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Bill Lipton wrote:
>What's really hurting us is those "pronukes"
who don't recognize these fears, or who attempt to ridicule or patronize
those with such fears. They're always quick to scream "media conspiracy,"
but never seem to look in the mirror at our need for improvement.
I think Bill often makes some good points about
public trust and worker trust, but I can't agree here. I think we are constantly
looking for ways to improve safety and communication. What has been the trend
with worker collective dose over the past few decades in the nuke
industry? Constant decline. I think some flippant attitudes towards rad
safety were uncovered at some DOE facilities in the early 1980's, and the
response was strong, some would say too strong (but I would not be one of them).
To say that public fears and perceptions of risk are out of proportion is not to
ridicule anyone, only to attempt to bring a more balanced perspective. I don't
have the money to take an ocean liner cruise, but if I did, I would not be
afraid of sailing off the edge of the earth, because I have a proper
perspective on that issue. As Ruth pointed out yesterday, some other poor
perceptions of the past were corrected by knowledgeable professionals speaking
up about it. One can speak up in a derisive way (as is the habit of some on this
list, we all know who they are) or in a respectful way, and I agree this needs
to be kept in mind. But Bill sometimes you seem to ridicule those who speak up,
even respectfully, by claiming that they are ridiculing others, and I
suggest that this is not helpful for maintaining a constructive
dialogue.
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 internet www.doseinfo-radar.com |