In light of our previous discussions, I was inclined to choose fluoridation of drinking water as my topic of discussion. We have briefly touched on how the movers and shakers of the world use their position of power to keep the average people in the dark. This is seen in the food industry, without a doubt: from animal agriculture, to GMO labeling legislature, and many other issues. I think we can all agree that our current food climate is a reflection of our uncompromisingly capitalistic society. Profit is of utmost importance and things like values and morals are kept quiet for the sake of the almighty dollar. The picture painted by the Cowspiracy documentary, for instance, is one where corporations with important information are using their resources to cover up their dirty secrets.
The fluoridation of the United States' water supply is one of the dirtiest secrets that I have understanding of. Many people are aware that our water is fluoridated, but unaware of the impacts that it has on the human body. Some questions that I had when I first started thinking about the subject were: if fluoride is for our teeth, why do we ingest it every time we drink water? If toothpaste is poisonous to swallow, why is our water safe to drink?
Check out this video for an overview of the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZMqXZ_ehVI
What are your initial reactions?
For those who are not convinced of the legitimacy of anti-fluoride doctrine, here is a Harvard study that confirms that fluoride reduces IQ scores in children: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/fluoride_b_2479833.html
Once we discover that fluoride has been building up in our bodies for as long as we have been ingesting it, one might wonder where it all goes. The main target for fluoride accumulation is the pineal gland, also know as the third eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQceQ7vVwAw
Here is the link to the wikipedia page for the pineal gland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineal_gland Please browse whatever sections you find interesting, but definitely read the section "Society and Culture"
Bad food is an attack on our physical bodies, but the fluoride issue seems to suggest an attack on our spiritual bodies, as well. I'm wondering if the class feels like fluoride is simply pumped into our water so that people can make money, or if it is also a more calculated attack on on our minds/bodies/souls?
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ReplyDeleteI think any attack on our physical bodies is also an attack on our spiritual bodies, but I am not sure how calculated these negative impacts are in all situations. Food that does not nourish our bodies, speak to our cultural and spiritual identites, and respect our natural environments and human communities is dehumanizing. I think this food, however, rather than being an intentional form of oppression, is often the byproduct of its other manifestations. Meaning that when profit and unlimited capitalistic production become the central purposes of a society, we will see an increase in negative externalities experienced by its communities within this oppressive system. This relates to Katherine’s post about value-based business versus profit-based models. Marginalized communities are those most often impacted by negative externalities, and the lack of action by those in power to change these realities, represents the extreme forms of oppression (racism, classism, etc.) that exist in our world. I am not sure if the damaging impacts of fluoride are a calculated attempt to destroy the spiritual capacity and bodily health of communities. Rather, I think that above all it is a byproduct of a patriarchal and white-supremacist system that focuses on increasing profit and the concentration of power, often at the expense of the humanity, agency, and wellbeing of its communities. Another example of this might be our health care system's reluctance to invest more in preventative care.
ReplyDeleteI found all of the videos incredibly interesting. I had no idea that the fluoride that is pumped into our drinking water was toxic. I guess I always just assumed, like I had assumed when I was younger about our food systems, that our government would protect us from things like being poisoned and the like. I found the last video about the connection between fluoride and the pineal gland very thought provoking as I have done some research on the third eye. Because of this previous knowledge on the third eye and the pineal gland I was shocked to see how fluoride plays a role. I agree with Kacey’s comment that any attack on our physical bodies is also an attack on our spiritual bodies, but I cannot help but crave answers to your question about the people in charge. Do the people in charge (people high up in government, fortune 500 company owners, etc.) pump fluoride into our water supply to suppress our third eye? Is there more to this than we think? I am eager to discuss this further with the class.
ReplyDeleteThis is an instance where I think history, and looking further back than just the recent past, can be very telling of societal norms that exist today. Fluoride was introduced into community water systems around 1945, when researchers saw it as a way to strengthen teeth enamel and knew of none of its harmful effects. We now live in a world that loves sensationalism: any brand that recalls a product gets shunned for months, and we latch on to new superfoods or diet crazes like they will cure all ailments. So part of me wonders if researchers have slowly come to an understanding of the detriments of fluoride in drinking water, and the more severe the knowledge becomes, the more harmful it is for suppliers to reveal this information.
ReplyDeleteWater is a vital source of life for us, and I agree with Kacey and Laura that concealing this information from the public is an attack on our bodies, for both our physical and spiritual health. The best way to fight against larger powers having total control is by sharing the knowledge that we have and allowing people to make their own informed decisions.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your argument that bad food is an attack on both our physical and spiritual bodies; although I don’t believe that fluoride’s initial introduction into our water system was a calculated attack on our society. As Annie mentioned, fluoridation began in the early 1940s as a “safe and effective” means to reduce cavities. Since its introduction, more and more studies have been released that indicate its harmful effects on bone fractures, thyroid disorders and impaired brain development and function. While I still don’t believe that this was the desired result of the “higher powers” within our culture and society...I am extremely curious to learn more about the initiative behind reducing or eliminating fluoridation in our water systems. Why hasn’t more awareness been raised over this issue? It’s especially interesting to learn that within the last 15 years, several studies have revealed that fluoride works best topically—when it is applied to the teeth in fluoride-rich toothpaste. So now with this information in mind, I must question...are there really any benefits to fluoridation in our water system? The benefits certainly don’t seem to outweigh the cons. I believe Annie is completely correct—the more severe knowledge becomes for consumers, the more potential harm there is for their suppliers. I really look forward to talking more about this in class. Thanks for an interesting post, Werner!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your argument that bad food is an attack on both our physical and spiritual bodies; although I don’t believe that fluoride’s initial introduction into our water system was a calculated attack on our society. As Annie mentioned, fluoridation began in the early 1940s as a “safe and effective” means to reduce cavities. Since its introduction, more and more studies have been released that indicate its harmful effects on bone fractures, thyroid disorders and impaired brain development and function. While I still don’t believe that this was the desired result of the “higher powers” within our culture and society...I am extremely curious to learn more about the initiative behind reducing or eliminating fluoridation in our water systems. Why hasn’t more awareness been raised over this issue? It’s especially interesting to learn that within the last 15 years, several studies have revealed that fluoride works best topically—when it is applied to the teeth in fluoride-rich toothpaste. So now with this information in mind, I must question...are there really any benefits to fluoridation in our water system? The benefits certainly don’t seem to outweigh the cons. I believe Annie is completely correct—the more severe knowledge becomes for consumers, the more potential harm there is for their suppliers. I really look forward to talking more about this in class. Thanks for an interesting post, Werner!
ReplyDeleteI'm not particularly well-informed about fluoridation, its history, and effects, so this is an issue I need to learn more about! I'm reminded, though, of reading both Terry Tempest Williams' book "Refuge" and Sandra Steingraber's "Living Downstream." Both of these women had either personal experiences with cancer or lost family members to cancers caused by exposure to carcinogens that were released into the immediate vicinity of their communities. Williams' family was exposed to nuclear fallout from atomic testing in Utah; Steingraber developed bladder cancer as a very young woman due to toxic chemical releases into the watershed in which she grew up. Both of these women have tried to call attention to the various chemical attacks against our bodies and have responded with outrage at the fact that our government and private corporations are allowed to release such substances into the environment without being called to take responsibility for the illnesses and deaths they cause.
ReplyDeleteReading Steingraber's book was especially revelatory for me. She's an ecologist and so she lays out in clear, scientific terms what is known and what is not known about the effects of the "chemical soup" that we are all swimming in since birth. Particularly shocking was her analysis that so many synthetic chemicals have accumulated in womens' bodies that most breast milk would not meet the FDA standard for infant formula because of its high level of chemical contaminants.
I don't know whether there's a conspiracy with an end goal of making people sick and stupid. But I'm pretty convinced that there are a lot of people taking completely legal actions for the purpose of making a profit that do make people sick and probably mentally as well as physically ill. Why on earth we continue to allow this is beyond me. Perhaps it is a type of spiritual sickness that "business as usual" in this country means sacrificing the well-being of others in order to increase your own wealth.
But what do we DO about it? That's the hard thing when we are individuals and it's hard enough to find out the facts about what we're being exposed to, much less get corporations to stop exposing us to stuff. Well, Sandra Steingraber has been engaging in acts of civil disobedience and going to jail.
Here's part of prepared statement that she read at a sentencing hearing in 2013:
"In my field of environmental health, the word trespass has meaning. Toxic trespass refers to involuntary human exposure to a chemical or other pollutant. It is a contamination without consent. It is my belief, as a biologist, that Inergy is guilty of toxic trespass. Inergy has been out of compliance with EPA regulations every quarter for the past three years. In spite of this, Inergy applied for, and has received, from the state of New York a permit to discharge, every day, an additional 44,000 pounds of chloride into Seneca Lake.That’s 22 tons a day. That’s 8000 tons a year. Seneca Lake is a source of drinking water for 100,000 people. Those industrial discharges trespass into the bodies of those who drink it . . . my actions were taken to protest the trespass of Inergy into our air, water, bodies, safety, and security. My small, peaceful act of trespass was intended to prevent a much larger, and possibly violent one."
Read her full statement here: http://steingraber.com/edit-sandra-steingraber-prepared-sentencing-statement-for-the-reading-town-court/.
So my question to you all is, what about civil disobedience as a solution? Do you think civil disobedience or even monkey-wrenching are acceptable means to combat power structures that seem to have us at their mercy?
While I knew that there was fluoride in tap water, I had never realized that it has potential bad effects. In my opinion, I think that the consequences of putting fluoride in the water are another example of short-term thinking versus long-term planning, which I would definitely connect to the capitalist system. I think because of the stress to make profit, and make profit fast, this often pressures governments and officials to make decisions without thinking of the long-term issues. While I am often very skeptical of the government and I think that personal greed also plays a part in these decisions, I believe that there are also good intentioned people who just don’t think things through. This is one such example.
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in the question you posed about a physical attack being linked to a spiritual attack. I think these are almost inseparable. I recently read Terry Tempest Williams’ book “Refuge” and I found it to be very powerful exactly because she skillfully connected the suffering and attacks of body, spirit, and nature. I tend to connect physical illness with creating spiritual illness, but I often forget that hurt and pain in nature can also have an effect on and mimic physical and spiritual illness in humans. We, as human beings, are so intimately connected to the earth, even though I sometimes forget it. “Refuge” was, for me, a powerful reminder that everything is connected, and also, that we all go through cycles of health, illness, and death. Unfortunately, commonly humans now are inflicting the hurt on the earth that comes back to damage us. However, what is beautiful is that we can also heal each other too. Thinking about this, I wonder in what ways we can learn from the issues with fluoride and change it for the better?
While I am not sure I agree that fluoride in water is a direct and deliberate attack on our bodies, I thought the comparison made between fluoride in drinking water and DDT science was interesting. Fluoride being added to our water is something that we seemingly have no control over. While I would argue the detrimental effects of the DDT are much more apparent, the banning of this persistent and bioaccumulating compound in 1972 demonstrates the public, scientific, and government acknowledgment that the consequences of DDT are much worse than the short term benefits. In a way the comparison between DDT and fluoridation seems justified because they were/are pervasive in our everyday environments. Drinking fluoride in tap water and bottled water is unavoidable in North America, just as DDT continues to be present within organisms today in areas where it has not been sprayed for decades. Both the widespread spraying and ubiquitous addition of fluoride to water began because scientists thought it was a beneficial option at the time. I think in general, we tend to rush into potential solutions to issues without fully exploring the consequences. While the widespread application of chemicals like DDT or fluoride may seem cost-effective and efficient at the time, any solution applied on such a large scale is bound to have some negative impact on health or the environment.
ReplyDeleteThese health impacts of fluoridation are fascinating as are the statistics comparing dental health of people in countries that fluorinate their water and those that do not. I know I was certainly unaware of this issue before this blog post, so I think it is important we continue to share information like this with one another! It does seem that the addition of anything to water (other than simply filtering it) should be unnecessary. The fact that dental health has improved in the United States since the addition of fluoride to water could be due to a number of confounding factors, such as access to better hygiene techniques and improved healthcare. I think that if this issue gets enough attention then consumers can hopefully facilitate meaningful change within our water purification systems!
One issue I have in talking about these kinds of theories about government control is the question of who is the 'they' we refer to? I might be totally naive, but I just don't believe that there is a big group of powerful wealthy people that want to poison the rest of us. I agree that this kind of situation results from the incentives our capitalist system sets up, and a lack of knowledge before decisions are made. And because people are benefitting monetarily from the system in place, it takes an unjustly long time to start to reverse those decisions that were made in the first place. I think so many of these issues are due to short-term thinking and our capitalist structure rather than inherently bad intentions.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary to see how difficult it is to fight against these harmful decisions that are being made, in reference to Amy’s post. I’m also interested in thinking about how we might be able to DO something about it…
I was just looking at a children's book in the library of a tutoring program I do, that explains answers to questions that the authors thought kids should know. One such process that they outlined was the purification of drinking water. One of the intermediary steps for cleaning the water depicted a man pouring a bag into water with the label "chemicals". The caption said something like fluoride and calcium along with other chemicals are added to water to help give us strong teeth and bones. Although this was a children's book, something seemed off to me about it. It's interesting that you shared these resources this week, just because this exact thing has been on my mind. Nonetheless it's a little difficult for me to think in terms of there being a large corporation out there that is actively working to dampen our health. Externalities are something that I think often occurs as a byproduct of actions that are not entirely researched or their implications are not fully understood. CFCs in aerosols and refrigerants is an example of this. CFCs were thought to be a great propellant and the effects of using products containing this compound were not realized until after the ozone layer above Antarctica had been depleted a substantial amount. The most important thing is that once the impact of CFCs was understood, the Montreal Protocol was ratified universally banning its use worldwide. My issue is not that the fluoride based compounds have been added to our water, its if we sit back and do nothing about it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic that I’ve never even considered. It definitely reminds me of the issues with animal agriculture, GMO’s, etc. in that most people are just not aware of what's going on. I’d assume that any chemical being put into our bodies is usually bad, but no one is really talking about fluoride in our water. Especially now with more research coming out, it’s shocking that I’ve never heard anything about this.
ReplyDeleteStill, I don’t think that anyone is trying to attack our minds, bodies, or souls. I believe that the vast majority of people have good intentions. For example, someone working in a water treatment facility probably isn’t thinking about the potential issues with fluoride, they’re most likely just trying to earn their next paycheck. I think that people originally put fluoride in the water in an attempt to make money but were also trying to prevent cavities. Our society is definitely way too focused on money and profit, but I don’t think it’s very helpful to point fingers. Personally, I want to do more research on the issue and am also looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts in class. Then I’ll hopefully be able to make a more educated decision and figure out what my next step could be.
Sorry for not getting my post up earlier. I am SO glad that you picked this topic, Werner. I have thought about this a lot in the past year and have taken a few steps to protect myself from the chemicals that are dumped into our water supply. I think most people aren’t aware of the issue, which seems evident already from some people’s comments on this post, and from one of the videos you shared.
ReplyDeleteI think the fluoridation of water is one example of a VERY common theme in the scientific and medical communities. They have a few scientists (often driven by underlying profit motives) make some big claim about human health. Our government takes action, assuming that claim is true, without any studies on the long-term effects on human health. Rather than being precautious about introducing foreign substances into our bodies, they follow the motto “harmless until proven harmful.”
Years later, we have studies crop up that show the negative effects of these substances, and dispute the claims made by those profit-driven scientists. But the government underplays these claims and refuses to give credence to these studies, because there is money at stake. The companies that are profiting from the exploitation of human health are the ones who are lobbying the government to keep their mouths shut.
This is seen time and time again. It is KNOWN that artificial food coloring causes symptoms of ADHD. It is KNOWN that parabens in cosmetics are carcinogenic. It is KNOWN that saturated fat is actually good for you. It is KNOWN that fluoride is a toxin. The scientific evidence is there. But the government wouldn’t dare upset big corporations in the interest of human health. They would rather us get sick, and feed money back into our health care system. Conventional medicine doesn’t look for the root cause, they treat with drugs to mask the symptoms, and you’re a pawn of the health care system for life.
As for your question about attacking our spiritual health as well as our physical health, I’m not so sure. I’m certainly not ruling it out. But I think in this case, people really did believe that fluoridation of water was healthy in the beginning. I don’t think it was known that fluoride would concentrate in the pineal gland. And as someone who has studied a fair amount of neuroscience I’m not sure I believe that the pineal gland is the seat of the soul (otherwise a pinealectomy would remove your soul?).
However, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that fluoride is an attack on our physical health. I have been aware of this issue for about a year or so, and have taken steps to reduce my fluoride exposure. For anyone who was enlightened by Werner’s post and wants to eliminate the fluoride (and other chemicals) in their water, this is an excellent post by one of my favorite bloggers about the different types of water filters available: http://wellnessmama.com/8079/water-filter-options/ I personally bought a Berkey filter about a year ago and it was one of the best purchases I ever made. I also make my own all-natural toothpaste (which I’m happy to talk more about if anyone’s interested).
Sorry for the long-winded response, but I'm very passionate about this topic. I’m really looking forward to discussing this as a group tomorrow.
I have a little knowledge about fluorination in our water systems. I have heard many theories about the root cause as to why it is still in our drinking water, I have a hard time sorting through them while keeping sane. It seems to me that economically, our health care systems would profit off of us being sick which is one reason that I see accounting for why our water is still layered with chemicals even after it is known that fluoride may not be healthy to digest. With no clear benefit at all (even for dental use) it doesn’t make sense that we would continue to use it. I do believe that our population in the United States is largely dependent on the government and thus have a relationship with governmental that is authoritative and not up for question. This is likely due to many many things and chemicals affecting our brains may be one of them but it is unlikely the greatest contributor to what some may deem “the sheeple syndrome”. I believe that the “not knowing” is affecting our spiritual bodies as much as our physical bodies. I also believe that there are ways to channel those feelings into positive and productive work.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to me that companies loose connection with reality and become almost inhumane when profit is on the line. This is an occurring trend that we have seen and discussed in class. I have had an interesting experience with fluoride. I grew up using Toms toothpaste (which most brands are fluoride free) and continued to use it as I grew up. I recently went to the dentist and they asked me if I would review my teeth cleaning schedule where I noticed that “a fluoride treatment” was scheduled for $some large amount of money. I asked to NOT have the treatment and the hygienist rolled her eyes at me and said “ oh great you’re one of those kind”. She also said that since I have never had a cavity, the area on my tooth (which had the potential to become a cavity) would need to be brushed with fluorinated toothpaste to avoid it becoming a cavity. This made me a bit frustrated and I asked why she used that tone and if there was an increasing amount of people exempting from fluoride usage during dental appointments. She replied and said that the population of people or “my kind” was increasing and for some reason it was frustrating to the dentists. This was interesting to me but also kind of made my day. People (knowing about the consequences, or not) were still opting out of fluoride usage.
I think water fluoridation is something that is very interesting as to its use and purpose. Water fluoridation is something that is rarely talked about or questioned. This conversation is very important in that we are questioning the authority structure and examining scientific evidence that contradicts the authority structure. I always think about things in an historical perspective including something like water fluoridation. If we have learned anything from nazi Germany, it is that we should always question the authority structure. There is not one example of a German solider being seriously punished for not complying with orders. Soldiers could have simply refused to kill however nobody ever questioned the authority. German citizens never questioned the motives of the individuals in power from the propaganda they were being fed to the laws that were being made. German citizens also did not question the fluoride that was being added to their water in order to sedate them and make them easier to control. I think that individuals in the United States often are too eager to accept the cultural standards set by the individuals in power. I think this is reflected when people demand scientific evidence (study) when I claim that fluoride is toxic. However, scientific proof is not demanded hen people claim that fluoride is not bad for you because it is in accordance with the authority structure. In reality, there are many more studies stating that fluoride has detrimental health effects (such as the Harvard study Werner posted) than studies stating that fluoride is safe. We see the same trend with things such as GMOs. I am demanded for scientific proof when I claim GMOs have detrimental health effects however when individuals claim they are safe, nobody demands them for scientific evidence. In reality, there are dozens of studies claiming GMOs have detrimental health effects and zero proving that they are safe to consume. So I think it is important that we are questioning what we are told and not repeating the mistakes of nazi Germany.
ReplyDeleteWow I was unaware of how dangerous flouride was. I figured it was probably not the best to ingest it, since we aren't supposed to ingest toothpaste, but I didn't know how detrimental it actually was. I am not suprised about how this all came to be though. This type of stuff happens with food and water all the time. Big companies trying to make money produce studies that are in their favor just to make more money. The first thing I thought of when I watched the video was fracking. Fracking also contaminates drinking water. The government has studied it and has conducted studies showing that fracking fluid is highly toxic. Countless numbers of people who live near fracking wells have grown ill. However, corporate fossil fuel companies control our government and have created loopholes in order to avade federal law.
ReplyDeleteI think these types of things are rooted in capitalism and greed. However, this doesn't mean that the result isn't a spirtual and physical attack on our bodies. I don't think it is the intention, but I think it is definitely a result. I think capitalism in general has corrupted the souls of the masses and I think the food we eat that is a part of the system, and is affected by the system often attacks our physical bodies. Good, nourishing, well produced food is also good for the soul. Food is a huge part of culture and right now our food culture isn't one that nourishes the soul.
As many have mentioned, I was unaware of many of the hazardous effects associated with fluoride. Since it is something that most Americans consume on a daily basis, it is surprising that there is not greater consensus on if fluoride should be in our drinking water.
ReplyDeleteI think that the article and short documentary both bring up good arguments against having fluoride in our water system. However, just as we can not trust those who originally decided to put fluoride in our water, I do no think that we can fully trust all the information in the article and documentary. To me, they presented a lot of their data and claims as fact, without substantial acknowledgment of the confounding variables in most if not all of the studies. However I do think that the research is substantial enough to warrant government investigation/action.
Like Katherine, I have am also trying to be more conscious of how/when I refer to a "they" behind a certain issue. I do not think that there are people in the government or at corporations that know fluoride is very hazardous, but chose to leave it in our drinking water anyways for their own gain. I don't think that everyone in government is secretly drinking water without fluoride, while keeping fluoride in our water to suppress an uprise. I hope to see more independent and government research/action on this issue soon.
Please forgive me for not posting about this issue prior to class. While I found your post very interesting when reading and watching the documentary before class, I did not have time to post about it at that time, please do not take my tardiness personally.