AW: [ RadSafe ] FW: [UnplugSalem] Fw: Chernobyl 20 year later

[Franz Schönhofer]

"Chernobyl" does not ring a bell but a whole orchestra of bells from small
ones to the Big Ben for me, since I was heavily involved in the consequences
in Austria and I may state that I have a pretty good overview on the
situation world wide after the accident and btw I have written the official
Austrian report on the consequences in Austria. 

I still read the various comments in newspapers and even on RADSAFE, but it
is getting more and more annoying. I am not annoyed by the newspaper article
which Norman forwarded - one knows what to expect from Norman (please
forgive me!) and one knows what to expect from an obviously provincial
newspaper - they just take any nonsense for publication if it only rises the
adrenalin level in their readers. (Are the big newspapers really much
different?) I remember that during my six-weeks visit to the USA in 1988 I
met more than enough persons who never had heard the name "Chernobyl". 

I am much more annoyed by the self announced experts distributing personal
opinions like being a universal law of nature. And they are not only found
in green movements, but sure as well within for instance RADSAFE. 

A very good example are the two recent comments by Sandy Perle. First of all
it seems that he - like so many others - does not read the postings of most
other RADSAFErs. John Jacobus has pointed to the IAEA website as information
on the findings of the International Team on the Chernobyl Forum quite a
long time ago and many more information on scientific treatment of the
Chernobyl accident is readily available on RADSAFE. 

More annoying is that Sandy Perle has obviously really read neither the
posting by Norman Cohen nor the newspaper article he forwarded - or should I
suspect that he did not understand it? The article clearly stated, that
"During the past decade approximately 40.000 cleanup workers have died." It
was not stated that they died from radiation. So what, Sandy???? How much is
mortality in the former USSR? Hopefully you understand the other messages on
RADSAFE on that topic. 

Further Sandy Perle writes on April 12, that according to the Chernobyl
Forum Report "up to 4 000 COULD eventually die. They haven't yet..." How
cynical and obscene! Should they die faster in order to fit Mr. Perles queer
"statistic"? Or would he allow them to live a few more years? He also writes
that "40,000 clean-up workers did NOT die". How does he know? See the other
comments. Disgusting!

I am as well very impressed, that Sandy Perle attended an NRCP meeting in DC
with the focus on Chernobyl. I have personally been involved in WHO and many
IAEA meetings on that topic. Even more interesting that "the presenters
included the most knowlegable from USA, Russia and other countries, where
real data were presented." As should be well known, the contamination from
the Chernobyl NPP affected first of all the Ukraine, even more Bjelorussia
and most of all certain parts of Western Europe, others being spared because
no precipitation occurred. (My home country Austria was the most affected
one.) So where did your "most knowledgable experts from the USA" come from
and who were they? The USA was practically not affected at all, except
control of imports. What could Russian scientists say about the far, far
away Chernobyl accident? Should you really not know the political and
geographical facts? National Geographic always complains about the very low
knowledge of people of the USA on geographic questions. And what about
"presenting real data"? You can find them almost "everywhere", if you only
bother to search (search engines) for them. 

Distributing those wild, unfounded and wrong accusations is not doing
nuclear energy any favour.

Another question is of course whether the Vice President of a Dosimetry
Company is the right person to comment on the Chernobyl accident and nuclear
power. 

I understand the criticism of other RADSAFErs.


Best regards,

Franz




Franz Schoenhofer
PhD, MR iR
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
AUSTRIA
phone -43-0699-1168-1319


> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> Auftrag von Brian Rees
> Gesendet: Dienstag, 11. April 2006 20:06
> An: Sandy Perle; radsafe at radlab.nl; Norm Cohen
> Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] FW: [UnplugSalem] Fw: Chernobyl 20 year later
> 
> Awwww, come on Sandy.  There were what, 400,000 people involved in the
> clean-up, in one fashion or another?  They were older folks (working age
> at
> least, and what's the life expectancy?  He never SAID they died from
> radiation!
> I'm sure the newspapers did have an article stating what was cited, just
> because it's o the Op-Ed pages doesn't make it unwritten.
> 
> Just because it's distorted doesn't mean it isn't so!
> 
> Jeez, and just because you listen to people who don't have to distort and
> exagerate....
> 
> (Obviously) my own personal opinion.
> Brian Rees
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:08 AM 4/11/2006, Sandy Perle wrote:
> >I just attended the NCRP Meeting in DC an the focus of this meeting
> >was Chernobyl, 20 years later. The presenters included the most
> >knowlegable from USA, Russia and other countries, where real data was
> >presented. This included government, scientists, IAEA and medical
> >doctors. What Norm provides below is absolutely incorrect and should
> >be significantly defended against. For example, 40,000 clean-up
> >workers did NOT die. Contamination levels DO exist, but have not
> >affected new life from starting in these araes. As a matter of fact,
> >there are not new species of animals living in these araes where they
> >have never existed in the past.
> >
> >Pure propaganda below. Not unexpected. Take a number and simply add a few
> >ending zeros. They continue to propogate false data and do much harm to
> many.
> >
> >