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Re: Response to Norman Cohen
Add to that below that accelerators are grossly inefficient and
therefore would require enormous amounts of energy to do what part of
the job they may be able to.
As with most of these "alternatives" It is all so easy for those who
have no understanding of what is involved or even the basic principles -
but just read it as some unsupported statement on some list server.
Talk is cheap!
g2v13a@SWBELL.NET wrote:
>
> 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:
>
> > 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:
> >>
> >> > 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)
> >
> >
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