PEP Session at the HPS Meeting in San Jose CA

[Marcia Hartman <mbhartman@ucdavis.edu>]

Just for the record, after numerous attempts to locate a pro-LNT speaker I
gave up and the PEP session will be all John Cameron presenting HIS side of
the story.  The new description is:

It Is Time for a Paradigm Shift in Radiation Protection Philosophy,  John R.
Cameron, University of Wisconsin-Madison & University of Florida

This talk will present evidence that the Linear, No-Threshold (LNT) model of
radiation risk is not scientifically valid. This conclusion does not deny
that the LNT model may have political, social and practical reasons for its
adoption above some threshold. The lack of a defined threshold for the
carcinogenic effects of radiation has created a great deal of radiation
phobia with a net negative affect on the health of the nation and the world.
The costs of this phobia are mind-boggling. The talk will present
human data at low dose rates and explain why the A-bomb survivor data are
not appropriate for establishing radiation protection policies. 

The speaker will argue that there is no hope of significantly reducing this
radiation fear or changing the present radiation protection paradigm until
the ICRP and NCRP adopt a radiation protection philosophy that is in keeping
with the fact that low dose rate radiation has no carcinogenic risk. The
talk will discuss the practical problems that stand in the way of a paradigm
shift by the NCRP.  A description of the operational policies of the NCRP
will be presented with a proposal for fundamental changes in NCRP
procedures. The speaker will suggest actions of NCRP Affiliated Societies,
such as the HPS, which may bring about useful changes in the NCRP.   There
will be a discussion of the scientific inappropriateness of present
radiation protection quantities which cast a shadow over the scientific
validity of our field.

Marcia Hartman
Univ of CA Davis Medical Center
2315 Stockton Blvd.
Health Physics, 2500 FSSB
Sacramento, CA 95817

wk:  916-734-7310
fax: 916-734-7309