Re: Linear Hypothesis IS the Cause of Public Fear of Radiat

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

In my opinion there is no one reason for the public's fear of 
radiation. While one can say that there is a correlation for this 
fear between perception and the LNT, it is not the primary root 
cause. The public has been afraid of radiation for many years, before 
the LNT was even discussed or was used by many of the power plant 
intervenor groups, formed to shut down nuclear power in this country. 
Many views were formulated from what has already been offered as one 
of the causal agents, TV, science fiction and otherwise. Radiation 
has always had its mystique. The public didn't understand it, saw it 
used in a negative light by TV shows, and assumed that it WAS as bad 
as stated. The atomic bomb and its effects didn't help. That gave 
"proof" to the notion that radiation is dangerous, and, that power 
plants can explode, for instance. Remember TMI and the NRC's as well 
as the Governor of PA reaction???? They treated the incident as 
"Hell".  The public is afraid? Why not, when the so-called experts, 
those individuals charged with protecting the public, give false 
credence to the public's perceptions. Yes, perceptions are real, but 
NOT because of the LNT. The majority of the public has never heard of 
it.

Oh, in my previous role of providing media briefings on radiation 
risk and radiation releases from the plant (emergency exercises) the 
media never addressed the issues of LNT and its theories. They always 
focused on their false perceptions of plants blowing up, mutations, 
plant and animal life damaged forever. The fact that life around 
Chernobyl is coming back, even after the public was told that there 
would be no life for tens of thousands of years, their fears and 
perceptions still exist.

We need to start educating the younger generation of today if we will 
have any hope for the future. 

Sandy Perle
Director, Technical Operations
ICN Dosimetry Services Division
Phone: (800) 548-5100 Ext. 2306
FAX: (714) 668-3149
Telex: 68-55-80
E-mail: sandyfl@ix.netcom.com

Homepages:
http://www.netcom.com/~sandyfl/home.html
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