The president has hired Cass Sunstein to be his "regulatory czar." Liberals
are having a hissy-fit. So much so, they've published a paper criticizing
Sunstein's appointment along with a theoretical treatise on the methodology
to be used in establishing federal regulations. They find fault with
Sunstein's use of "cost/benefit ratio" as one of the tests.

The "progressives" assert that "It is difficult to think of a single public
health or environmental threat that with the benefit of additional research
has not proven even more dangerous over time."

So, a list has been started of regulations that have been found to be just
the reverse; that upon further study the regulation was found to be based on
flawed or over-blown fears. So far the list includes:

* Mercury in vaccines;
* Bendectin;
* Silicone breast implants (and medical grade silicone in general);
* PCBs;
* Asbestos in buildings;
* Fluoride in water;
* Birth control pills;
* Occasional marijuana use;
* High fat diets;
* Exposure to low level nuclear radiation;
* New carpet fumes;
* "Toxic waste dumps"/Superfund sites;
* Moderate overweightedness;
* Moderate alcohol consumption;
* Spermicides;
* Metal fillings (for teeth);
* Cancer from physical trauma;
* Masturbation;
* Predictions in the 1970s of worldwide food shortages;
* "Overpopulation";
* Global Warming (the predictions of the level of man-made warming have
decreased dramatically, even among strong advocates of the theory);
* Miscarriage from video display monitors;
* Cancer from electromagnetic field radiation;
* Radon;
* Dioxin;
* Pesticides commonly used on fruits and vegetables causing cancer to
"eaters"

Readers have contributed additional items, including:

* Alar
* DDT
* Saccharin
* Cranberry Scare of 1959
* Acid Rain
* Offshore drilling, nuclear power
* Cell-phone induced brain cancer
* Red dye #2
* Cyclamates
* Absinthe
* Pornography
* AR-15s
* Killer bees
* Ozone hole
* Y2K bug

And more. The list keeps growing.

http://volokh.com/posts/1233197858.shtml