Anti's, posting, and small SNM quantities

[Brian Rees <brees@lanl.gov>]

First of all, the idea of banning any class of people from radsafe is 
repugnant to me, in addition to those who of use who are in the trenches as 
operational radiation safety professionals, radsafe is a resource of many 
related (sometimes tenuously) professionals who can add the perspective I 
need to accomplish something.  We have media people (both reporters and 
journalists - thanks to radsafe I understand the difference now), 
educators, regulatory folks, researchers of all types, and all kinds of 
people who have some sort of interest in some aspect of radiation 
protection.  Face it, slogging through some days of radsafe can be a true 
test of your interest.  Diversity is good, especially when it challenges 
you.  I've learned quite a bit from observing anti's specious arguments, 
and their lack of coherent response - yes I know that "they" wont stop, and 
I've been told that this is the case, but actually seeing their BS, 
reasoned and supported counter-arguments, and the fact that they can't come 
up with anything reasonable (in an unaltered state of mind or being) has 
helped me immensely when I deal with other folks who espouse the same drivel.

HOWEVER, I noted that in the recent exchanges with Norm, Edith, 
et.al.  that it was a handful of people who made the most comments.  I 
would easily support a one-message-a-day limit on posting - except maybe 
for news postings.  If you can't say it in one message, wait a day- for 
many of us it would be good practice, and for the others on the list it 
would save time (and in some cases money).  If you've got nothing better to 
do than sit in front of your computer and make arguments - think about it.

As for Steve Rima's question about small quantities of Pu, a "fun" tidbit - 
those of us born before 1960 excrete over (usually well over) a million 
atoms of Pu each day, so regulating each atom of SNM could get a little 
difficult.  The reference for this is at work, and I'm stuck at home for 
the next week so I can't readily provide it, but I do have one.  At first 
it seemed incredible, but a few simple calculations confirmed it.  If you 
were born after 1960 you still excrete Pu, although what date the million 
atoms a day changes is unknown to me - the quote is somebody else's.


(Obviously) my own personal opinions.

Nuclear Weapons = Peace
50 years of fact, like it or not
(soon to be a bumper sticker!)

Brian Rees
brees@lanl.gov

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html