Open Parachute

Featured image: Shyness of anti-fluoride election candidates

Shyness of anti-fluoride election candidates

Ken Perrott • Oct 05, 2016

Why do anti-fluoride candidates standing for District Health Boards (DHBs) shy away from proper discussion of community water fluoridation? After all, they have usually raised the issue themselves – and often claim that those supporting community water fluoridation avoid the discussion. In my article Fluoridation & democracy: Open letter to DHB candidate Andrew Buckley I raised this with Andrew Buckley who is standing for … Read More

Featured image: MH17 report: will it stand up in court?

MH17 report: will it stand up in court?

Ken Perrott • Sep 29, 2016

The joint investigation team (JIT) responsible for the criminal investigation of the downing of Flight MH17 over Ukraine in July 2014 have delivered the preliminary results of their investigation. Wilbert Paulissen, the head of the Dutch National Detective Force announced their findings at a press conference in the Dutch city of Nieuwegein, saying: “We have no doubt whatsoever that conclusions … Read More

Featured image: Flogging a dead horse – anti-fluoridationists lose in court again

Flogging a dead horse – anti-fluoridationists lose in court again

Ken Perrott • Sep 28, 2016

The NZ Court of Appeal has rejected the latest legal attempt by New Zealand anti-fluoridation campaigners to hinder community water fluoridation. This certificate should be awarded to New Health NZ, the NZ Health Trust and the anti-fluoridation movement for not knowing when to give up on the “fluoridation is medicine” myth. You can read a summary of … Read More

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Featured image: Dissecting pseudoscientific and political propaganda

Dissecting pseudoscientific and political propaganda

Ken Perrott • Sep 09, 2016

Tactics used in anti-science and pseudoscience propaganda are essentially the same as used in political propaganda. Everyone has their own ideological and political starting points – and none of us are really rational, even when we think we are. So we shouldn’t be surprised to find we are fully  in agreement with some people on one issue but on the opposite sides … Read More

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Featured image: An anti-fluoride trick: Impressing the naive with citations

An anti-fluoride trick: Impressing the naive with citations

Ken Perrott • Sep 04, 2016

Some of the over 140 references in Geoff Pain’s article. These references impress some people but are irrelevant to Pain’s arguments. One way to make an article look impressive is to use citations – the more you use, the more impressive. Well, so some people think. Again and again I find anti-fluoridation campaigners refer to the number of references in … Read More

Featured image: Does community water fluoridation reduce diabetes prevalence?

Does community water fluoridation reduce diabetes prevalence?

Ken Perrott • Sep 04, 2016

You will be seeing headlines claiming a link between community water fluoridation (CWF) and diabetes. Or even that fluoridation can predict an increase in the prevalence of diabetes. But they are misleading These articles report results from a recently published study indicating that in the majority of situations CWF is linked to a decrease in diabetes prevalence. But many of these articles, and … Read More

Featured image: ‘Filtering’ out fluoride

‘Filtering’ out fluoride

Ken Perrott • Sep 03, 2016

Many anti-fluoride campaigners and their sympathisers use “filters” to remove fluoride from their tap water. Despite this, they will often claim the procedure is “too expensive” for the ordinary person – or that it is ineffective. Fluoride Free Nelson (FFN) combined both reasons in this exchange on their Facebook page. But she is wrong on both counts. Suitable … Read More

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Featured image: Fluoridation – freedom of choice

Fluoridation – freedom of choice

Ken Perrott • Sep 02, 2016

This sort of image springs to mind when I see claims of forced fluoridation. Aren’t activists like “Forced Fluoridation Freedom Fighters” misrepresenting the real situation? I think the “freedom of choice” argument is the most reasonable argument that anti-fluoride campaigners can use. Unfortunately for them, they usually only resort to it after their “science-based” arguments have been exposed as misleading … Read More

Featured image: August ’16 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking

August ’16 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking

Ken Perrott • Sep 02, 2016

There are about 300 blogs on the list, although I am weeding out those which are no longer active or have removed public access to sitemeters. (Let me know if I weed out yours by mistake or get your stats wrong). Every month I get queries from people wanting their own blog included. I encourage and am happy to respond to queries … Read More

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