In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

Len Over 21 wrote:
In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

How on earth do we know which chemical or combination of chemicals is
doing what?

Study both biology and chemistry.

Unfortunately, the study includes case histories and unexpected
accidents such as chemical interactions that we find out about only
after damage is done.

There's no magic instruction manual for Life.

Even the ARRL website doesn't have a "good read" on that.

A gentleman I once worked with used to claim that no restrictions on
chemical exposure or pollution were necessary. When I asked him how he
could propose such a thing, his answer was "We will just adapt to the
poisons". No doubt, but the process of adaptation is a lot easier to say
than it is to go through!

The LEAD in ordinary solder is now considered to be a no-no for
the environment and there is all sorts of whooping and hollering
for LEAD FREE solder. In large industrial quantities that can be
nasty on a small part of the environment, yes, but hardly a
DANGER in a home workshop or an electronics service shop.

I've never heard of anyone sucking on a soldering iron wiping
sponge...which might be worse for an individual.

The personal computer users who got all greenie in 1985
started whooping and hollering about color CRT RADIATION!
They didn't bother to look elsewhere such as in TV broadcasting
which had central control rooms full of RADIATING CRTs with
24 KV final accelerating anode potentials capable of generating
X-Rays! Like since 1955 with all kinds of folks sitting, walking
in front of them. So, now we've got little stickers on PC monitors
or somewhere warning us and some say "approved" to some
European country's standards. Color CRTs radiate light when
on...

The supposed DEADLY LONG-TERM RADIATION EXPOSURE
from cell phones is still alive and kicking as a "possible health
risk" even though the best smarts in medicine can't find a link
to verify that. Cell phones radiate little teeny amounts of RF...

There's the DANGER of RF RADIATION that is supposed to fry
neighbors or something and so there's lots of relatively new
rules in Part 97 about that. Is it needed? I doubt it. Hard to
separate the hysteria from the real thing.

Even the USAF School of Aero Medicine has a big bunch of
science types studying all kinds of RF radiation effects. It can't
find much evidence except for the already-legislated laws and
warnings about RADIATION!

Join the groups against use of DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE.

If you can't find those sites, I'll give you some.

Their websites yield much good safety information on the danger
to humans from dihydrogen monoxide. At least one city
administration has tried to put that in city ordinances.

Ahh, the universal solvent! Breathing it can be very dangerous! 8^)

In large quantities it can destroy crops, even vast tracts of
vegetation. The frozen form has been known to be a danger
to ships on the open ocean.

Meanwhile, I still think of amateur radio as a HOBBY, a fun,
interesting recreational activity involving radio arts which requires
regulation and mitigation due to the physics of radio itself.

Some misuse the word "service" as in a service to the nation as
if it were akin to a military service or noble cause for humanity.
However, in all of Title 47 C.F.R., the word "service" is a regulatory
term denoting the type and kind of radio activity; e.g., Citizens
Band Radio SERVICE.

Since you brought this back on-topic, I'll comment that I think perhaps

confusion may result from the fact that hams may be "of service" under
some circumstances. It is hard to think of 75 meter illness comparison
nets as a service, or chasing QSL cards, but there are times when our
assistance is not a bad thing.

Yes, that's true, but it is NOT the "basis and purpose" of why many
got into amateur radio. Nearly ALL hams got into amateur radio for
the hobby aspects, for personal recreation and enjoyment.

ANY citizen can, and many do perform real acts of service for their
communities. No ham license needed for that.

How many hams sit and monitor the ham bands strictly for
emergency calls? Or even use a second receiver in a "guard"
mode? Anyone monitor the old 500 KHz maritime distress
frequency? The high-MF voice frequency? Anyone monitor the
civil aviation distress frequency of 121.5 MHz?

Feel free to take your own poll on that. I doubt you will find ONE
who will answer affirmative on any of them.

Those who want to be of REAL service can join the Peace Corps
or something similar. No ham license needed there, either. Or
volunteer working at a homeless shelter, or a shelter for battered
women. LOTS of places can use volunteers doing a REAL
service instead of prancing around saying "we're hams and we
are basically an emergency service (and a noble credit to our
community, etc.)."

Now, if you want to start a real ruckus, you can claim you got
into ham radio just to "do a service for your country." If you do
that, you will be telling an [expletive deleted] untruth. :-)

REALITY, folks, not false parading around on isolated stories
of wonderfulness by others, waving your flags, etc.

LHA / WMD