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Re: Decision makers have the facts about radiation but ignore them
John,
Do you believe the HPS has the broad expertise needed to take over the
leadership role?
Don Smith
>From: John Cameron <jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu>
>Reply-To: John Cameron <jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu>
>To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
>CC: "Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@CPCUG.ORG>, "Robert J. Gunter"
><rjgunter@chpconsultants.com>
>Subject: Decision makers have the facts about radiation but ignore them
>Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 10:59:05 -0500
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>>"Ted Rockwell" in reply to "Robert J. Gunter" quoted Robert: 'It
>>is our job to provide facts to the decision makers. Clear choices
>>make for defendable decisions.'
>> Ted congratulates him "Right on, Robert! We have to shoulder our
>>share of the burden. The process starts with us."
> I agree with the thoughts of both Robert and Ted but disagree
>with the usefulness of the advice. The decision makers are the ICRP
>internationally and the NCRP in the U.S. They have the facts but
>choose to ignore them. U.S. government agencies have little choice
>but to go along with the recommendations of the NCRP, a private
>organization chartered by congress to give advice on radiation.
> There is no easy way, even for the HPS, to effectively
>contradict the advice of the NCRP. Eventually the ICRP and NCRP must
>be reformed to become more democrat in their organizational
>structure. Since both the NCRP and ICRP choose their own members they
>will continue to choose members who agree to support their views
>(e.g., LNT) even if they have doubts about their validity. My guess
>is that a very small fraction of NCRP members support LNT but go
>along with it.
> I agree with the philosophy of the late Harald Rossi who
>wrote in the HPS Newsletter (I believe) that the HPS must take over
>decision making on radiation protection. I replied that an ad hoc
>committee representing the World's major scientific radiation
>organizations might be able to do it. It is clear that HPS would do a
>much better job than NCRP but at present there is no way for HPS to
>grab the "high ground" for giving advice to congress or to NRC, DOE,
>EPA, etc. .
> I am an optimist. I think within 50 years the evidence for
>health benefits of low dose rate radiation will be overwhelming and
>force a change in the ICRP and NCRP. In the meantime we must continue
>to educate the public, the news media and the congress of the facts.
>Perhaps the next President of the NCRP may declare independence from
>the ICRP. At present the NCRP (and most other national radiation
>protection groups) go along with the ICRP rather than criticize it.
> Science writers have ignored the good news in the 100 year
>study of British radiologists. (See June 2001 Br. J. of Radiology.)
>After 100 years the radiologists had a death rate from all causes 8%
>lower (P<0.01) than that of all male MDs in England and Wales and 23%
>lower than all men in England and Wales (P<0.001). Even the earliest
>British radiologists (1897-1920) did not suffer any reduction in
>longevity despite having 75% greater cancer mortality than all male
>MDs. The reason being their 14% lower death rate from non-cancer,
>which I attribute to radiation stimulation of their immune systems.
>This good news has yet to get any publicity, even in the radiation
>community.
> Their are much bigger societal problems than over protection
>from radiation. As radiation scientists we have a responsibility to
>society to promote good science in our field. We have often failed in
>this responsibility. There is seldom criticism of the ICRP and NCRP
>in our journals. Harald Rossi is one of the few to do so. In 1996 he
>wrote that our radiation protection quantities are in a state of
>chaos. (Rossi, H.H. Sensible radiation protection. Health
>Physics.70(3): 394; 1996.) It fell on deaf ears.
>Best wishes, John Cameron
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>Ted Rockwell
>>
>>
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>
>--
>John R. Cameron (jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu)
>2678 SW 14th St. Gainesville, FL 32608
>(352) 371-9865 Fax (352) 371-9866
>(December 1, 2001 to early May 2002)
>
>PO Box 405, Lone Rock,WI 53556
>(608) 583-2160; Fax (608) 583-2269
>May 2002- October 2002
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