Re: Caldicott fear-mongering

[RADPROJECT@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/2/00 1:31:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, blc+@pitt.edu 
writes:

<< Helen Caldicott was originally from Australia, and spent most of
 her life there. I just wish they would keep her there.
  >>

According to my recollections, Dr. Caldicott, MD first applied her early 
anti-nuclear sentiments opposing uranium mining in Australia back in the 
1970s before she first emigrated to the US. She was married to a US 
radiologist for some time which is interesting to me, in light of the 
person-rems on average delivered by the average practicing radiologist and 
what amount of it is "unnecessary" [ i.e.: due to retakes from poor initial 
shots, or done without proper indications - a total of at least 1/3 of the 
total according to conservative FDA estimates]. 

One would hope that Dr. Caldicott, MD might do more to reduce ongoing 
"unnecessary" radiation in the medical area, her chosen profession, at least 
for the largest portion of her career, given that medical use of x-rays and 
radionuclides in diagnostic radiology is responsible for the vast majority of 
all man-made radiation exposure delivered to any population.

Her focusing opposition exclusively to my knowledge on the nuclear fuel cycle 
and various research applications of radiation seems to verify the truth to a 
quote that I will try to summarize as best I can remember it. I believe it 
was C. Northkote Parkinson who once said:

"The amount of time devoted to any item in an agenda, is inversly 
proportional to its sum."

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
Public Health Sciences
email: radiumproj@cs.com
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