Re: we're still our own worse enemy

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 12:48 11.02.2000 -0600, you wrote:
>I attended a workshop last evening on the JCO criticality accident 
>and criticality accidents in general. During the presentation several 
>items caught my eye, and more importantly, my disdain. --------------
--------------------------------
>If we, radiation specialists, take these kinds of unnecessary action, 
>simply to make the public feel better, we are more at fault to 
>promote the mis-information about radiation accidents, radiation 
>exposure and radiation risks, than we can ever blame any other 
>factor. 

People doing these unnecessary exercises are not asked, whether they want
to do them. They are employed to do what their bosses say. Their
(scientific) bosses are employed to do what their supervisors say. These
supervisors (or their bosses) are politicians or in a private company
people who have to make sure that their plant is still accepted and can
continue working. If the uppermost supervisor (the public) wants to be
assured that there is no risk around even for the 100th time and months
after an accident, which would not have emitted any radionuclides - then it
will be done. 

Why is it so difficult to understand, that we scientists are only a (small)
part of the game? Our influence is extremely limited and often enough our
words are twisted around - by both extreme groups, not only by the anti's.
There are also militant pro's. The only influence we could have is by
advising and patiently again and again try to convince the public of
certain facts. To counter the public's fears one has to be very careful and
to tell people that they are deprived of their share of radiation, because
they are not irradiated to whatever Grays per year is sure not a means to
establish trust into the scientific community. I state this without
commenting about "the truth". 

Well, another thought of somebody who tries to put our science into
perspective and to see the status of it in society....

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

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