[ RadSafe ] " German doctor takes anti-nuclear message to western Canada "

[Steven Dapra]

Oops.  I may have jumped the gun on this.  My message with citations should 
appear before this "oops" message.

Steven Dapra


At 05:57 PM 10/9/08 -0600, Steven Dapra wrote:
>Oct. 9
>
>         I wonder where the study was published.  Or if it *has* been 
> published.  (Ha, ha.)
>
>Steven Dapra
>
>
>At 10:01 AM 10/9/08 -0400, Franta, Jaroslav wrote:
>>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.''