LNT/The Public

[Bates Estabrooks <besta@tis.eh.doe.gov>]

I agree fully with the spirit expressed in previous posting regarding
engaging the public, face-to-face, on nuclear/radiological interests.  I
remember reading recently (within the last year or so) about a study
someone did indicating that in winning the layman over to your side of
an issue is far more dependent on your indicating that you are concerned
about public fears, etc. than on your technical argument.  Thus, my
anecdote.

I recently conducted a tour through our facility (WIPP- planned
repository for weapons-related TRU waste) for a group of students with
the Audubon Expeditionary Institute, a post-grad environmental ed.
program based in Maine.  To the undiscerning among us, these 15 young
people would have appeared to be classic "tree huggers."  But, I spent
over an hour with them in a one-on-one discussion of the waste issue,
and nuclear power as an electricity source.  I was candid with the risks
and actual costs associated with waste disposal and nuclear generation,
and the benefits.  I conveyed the risks associated with not finding
solutions to the waste issue, and risks associated with non-nuclear
electric generation (e.g. the massive destruction of migratory birds
associated with wind-generation "farms"; these appeared to be
eye-openers for them).  

At the end of it all, I felt a real rapport had been established.  A few
weeks later I received this hand-written note: 

"Thank you on behalf of our A.E.I. community for your time and insights
on nuclear waste disposal.  We appreciate your honesty and willingness
to field our sometimes confrontational questions.  Your views on nuclear
power stimulated much discussion on which forms of energy production are
the most sustainable.  It is inspiring to meet someone such as yourself
who has the initiative to take responsibilty for a national problem."

Well, I don't know how "inspiring" I am, but I believe a willingness to
meet the people face-to-face, be honest, and demonstrate that we care
about the same things will take us a long way to removing the roadblocks
that currently thwart the industries that we as "Radsafers" are parts
of.


Bates Estabrooks
Radiological Engineering
WIPP- Carlsbad, NM
505-234-8470
besta@tis.eh.doe.gov