5G Free California, a Topanga organization working to educate the public on the negative effects of wireless communication, held a Fundraising Gala at the Inn of the Seventh Ray and via Zoom, on Monday, June 13. About 70 people attended the event with 50 more on Zoom. Owner Lucy Yaney of the Inn provided the space and delicious desserts and Tony Selvage and his electronic violin provided the entertainment. While the telecommunications industry tells us that wireless infrastructure will solve the digital divide and is safe, secure, and energy efficient, hundreds of scientists, health experts and about 30 percent of lay people who experience symptoms tell a different story. There is an alternative already in place as national policy. Wireless vs. Fiber Optics Kate Kheel of Safe Tech International began the program saying the wireless technology being rolled out can best be termed as “techno-ecocide,� the systemic destruction of our ecosystem by the exploitative use of technology. According to lawyer Julian Gresser, fiber optics are superior to wireless. “Today, a small cell or macro-tower can suddenly appear right next to your home without notice or public hearing and could continuously irradiate you and your children. When challenged, the telecom company would assert they have an easement on your property and nothing can be done. This is a violation of the First and Fifth Amendments and due process; it is called a ‘taking’ which requires fair and adequate compensation.� The Biden administration, recognizing the benefits of fiber optics, authorized the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the President’s principal adviser on telecommunications policy, to prioritize optical fiber as national policy and authorized billions of dollars to support it. Optical fiber is safer, cyber-secure, energy efficient, faster, reliable, and sustainable. California can apply for the NTIA federal funding, but LA County would only be eligible for areas without wireless networks. There are two ordinances pending (Titles 16 and 22), that would codify and change existing laws to allow the rollout of 5G towers every 200 feet. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is slated to vote on these ordinances and if approved, would pit LA County against federal policy. Larry Ortega of the Fiber First Initiative explained that “Wireless companies didn’t connect people in low-income neighborhoods because it was not profitable. But now, telecom and County Supervisors are using this as an excuse for why they need to build out the inferior wireless network to purportedly bridge the digital divide.� Ortega also said that “95% of our leadership do not understand the difference between fiber optics and wireless connectivity. Wireless is less expensive in the first two years, but doubles the cost over a 10-year window and uses ten times as much energy as fiber optics, which have better connectivity. Building it out would infuse hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. Local officials need to know that fiber optics is the fiscally responsible and best way to go. Fire consultant Susan Foster reported that firefighters in central CA with 2G towers on their stations experienced extreme symptoms of electro-sensitivity. After five years, all of these previously healthy firefighters had brain damage, headaches, sleep disruption, ADHD, tinnitus, infertility, mood swings, depression, and anxiety. Because of this and AB537, signed by Governor Newsom last October, fire stations throughout the state are now exempt from having cell towers erected on them. The last four major fires in our area have been linked to telecommunications equipment, costing over $6 billion in damages. Macro towers have smart meters without fuse protection, so electricity moves through them unmonitored. A fire in them can only be extinguished by Edison cutting the power. The Board of Supervisors has a misconception that we need small cells to call 911. This is inaccurate as they are backed up by macro towers. A SpaceX Demonstration film shown at the event, stated, “This technology causes cancer, DNA damage, neurological damage, immunological and other adverse health effects. Bees, birds, plants, our food and water will be affected.� From another film: “5G is a massive biological experiment inflicted on the public without informed consent, with no prior safety testing, and with credible scientific evidence that this will prove harmful to health and potentially fatal to some.� 5G Free California is asking for a Call to Action to block the proliferation of 5G cell towers and asks the public to contact L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and express their concerns. Donations are welcome. To support lobbying and litigation, donate (not tax deductible) to: americansforresponsibletech.org/contribute. Specify “For Fiber First LA.� For local education and outreach: 5gfreecalifornia.org/donate. 5G Free California started as a small local group of electro-sensitive people in Topanga, California. We began organizing in 2018 because of health, environmental, and privacy concerns around the 5G roll-out. Our goal is to create effective strategies and templates that can be shared with communities all over California, and, ideally, across the country and around the world.