMWs travel a short distance. Furthermore, they don’t travel well through buildings and tend to be absorbed by rain and plants, leading to signal interference. Thus, the necessary infrastructure would require many smaller, barely noticeable cell towers situated closer together, with more input and output ports than there are on the much larger, easier to see 4G towers. This would likely result in wireless antennas every few feet, on every lamp post and utility pole in your neighbourhood.

Here are some numbers to put things into perspective: as of 2015, there were 308,000 wireless antennas on cell towers and buildings. That’s double the 2002 number. Yet 5G would require exponentially more, smaller ones, placed much closer together, with each emitting bursts of radiofrequency radiation (RFR)–granted, at levels much lower than that of today’s 4G cell towers–that will be much harder to avoid because these towers will be ubiquitous. If we could see the RFR, it would look like a smog that’s everywhere, all the time.

Serious health concerns

First, it’s important to know that in 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified RFR as a potential 2B carcinogen and specified that the use of mobile phones could lead to specific forms of brain   tumors.

Many studies have associated low-level RFR exposure with a litany of health effects, including:

• DNA single and double-strand breaks (which leads to cancer)
• oxidative damage (which leads to tissue deterioration and premature ageing)
• disruption of cell metabolism
• increased blood-brain barrier permeability
• melatonin reduction (leading to insomnia and increasing cancer risks)
• disruption of brain glucose metabolism
• generation of stress proteins (leading to myriad diseases)

As mentioned, the new 5G technology utilizes higher-frequency MMW bands, which give off the same dose of radiation as airport scanners. The effects of this radiation on public health have yet to undergo the rigours of long-term testing. Adoption of 5G will mean more signals carrying more energy through the high-frequency spectrum, with more transmitters located closer to people’s homes and workplaces–basically a lot more (and more potent) RFR flying around us. It’s no wonder that apprehension exists over potential risks, to both human and environmental health.

Perhaps the strongest concern involves adverse effects of MMWs on human skin. This letter to the Federal Communications Commission, from Dr Yael Stein of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, outlines the main points. Over ninety percent of microwave radiation is absorbed by the epidermis and dermis layers, so human skin basically acts as an absorbing sponge for microwave radiation. Disquieting as this may sound, it’s generally considered acceptable so long as the violating wavelengths are greater than the skin layer’s dimensions. But MMW’s violate this condition.

Furthermore, the sweat ducts in the skin’s upper layer act like helical antennas, which are specialized antennas constructed specifically to respond to electromagnetic fields. With millions of sweat ducts, and 5G’s increased RFR needs, it stands to reason that our bodies will become far more conductive to this radiation. The full ramifications of this fact are presently unclear, especially for more vulnerable members of the public (e.g., babies, pregnant women, the elderly), but this technology

Furthermore, MMWs may cause our pain receptors to flare up in recognition of the waves as damaging stimuli. Consider that the US Department of Defense already uses a crowd-dispersal method called the Active Denial System, in which MMWs are directed at crowds to make their skin feel like it’s burning, and also has the ability to basically microwave populations to death from afar with this technology if they choose to do so. And the telecommunications industry wants to fill our atmosphere with MMWs?

Other distressing research

Unfortunately, innocent animals have already been the victims of testing to see MMW’s effects on living cells. Extrapolating the results from animal testing to humans isn’t straightforward, but the results nonetheless raise some serious red flags. Perhaps most significantly, a US National Toxicology Program study noted that male rats exposed to RFR for nine hours a day over two years developed rare forms of tumours in the brain and heart, and rats of both sexes developed DNA damage.

The researchers noted that the increased risk to the rats was relatively small; but if these findings translate to humans, the widespread increase in cellphone use could have a significant impact on populations. Thus the NTP study served to renew the debate about the potential harmful effects of cellphones on human health. Not only that, it caused a significant shift in the American Cancer Society’s understanding of radiation and cancer, and sparked them to state that our ignorance of RFR’s impact on human health could be compared to our previous obliviousness to the connection between smoking and lung cancer.

Other animal research worldwide illustrates how microwave radiation in general and MMW’s in particular can damage the eyes and immune system, cell growth rate, even bacterial resistance. An experiment at the Medical Research Institute of Kanazawa Medical University showed that 60GHz millimeter-wave antennas produce thermal injuries in rabbit eyes, with thermal effects reaching below the eye’s surface. This study, meanwhile, suggests low-level MMW’s caused lens opacity–a precursor to cataracts–in rats’ eyes. A Chinese studydemonstrated that eight hours’ of microwave radiation damaged rabbits’ lens epithelial cells. A Pakistani studyconcluded that exposure to mobile phone EMF prevented chicken embryo retinal cells from properly differentiating.

This Russian study revealed that exposing healthy mice to low-intensity, extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation severely compromised their immune systems. And a 2016 Armenian study concluded that low-intensity MMW’s not only depressed the growth of E. coli and other bacteria, but also changed certain properties and activity levels of the cells. The same Armenian study noted that MMW interaction with bacteria could lead to antibiotic resistance–distressing news, considering immunity to bacteria is already compromised due to the overuse of antibiotics.

Again, if these findings translate to humans, our rampant cellphone use would likely cause profound, adverse health effects; an increase in MMW’s as more bandwidth is introduced could further complicate the matter. But what’s also important to note here is that 5G technologies will not only have a profound impact on human health, but on the health of all living organisms it touches, including plants, as we shall see.

5G harms the planet, too

Equally disturbing, 5G technology puts environmental health at risk in a number of ways. First, MMWs may pose a serious threat to plant health. This 2010 study showed that the leaves of aspen seedlings exposed to RFR exhibited symptoms of necrosis, while another Armenian study suggested low-intensity MMW’s cause “peroxidase isoenzyme spectrum changes”–basically a stress response that damages cells–in wheat shoots. Plant irradiation is bad news for the planet’s flora, but it’s bad news for us, too: it could contaminate our food supply.

Second, the 5G infrastructure would pose a threat to our planet’s atmosphere. Network implementation will require the deployment of many, short-lifespan satellites via suborbital rockets propelled by hydrocarbon rocket engines. According to this 2010 California study, launching too many of these babies will vomit enough black carbon into the atmosphere to pollute global atmospheric conditions, affecting distribution of ozone and temperature. Worse, solid-state rocket exhaust contains chlorine, an ozone-destroying chemical. How can any government seriously concerned about climate change allow for this?

Third, 5G will potentially threaten natural ecosystems. According to several reports over the last two decades–some of which are summarized here–low-level, non-ionizing microwave radiation affects bird and bee health. It drives birds from their nests and causes plume deterioration, locomotion problems, reduced survivorship and death. And bee populations suffer from reduced egg-laying abilities of queen bees and smaller colony sizes. More evidence of ecosystem disruption comes from this 2012 meta-study, which indicates that 593 of 919 research studies suggest that RFR adversely affects plants, animals and humans.

It bears repeating: 5G is bad news for all living creatures and the planet we share.

Beware the propaganda deluge

Despite being fully aware of all these unsettling results, threats and concerns, the US corporatocracy continues to maintain a gung-ho attitude about 5G. The Mobile Now Act was passed in 2016, and many US states have since gone ahead with 5G plans. The telecom industry’s biggest players have basically co-opted government powers to enforce their 5G agenda, with companies like AT&T and Qualcomm having begun live testing. And despite research showing serious threats to humans and the planet, the FCC Chairman announced intentions to open low-, mid- and high-frequency spectrums, without even mentioning a single word about the dangers.

They’re going to sell this to us as ‘faster browsing speeds’ – but the truth is, you’ll barely even notice the difference. They’re going to call anyone who protests against 5G a ‘Luddite’ or ‘technophobe’. But why such a willingness to embrace another new technology   – even though it carries serious risks and brings spurious benefits? Why not heed the lessons learned from killer products like asbestos, tobacco and leaded gasoline?

Because a tiny percentage of people will gain an awful lot of money, is one reason. And because companies and governments will be given unprecedented amounts of power over civilians is the other.

All isn’t doom and gloom, though. At least one US politician is maintaining some level-headedness: in October, California Governor Jerry Brown stopped legislation that would have allowed the telecom industry to inundate the state with mini-towers. Brown’s bold actions have permitted localities a say in where and how many cell towers are placed.

The state of Hawaii has stopped 5G and smart meters by collectively threatening to charge every person who installed such meters with liability for any health problems residents may suffer. Moreover, 180 scientists have started a petition to warn of 5G potential health effects. Maybe these actions will afford more time for additional studies and data collection. Just as importantly, maybe they’ll cause other politicians and figureheads to reflect on what they’ve been pushing for.

Take action

In the meantime, we as individuals must do everything we can to protect ourselves. Here’s what you can do:

• Understand EMFs and their behaviours. Get a good quality radiation detector to know whether or not you’re near high levels of EMFs.
• Protect yourself with an EMF Shield to mark and protect you from hotspots. Try a patented product that neutralizes the harmful effects of mobile phones and other EMF emitting devices on humans.
• Whenever possible, limit your exposure: use an anti-radiation headset or speaker mode while talking on a cellphone.
• Refuse to use 5G phones and devices. Full stop. And discourage those you know from doing so.
• Refuse to buy anything ‘smart’ – ‘smart’ appliances, ‘smart’ heaters, etc.
• Some believe that carrying shungite crystals can offer some protection from radiation
• No matter what, do NOT get a smart meter – these put high levels of 5G radiation right in your home
• Join the growing numbers of dissenters. Get active with them here.
• Do as the Hawaiians have done and threaten smart meter and 5G tech installers with liability. You canlearn how to do that here.
• Spread the word! Please share this article with everyone you know

Even if the policy drivers and governments aren’t doing their due diligence, at least we can say we’re doing ours.

Sources

http://www.cellphonecancer.com/the-looming-health-risks-of-5g-technology/

https://www.electricsense.com/12399/5g-radiation-dangers/

http://thehill.com/opinion/technology/357591-public-health-is-littered-with-examples-where-economic-interests-trumped

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cellphone-5g-health-20160808-snap-story.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-might-cellphone-signals-cause-cancer

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/major-u-s-study-links-cellphone-exposure-to-cancer-in-rats

http://www.saferemr.com/2016/05/national-toxicology-progam-finds-cell.html\