Root Canals: Pro and Con

Most dentist seem to feel that root canals are a good procedure- it saves a tooth, right? Well, maybe- but are there some down sides to that proposition? Yes, there are- a lot of them. Read and get the facts so you can make the right decision.

Root Canals: Why would anyone want a dead tooth in their mouth … for life?

Posted on March 17, 2012

Of all the dental procedures and dental materials utilized throughout the field of dentistry there is none more destructive to human health than root canals.

“It’s like putting a bullet in your mouth, and then just waiting for the day it might kill you.”
~ A Dental Consultant after years of observing the ravages of root canal ‘treatment’

Let’s first draw the picture – in living color – for you to look at closely before you choose to do a root canal(s) in your mouth.

This routine procedure involves the following technique every time the endodontist or general dentist gets busy in your mouth making canals in your teeth, some of which may be stubs at that point.  

First the dentist removes all the dental pulp from the tooth. “The dental pulp is the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts.“[1] This vital pulp, which is necessary for a living tooth to remain living, is full of blood vessels and nerve tissue. When this blood supply and network of nerves is extracted, the tooth is essentially devitalized, aka killed. The tooth is then completely unable to perform all the normal activities which are required for optimal tooth health.

Why would anyone, ever, want a dead tooth in their mouth ... for the rest of their life?!

Why Would I Want A Dead Tooth In My Mouth For Life?

So, the first question any rational person would ask themselves is: “Why would I want a dead tooth in my mouth … for the rest of my life?”

Good question!
Answer: You don’t want a dead tooth in your mouth for the rest of your life.

Please show us — The Health Coach — another instance in your body where a dead organ, tissue, limb, digit, etc. is purposefully kept in or attached to your body by the Medical Practitioner. Show us just one example.

Our experience has been that wherever an organ dies, the doctor removes it pronto. Whenever a limb becomes gangrenous, the surgeon amputates post haste. If your eye were to “die” due to some traumatic injury which became infected, the ophthalmologist would completely remove the eye leaving an empty socket cleaned out of all infected tissue, yes?

Why then does an endodontist go out of his way to keep your white shiny tooth in place even though he has just killed it?! The only reason he is able to get away with this extremely dangerous procedure is because of our ignorance often coupled with vanity, together with his/her ‘compelling’ sales pitch as to why you don’t want to lose the tooth (that’s another very long story for another dental coaching session).

Let’s revisit the dead tooth that sits in your mouth after the root canal is completed. Because it still appears white does that mean it is okay. If it turned black and oozed pus, what would you do with it? Wouldn’t you take it out? Well, here’s what’s REALLY going on with that tooth.

The human body was designed to rid itself of all dead and infected cells, tissues, organs, etc. Teeth are no different and it’s why we see so many toothless people around the world where there is not adequate preventive dental care and maintenance-oriented oral health. The body gets rid of the tooth that’s “gone bad”… one way or another.

You see, the tooth dentin* is full of thousands of microscopic dentin tubules which are critical to maintaining healthy teeth. Once the root canal is performed these tubules become home to all sorts of pathogenic bacteria and accumulated toxins which can no longer be removed because the tooth’s vascular system has been removed (and the tooth’s natural self-healing system has been totally incapacitated). All the normal activities that are carried out within this matrix, “which radiate outward through the dentin from the pulp to the exterior cementum or enamel border“, cease to take place. It’s important to understand that “these tubules contain fluid and cellular structures. As a result, dentin has a degree of permeability which can increase the sensation of pain and the rate of tooth decay.“[2]

*“Dentin is bone-like matrix characterized by multiple closely packed dentinal tubules that traverse its entire thickness and contain the cytoplasmic extensions of odontoblasts that once formed the dentine and maintain it.” (Per Wikipedia)

That’s enough anatomy for the time being; the upshot is that your dead, root-canaled tooth has now become a haven for all sorts of nasty pathogenic microorganisms which sit there for the lifetime of the body doing more damage than you’ll ever know. Much of the havoc actually starts around the roots of the root-canaled tooth. This is where the body sets up it first line of defense against a tooth that has died and is on the way to becoming necrotic.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD ROOT CANAL.

What are Focal Infections?

They are called focal infections and they are found around the roots, especially the tips of every root-canaled tooth. These infections are almost always subclinical in nature which means the dentist or doctor doesn’t pick up any symptoms upon physical examination. Those who observe their bodies closely and are intuitive rarely miss the telltale signs that something has gone awry in their mouth.

Incidentally, many abscesses in the mouth are directly the result of infections that occur around the roots of root-canaled teeth. These often start out as a very small swelling, but they can easily evolve into painful inflammations requiring the use of antibiotics and the immediate extraction of the tooth. The swelling, pain and inflammation are simply the body’s response to the dead tooth. The older the root canal, the greater the likelihood that a full-blown infection will require urgent, if not emergent, care.

This unfortunate state of affairs is not the most serious aspect of root canals, however. The real caveat surrounding this extraordinarily harmful procedure are the FOCAL INFECTIONS which inevitably result in teeth which exhibit no symptoms, have no pain, and seem perfectly ‘healthy’.

Just what is a focal infection? Here you go from The Free Dictionary (by Farlex):

focal infection
n.
A bacterial infection localized in a specific part of the body, such as the tonsils, that may spread to another part of the body.
n.
the site or origin of an infectious process. Endodontically treated teeth have frequently been accused of being the source of septicemias….

This is where root canals really rear their ugly heads. However, it takes a very perceptive individual to recognize that ugly head for what it is before it takes an awesome toll on their health, even to the point of death.

What we have seen with root canals with over 25 years of close observation is that each individual possesses his/her own signature points, weaknesses if you will, which are targeted by these focal infections. In one person it may be their heart, another their thyroid, yet another it may be their brain or kidneys which are targeted. No matter what the target organ(s)/tissues(s), the particular organ or tissue or bodily location becomes the recipient (focus) of the infection that began in the mouth (most often a root-canaled tooth).

What ultimately can occur if this condition is allowed to proceed undiagnosed or unattended ranges anywhere from a heart attack or worse, cardiac arrest, to a brain attack or stroke. When the cerebrovascular accident is less severe it may only take the form of a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or mini-stroke. Nevertheless, you hopefully get the picture of how serious these focal infections can be.

After reviewing the thorough and painstaking work of Dr. Weston A. Price, it has become clear that many a heart attack which has killed its victim actually started in the tooth socket cavitation, the root-canaled tooth or the infected crowned tooth which went unnoticed or untreated for two or three or four decades. By removing the infected teeth of an individual who died of cardiovascular disease and implanting them under the skin of a rabbit, Dr. Price documented that the rabbit then succumbed to the same type of heart disease as the original human victim.

Dr. George Meinig, D.D.S. to the rescue

The Health Coach who is the author of this Root Canal coaching session was fortunate to study under Dr. George Meinig, DDS, FACD. With Dr. Meinig as our mentor for over ten years we were able to fully apprehend the catastrophic consequences to the health of those countries where root canals are performed in the greatest numbers. Clearly the incidence of the Alphabet Soup Diseases, Multi-Infection Syndromes and New Millennium Maladies have skyrocketed in those areas where root canals are prevalent. Dr. Meinig’s book Root Canal Cover-Up nicely details all the reasons why you ought to re-consider the dentist advice of root canal ‘therapy’.

There is no question that autoimmune disorders have become a predominant theme in the aforementioned groupings of syndromes, diseases and infections. Here’s why:
When the human body is subjected — day after day, month after month, year after year — to relentless, raging focal infections, completely under the radar, they take a HUGE toll on the individual’s immune system. So huge, as a matter of fact, that the immune system goes into a fritz. Call it auto-immune dysregulation, autoimmune disorder, autoimmune disease, or autoimmune syndrome; you know when you have it, because your quality of life is absolutely miserable.

So important is this connection to dental procedures/materials that we reflexively recommend all clients who have autoimmune type symptoms to check out their mouth very carefully. If they refuse to address those areas of obvious need, we can no longer guide them on the healing journeys so profound and fundamental is the origination of disease in the mouth.

The Health Coach has also had the good fortune of consulting with Dr George Meinig’s top two students and experts on the ongoing, epidemic health disaster known as root canal treatment. Both Dr. Christopher Hussar, DDS, DO of Reno, NE and Dr. Robert Kulasc, DDS of Mt Kisco, NY have made great contributions to this field of study and have written and spoken extensively on the scientific basis of the inherent risks associated with root canal treatment, as well as actual case studies which graphically illustrate the dangers to human health.

Some of the other unintended consequences of root canal treatment include periodontitis,bacteraemia and infective endocarditis. Each of these medical conditions have been documented through biomedical research published at the National Library of Medicine to have a causal relationship with root-canaled teeth, as seen at the hyperlinked abstracts. Feel free to make copies of these PubMed research papers and bring them to your dentist/endodontist for his review and serious contemplation.

A Root Canal in process showing the excavated roots

Root Canals: Are you putting a bullet in your mouth?

In closing let us say that of all the medical and dental operations which are regularly performed on the unsuspecting public, the root canal procedure is the most misrepresented, potentially injurious and underestimated in its repercussions to systemic health. No matter which tooth has been compromised beyond repair, we universally recommend that the tooth be extracted and the tooth socket be thoroughly cleaned out as per the protocols offered by Dr. Meinig in Root Canal Cover-Up.

In the final analysis it has been determined that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD ROOT CANAL. They are all infected and only differ by the degree and outward signs of infection. Therefore, there can only be one solution which we will take up in our next dental coaching session: Root Canals: What is the best and only alternative?

With every good wish,
The Health Coach

Caveat to all Parents: Systemic health risks are the REAL concern with root canals, so everyone is well advised to be extra special careful not to subject our delicate and sensitive children to such a pernicious procedure as root canal treatment at such a tender age.

The Health Coach’s Personal Testimony:
Back in the mid ’90s, I consulted with an oral surgeon in South Florida about the best way to address a number of cavitation sites. An old root canal site was particularly challenging. We decided to re-open the site and completely clean it out. What we found was an inordinate amount of black, dead, necrotic bone where the roots of the tooth used to be. What happened?
When a tooth is root canaled, it dies and becomes very brittle lacking the resilience and flexibility of a living tooth. With year after year of continued chewing, the stresses can easily cause the delicate roots to crack. When this occurs the filling material – gutta-percha and all – seep into the jawbone forever compromising it based on the toxicity load of the mix of filling ingredients.
This is exactly what occurred in my case; and the surgeon was compelled to saw out little chunks of black, dead, necrotic bone so as to allow health bone to regenerate, which it did. He also put the little pieces of dead bone on a silver tray right in front of me for my focused consideration — Needless to say, it was the most important (and memorable) dental coaching session I ever had!
You can imagine that the post-surgical therapies and treatments were then much more creative and time-consuming than the surgery itself. Needless to say, it’s the last root canal ever performed in this mouth.

Warning to all who read this:
Many laboratory studies have been conducted on teeth and cavitation sites where root-canaled teeth once sat and the results have been alarming. There are strains of anaerobic bacteria which proliferate in these sites that have not been found anywhere else on earth. Not only that, but these same anaerobic bacteria have been found to produce toxins that are as detrimental to the human body as any that have ever been found in vivo. These same toxins have likewise never been found in any other environment on the planet – either living or inanimate – and are considered poisonous by toxicologists who have studied them.

Correlation between the teeth and their respective meridians:
As you may already know, each tooth sits on a meridian the correlation of which can be very revealing about the linkage between longstanding health complaints and imbalanced tooth sites (cavitation sites are notorious for reflexing to the respective body part). We found this Tooth Meridian Chart at Oasis Advanced Wellness to be particularly helpful. This just might be the only tool available for some of us to track down some of our more intractable ailments. All it takes is focus, intuition and self-observation.

Dr. George Meinig, a true American Health Hero:
Dr. George Meinig was a founding member of the American Association of Endodontics, the organization of dental specialists who perform root canal treatment. Therefore, you can imagine how profoundly and dramatically his life changed when he happened upon the conclusive research conducted by Dr. Weston Price. From that day forward, Dr. Meinig never offered traditional root canal treatment again.
In fact he spent the rest of his dental career treating the many patients to whom he had originally given root canals. He also spent much of his professional and personal time offering counsel and consultation to the many seriously ill individuals whose immune systems had been gravely affected by this procedure. He gave of himself tirelessly up until the day he died at 93 years old.
He was ostracized by his peer professionals, marginalized by the dental establishment and belittled by those who never even reviewed the hard science undergirding his rock solid refutation of root canal safety. Through it all, he remained stalwart in his crusade and unintimidated by anyone who attempted to undermine the evidence which he accumulated. In spite of any obstacles thrown before him or ridicule heaped upon him, he remained unusually cheerful, gracious and generous to the max.
Truly, he was a HERO of Global Health and Wellness.

Advice to those whose dentists are clueless:
Here again The Health Coach has two experiences to share which are quite instructive.
I. After having x-rays taken of my root-canaled tooth I asked the dentist what the shiny, narrow reflection was on the x-ray. The dentist replied casually and without hesitation: “Oh, that’s a broken piece of the instrument that the previous dentist used to pack in the filling material in the root of the tooth.”
I replied, “So is that standard operating procedure to leave the broken instrument in the tooth?!”
“Yes it is”, he responded. “After all, it just becomes part of the filling material.”
“Maybe we should just throw in the kitchen sink while we’re at it.” <——I didn’t really say this but wanted to.
II. A second experience brought me to another dentist (I’ve been fired by many of them over the years) where we again were reviewing my full mouth x-rays. I asked him what the obvious discoloration the size of a quarter around my root-canaled tooth was. He said it was nothing and not to worry. I persisted and asked again what he thought it might be. I left his office without an answer. A few days later my wife and I received a letter in the mail in which he terminated our dental relationship. A few days later I had the same x-rays reviewed by an oral surgeon who confirmed my fears that the discoloration was an obvious sign of long-term infection surrounding the entire root-canaled tooth. He recommended immediate surgery before it abscessed.

Sources:
Root Canal Cover-Up by Dr. George Meinig, DDS
The Weston A. Price Foundation

Endnotes:
[1] Pulp (tooth) explained further at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_(tooth))

[2] Dentin explained further at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentin)

Health Disclaimer:
All content found at The Health Coach is for information purposes only. Therefore, the information on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care and should not be construed as either medical diagnosis or treatment. All recommendations contained herein ought to be considered within the context of an individual’s overall level of voluntary or necessary health care and prescribed treatment plan.
Since The Health Coach does not diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure, or heal any type of disease or medical condition, the information contained at this website is not intended to provide specific physical, mental, emotional or psychological health advice. We are not licensed medical professionals and conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with those who offer information for the consideration of the reader.
It is entirely the reader’s decision to act or not act on any information at The Health Coach. Therefore, we fully invoke the HOLD HARMLESS clause for those who are responsible for putting any of this information into practical use and application.

©2012 The Health Coach1®. All rights reserved

Permission is granted to post this health blog as long as it is linked back to the following url: http://thehealthcoach1.com/?p=40

The Extinction Time Bomb

The Infertility Extinction Time Bomb Anthony Gucciardi NaturalSociety March 14, 2012 With the increase in solar flares and expert warnings over the threat of asteroids, volcanoes, and earthquakes, it’s understandable to be concerned about the future of the earth and mankind alike. What many experts and publications are forgetting, however, is that these disasters may actually be less threatening than the harm placing on our own bodies. Known by some as the ‘infertility timebomb’, men are increasingly becoming infertile at an astounding rate that worries many scientists. We can’t control the trajectory of asteroids, but we can control what we put into our bodies. Scientific reports have been revealing that men are rapidly on the path to infertility at an alarming pace. One in five men between the ‘healthy’ ages of 18 and 25 were reported to produce abnormal sperm counts, with only 5 to 15% of their sperm healthy enough to be classified as ‘normal’ by the World Health Organization. What’s more, a male infertility problem is considered important by a shocking 40% of couples. Professor Niels Skakkebaek from the University of Copenhagen has been speaking out about the fertility issue, stating that it is as important as the severe environmental concerns that currently face the planet. Another scientist stated that if scientists from another planet were to study the male reproductive system, they would actually conclude that ‘man was destined for rapid extinction’. Ubiquitous, Toxic Chemicals Leading to Mass Infertility Given the severity of the problem, you must be wondering why you haven’t heard of it before. Well, it may have to do with the corporate food industry as well as biotech giant Monsanto. Chances are that you are being exposed to infertility-linked items on a daily basis, from food products to common herbicides. Ubiquitous substances like bisphenol A (BPA) have been tied to fertility defects in offspring which cut off their ability to reproduce, and can be found in everything from plastic water bottles to canned goods. Shockingly, fertility-crushing BPA has been found in 90% of babies’ cord blood. Even junk food, which compromises a significant percentage of the American diet, has been directly linked to infertility. Analyzing a similar demographic of males between the ages of 18 and 22, scientists found that those who ate a high amount of junk food had poorer quality sperm than those with a nutrient-dense diet. Is it any wonder that fertility rates are declining? Unfortunately, it does not stop there. One recent study found that Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup can also be contributing to the possible extinction of the human race. Researchers tested Roundup on mature male rats at a concentration range between 1 and 10,000 parts per million (ppm), and found that within 1 to 48 hours of exposure, testicular cells of the mature rats were either damaged or killed. The most disturbing part? In a study conducted by a German university, the active component of Roundup, Glyphosate, was found in all urine samples tested. The very substances linked to infertility are perhaps some of the most commonly found in the body. And this is not a complete list — in fact, it is but only a small sample. Fertility expert Dr. Gillian Lockwood says that these devastating effects on reproductive health occur even before birth, attacking the fetus as it develops. ‘Sperm counts are declining and there is mounting evidence that the problem starts even before birth,’ says Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of Midland Fertility Services. Time For Change Scientists and experts are sounding the alarm. It’s time to change the current health paradigm and rid the biosphere of toxic substances that are leading to the demise of the entire human race. Infertility-causing chemicals are a threat even in small concentrations, but many of these chemicals like BPA are being ingested in such large amounts that the catastrophic effects on the global populace will not be fully known for years. The same holds even more true for Monsanto’s Roundup, which is not only threatening the reproductive capabilities of the population, but the environment as a whole. Activism works. Global activism has forced companies like Campbell’s to change their BPA-containing recipe, rid the food supply of high-fructose corn syrup, and introduce a number of GMO labeling campaigns internationally. Now it’s time to take back the health freedom of the planet and secure the prosperity of the human race as a whole. This is not an isolated issue. Explore More: Monsanto’s Best-Selling Herbicide Roundup Linked to Infertility The Causes of Infertility | Why She Can’t Get Pregnant Common Plastic Chemicals Leading to Miscarriages, Infertility World’s Top Commercial Weed Killer Linked to Infertility: Scientist Monsanto’s Infertility-Linked Roundup Found in All Urine Samples Tested Mother’s Obesity May Lead to Infertility in the Next Generation The Natural Society Newsletter Email * Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/chemically-induced-infertility-threatens-human-race/#ixzz1pCEsiJoW

Sodas Cause Heart Attacks

What is a soda? Actually it is bubbly chemical blend of artificial flavors and colors mixed with sugar. How could that be healthy? Well it's not. It causes heart attacks. How many are you going to have today?

Actually you could make your own healthy 'soda' just by getting some carbonated water and squeezing in some lemon or lime or other natural flavor.

Soda Consumption Tied to Heart Attacks

NaturalSociety
March 13, 2012

Proving once again that soda consumption leads to a massive decline in health, recent research gives people just one more reason to stay away from the sugar-laden beverages. The recent study shows how consuming only one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage per day can result in a 20 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease in men.

Heart Disease Risk Increased by 20 Percent from Soda Consumption

For 22 years, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health tracked approximately 43,000 individuals, including dentists, pharmacists, physicians, veterinarians, and other health professionals ages 40 to 75. During this time, the participating men filled out surveys telling of their diet and other health habits. Blood samples were also collected by the researchers from over 18,000 men.

The blood sample tests showed that individuals consuming sugary beverages very often had higher higher levels of dangerous blood fats known as triglycerides and proteins linking to heart disease. The research, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation,found that 12 ounces of sugar drinks such as soda, fruit drinks, or other beverages with added sugar rose the risk of heart disease by 20 percent. Heart disease risk increased with each additional sugary beverage consumed.

This research comes shortly after soft drink giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. took action in removing a carcinogenic ingredient from their soft drink formulas, still insisting that the cancer-linked substance was ‘safe’. Consumer watchdog group Center for Sciences in the Public Interest has been urging the Food and Drug Administration for quite some time to ban the use of the carcinogenic ingredient used as caramel coloring, but it wasn’t until very recently the soft drink giants decided to remove it. The removal, however, wasn’t initiated to protect consumers from the harmful nature of the substances, but rather to avoid being slapped with a cancer warning label.

Needless to say, the health risks soft drinks pose to your health is not limited to coronary heart disease or the carcinogenic nature of the recently removed caramel coloring. These beverages are packed with cancer-inducing sugars, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, and contribute to countless health complications. With the consumption of sugary beverages comes an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, pancreatic cancer, metabolic syndrome, and DNA damage, to name a few.

Explore More:

1. Diet Soda Increases Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
2. Soda Consumption Increases Asthma and COPD Risks
3. Soda Damages Your Heart, Contains Carcinogenic Ingredients
4. Turmeric Shown to Cut Heart Disease, Diabetes Risk
5. Too Much TV Raises Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease and Death
6. Over-Consumption of Fructose Linked to Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes

The Natural Society Newsletter

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/soda-consumption-tied-to-increased-coronary-heart-disease-risk/#ixzz1p6ROR1ME

Radiation Sickness in Japan (video)

Americans Becoming Aware of Health Risks of Nuclear Power

One year out from the on-going Fukushima nuclear disaster, and despite government efforts to sugar-coat the spreading risks of radioactive fallout, increasing numbers of American apparently are not believing the hype. They have very real and deep concerns about their health and the environmental effects of nuclear power and  the overall safety of the nuclear power plant down the street.

Survey: Americans Not Warming Up to Nuclear Power One Year After Fukushima

By Civil Society Institute, Newton, MA; and ORC International

Posted: 11:02am on Mar 7, 2012; Modified: 11:07am on Mar 7, 2012

WASHINGTON, MARCH 7, 2012 — Contrary to Industry Predictions, Reactor Disaster Seen As Having a "Lasting Chill" on Perceptions;

It's Not All Fukushima:  3 in 5 Americans Less Supportive Due to Woes of U.S. Nuclear Industry in Last Year.

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --One year after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan, Americans continue to want to keep the brakes on more nuclear power in the United States, according to a major new ORC International survey conducted for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).  

To gauge any shift in public attitudes, the new survey was benchmarked to an earlier poll carried out by ORC International in March 2011 for CSI.  Conducted February 23-26 2012, the new survey of 1,032 Americans shows that:

• Nearly six in 10 Americans (57 percent) are less supportive of expanding nuclear power in the United States than they were before the Japanese reactor crisis, a nearly identical finding to the 58 percent who responded the same way when asked the same question one year ago.  This contrasts sharply with pre-Fukushima surveys by Gallup and other organizations showing a 60 percent support level for nuclear power.
• More than three out of four Americans (77 percent) say they are now more supportive than they were a year ago "to using clean renewable energy resources – such as wind and solar – and increased energy efficiency as an alternative to more nuclear power in the United States."  This finding edged up from the 2011 survey level of 76 percent.
• More than three out of four Americans (77 percent) would support "a shift of federal loan-guarantee support for energy away from nuclear reactors" in favor of wind and solar power. This level of support was up from the 74 percent finding in the 2011 survey.
• In response to a new question in the 2012 survey, more than six in 10 Americans (61 percent) said they were less supportive of nuclear power as a result of reports in the U.S. during 2011 and so far in 2012 of nuclear reactors that had to be shut down due such factors as natural disasters, equipment failure and radioactive leaks.
• About two thirds (65 percent) of Americans now say they would oppose "the construction of a new nuclear reactor within 50 miles of [their] home."  This figure was roughly the same as the 67 percent opposition level in the March 2011 survey.

Pam Solo, founder and president, Civil Society Institute, said: "It is clear that Fukushima left an indelible impression on the thinking of Americans about nuclear power. The U.S. public clearly favors a conservative approach to energy that insists on it being safe in all senses of the word – including the risk to local communities and citizens.  These poll findings support the need for a renewed national debate about the energy choices that America makes."   

Peter Bradford, former member of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, former chair of the New York and Maine utility regulatory commissions, and currently adjunct professor at Vermont Law School on Nuclear Power and Public Policy, said:  "This survey is another piece of bad news for new nuclear construction in the U.S.  For an industry completely dependent on political support in order to gain access to the taxpayers' wallets (through loan guarantees and other federal subsidies) and the consumers' wallets (through rate guarantees to cover even canceled plants and cost overruns), public skepticism of this magnitude is a near fatal flaw.The nuclear industry has spent millions on polls telling the public how much the public longs for nuclear power.  Such polls never ask real world questions linking new reactors to rate increases or to accident risk.  Fukushima has made the links to risk much clearer in the public mind.  This poll makes the consequences of that linkage clear."

Pollster Graham Hueber, senior researcher, ORC International, said:  "I would summarize these findings as follows:  We see here a lasting chill in how the public perceives nuclear power.   The passage of one year since the Fukushima nuclear reactor crisis in Japan has neither dimmed concerns in the U.S. about nuclear power nor has it made Americans more inclined to support an expanded federal focus on promoting more nuclear reactors in the U.S."

Robert Alvarez, senior scholar, Institute for Policy Studies, where he is currently focused on nuclear disarmament and environmental and energy policies, and former senior policy advisor, U.S. Secretary of Energy, where he coordinated the effort to enact nuclear worker compensation legislation, said: "Nuclear power remains expensive, dangerous, and too radioactive for Wall Street.  This survey shows why the industry has no future unless the U.S. government props it up and forces the public to bear the risks."

OTHER KEY SURVEY FINDINGS

• 72 percent of Americans do not "think taxpayers should take on the risk for the construction of new nuclear power reactors in the United States through billions of dollars in new federal loan guarantees for new reactors."   This level of opposition was nearly identical to the 73 percent opposition level reported in the March 2011 survey.
• Nearly four out of five Americans (78 percent) would favor Congress reviewing a 1957 law indemnifying nuclear power companies from most disaster clean-up costs.  Instead, Americans would hold the companies "liable for all damages resulting from a nuclear meltdown or other accident."   This figure is up 5 percentage points from the 73 percent support level seen in 2011.
• Over half (52 percent) of Americans living within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor do not know "what to do in the event of nuclear reactor emergency," such as "the evacuation route and what other steps to take."  (That figure is unchanged from the 2011 survey findings.)  The 2012 poll indicates that nearly one in five (18 percent) of Americans say they live within 50 miles of a nuclear power reactor.
• Over half (51 percent) of Americans would now support "a moratorium on new nuclear reactor construction in the United States," if "increased energy efficiency and off the shelf renewable technologies such as wind and solar could meet our energy demands for the near term." This support level was little changed from the 53 percent level seen in the March 2011 survey.

For the full survey findings, go to http://www.CivilSocietyInstitute.org on the Web.

METHODOLOGY

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/03/07/3923636/survey-americans-not-warming-up.html#storylink=cpy

The False Excuses for Forced Vaccinations

the mass medication of large populations is not only unethical and dangerous, it violates the Constitution which guarantees that we be secure within our persons. This is why an informed consent must be signed before any medical procedure, especially one that breaks the skin like vaccinations. Without informed consent such breaches can be considered an assault! What about the argument about "herd immunity"? Read below for the answers. Forced Vaccinations, Government, and the Public Interest, Part 1 Is herd immunity real? By Russell Blaylock, M.D. Health Freedom NewsCreated: December 27, 2009Last Updated: January 8, 2010 Related articles: Health » Western Medicine Do governments officials wish the United States to be a nation of sheep? Herd immunity doesn't apply to vaccines. (Photos.com) Those who are observant have noticed a dangerous trend in the United States as well as worldwide: the resorting of various governments at different levels to mandating forced vaccination upon the public at large. The state of Mississippi has one of the most restrictive vaccine-exemption laws in the United States, where exemptions are allowed only upon medical recommendation. Ironically, vaccine-exemption exists only on paper, as many people have had as many as three physicians-some experts in neurological damage caused by vaccines-provide written calls for exemption, only to be turned down by the state's public-health officer. Worse are the states, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland, where forced vaccinations have either been mandated by the courts, the state legislature, or have such legislation pending. All such policies strongly resemble those found in national socialist empires, Stalinist countries, or communist China. When public-health officers are asked for the legal justification for such draconian measures as forcing people to accept vaccines that they deem a clear and present danger to themselves and their loved ones or that have caused them serious adverse reactions, they usually resort to the rationale of protecting the public. One quickly concludes that if the vaccines are as effective as being touted by the public-health officials, then why should one fear the unvaccinated? Obviously the vaccinated would have at least 95 percent protection. This question puts public-health officials in a very difficult position. Their usual response is that a small percentage of the vaccinated will not have sufficient protection and would still be at risk. Now, if they admit what the literature shows, that vaccine failure rates are much higher than the 5 percent they claim, they must face the next obvious question: Why should anyone take the vaccine if there is a significant chance it will not protect? When pressed further, they then resort to their favorite justification, the Holy Grail of the vaccine proponents: herd immunity. This concept is based upon the idea that 95 percent-and some now say 100 percent-of the population must be vaccinated to prevent an epidemic. Related Articles Forced Vaccinations, Government, and the Public Interest, Part 2 The percentage needing vaccination grows progressively. I pondered this question for some time before the answer hit me. Herd immunity is mostly a myth and applies only to natural immunity, that is, contracting the infection itself. In the original description of herd immunity, the protection to the population at large occurred only if people contracted the infections naturally. The reason is that naturally acquired immunity lasts for a lifetime. Vaccine proponents quickly latched onto this concept and applied it to vaccine-induced immunity. But there was one major problem: Vaccine-induced immunity lasts for only a relatively short period, from 2 to 10 years at most, and then this applies only to humoral immunity. This is why they quietly began to suggest boosters for most vaccines, even the common childhood infections such as chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella. Then they discovered an even greater problem: The boosters were lasting for only two years or less. This is why we are now seeing mandates that youth entering colleges have multiple vaccines, even those that they insisted gave lifelong immunity, such as the MMR. The same is being suggested for full-grown adults. Ironically, no one in the media or medical field is asking what is going on. They just accept that it must be done. That vaccine-induced herd immunity is mostly myth can be proven quite simply. When I was in medical school, we were taught that all of the childhood vaccines lasted a lifetime. This thinking existed for over 70 years. It was not until relatively recently that it was discovered that most of these vaccines lost their effectiveness 2 to 10 years after being given. What this means is that at least half the population, that is the baby boomers, have had no vaccine-induced immunity against any of these diseases for which they had been vaccinated very early in life. At least 50 percent of the population has been unprotected for decades. If we listen to present-day wisdom, we are all at risk of resurgent massive epidemics should the vaccination rate fall below 95 percent. Yet we have all lived for at least 30 to 40 years with 50 percent or less of the population having vaccine protection. Herd immunity has not existed in this country for many decades, and no resurgent epidemics have occurred. Vaccine-induced herd immunity is a lie used to frighten doctors, public-health officials, other medical personnel, and the public into accepting vaccinations. When we examine the scientific literature, we find that for many of the vaccines, protective immunity was 30 percent to 40 percent, meaning that 60 percent to 70 percent of the public has been without vaccine protection. Again, this would mean that with a 30 percent to 40 percent vaccine-effectiveness rate combined with the fact that most people lost their immune protection within 2 to 10 year of being vaccinated, most of us have been without the magical 95 percent number needed for herd immunity. This is why vaccine defenders insist the vaccines have 95 percent effectiveness rates. Without the mantra of herd immunity, these public-health officials would not be able to justify forced mass vaccinations. I usually give the physicians who question my statement that herd immunity is a myth a simple example. When I was a medical student almost 40 years ago, it was taught that the tetanus vaccine would last a lifetime. Then 30 years after it had been mandated, we discovered that its protection lasted no more than 10 years. Then I ask my doubting physician if he or she has ever seen a case of tetanus? Most have not. I then tell them to look at the yearly data on tetanus infections. One sees no rise in tetanus cases. The same can be said for measles, mumps, and other childhood infections. It was and still is all a myth. The entire case for forced mass vaccination rest upon this myth, and it is important that we demonstrate the falsity of this idea. Neil Z. Miller, in his latest book, “The Vaccine Information Manual,” provides compelling evidence that herd immunity is a myth. Next week: Part 2, “The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions” Dr. Blaylock is a board-certified neurosurgeon, author, and lecturer. Source: thenhf.com/vaccinations/vac_299.htm