Re: Two DU articles with a different slant

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@chello.at>]

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: NECNP <necnp@necnp.org>
An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Datum: Donnerstag, 25. Jänner 2001 19:49
Betreff: Re: Two DU articles with a different slant


>Franz,
>
>         The significance of the articles that I posted is simply that
>there is a bit of new information out there regarding health effects of
>ionizing radiation that I though might be of interest to the HP types on
>this list..  I mentioned DU in the subject of my post because the new
>information was reported in the context of the DU controversy.  To take the
>single particle/cancer connection out of the context of DU, here is the
>abstract of the study report from the UK Radiation Research Society (Note
>that i added the word alpha in square brackets where the original abstract
>used a graphical alpha character):

>
>As to my being associated with an anti-nuclear organization, I indeed am
>anti-nuclear.  I understand your not wanting to engage in discussions with
>people who don't agree with your views, so I surely do understand if you
>don't reply.
>
>Dave Pyles


Hi,

I am not a person, who eats two antinuclear people for breakfast....... What
I get so tired about is simply the approach of anti-nuclear groups, how to
convince others to join them. I do not deny the right of anybody to be
opposed to whatever, including nuclear power - but I deny the right of those
to deny others the right of being in favour of whatsoever, including nuclear
power. But there is a point where I simply have to stop my understanding and
have to fiercly oppose certain groups. This is when pseudoscience comes into
the play in order to prove that nuclear power or radionuclides in medicine
or in DU or in drinking water or whatsoever are so dangerous that they
threaten the survival of the human race. This is when these groups use
arguments like "deadly radiation", "highly radioactive", "cancer", "birth
defects" etc. in order to convince the majority of people to be opposed to
nuclear power, DU ammunition, waste disposal etc. Even worse is, if people
who call themselves "scientists" work for spreading fear, possibly causing a
lot of psychical damage to people. The articles I commented are a very good
example. Of course one single alpha particle may cause mutations as well as
a single UV photon or an everyday chemical agent. But to extrapolate that DU
emits alpha particles and therefore it will cause cancer is simple nonsense
and lacks any responsibility. To neglect the body burden of everybody with
naturally occurring radionuclides, like the radon we breathe whereever we
are and also some artificial ones from the nuclear bomb explosions and in
Europe from the Chernobyl accident is far from acceptable. In Europe "green"
groups use to accuse scientists to work for and being bribed by the "Nuclear
Lobby". At the same time they fund pseudo-scientists to distribute their
view of the situation. It has come so far, that governments have to fund
such "scientists" in order to avoid constant aggression. You probably do not
know about the political situation in Europe, but simply said, we do not
have a two-party system and therefore parties have to fight for each single
vote. What would be better than to create fear from nuclear power and
claiming that the party fights for its extinction?

No, I do not want to get deeper into these questions.  This is so complex,
that one could discuss for days and weeks on it. All I can do is to appeal
to common sense. All I can state regarding DU is that there exist extremely
extensive reports, which I regard as trustable.

If you want, take this discussion to my private e-mail. I am not afraid to
discuss with somebody with reasonable thoughts, but I would refuse to
discuss again with a person like Norman, who simply did not accept any facts
contrary to his predetermined opinions.

Best regards,

Franz


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