[ RadSafe ] Where's the uproar?

[THOMAS POTTER]

Doug Aitken asks, "Where's the uproar?" about the Eraring plant oil spill. 

Bill Lipton responds that higher relative risks (real or perceived) of widely used conventional electricity producing technologies will not favor adoption of nuclear power technology over the conventional technologies. As Bill's signature comment makes clear, he believes that the acceptance of nuclear power technology rides solely on the level of public trust in the technology. This position implies that a very high level of performance for a substantial period of time will be required for full public acceptance of nuclear power technology.

Regarding Doug Aitken's question, it's not clear to me from reading the account that this was a very consequential oil spill. Other factors may also be at work. For example, one commenter on the posted article suggests that public response was muted because government agencies rather than private companies were responsible. Government agencies operated the plant and responded to the initial emergency. Apparently the oil release resulted from errors in the emergency response process.

There was certainly an uproar over the recent Gulf Oil Spill, although it led to only a temporary halt to deep-water drilling. This limited policy consequence may have resulted from undue influence of the oil industry over the political process, or it may have resulted from a judgment that the benefit of deep water drilling is worth the significant risk. The economy badly needs the oil industry. And, unlike Bill, I believe that, while a minimum level of trust is required, need trumps trust in determining the level of public acceptance of nuclear power.

The importance of need versus trust in the public acceptance of nuclear power may be demonstrated dramatically as the fortunes of the technology unfold in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident. To say that Fukushima undermined trust in the technology is the height of understatement. This event is catastrophic even if one ignores all costs associated with environmental damage, and focuses only on the economic losses from direct damage to the plants. It is not surprising that Germany and Japan have announced plans to phase out nuclear. These actions indicate the importance of trust. But it will be interesting to see how well these plans develop. It may be that the need for the plants will require changes to the plans. It is also interesting to note that many countries, especially including France and China, where need is particularly important, did not follow the Germans and Japanese.

Tom Potter

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2011 12:12:36 -0400
>From: William Lipton <doctorbill34 at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Where's the uproar?
>To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing
>	List"	<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
>Message-ID:
>	<CAJODVEEQNtGPyUS2FyQD8rp+fF+Rjwb+aHfr1RAfougNrYquBA at mail.gmail.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>I've seen numerous postings on Radsafe regarding the dangers of other
>industries, with the apparent goal of promoting nuclear power as safe.
>
>This doesn't work.
>
>It reminds me of a story:  A man had to give the eulogy at the funeral of a
>really obnoxious person, whom nobody liked.  He couldn't think of anything
>good to say about him.  Finally, he got up and said:  "Well, his brother
>was worse."
>
>Bill Lipton
>It's not about dose, it's about trust.
>
>
>
>
>On Tue, Nov 1, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Doug Aitken <
>jdaitken at sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com> wrote:
>
>> Or is it just business as usual..
>>
>>
>> http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/environment/eraring-oil-spill-fa
>> ilure/2340704.aspx
>>
>>
>>
>> Doug
>>
>>
>>
>> Doug Aitken
>>
>> QHSE Advisor, Schlumberger D&M Operations Support
>>
>> Cell Phone: 713-562-8585
>>
>> (alternate e-mail: doug.aitken at slb.com )
>>
>> Mail: c/o Therese Wigzell,
>> Schlumberger,
>> Drilling & Measurements HQ,
>> 300 Schlumberger Drive, MD15,
>> Sugar Land, Texas 77478
>>
>>
>>
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