Re: Radiophobia

[JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com]

Eric Goldin writes,

>      Opinion:  and this is only worth the electrons that provide it to 
>      you, I agree with those who cite the past 30 or 40 years of 
>      images as the basis for public fear.  With radiation 
>      characterized as the means to create mutants and monsters in 
>      movies and TV, fanned by a very effective anti-nuclear industry 
>      which perpetuates the "one atom can kill" concept (for their own 
>      livelihood), we're stuck with a couple of hundred million people 
>      who believe any radiation is bad, at any level.   Solution: more 
>      education from grade school up on all manner of risk 
>      communication; and more openness on what we do and how 
>      (acknowledge the outrage factor).

If you can't convince your organization (and you can't), or the NCRP, or NRC,
or EPA, or FDA, or DOE, "experts" (who are "cleaning up" :-) then don't blame
the public, nor argue that the issue is in "educating the public" (the public
has been/is being well educated - look at EPA's "educational materials" and
scientifically unfounded radon campaign). It's the "radiation industry" gov't
regulators/programs/funding ($100 million at Hanford just on "public health",
actively fostering public fears) that creates the premise (LNT) and thesis 
(all things radioactive are bad and worth massive resources to "protect us
from"). 

Don't blame the public just because they are uninformed enough (deliberately)
to believe us :-) 

>      Down from that soapbox,...   and disclaimed, of course....
>      
>      Eric Goldin
>      goldinem@songs.sce.com

Thanks Eric.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
jmuckerheide@delphi.com
Radiation, Science, and Health