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posted by janrinok on Monday December 16 2019, @07:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the I've-still-got-a-phobia-about-2G dept.

Feds prescribe $9m cash injection to counter 5G phobias

The federal government has gone on the offensive against a growing anti-5G movement in some communities, freeing-up a cash splash of $9 million over four years to get back on the community relations front foot with “additional scientific research and further public education”.

The move, announced on Monday, comes amid broader government and industry concern that US-style conspiracy theories – which cover topics ranging from public health immunisation, water fluoridation and the electromagnetic radiation – are quickly taking root in some communities.

The proliferation of community based opposition to the rollout of 5G, which is just starting to occur across Australia, is potentially a major headache for the government and telecommunications industry because of its potential disrupt infrastructure renewal and substantially increase costs.

While most anti-5G groups initially muster and organise their actions online, the political trench warfare typically starts at the local government level in the form concerned resident opposition to the construction and placement of new infrastructure.

A major issue for governments to date has been that campaigns run by groups opposed to 5G and mobile infrastructure can often move much quicker than government responses and fire a barrage of alarming claims that often go unchallenged because of slow responses.

Opposition to 5G, like the anti-vaccination movement, also straddles socioeconomic groups with growing support among both low income and high income demographics.

That sub-optimal public situation now needs to be urgently addressed, judging by the federal government’s response, with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher saying that “the Government recognises that there is significant community interest in being satisfied that rigorous safety standards are in place as new 5G mobile networks are rolled out around Australia.”

Fletcher also wants the science to do the talking – a slightly awkward tightrope to walk given previous antipathy towards the broader scientific community on issues such as climate science by parts of the Coalition, which has even extended to the health impact of investigating wind farms.


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  • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday December 16 2019, @10:06PM (2 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Monday December 16 2019, @10:06PM (#933031) Homepage

    California is a cancer upon the United States.

    And if you want your brain and balls to be shielded properly, then you have to coat your foil hat and codpiece with something else that will attenuate and also preferably, shift the phase of the incident energy approximately 180 degrees upon reflection so that some of the reflected energy will cancel out some of the incident energy. Obviously the foil has to be part of it because you need a reflector. You can make a helmet and egg-basket (codpiece) that satisfies this criteria for approximately 80 bucks.

    " Ethanol, how do I do this? "

    Pay me 80 bucks and I'll tell you. Also, the issues with 5G aren't only those of radiation dosage, but the privacy implications of generating a high-res real-time 3-D map of the area. Google Street view on steroids.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 16 2019, @10:35PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 16 2019, @10:35PM (#933050)

    Sweeeeeet. EF's paranoia made him impotent. Didn't think he'd find a partner anyway, but thank Christ he won't be procreating one way or another.

  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday December 17 2019, @02:50AM

    by MostCynical (2589) on Tuesday December 17 2019, @02:50AM (#933128) Journal

    Great, a post with radiation *and* the idea of Eth in a shiny codpiece.
    Red, white, blue AND silver balls.

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex