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

[Randall_F_Brich@RL.gov]

     In reference to the below message, it appears that the public's fear 
     is proportional to the source of the radiation, in that, the more 
     'man-made' the source is, the greater the fear. At Hanford, WA, 
     numerous examples of this irrational fear are encountered daily. 
     
     Appropriate disclaimers apply.
     
     randall_f_brich@rl.gov


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Subject: Linear Hypothesis IS the Cause of Public Fear of Radiation
Author:  xat@inel.gov (Alden Tschaeche) at -MailLink
Date:    10/9/96 11:31 AM


I have seen several statements lately on RADSAFE that say the Linear 
No-Threshold Hypothesis (LNTH) IS NOT the cause of fear in the minds of 
the public of low levels of ionizing radiation.  I rabidly, explosively, 
and absolutely diagree with those statements.  The LNTH IS the cause of 
the public fear, or, rather, the corruption of the LNTH idea is the 
cause.  The LNTH says: "there MAY BE some harmful effect of low doses." 
The MAY BE has been corrupted into IS by the nuclear community, the anti 
nuclear people, the media, the legislators and the public.  See my 
commentary in the July 1995 issue of the HPS Newsletter where I give a 
few examples of the corruption.  If the RADSAFE community believes that 
low doses DO cause harm, what is the public to think?  If the RADSAFE 
community does not believe that the LNTH corruption causes fear of low 
level radiation in the public mind, I would like to see scientific 
evidence of what it is that causes the fear.  Of course there are other 
things that cause the fear: Chernobyl, TMI, etc.  But all of the fears 
boil down to the one and the only:  fear of radiation and its perceived 
harmful effects.  The LNTH perpetuates that fear.  The LNTH corruption 
is the cause!  Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov
     
Golly, am I too emphatic?
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From: xat@inel.gov (Alden Tschaeche)
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Subject: Linear Hypothesis IS the Cause of Public Fear of Radiation
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