The big picture

["Somerville, Mark" <MOS3@pge.com>]

Folks,
While we fight among each other, we are losing all the important battles.
Look at the big picture.

A rational energy policy includes nuclear power.  It gets us away from
foreign oil, it doesn't strip mine the land, it doesn't produce greenhouse
gasses.  Without rampant paranoia and irrational fear driving expensive
modifications and programs, it really can be competitively priced.

For nuclear options to move forward, we need the commercial power industry
and we need the Department of Energy, and all the supporting sectors, in my
opinion.

The "activists" have failed to make a case to the general public that
nuclear related technology posses a big and imminent threat.  The public at
large is ambivalent.  But the "activists" control the politics of the
nuclear future, and they are very smart.  

What the public doesn't like is a) Being lied to, and b) Spending
unnecessary money.  So the debate is framed this way:  For nuclear
technology to move ahead, we have to go against the will of the people (the
people of course are the activist and if you disagree with them you are
anti-democratic).  To go against the will of the people you must show a
overriding national need and have political will.  Satisfying an overriding
national need requires some entity to take charge.  That entity is usually
the government.  But, here are all these cases where the government took
charge and lied to the people and now the people are sick.  Conclusion,
don't trust the government, trust the activists, only they know the truth
and only they will protect you.

This type of framing puts us scientists in a box.  We are left the "does
not"  and "says who"  sound bites while the "activists" grab the moral high
ground.  And, no amount of dosimetric or spectrographic data will trump a
victim that says "I worked there and I know they made me sick".  

The debate here has been good.  Most saying "If there is a case for cause
and effect in the DOE population, they deserve compensation.  Just really
look honestly at the data."  And that's a good approach.  Just understand
that some of the spin on these cases of worker harm has nothing to do with
concern for a worker, regardless of the mechanism of harm, and much to do
with furthering the agenda.  The agenda again is to kill nuclear technology
because they believe it really is dangerous, and we the experts know it, and
we lie.

And, by the way the activist reasons, even if it's not dangerous, if we keep
demanding expensive answers to stupid questions, if we make release and
clean-up levels impossible, if we don't allow for disposal, or
transportation, or storage of waste, it sure will cost a lot!  And we hate
to spend unwisely.

Once we find our voice, we will enter the debate on even ground and I even
think we can win.

On a completely different note, I got the causation tables copies back from
reprographics and should mail them tomorrow.

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