Re: Power Plant Pollution Linked to 30,000 Premature Deaths

[RadiumProj@cs.com]

In a message dated 10/20/00 8:02:09 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
birk@fsl.noaa.gov writes:

> The only common topic between power plant pollution and the focus of
>  this discussion group is LNT as far as I can see since particulates have
>  little to do with radiation. (perhaps, unless you consider C14). 
====
Radsafe:
I would suggest, as a comment to the above, that the other strong "common 
topic" between this thread is the much discussed issue of comparative risk 
assessment. Are nuclear electric generating  plants dangerous? The answer of 
course is: "Compared to What?". If our society chooses not to use nuclear 
electric generation, do the alternatives such as coal or oil or gas fired 
power plants pose a greater risk? If we build no new capacity and have a 
deficit of power supply, does the lack of power cause economic and 
consequential health impacts to real people? The answers are fairly obvious, 
and the understanding of these issues is vital to societal decisionmaking on 
whether nuclear plants should be prematurely shut down, or if new nuclear 
plants are ever built in the US.

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
Air Pollution Control, UMass School of Public Health '73
email: radiumproj@cs.com
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