RE: The Realism Project

["Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@starpower.net>]

Charlie:



You're right!  This is clearly a deliberate effort to discredit all the good

LDR work.  The new ICRP recommendations are another.  And the Taiwanese

government is apparently determined to obfuscate the clear meaning of the

irradiated apartment dwellers.  We should be working to overcome such

regressive efforts.



This is why I feel the Realism Project is important.  Its purpose is not to

create a PR campaign, but to work internally to root out all the unrealistic

premises that have crept into our analyzes and from there into our policies,

rules and practices.  When we finally have a clear description of the

scientific

facts, then it will be much easier to correct bad info.



Thanks for your input.



Ted Rockwell



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

  From: owner-rad-sci-l@WPI.EDU [mailto:owner-rad-sci-l@WPI.EDU]On Behalf Of

Charles Pennington

  Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 2:57 PM

  To: Ted Rockwell

  Cc: owner-rad-sci-l@WPI.EDU; RADSAFE; Rad-Sci-L

  Subject: Re: The Realism Project





  Ted



  Just got back in the country and read the NW article. It was excellent,

and your follow-up crystalizes the core points for everyone to keep in mind.

Well done!



  However, I was disturbed by the page 1 lead article in that issue of NW,

"UNSCEAR probes low-dose radiation link to non-cancer death rate", which

continues on page 13 just before the article covering your Realism Project.

This UNSCEAR effort is clearly focused upon discrediting and countering the

benefits of LDR work developed over the last 10 - 15 years, and this looks

to be an effort we must begin to expose and oppose quickly. I'm sure you and

Jim have been tracking this UNSCEAR effort as its new leadership redirects

it in an ominous direction. Clearly, they must be pulling statistically

insignificant data from studies and making more of it than is warranted.

Studies, such as the NSWS or the one in the abstract sent out by Jim today

on low mortality rates in UKAEA workers, show the error of what UNSCEAR is

doing.



  Is there organized opposition to confront UNSCEAR on this or to expose

this effort as fraud by displaying more compelling information that his been

ignored?



  Charlie



  "Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@starpower.net>





                "Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@starpower.net>

                Sent by: owner-rad-sci-l@WPI.EDU

                06/20/2004 11:01 PM





              To

              "Rad-Sci-L" <rad-sci-l@WPI.EDU>, "RADSAFE"

<owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>





              cc







              Subject

              The Realism Project







  Friends:



  In response to the Nucleonics Week write-up on the Realism Session at ANS,

I

  wrote the following note to the author:



  Jenny Weil:



  Thank you for your accurate and informative coverage of our ANS session on

  realism.  There will continue to be newsworthy activities in this area for

  some time.  I suggest you keep two points in mind in reviewing this work.

  First, that this is not a move to put spin on our public relations; it is

  addressed to the nuclear community, referring to how we should carry on

our

  work.  If that is done properly and honestly, it will not require spin in

  the reporting.  And, incidentally, the initiative is not coming from the

  industry and the advisory ommittees, which have been happily spending

money

  addressing non-existing risks.  The initiative is coming from the

  scientists, engineers and regulators, for whom the disconnects between the

  scary claims and the scientific data have become too obvious to live with.



  Second, there is no attempt here to lower safety standards or performance.

  Basing design and performance on scientifically valid premises, increases

  safety.  It does not decrease safety.



  Thanks again for your interest and reportage.  This is a vital turning

point

  in nuclear technologies, and it warrants all the understanding it can get.

  Please feel free to call me any time if I can help.