Although a growing list of communities (of which Portland is the largest) have banned the addition of fluoride to tap water, such places are doing so against the recommendations of the medical establishment. What's driving the backlash?
"Nearly three-quarters of Americans drink fluoride-enriched water, which is universally acknowledged [PDF] to help fight tooth decay," writes Henry Grabar. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call the use of fluoride in water systems, which began in the 1940s, one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century."
However, a growing list of communities (125 since 2010) have removed fluoride from their drinking water, driven by "anti-government sentiment" and the opinions of "dubious experts." And this week, Portland voted for the fourth time since 1956 to reject fluoridation.
"Oregon has one of the highest rates of tooth decay in the nation, and yet, the state's biggest city will remain an outlier, thanks to the remarkable efforts of the anti-fluoride lobby, a non-partisan alliance of paranoiacs," says Grabar.
"It’s as if an Occupy protest, a talk on artisanal cheesemaking, and a Tea Party rally were all accidentally booked at the same hotel ballroom," Marty Smith wrote in the Willamette Week.
FULL STORY: With Portland's Latest Rejection of Fluoride, Science Loses Out to History's Weirdest Alliance of Paranoiacs
Drinking Water More Precious Than Grass in California
Ornamental grass—the kinds of grass that line medians and roadsides but never serves for recreation—is a vanishing amenity in a drought-stricken West.
Winter Storm Knocks Out Drinking Water Systems in the South, Including in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi made headlines and incurred a civil rights investigation earlier this year when flooding knocked out the city’s drinking water supply. This week’s winter storm had the same effect on Jackson as well as other Southern cities.
Mississippi Investigated for Civil Rights Violations in Jackson Water Crisis
The NAACP has accused a pair of Mississippi departments of discrimination against Black Mississippians, leading to the loss of drinking water in the state's capital city at the end of the summer.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
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