RFK Jr. Is Going After Trump’s Mortal Enemy: Wind Farms

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump-appointed well being czar and MAHA figurehead, has promised to shake up American healthcare. And boy is he shaking it up. To this point, Kennedy has flouted all types of longstanding precedents, modified vital well being protocols (usually for the more serious), and fired a lot of people that appear to have been doing actually necessary work. Most perturbing to many longtime well being professionals, Kennedy appears to be ignoring most of the most urgent threats to Individuals’ well being (you realize, stuff like Covid-19 and the cost of health insurance) and, as a substitute, goes after a slew of purported enemies that, in some instances, might not be that huge of a priority and, in different instances, are issues broadly believed to be helpful to tens of millions of Individuals. Kennedy’s enemies listing has included stuff like 5G, vaccines, Tylenol and, now, offshore wind farms.

It seems that the HHS head has a brand new preoccupation. He might not be tilting at windmills however he does look like scowling at wind farms (did you see what I did there?). Bloomberg reports that Kennedy’s company is now investigating whether or not wind farms do…one thing unhealthy…to stuff…or one thing. The outlet writes:

In late summer time, HHS instructed CDC’s Nationwide Institute for Occupational Security and Well being to arrange analysis about wind farms’ impression on fishing companies, in response to the folks, who spoke on situation of anonymity to explain non-public conversations…Among the many offshore wind well being impacts that HHS workers have investigated is the electrical magnetic frequency generated from undersea cables used to attach energy from the machines to the electrical grid, one of many folks mentioned. Wind proponents say they aren’t dangerous.

Sure, a resurgence of measles cases in America is, apparently, not that big of a deal however, in response to our new well being chief, synthetic islands stuffed with generators which can be situated in the course of the ocean might the truth is be a big risk to our collective nicely being. Snark apart, there may be some scientific interest in whether or not wind farms might trigger well being issues for individuals who stay of their proximity, however these investigations haven’t revealed something notably stunning. One study says that individuals who stay or work subsequent to wind generators might report “decreased high quality of life, annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, headache, nervousness, despair, and cognitive dysfunction”—a takeaway that almost all of us most likely might have assumed with none kind of outdoors corroboration.

It’s price noting—as Bloomberg does—that President Trump hates wind farms. He has usually verbally excoriated them, calling them “so pathetic and so bad” and accusing them of “driving the whales crazy.” Throughout his most up-to-date time period in workplace, his administration has made substantial efforts to quell offshore wind business tasks. Is there a correlation right here between the President’s animosity and Kennedy’s new probe? Who can actually say?

Gizmodo reached out to the HHS and the White Home for remark, and can replace this submit if we get a response.