WG: [ RadSafe ] " German doctor takes anti-nuclear message to westernCanada "

Thu Oct 9 16:14:08 CDT 2008

Dear RADSAFErs,

I think I mentioned already previously, that I sometimes encounter problems
in sending e-mails from this account, because I am frequently told that
connection has been terminated while sending. It also seems that sometimes
this message was wrong, because I received answers! If this message comes
now again, please forgive me. I still think that it may be of interest for
several of you. 

Best regards,

Franz 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Franz Schönhofer [mailto:franz.schoenhofer at chello.at] 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 09. Oktober 2008 19:31
An: 'Franta, Jaroslav'; 'Radsafe (E-mail)'
Betreff: AW: [ RadSafe ] " German doctor takes anti-nuclear message to
westernCanada "

Dear Jaro, dear RADSAFErs,

Interesting that the "German doctor" has to go to Canada, to distribute his
hair-rising nonsense.... 

Since I needed a break from my preparations for next weeks presentation in
Rabat, Morocco, I looked a little closer to this story, starting with
Google. Here some facts:

I found only two entries about a Dr. Ernst Iskenius - so he seems not to be
very prominent in the scientific or public world. I do not know, how many
German doctors exist, but sure some hundred thousands - so should this
"title" be a recommendation? One first entry was from an activist group
distributing that he would make presentations in Canada, the second was,
that he is a member of a local group of Physicians against Nuclear War. They
have turned into a group of antinuclear activists. (In principle I would
welcome actions against nuclear war...) Further I found a few dozens of
entries on the study mentioned, the KiKK ("Kinderkrebs bei Kernkraftwerken -
Childrens cancer near Nuclear Power Plants). Anybody interested in this
topic may use Google, but I warn you, that all the reports I read are in
German. 

To put it right: The study was a serious and official one, was financed by
the government, it was very well prepared following consultations with real
specialists - but also some well known prominent antinuclear "scientists"
like Körblein or a few others. It was conducted by the "Kinderkrebsregister"
(Childrens Cancer Registry) in Mainz, which has an excellent scientific
reputation.   

As to the results of the study: Yes, there was a statistical significant
dependency of (very young) children's cancer, especially leukemia on the
distance of their living area from the NPP's. Nobody denied it. However in
the report of the Mainz institute there is more than clearly stated, that
the radiation levels at these areas cannot be made responsible for the
elevation of cancers. It would have to be several orders of magnitude higher
than it actually is.

Of course some groups are not happy with this last statement - "Don't
disturb me with facts, I have made up my mind!" 

What do we learn from my short scientific detour? Titles do not mean
anything about the quality, what people say (shouldn't this be a trivial
knowledge?). Some research put forward by our anti-nuclear friends might be
authentic and correct - but what matters is the interpretation!

Sorry, I have to return to my preparation of my presentation.....

Best regards,

Franz

PS: I have never been to Canada! Is there any organsation to invite me for a
weeks long tour of nice places there - I could make some presentations on
NORM, LSC-methods, Mururoa Nuclear Tests, Chernobyl etc. If all costs are
covered, no honorarium is necessary. But I am not available for anti-nuclear
propaganda, I leave this to German doctors....

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag
von Franta, Jaroslav
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 09. Oktober 2008 16:01
An: Radsafe (E-mail)
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] " German doctor takes anti-nuclear message to
westernCanada "

German doctor takes anti-nuclear message to western Canada
Canadian Press, 8 October 2008

PEACE RIVER, Alta. _ A German doctor is travelling through western Alberta
delivering a message about the dangers of nuclear power.

Dr. Ernst Iskenius says a 2007 study by the German government shows the
closer you live to a nuclear power plant, the more likely your children will
get cancer.

Iskenius, a member of the international organization Physicians Against
Nuclear War, is on a speaking tour that includes visits to Regina,
Whitecourt and Peace River.

He says the report found that during the years of 1980 to 2003, children
under the age of five living close to a nuclear power plant were 120 per
cent more likely to develop leukemia.

He says there were also 60 per cent more likely to develop other forms of
cancer.

The report looked at 16 power plants and was funded by the German Federal
Radiation Protection Agency.

The several doctors involved in the four-year study were a mixture of those
against nuclear plants, and those who were proponents, said Iskenius.

"It is an extraordinary study,'' he said. "The results were quite different
than (the government) expected. They expected no evidence like they did in
prior studies, but what they found was they took all 16 plants and found
there was a significant risk to get cancer (in children).''

The study also observed children downwind from the plants and found similar
results.

Despite the findings, there is still uncertainty about nuclear power within
Germany.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said he was perplexed by the
findings, as radiation levels are regulated rigorously.
"The population's radiation exposure due to the operation of a nuclear power
plants in Germany would have to be at least 1,000 times higher to be able to
explain the observed increase in cancer,'' he said.

Iskenius urged northern Albertans to lobby government to reconsider allowing
a proposed nuclear reactor near Lac Cardinal, north of Peace River.
"If this nuclear plant is too dangerous and there is a risk for all children
then we either accept these things as very dangerous or we (raise) the
standards,'' he said.
"On the international level we are fighting to shut down all of these
installations because the risk is too great.''

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