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

["ruth_weiner" <ruth_weiner@email.msn.com>]

Well, since you addressed me, I'll respond.  Maybe I didn't make my point
adequately.  The point is: there is pressure ON the agencies, not BY the
agencies.  The agencies understandably transfer the pressure to their
contractors.  The whole business is compounded by the unfortunate fact that
many DOE and EPA people don't know enough about the science or technical
detail of what they are funding to stand up to the pressure.

But I think we have exhausted this subject.

Ruth Weiner
ruth_weiner@msn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Rockwell <tedrock@cpcug.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2000 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: Power Plant Pollution Linked to 30,000 Premature Deaths


>> It's not a question of "orders" but of external pressure on an agency.
>
>Ruth, et al:
>
>Is there any question that a scientist is ethically obligated to resist
>pressure to distort the data or the conclusions?  We deplore pressure from
>the tobacco companies or the drug companies, and expect scientists to
resist
>such pressure.  Why is it any more difficult (or any less necessary) to
>resist pressure from EPA or DOE or anti-nukes?  THEY are certainly not
>reluctant to spin the data to their agenda.
>
>Of course, none of us is perfect, and I'm not arguing otherwise.  I'm just
>urging that we ought to agree on what we SHOULD do and be.  I don't
>understand why there is any hesitancy to agree on that.  We can't insist
>that the world be perfect, but we can certainly keep trying to do our part
>of it right.
>
>Radiation effects are not subject to Boyle's Law--that is, they do not
>change with outside pressure.  The data show that low-dose radiation is not
>harmful and may be helpful.  Ourside pressure cannot change that fact.  And
>it should not make us change our willingness to declare it so.
>
>Ted Rockwell
>
>
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