The Great Lakes "Goiter Belt"

 The Bright Side: A Reminder
   The clouds remain and I began thinking about how much we complain. It is time to remind ourselves that maybe things aren't so bad, or perhaps as bad as things once were. See, "The Bright Side" presented earlier in MM where I suggested that the musings of the philosopher Eric Idle can help us be a bit more positive.
  

 Given that, oddly enough, I have never gotten around to writing about goiters, I will use them to suggest that with regard to health care, things are surely better, even if you are waiting in line to get some. The picture above is from the 1930s and it is likely that the swelling around the woman's face is evidence of an enlarged thyroid gland. It is also the case that she may not have lived near a nail salon since a manicure is needed.

An Iodine Anniversary
   The lack of iodine is responsible for the enlargement of the thyroid and the diminishment of intelligence. In 1924 it was put into table salt to make up for the iodine deficiencies experienced in our area. As a salt appreciator and contrarian, I suggest we celebrate the 100th anniversary of iodized salt. 

Sources:
  As with most subjects, you have good reasons to doubt my expertise, so here is what you need to know about goiters and iodine:
"How the Arrival of Iodized Salt 100 Years Ago Changed America: On May 1,1924, the First Iodized Salt Appeared On Shelves, Quickly Solving an Iodine Deficiency Crisis that Plagued the Northern U.S. 'Goiter Belt'," Ray Cavanaugh, Washington Post, May 1, 2024.
 In the early 20th century, iodine deficiency was ravaging much of the northern United States. The region was widely known as the “goiter belt,” for the goiters — heavily swollen thyroid glands — that bulged from many residents’ necks. The issue was more than cosmetic: Iodine deficiency during pregnancy and lactation often led to children with severely diminished IQ and other permanent neurological impairments. And Michigan was at the epicenter of the crisis.The soil there didn’t have much iodine. Nor did the freshwater Great Lakes. And so the inhabitants didn’t have much iodine, either. The prevalence of iodine deficiency in the state became strikingly apparent after the outbreak of World War I. Simon Levin, the medical examiner for the draft board in Michigan’s Houghton County, observed that more than 30 percent[link] of registrants had a demonstrably enlarged thyroid, which could disqualify them from military service. In fact, it was the leading cause of medical disqualification in northern Michigan."
   If you are now interested in this subject see: "A Grain of Salt," by Howard Markel and "History of U.S. Iodine Fortification and Supplementation," by Leung, et al. 
There is some discussion about how iodine was introduced into the food supply and I would think that now both the Canadian and U.S. governments would  experience some difficulty in convincing many citizens that such a policy was warranted. 
  The photograph at the top is from, You Have Seen Their Faces, by Erskine Caldwell and Margaret Bourke-White. There are many faces pictured and all of them suggest that maybe things are not so bad for us. 
For more about Caldwell, see "American Folkways and Erskine Caldwell" in MM.

Oddments (1)

 

   In my last post ("A Gathering of Kestertons"), I indicated that I had to figure out what to call short posts, quickly posted en masse. I have decided to label them "Oddments" and produce some since I have written nothing at all for ten days and still have nothing much to write.  I will try to do better in March, unless the weather improves significantly. 

Line 5

  I wrote about Line 5 a year ago and wondered, since it is cold outside and gas prices are very high, if it was soon going to be shut down. The earlier post contains sources and even a map, but if you have forgotten what Line 5 is, it is the pipeline that provides petroleum products to our general area. Governor Gretchen over in Michigan is worried that it may rupture and ruin our Great Lakes. Most on our side of the Lakes, seem to worry much more about having heat and cheap gas, and not many Liberals note the irony involved. 

   I checked; the pipeline is still open and has not yet ruptured.  Apparently we can relax a bit, according to this headline: "Canada Has Replacements for Line 5 if Pipeline Shuts Down, Report Says," James McCarten, The Canadian Press, Feb. 16, 2022. The replacement is Line 78 and I suppose its rupture will be less devastating. The article is linked above, but it does not give the title of the report mentioned in the title of the article. The reason premium subscribers pay big bucks for access to this blog is that such information is supplied. Here it is: "Closing Enbridge's Line 5 Pipeline: What Are the Options and Alternatives Available," by Environmental Defence Canada. The executive summary indicates:
Enbridge’s Line 5 oil and gas pipeline has been the subject of considerable debate. Opponents want the pipeline shut down due to the risk it poses to the Great Lakes, the largest body of freshwater in the world, while proponents of the pipeline have claimed that a Line 5 closure could trigger an energy crisis. But new research shows that a Line 5 shutdown is entirely manageable and that options exist to meet demand for oil and refined products (e.g. gasoline) in Ontario and Quebec without Line 5. This new research also finds that with a planned shutdown of Line 5, any gas price changes would essentially go unfelt by consumers. Our report summarizes the findings of this research. The full research paper is linked within the report.

A link to the report is provided above, along with the citation, so you will be able to find it if the link rots. Let's hope Line 5 does not rupture, while all of this is being sorted out. 

Quote of the Week (2)

  I hope I am sufficiently far enough down the page that no one notices this quotation. It was obviously not produced this week since such a remark would not now be allowed to surface. I did notice it this week, however, and while it is not a good one to display during "Black History Month", I will do so since it perhaps represents the zetigeist of a different period. Here it is: "In a letter to a friend, describing America, Freeman wrote, "This would be a grand land if only every Irishman would kill a negro, and be hanged for it." (No exclamation point required!!)

I will add that the letter writer is Edward Augustus Freeman who was the Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford. I need not add that I do not endorse the sentiments expressed, since the title of this blog indicates I may have some Irish blood, and like ex-President Carter and Elvis, may even have a bit of black as well. 

Advance Noise Alert

   The days are getting longer, if not warmer, and they will soon be louder. There are many fellows eager to cruise around in the fine weather in noisy cars and they will be joined later by those on motorcycles and crotch rockets, which are usually noisier.  I thought about this because of an article in the New York Times, which indicates that the French are doing something about it: 
"With Sensors on Streets, France Takes Aim at 'Noise From Hell': The French Authorities Are Installing "Sound Radars" in Some Cities to Detect and Photograph Vehicles Making Excessive Noise, Which They Say is a Public Health Hazard," Emma Bubola, Feb. 21, 2022. Here are some sentences from beyond the paywall which you will not be able to surmount:

"When France introduced speed cameras 20 years ago, it drastically reduced the number of car accidents and helped save tens of thousands of lives. Now the government is taking aim at another scourge: the earsplitting noise that has been a fact of life for residents of French cities.

New sensors, or “sound radars,” were placed in seven cities last week as an experiment. The sensors can detect and take pictures of vehicles making excessive noise, a problem that officials say has gotten worse in recent years. The hope is to eventually set a noise-pollution limit and fine those motorists exceeding it....

“If the mayor didn’t buy a radar, we would have bought one ourselves,” said Raphael Bianchi, who lives in the Place de la Bastille in Paris. He said his 1-year-old son was constantly awakened by motorcycles roaring outside their apartment: “It’s unbearable — it’s a constant acoustic aggression.”

The initiative follows a mounting intolerance by the French to street noises, particularly motorcycles and souped-up scooters. According to a study by Bruitparif, a state-backed center that monitors noise in the Paris area, a modified scooter crossing Paris at night can wake as many as 10,000 people.

The center has developed a sensor that is being tested in Paris. At the end of the testing period, in 2023, the city plans to start handing out fines of 135 euros, about $150, to vehicles that break noise-level rules."

 

   You will be pleased to know and I am pleased to be able to offer some Canadian content which indicates that we (or at least the Albertans) are ahead in this regard. Here is what they tried in Edmonton: 
"Microphones on Edmonton Streets Listening for Loud Pipes: Similar to Photo Radar, Cameras With Microphones Set to Target Noisy Aftermarket Exhaust,"

"Four cameras with microphones have been placed throughout the city of Edmonton in an effort to catch drivers and riders with loud exhaust that exceed 85 decibels, the first implementation of this technology in North America.

Along with the four cameras, another four display boards with microphones are being installed at different locations throughout the city.

According to the CBC, city councillors agreed to continue testing the noise-monitoring equipment to determine whether it can be used to enforce extreme noise, similar to how photo radar tickets drivers for speeding. But as this is a test project, there will be no tickets handed out." From, Driving, Aug. 20, 2018. 

The word "Aftermarket" refers to the market for mufflers and "sound boosters" that can increase the sounds your vehicle makes rather than muffle them. 

Some Sources For This Section:

   The NYT article mentions some reports that relate to the health hazards associated with high decibel levels. Here are a couple. By the way, to increase your concern about the noise issue, I should note that the lower classes are more likely to be affected by loud vehicles since social housing is often closer to major thoroughfares. 
The World Health Organization report is: "New Evidence from WHO on Health Effects of Traffic-Related Noise,"March, 2011.

The French report by Bruitparif is available in English: "Transport Noise in Ile-De-France: Exposure to Transport Noise, Particularly in Dense Areas, It a Real Public Health Issue." 

   The decibel laws related to such things are available and vary from city to city. Here is one Canadian source, "Come On, Feel the Noise: How Canada's Noise Regulations Compare City to City," Coleman Molnar, Driving, Mar. 11, 2021. 

Post Script:

 One never knows when such information might be required. For example, residents in our area recently were blinded by "light pollution" which made our back yards light up like Stalag 17 when the prisoners tried to escape at night. The sudden illumination came about when a commercial property nearby, was renovated. The lights have been dimmed somewhat because our dutiful and civic-minded neighbour contacted our local Councillor and the property owner cooperated, even though the London bylaws about "light pollution" are lacking. 

The Bonus For This Section: 

   I recall in my youth, guys in dungarees under cars removing the mufflers all together, or installing "Glasspacks". Such options these days seem better since "backfires" are often emitted as well.

   This all reminded me of the bonus - Suicide Knobs. I learned they are called, more properly - Brodie Knobs. 

Pickleball and Noise Pollution

  If I had any readers who were hotrodders, they would likely chastise me for not also picking on the pickleballers. In my defence, I can only say that I did not realize what a serious problem pickleball noise is. It must be a serious problem since the CBC is concerned, as you will see in this article which has a headline that the headline writer must have enjoyed writing:

Pickleball is One of Canada's Fastest-Growing Sports: But the Paddle and Ball Can Make a Racket - Some Residents Who Live Near Pickleball Courts Have Grown Sour on the Burgeoning Sport," CBC News, Feb. 21, 2022.

"Pickleball has been a blessing for some during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering up exercise, fresh air, and a chance to socialize outdoors. 

But for some who live near pickleball courts, the cacophony that comes with the burgeoning sport can be a curse.  

Many pickleballers play their sport on reconfigured outdoor tennis courts. The sport has ties to tennis, but uses a paddle instead of a racket, and a hard ball instead of a fuzzy tennis ball. The results can be noisy. 

Connie Ball, who lives near pickleball courts in Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam, B.C., has been fighting against the sound for 18 months.

"You can't go down for a nap," she said of the noise. "It's just invading. It goes right into our home."

The courts in Blue Mountain Park were repurposed in 2020 for pickleball, but after noise complaints from Ball and other neighbours, the city limited play to the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a one-hour break at noon."

For now, I will remain silent about this subject. 

Castrati 

The Sad Tale of the Castrated Singing Boys

   I realize that this is a rather abrupt shift in subjects, but surely I am far enough down the page to safely bring up this one.  Although some people appear to think that bad things have happened only in modern times and only to members of a certain sex or ethnic group, in fact, awful things have always happened to everyone. You will know about the castrati and these posts are rather longer than expected so I will get to the point. Young boys with good voices were sometimes castrated so they could continue singing as sopranos for the remainder of their much longer careers. The songs were typically sung in Catholic churches where women were supposed to remain silent, but higher voices needed, What is not usually discussed, is the method of making male children into eunuchs. The issue was raised recently and I happened to notice it. At least now you will know how they did it in olden times. I am still not sure how it was done in the more enlightened 18th century. Gents, you might want to wait for my next post and skip this one. 

What method of castration was used for Byzantine eunuchs?

"Although eunuchs were prominent in Byzantium, few sources deal with the technicalities of castration. The matter was considered too sensitive, distasteful and shameful to discuss openly... Thankfully, there is a Byzantine source that offers a detailed description of the operation. It’s the 7th-c. Medical Compendium in Seven Books by a physician named Paul of Aegina, aka Paulus Aegineta. This influential work discusses castration based not only on theory but also the author’s own medical practice — Paul claims to have performed castrations under pressure from certain powerful people. The methods he goes over are two.

That by compression (kata thlasin) is performed thus: children, still of a tender age, are placed in a vessel of hot water, and then when the bodily parts are softened in the bath, the testicles are to be squeezed with the fingers until they disappear, and, being dissolved, can no longer be felt.

The method by excision (kat’ ektomēn) is as follows: let the person to be made a eunuch be placed upon a bench, and the scrotum with the testicles grasped by the fingers of the left hand, and stretched; two straight incisions are then to be made with a scalpel, one in each testicle; and when the testicles start up they are to be dissected around and cut out, having merely left the very thin bond of connection between the vessels in their natural state. This method is preferred to that by compression; for those who have had them squeezed sometimes still desire intercourse, a certain part, as it would appear, of the testicles having escaped the compression."

The above was taken from Quora Digest, Jan. 5 and was provided by, Eleftherios Tserkezis. 

Sources: 

   I am sure there is a good Wikipedia entry relating to this subject. Those of you who are more serious and concerned about the castrati should see:

"Castrati Choir and Opera Singers," Meyer Melicow and Stanford Pulrang, Urology, Vol. III, No. 5, May, 1974.

"Some authors note that as many as 4,000 to 5,000 youngsters were castrated annually, sacrificed through greed on the alter of music."

   "The Age of the Castrato Voice," Fredrich S. Brodnitz, Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders," Vol. 40, No.3, Aug. 1975.

"Castration has been administered for punishment or for cruel revenge of which the great Abelard is the best known example.... The castration of children for the sole purpose of producing a special type of voice is a historic phenomenon of unusual interest."

   "The Keepers of the Bed: Castration and Religion," Vincent J. Derbes, JAMA, Vol.212, No.1, April 6, 1970. 

"Partial or complete excision of man's genitalia, castration, eviration or eunuchism, is the most cruel of all mutilations and not the least practiced. According to ancient tradition, the knowledge of castration was obtained from an animal, the castor or beaver, who practiced it upon himself when being hunted, abandoning his testicles rather than allowing himself to be captured.' 

That is enough for this Sunday and Oddments (1) is done. 

LINE 5

    KEYSTONE XL  is probably more recognizable to folks around here than LINE 5 is, but the latter is located closer to our homes and maybe even closer to your cottage. Line 5 is a pipeline that carries lots of petroleum products from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario and it passes under the Straits of Mackinac which is the focus of concern. It is closer than you think. If the pipes there were to burst, the oil could, depending upon the currents and weather, end up in a Great Lake near you. If it is shut down to prevent such a catastrophe, people around here will lose their jobs and the price of our gasoline will probably go up. 

   Those are the concerns expressed in the article from which the picture above was taken. In it, the Prime Minister is asked for help since Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered that Line 5 be shut down, and it will be in early May unless something is done. Perhaps that is why some 'Yoopers' with long guns showed up at the state house in Lansing, since they may not have enough propane if Line 5 is put out of commission. Perhaps some Canadians would have joined them if the border had been open. There seems to be more concern on this side of the border about the loss of the energy source than there is about the potential despoliation of the environment. Those who favour keeping the pipeline open say it has been there since 1953. Those who worry about the environment say, well, it has been there since 1953!

   The noise over Line 5 and the news about it will surely increase over the next couple of months as will the arguments. So, here are a few sources that will give you a leg up when the subject comes up. I will start with the article containing the picture.

Sources: 

For the company view start here: ENBRIDGE. 
There is a Wikipedia entry: Enbridge Line 5 

"Prime Minister Asked to Help Save Line 5 Pipeline," Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer, Jan. 18, 2021.
Sarnia-area politicians and labour leaders want Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to appeal directly to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to keep the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline running through Michigan, where the state’s Democratic governor has ordered it shut down....
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley wrote to the prime minister this month challenging the legality of the governor’s order and asking Trudeau to speak with Biden directly on the issue. Line 5 carries western oil and natural gas liquids to the refineries, chemical plants and propane users in the U.S. Midwest, as well as Eastern Canada....
This shutdown will put over 4,900 jobs at risk, and jeopardize Ontario and Michigan’s energy supply that we rely on daily,” Greg Rickford, Ontario’s minister of energy, northern development and mines, said in a statement, "Ontario’s four refineries ensure that Ontario, Quebec, Michigan and the entire Great Lakes region are supplied with essential products like home heating fuels, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel,” he said.

"Canadian Officials Displeased With Whitmer's Call to Shut Down Line 5 in Straits

Keith Matheny Nov. 16, 2020, Detroit Free Press.

"U.S. News: U.S., Canada at Odds Over Great Lakes Pipeline," Vipal Monga, The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 20, 2021.

TORONTO -- Canadian and U.S. officials are at odds over the fate of a pipeline underneath the Great Lakes, exacerbating disagreements over energy policy between the two nations as the Biden administration prepares to take office.

Citing environmental concerns, Michigan state officials have told Enbridge Inc. to close its Line 5 pipeline, which carries more than half a million barrels of oil and natural-gas liquids each day from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario.

Canadian officials say closing the pipeline would choke off more than half the supply used to make gasoline, jet fuel and home-heating oil for the most populous parts of the country.

The 645-mile pipeline, which is part of Enbridge's mainline system that conveys oil and natural gas liquids from Alberta, feeds refineries in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec.

"Pipelines are so vital to the economy and the recovery," said Chris Bloomer, president of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, a trade group. "We're hoping for some pragmatism."

 CBC: Enbridge sues Michigan over Line 5 pipeline shutdown order.

   Although the pipeline has been in place for over 60 years, a few years ago a ship dragging an anchor did some damage to it. At that time, there was talk about enclosing it in a tunnel which would have resulted in many jobs on both sides of the border.
"Coast Guard inspected ship before Line 5 anchor dragging,"Beth LeBlanc, Sept. 13, 2020, The Detroit News.

   You may also remember that Enbridge had a problem over a decade ago with the great Kalamazoo River Oil Spill. 

"Reeling’ From COVID, Great Lakes Biz Group Joins Call for Immediate Line 5 Shut Down,"by Andy Balaskovitz,  Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

This is from the Sierra Club - Michigan and it has good graphics and video: "EVERY DAY 67-YEAR-OLD PIPELINES PUSH NEARLY 23 MILLION GALLONS OF OIL THROUGH THE HEART OF THE GREAT LAKES. WHAT IF THEY RUPTURED?"

Decomission Line 5.

National Wildlife Federation

"Gov. Whitmer’s Historic Decision to Shut Down Line 5 a Game Changing Win for the Great Lakes, Wildlife, Climate." Mike Saccone Nov 13, 2020.

Canada to Michigan on Line 5: “We support its continued safe operation”

Here is a major study from the University of Michigan: "Worse Case Oil Spill Straits of Mackinac."

Here is another major study. It is behind a firewall, but the executive summary is provided here:
"Economic Damages From a Worst-case Oil Spill in the Straits of Mackinac. Journal of Great Lakes Research, Richard T. Maelstrom , et al 45, 2019, p.1130.

This paper presents research on the economic damages from a hypothetical worst-case oil spill at the Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Huron and Michigan. This spill could occur because the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline traverses the Straits between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula. We quantify potential economic damages to outdoor recreation, commercial fishing, shipping, residential properties, and energy and water supplies. Damages are estimated for two spill scenarios occurring at the onset of the summer tourism season with extensive shoreline oiling. Using evidence from past spills, economic damages would last for between one and two years and would affect locations on the periphery of the spill area, depending on the activity. We project the loss from the worst-case scenario would be at least $1.3 billion.

To further complicate the controversy, there are also Indigenous issues to consider: "The Drilldown: Enbridge's Line 5 Pipeline to Be Challenged by Four Indigenous Nations," Felixe Denson, iPolitics, Aug. 20, 2020. 

To read about the Great Lakes, see my post on "The American Lakes" - Book Series.

The Bonus:

   I mentioned "YOOPERS" above and they are people from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and they likely weren't the only ones involved, if any actually were.  For more on YOOPERS and such things, see my post on UNOBVIOUS DEMONYMS.