[ RadSafe ] Nuclear Power Plant Effluents

[RuthWeiner at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/26/2005 6:21:50 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
BLHamrick at aol.com writes:
know that many people respond by saying that driving a car is a  
"voluntary" risk, but what about the risk to pedestrians or bicyclists - are  
they 
"volunteering" for the risk of your driving above 5 miles per hour?   Are 
they 
assuming that risk by venturing outside at all?  And, what of  those rare 
occasions when a car goes careening into someone's living room?   Did they 
"volunteer" 
for that risk?  A rare occurrence, yes, but death by  nuclear power is much 
rarer in the U.S.  Much, much rarer.

We need to find ways to make the mathematics and statistics of risk  analysis 
more accessible to the public, so they can get a better feel for the  issues. 
Your example of the large statistical error in the speedometer as  you 
approach "zero" speed is a good tool for such a venture
I agree with Barbara except for a couple of embellishments:

1.  In most cities and towns in the U.S. driving is not voluntary in the 
sense that you can just choose not to.  This is only true in cities with good mass 
transit and where employment is also accessible by mass transit, where 
driving might be voluntary.  In most places people have to drive to get to work, to 
get medical care (or get it for their children) to go to the market, etc.

2.  The concepts of risk are as accessible as any mathmatical concept that 
the public has ever been asked to understand in the last century.  simple 
example:  everyone understands that wearing seat belts reduces accident risks and 
consequences; most people, even smokers, understand that smoking is bad for 
you;everybody seems to understand that some drugs increase the risk of heart 
disease.  I don't think we can get more accessible.

People believe exactly what they want to believe.  Nukes and radiation are a 
great target because you can't see radiation or feel it, images of atom bomb 
explosions keep being tossed at us, about a quarter of the people in the U. S 
are going to get some kind of cancer anyway and it's great to have something to 
blame it on.

At some point we should "just say no"  as we have with other societal 
misconceptions.  Just say we know the risks are infinitesimal, and if you don't 
believe me, that's your  problem, not mine.

RUth