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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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