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Re: Fiscal responsibility (was Re: Scientific responsibility)
If you read the definition of "ALARA", in 10 CFR 20.1003, cost and other
socioeconomic factors are part of ALARA.
There are numerous specious arguments out there about misuse of funds, e.g., "If
the money spent on alcohol, gambling, the space program, etc. were spent on
education, world hunger, cancer research, etc., the world would be a better
place." Although some of these may actually be true, and, as you said, "truth" is
important to you, taking money from column A doesn't necessarily put it into column
B. The only way to assure that is even more intrusive, government lead social
engineering. That's the "truth."
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Curies forever.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
"Richard L. Hess" wrote:
> At 03:49 PM 6/18/2003 -0400, William V Lipton wrote:
> >The NCRP, ICRP, ... are NOT claiming that LNT is a valid model. All they say
> >is that it should be used for planning purposes, in the absence of sufficient
> >information to disprove it.
> >
> >I don't see how these convoluted arguments that, at best, show an association
> >(NOT cause/effect) inconsistent with the linear, no threshold (LNT) hypothesis
> >are sufficient reason to abandon this prudent precaution. Politically, they
> >won't convince anyone outside of the small circle of "true believers."
>
> Bill,
>
> To me, the "truth" in this matter is important. We are using a "prudent
> precaution" that, taken at its face value, is indeed prudent. However, when
> cost is factored into the prudent precaution, it may be that scarce funds
> are being spent on an over-cautious risk management scenario in one area
> while starving other, more rewarding areas of risk management.
>
> I think it's about the potential squandering of capital for little
> gain--the law of diminishing returns.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
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