Re: LNT/ALARA and workable regulations (formerly

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000 GlennACarlson@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 4/3/2000 11:06:08 AM Central Daylight Time, blc+@pitt.edu 
> writes:
> 
> << The rationale is that the measures I favor save lives rather
>  than "sacrifice" lives.  >>
> 
>   What measures are those?  How far would you relax rad exposure limits?

	--The following is from my recent message, reproduced from my
paper in August 1999 HPS Newsletter, where I recommend using limits of
exposure, as used for air pollution, rather than ALARA: 

For every little bit of radiation, we calculate the number of deaths, and
killing is something the Media are quick to report. People are moved by
such reports and view these deaths as real, perhaps even afflicting
themselves or their loved ones. The public has thus  been driven insane
over fear of radiation, losing all contact with reality. As a result, we
have largely lost the benefits of nuclear power which could be averting
tens of thousands of deaths per year from air pollution (and also solving
other environmental problems like global warming, acid rain, etc). We are
losing many other benefits of radiation such as food irradiation which
could be averting millions of cases of food poisoning, saving thousands of
lives, each year. We are wasting our SocietyUs wealth on ridiculous
clean-up programs at nuclear facilities; this wasted wealth could save
thousands of lives each year if it were spent on biomedical research, on
public health programs, or on highway safety.

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu

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