Further comments on my angry reply on Friday

["Randy Ross" <RNROSS@BCSC02.GOV.BC.CA>]

To: RADSAFE --INTERNET radsafe@romulus.eh


David, you got it right on. There's alot of educated people who do not trust
their own knowledge. And that includes radsafers. The biggest lack of
leadership in this radiation phobia thing is those of us who want to sound
politically correct - by that I mean we simply don't tell someone "there's no
problem, you simply do not understand your science" That'sthe same problem that
the radesafer has to deal with who's dumping tritium into the dry riverbed.
Some activist who either is deliberately lying or is just plain stupid is
being taken seriously by the scientists. There's no strong leadership on behalf
of those of us who really know what the risks are and are NOT. We as a
community are on the wimpy side. -"don't offend anyone whatever you do"- what
a crock!Randy

Radiation Protection, Ministry of Health, British Columbia
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Dear All,

First my apologies to any (especially Sandy Perle) whom I may have offended.
 One of the problems with my reply is
that that many of you read something that I didn't say.  I am like most of you
 totally convinced that the hardware is
there to run Nuclear Power safely.  Had all the bits and pieces been in place
 then even Chernobyl could run
moderately safely.  The problem is like road safety - "The Nut that Holds the
 Wheel".  I accept that very high levels of
training are now in place BUT I do not accept that someone cannot override the
 system.  Considering the levels of
mental problems we have in our societies alone this gives cause for worry
 (mixing megalomania and nuclear power
station control is a horrifying thought).

Aside from the important work being done in the States on the problems of the
 structure of the fear process there is
important work being done in Canada, the UK and in Holland that I know of.  All
 this binds neatly to show the same
basic premises.  The problem with all this is that the fears are OUTSIDE of
 logic.  No logical approach will help to
reduce the fear level so one is left almost powerless to combat the problem.  I
 recently spent well over an hour with a
very intelligent young female scientist who is leaving the laboratory because
 she fears the effects working with tritiated
compounds  may have on her children yet unborn.  Having worked at her for a fai
r
 while I have stopped her laying
awake at nights because she trusts me personally and I have given her my word
 that I personally believe there is a
vanishingly small risk.  Not because of reasoned argument you notice.  Now I'm
 sure you don't have time to do this
sort of thing very often any more than I do.  I haven't even begun to reach her
 boyfriend or others around her so
there's likely to be a slow erosion of belief in my word anyway.  Now this is a
n
 intelligent woman who has had a lot of
scientific training - how do we reach those who have none?  Still less will
 logic convince them.  I spend a good deal of
my spare time trying to reduce the fear people have by taking their fears
 seriously and not belittling them because they
don't understand and go way over the top.  It's an uphill struggle and few are
 very convinced nor convinced for very
long.

David Walland
Bristol University (UK)
David.Walland@bristol.ac.uk