Patricia A. ORMSBY
Summary
This is a follow-up report on major ecological changes in an area where 5G has been recently introduced. These changes have been particularly notable in areas with direct line-of-sight exposure to a pair of small cell antennas located roughly 500 to 1,000 meters to the northwest of the area under observation. A few major new changes were observed that appeared to stem from the previous, first year of exposure, such as failure of seed sprouting. Disappearances of species are also occurring in areas not directly exposed to the 5G beams but relatively close to the sources, while they can still be observed in locations at a greater distance from the antennas.
The summer was distinctly hotter for longer in 2025 than in the two preceding years, which had had nearly identical levels of heat in summer (calculated from data in Mito City close by) and roughly similar levels of cold in winter. Vole numbers crashed in early 2025, possibly due to overcrowding in areas to which they’d relocated. They rebounded slightly in the summer. A clear decline in biodiversity continued. Exposed artichoke plants withered, while shielded artichokes in their immediate vicinity throve. Two species of winter paddy foraging birds avoided exposed paddies, but were active in “unexposed” paddies (i.e., with no line-of-slight exposure). Most concerning is signs of declining plant fertility, with seed sprouting ratios down; seeds failing to sprout altogether, e.g., even from “unexposed” chilis; failure even of healthy plants grown from the previous year’s seeds to bear fruit, particularly among nightshades; and an absence of autumn hay fever despite robust weed growth in the prolonged heat. Pollinators were still present in small numbers nearby, so failure to bear fruit also potentially indicates a lack of pollen, a phenomenon that has been reported elsewhere. People in Japan have voiced concerns in 2025 about difficulty obtaining good seeds. If plant fertility is affected, this will have far-ranging impacts, both in the human sphere and beyond.