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Re: Response to Norman Cohen

Hi Norm,

I appreciate your clear response.

I would also like to add a few informational points:
1) Linear accelerators [or cyclotrons] can not produce many of the isotopes that are needed.
2) Linear accelerators [or cyclotrons] can not produce the quantities of isotopes [that can be produced via this method] that are needed without considerable expense [cost to the patient].
3) Many of the isotopes used in medical procedures can only be produced in reactors.
4) The expense [cost to the patient] of producing [medical] isotopes is greatly reduced by making the production process [for medical isotopes] secondary to another production process.  In fact, many times the medical isotope production process [secondary to the primary process of the reactor] uses the unwanted by-products of the other [primary] process.
5) (Sorry, the use of the unwanted by-products of the other process [to produce the medical isotopes] may sound too ecologically sound to people that would prefer to see them buried in an officially sanctioned facility.)
6) The public complains bitterly about the high cost of medicine, but making medical isotope production the primary [& only] function of a reactor [large or small] as the replacement means of production, will dramatically increase the cost of medicine [to the patients] since medical isotopes are almost always a "direct pass through item" to the patients.

Just a few stray thoughts.

:-)

Doug

Douglas D. Jackson
Medical Physicist & routine consumer
St. Louis, MO
--------------------------
Norman Cohen wrote:
3CA63DC2.87E011A5@comcast.net"> Hi Doug,
You;re moving way out of my area of competence or even fake competence. I read something on know_nukes@yahoogroups.com  about this - alternatives were linear accelators maybe, I don't remember.
Sorry not to be more elucidating.

My point tho' was that I'm more concerned with the aging commercial reactors than with small ones that make medical isotopes and that I understand the medical value of nuclear technology. Electricity is a different story, one doesn't have to split atoms to boil water.

norm

g2v13a@swbell.net wrote:

Norm,

Please be specific --- what are the "alternative methods for making these isotopes" ?
Please [clearly] address how these [medical use] isotopes can be produced
[and in the quantities that are needed to address the existing patient demand].

In making the statement(s):
"I also understand that there are alternative methods for making the isotopes."
and "Either way is fine with me."
You are stating that you know of an alternative method [for making these isotopes
in the quantities that will meet the current patient demand] that is at least equal or
superior to the current [commercial reactor] method.

What is the alternative method?

Doug

Douglas D. Jackson
Medical Physicist & consumer of isotopes
St. Louis, MO
---------------------------
Norman Cohen wrote:

3CA5DCB9.142440D0@comcast.net"> 
Ruth,
I'm no expert, but I understand that there are small reactors like the
one in Australia, who's purpose is to make medical isotopes. I also
understand that there are alternative methods for making these isotopes.
Either way is fine with me. My focus is the commercial nukes.

As far as NIRS, again, I'm not NIRS' representative to Radsafe, so feel
free to take it up with them.

As far as my humor, I know you don't find it funny, so I'm sorry, but no
free tickets for you when I start my new career as a stand-up comic
after I've gotten Salem shut down. ;-)

norm


RuthWeiner@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 3/29/02 2:41:39 PM Mountain Standard Time,
ncohen12@comcast.net writes:



that I support nuclear
medicine.
If nuclear reactors are all shut down, how do you propose that
medically used isotopes be made?

NIRS's "explanation" of their use of "Mobile Chernobyl" greatly
distorts what would happen to a spent fuel cask in an accident.  They
know it is a distortion.  Besides, even their scenario would not
duplicate the Chernobyl accident because the latter involves fuel in
the reactor, and cooled fuel that has been out of the reactor for at
least several years is what is transported.  Certainly you believe
them.  You want to.  And to the uninformed person, their  explanation
might even make some sense.  A colleague of mine used to give a very
convincing lecture about phlogiston, too.  Sure, if an organization
distorts the facts sufficiently then they can justify any term they
want.  This does answer my question:  NIRS does use the term, and
justifies its use with a made-up

, disingenuously  distorted scenario.

For the r
ecord, I don't find your "humor" funny, though I may be alone
in this..
Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.
ruthweiner@aol.com

--
Coalition for Peace and Justice and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321 Barr
Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-601-8583 or 609-601-8537;
ncohen12@comcast.net  UNPLUG SALEM WEBSITE:
http://www.unplugsalem.org/  COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE WEBSITE:
http://www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org   The Coalition for Peace and
Justice is a chapter of Peace Action.
"First they ignore you; Then they laugh at you; Then they fight you;
Then you win. (Gandhi) "Why walk when you can fly?"  (Mary Chapin
Carpenter)




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--
Coalition for Peace and Justice and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321 Barr Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-601-8583 or 609-601-8537;  ncohen12@comcast.net  UNPLUG SALEM WEBSITE:  http://www.unplugsalem.org/   COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE WEBSITE:  http://www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org    The Coalition for Peace and Justice is a chapter of Peace Action.
"First they ignore you; Then they laugh at you; Then they fight you; Then you win. (Gandhi) "Why walk when you can fly?"  (Mary Chapin Carpenter)