The 5G technology (Sect. 13.3.4.2) promoted as alleged necessity for Smart
Cities (see Sect. 13.3.4.3), is extremely dangerous due to the use of high-band
frequencies of 24 GHz and above, largely consisting of millimeter waves
(MMWs) – a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths within 1–10 mm
and frequencies ranging from 30 to 300 GHz (Burrell 2018). Numerous studies have
demonstrated the detrimental health effects of the MMW frequencies. 5G technology brings about increased RF radiation exposure associated with numerous diseases including cancer, infertility, cardiovascular diseases, birth defects, memory
problems, and sleep disorders as shown by thousands of independent studies (Burrell
2018). According to environmentalists, the almost 300 previously healthy birds
which recently fell dead from trees in a park in the Netherlands simultaneously to
the installation of a 5G mast had died from a sudden heart failure apparently caused
by the RF radiation (Erin 2018).
The large number of electronic devices including Smart Grids in highly digitized
Smart Cities requires higher amounts of energy and by far more material resources
than conventional cities. The huge heap of electronic waste is one of the disadvantages intrinsic to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (see Sect. 13.3.4.2) in general
(Schwarz-Herion 2018a, with further references) and highly digitized Smart Cities in
particular (Schwab 2017).
The replacement of conventional bulbs by cheap LEDs is adding to light pollution, having damaging effects for human health and nature (Ganguly 2017). LEDs
enhance the risk for chest cancer for women living close to areas with higher outdoor
lighting (Ganguly 2017). The blue light in LEDs – perceived as white by the human
eye – disrupts circadian rhythms causing a “permanent jet lag,” disturbing sleep
patterns, and lowering sleep quality by suppressing melatonin at night (Abedi 2018).
The blue light can also harm retina cells and inflict cataracts, thus causing severe
hazard to the eyes (Abedi 2018). The increase of light pollution by LEDs blocks 83%
of the global population and over 99% of the European and US population from
seeing the stars at night. LEDs are changing the habits of birds and affecting their
health (Ganguly 2017). Containing toxic heavy metals including lead, arsenic, and
nickel, broken LED bulbs in landfills contaminate soil and groundwater (Sarah
2018). LED street lights should be used with proper coverings to dim them during
off-peak hours, lowering color temperature level and irradiation intensity and making them less noxious to health (Abedi 2018; Ganguly 2017).
Although some architects in seemingly “rich” Western countries like Australia
and the USA propagate density areas where many “smart” new homes are to be
constructed by the argument that Australians and US-Americans would allegedly
take up too much space, arguing that the average floor area of new houses built in
China (ca. 60 m
2 ) would not even take up a third of the floor areas of new average
homes built in Australia and the USA (Sect. 13.3.4.4), arguments of this kind are
flawed. These numbers and figures referring to newly built homes say nothing about
the question if these newly built big houses are currently occupied or still empty,
how many persons live in each of these houses, or how much floor area is actually
occupied by the average citizen in Australia and the USA. In fact, due to the current
average loans in Western countries, many Australians, US-Americans, and
13 The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization of. . .
231
Cities (see Sect. 13.3.4.3), is extremely dangerous due to the use of high-band
frequencies of 24 GHz and above, largely consisting of millimeter waves
(MMWs) – a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths within 1–10 mm
and frequencies ranging from 30 to 300 GHz (Burrell 2018). Numerous studies have
demonstrated the detrimental health effects of the MMW frequencies. 5G technology brings about increased RF radiation exposure associated with numerous diseases including cancer, infertility, cardiovascular diseases, birth defects, memory
problems, and sleep disorders as shown by thousands of independent studies (Burrell
2018). According to environmentalists, the almost 300 previously healthy birds
which recently fell dead from trees in a park in the Netherlands simultaneously to
the installation of a 5G mast had died from a sudden heart failure apparently caused
by the RF radiation (Erin 2018).
The large number of electronic devices including Smart Grids in highly digitized
Smart Cities requires higher amounts of energy and by far more material resources
than conventional cities. The huge heap of electronic waste is one of the disadvantages intrinsic to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (see Sect. 13.3.4.2) in general
(Schwarz-Herion 2018a, with further references) and highly digitized Smart Cities in
particular (Schwab 2017).
The replacement of conventional bulbs by cheap LEDs is adding to light pollution, having damaging effects for human health and nature (Ganguly 2017). LEDs
enhance the risk for chest cancer for women living close to areas with higher outdoor
lighting (Ganguly 2017). The blue light in LEDs – perceived as white by the human
eye – disrupts circadian rhythms causing a “permanent jet lag,” disturbing sleep
patterns, and lowering sleep quality by suppressing melatonin at night (Abedi 2018).
The blue light can also harm retina cells and inflict cataracts, thus causing severe
hazard to the eyes (Abedi 2018). The increase of light pollution by LEDs blocks 83%
of the global population and over 99% of the European and US population from
seeing the stars at night. LEDs are changing the habits of birds and affecting their
health (Ganguly 2017). Containing toxic heavy metals including lead, arsenic, and
nickel, broken LED bulbs in landfills contaminate soil and groundwater (Sarah
2018). LED street lights should be used with proper coverings to dim them during
off-peak hours, lowering color temperature level and irradiation intensity and making them less noxious to health (Abedi 2018; Ganguly 2017).
Although some architects in seemingly “rich” Western countries like Australia
and the USA propagate density areas where many “smart” new homes are to be
constructed by the argument that Australians and US-Americans would allegedly
take up too much space, arguing that the average floor area of new houses built in
China (ca. 60 m
2 ) would not even take up a third of the floor areas of new average
homes built in Australia and the USA (Sect. 13.3.4.4), arguments of this kind are
flawed. These numbers and figures referring to newly built homes say nothing about
the question if these newly built big houses are currently occupied or still empty,
how many persons live in each of these houses, or how much floor area is actually
occupied by the average citizen in Australia and the USA. In fact, due to the current
average loans in Western countries, many Australians, US-Americans, and
13 The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization of. . .
231