An interesting item from the news

[js_dukelow@ccmail.pnl.gov (James S Jr Dukelow)]

Something to brighten the RADSAFE reader's day.

The 18 July 1997 issue of the German weekly newspaper _die Zeit_ reports 
on a international meeting on Blood Formation and Treatment of Leukemia, 
held in Hamburg in the first week in July.

_die Zeit_ reports that the epidemiologist Freda Alexander of the 
University of Edinburgh presented a paper at the meeting describing a 
study of leukemia "clusters", which analyzed 13551 cases of leukemia in 17 
European countries during the years 1980 to 1989.  It appeared that the 
clusters mostly occurred in regions of average population density that 
earlier had been rather isolated, but subsequently had significant in-
migration due to the growth of big cities or the construction of large 
industrial facilities nearby.  The analysis of 240 clusters showed no 
relationship to environmental factors.  Only 4 of the clusters were near 
nuclear facilities.

_die Zeit_ continues that this study tends to support the existing 
hypothesis that leukemia clusters are caused by some virus introduced 
into isolated communities by an influx of outsiders.  They also note the 
absence of an increase in leukemia in regions affected by the Chernobyl 
fallout, even regions with a significant increase in thyroid cancer.

German anti-nuclear activists were not amused.  _die Zeit quotes a 
press release of the organization International Physicians for the 
Prevention of Nuclear War (quoting Bertold Brecht), "If one doesn't know 
the truth, he is merely ignorant; if one knows the truth and calls it a 
lie, he is a criminal."  The press release continues, "Knowingly or 
unknowingly the participating scientists are allowing themselves to 
become the "Trittbrettfahrern" of the nuclear industry."  
"Trittbrettfahrern" outruns my knowledge of German and my dictionaries, 
for that matter.  "Trittbrett" means, among other things, the running 
board of a car; "Fahrer" is a driver.  My sense is that something 
similar to the formulation (popular with the Chinese) "running dogs" is 
intended.  Perhaps some German-speaking subscriber can provide a better 
translation. 

_die Zeit_ was referring to the unhappy activists when they headlined 
their story "Wut statt Wissen" or "Anger instead of Science".  
Interestingly, although _die Zeit_ is a liberal newspaper by almost 
anyone's definition, they have been modestly supportive of nuclear power 
over the past few years.  _die Zeit_ ends its story by noting that 

    "The press release was signed by an anti-Kruemmel activist, which 
    makes the attack on the meeting understandable, but not acceptable.  
    The IPPNW characterizes itself as an organization of 'physicians for 
    social responsibility'.  That attacks 'below the belt' could be 
    considered to be social responsibility was the most disconcerting 
    revelation of the meeting." 

Heady stuff.  Best regards.

Jim Dukelow
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, WA 

js_dukelow@pnl.gov

These thoughts are mine (well, mostly _die Zeit_'s) and have not been 
reviewed and/or approved by my management or by the U.S. Department of 
Energy.