Fw: Re :LNT & "speed limits"

["Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

----- Original Message -----

From: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@prodigy.net>

To: Jacobus, John (NIH/OD/ORS) <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov>

Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 3:52 PM

Subject: Re :LNT & "speed limits"





> John,

>     One would need to be pretty uninformed to associate LNT with speed

> limits, or dose limits for that matter. Excessive driving speed can be

> deadly, as can excessive radiation exposure. It is therefore reasonable to

> set a safe "allowable"  speed limit or radiation dose limit. Surely, there

> is some dose level above which the risk of harm is unacceptable. Whether

> that is  5.0 rem/a, or as I believe at a significantly higher level, is a

> matter of judgment. Clearly, however, at some high dose level the risk is

> unacceptable and so establishing  "safe" radiation exposure limits is a

> sensible thing to do, as is setting speed limits.

>      However, for radiation we have gone well beyond this concept by

> applying LNT "logic" and requiring ALARA. Using the same "logic",

>we could have applied LNT and ALARA to driving speed by arguing

>that fatal accidents can and have occurred at some very low speeds,

>driving at 1.0 mph is safer than at 2.0 mph., etc.... but unlike radiation,

>the general public can recognize the miniscule improvement to traffic

>safety that would  result as well as the advantages they would have to

>forgo achieve it. Too bad the public doesn't have a similar

> understanding of radiation.

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Jacobus, John (NIH/OD/ORS) <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov>

> To: 'Jerry Cohen' <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>

> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 12:18 PM

> Subject: RE: BBC NEWS | Africa | Famine-hit Zambia rejects GM food aid

>

>

> > Jerry,

> > You will have to tell me what the LNT has to do with this situation.  If

> you

> > are looking for an argument, then you guess you can use any excuse.  You

> > can even say the people who drive within the speed limit are following

the

> > LNT.

> >

> > -- John

>

>

>



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