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Re: Meeting public demand
Medically, when hormesis is definitively proven to improve indicators of
extended life and relief of suffering (as with AIDS patients), should we expect
science-based legislation to follow? Consider the disparity of ALARA with
cancer treatment, often 10x the fatal acute dose - but saving many lives, when
individualized!
Howard Long
Michael Stabin wrote:
> Jerry Cohen writes -
>
> > My point is that
> > NRC could have saved much time, effort, and most of all, money if they
> had
> > just short-circuited the process by determining the public/political
> climate
> > in the first place and ignored the science which was apparently of little
> > importance in this case. I am sure there are several other examples of
> this
> > sort of problem . Why bother with the science if it can have no impact in
> a
> > system pervaded by spin, politics, and PR.
>
> This is indeed a bad situation. It is the supposed antidote to the other
> extreme of the government ramming policies down the public's throat, because
> "they know what's good for you". The antidote, however, has worked out to
> be, in my opinion, almost as bad as the poison, and at times I refer to this
> in fairly strong terms as a "failure of democracy". People in a democracy
> don't want the government acting without the consent of the governed, and I
> am one of them. But with our mass media driven culture, those with the best
> skill in manipulating opinion, **often intentionally spreading
> misinformation in direct contradiction to known scientific facts** have
> successfully managed to control the debate on many scientific issues, of
> which radiation protection is just one. By appealing to emotion and
> repeating often absurd claims in drumbeat fashion, the public begins to
> speak the mantras of those with the best PR engines, and fact and logic are
> left as roadkill.
>
> I agree that merely complaining about it on Radsafe is not the answer. Ruth
> Sponsler's (and others') encouragement to be involved in schools is part of
> the solution. Barbara Hamrick's call for help in influencing legislation is
> another good example of how to actively participate in the remedy. Public
> information activities in general are another. I'm quite pleased at the
> astounding success of the HPS' Ask the Expert web site feature. Gen Roessler
> is doing a marvelous job, and has assembled an Associate Editor team to
> handle the very high volume of requests that are coming in there. I have
> been able to interact with a number of people directly, sometimes
> repeatedly, and try to calm some of their irrational fears, driven by
> irresponsible antinuke groups and the media, about radiation doses from
> simple medical procedures and the like.
>
> This is one of my drumbeats - if you understand radiation, you have a
> professional responsibility to be part of the voice in whatever communities
> you are part of to help bring a rational perspective to these public policy
> debates in our society. You can't do it all yourself, and it can't be done
> in a day. But if we each do our part, write our letters, know our facts,
> show respect to our opponents, and hold our ground, it can be done.
>
> "First they ignore you; Then they laugh at you; Then they fight you; Then
> you win."
>
> Mike
>
> Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP
> Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
> Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
> Vanderbilt University
> 1161 21st Avenue South
> Nashville, TN 37232-2675
> Phone (615) 343-0068
> Fax (615) 322-3764
> e-mail michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu
>
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