A small community in St. James successfully campaigned for the relocation of a controversial cell tower, installed by Digicel, away from their homes due to health concerns.
Emmanuel Joseph and Ryan Gilkes report for Barbados Today.
In short:
- Residents of a St. James village opposed the placement of a Digicel cell-on-wheels tower near their homes, fearing health risks from radiation.
- After 47 days of protest and media advocacy, Digicel CEO Natalie Abrahams announced plans to relocate the tower to meet community and regulatory approval.
- The conflict highlights the tension between technological advancement and public health concerns, with government officials urging a balanced approach to development.
Key quote:
"We are protecting Olive Lodge Road and roads like Olive Lodge, so that when they feel they can just step into any community and drop towers without permission and get away with it, we are here to show people like us, no, we don't have to stand for it."
— Dr. Jennifer Obidah-Alleyne, leader of the Olive Lodge Residents’ Committee
Why this matters:
Health concerns related to cell towers have focused on potential links to cancer, headaches, fatigue and other symptoms, often described under the umbrella of "electromagnetic hypersensitivity." However, studies have not consistently shown a direct causal relationship between cell tower exposure and adverse health effects. In addition, our phones could affect us in ways we don't fully understand yet. For example, the WHO classified the radiation coming from our phones as a potential cancer-causing agent in 2011.
In 2023, EHN reporter Kristina Marusic joined NPR's "Living on Earth" to discuss the links between rising cancer rates and cancer-causing chemicals in the environment.
