Yesterday the forecast was 50/50. 50 degrees and 50 mph winds. Today only 40/40. Maybe tomorrow 30/30.
Wind is a weird thing. Most people overestimate the strength. In a survey a 10mph wind will feel more like 15 to 20 by most people.
This morning between five and six we had 7 gusts to 42 mph but the real wind question is Tuesday and this one fooled me.
I assumed, when I was awoken up in the dark with HUGE wind that the gusts were in the 50 area but the really the BIG gusts were between 7 and 8 in the morning.
Weird.
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Cell tower radiation.
With a new cell tower about to be constructed in Kiwanis Park there has been a lot of angst with people putting anti-cell tower flyers in doors and I have received a good number of phone calls about radiation.
I looked into the radiation controversy and wanted to calm people in my district who were on the fence and were only hearing one side. I wanted to address this in council last night but was not allowed to speak about it so I'll post it here.
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There have been numerous studies all over the world and especially in England which has had towers longer then the US which have found there is no link between a mother’s exposure to the RF towers during pregnancy and the risk of early childhood cancer.
In the U.S. three expert agencies that classify cancer-causing exposures, the International Agency for Research on Cancer , the National Toxicology Program and the US Environmental Protection Agency (while we still have it - there is a bill going through Congress that will eliminate the EPA) They do not classify cell phone towers as having any cancer-causing potential.
Their official response is:
“Radio frequency emissions from antennas used for cellular and PCS transmissions result in exposure levels, on the ground, that are typically thousands of times below safety limits. These safety limits were adopted by the FCC based on the recommendations of expert organizations and endorsed by agencies of the Federal Government which is responsible for citizen’s health and safety. There is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students.”
Studies have looked for signs of DNA and cell damage in blood cells as a possible indicator of cancer-causing potential. They found that the damage was no worse in people who lived near a cell phone tower as compared with those didn’t live near them. The amount of exposure from living near a cell phone tower is many times lower than the exposure from actually using a cell phone.
Every official study states that the amount of radiation, at ground level, is 1/100th the amount of actually using a cell phone.
And remember, this is a small tower where ANY radiation emitted is sporadic, as when someone is making a phone call. It’s not pumping out radiation 24/7.
SO - you can believe our government is trying to cover up or you can believe they are telling the truth. Your choice.
On a slightly different subject about the tower.
In 2013 the Wisconsin Government passed a bill that basically said if your neighbor wants to put a 400 foot cell phone tower in his yard, he can and you can do nothing about it. There is not a thing city government can do. We have no absolutely no jurisdiction over placement of cell phone towers besides setbacks and so forth. They can place it next to high density apartment complexes, hospitals, schools, anywhere where someone wants to make some money.
Wisconsin Is Open For Business. Who need those pesky regulations.
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Speaking of Trumpcare. I like how that one part says that all CEOs of insurance companies that make over $500,000 a year get a HUGE tax break. Seems fair to me.
The bill is dead in the water and will never see the light of day anyway but it shows the corruption. 66 pages and 7 of those pages are all about lottery winners can not get medicare. Basically the bill is GREAT for young healthy high income people and poor for low income people that have health issues.
If you are over 50 insurance companies could charge you anything they want as part of Obamacare that restricted charging older Americans was erased. Federal subsidies for the poor will be cut, but wealthy people probably will pay less. Seems fair to me!!
But the bill will die because the far right hates it. Back to the drawing board.
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But, what about the Snuggie you ask?
Well, it seems the tariff for blankets from overseas is 8.5% but for "pullover apparel" it's 14.5%. Here come the lawyers! I did not ask our city attorney where he stands on this one.
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Wilmar International, a company in Singapore has been buying a LOT of US sugar recently, a LOT. Like 6 million tons. No one knows why.
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