Re: A radiation unit for the public

[Fox@acsh.org (Michael Fox)]

Three cheers for Cameron.  Its been 101 years since Bequerel discovered natural
radioactivity.  And for 101 years the subject has been studiously omitted from
discussions of our natural environment.  And after 101 years 95% of the general
public couldn't give a 2 minute discussion of natural radioactivity, its
sources, decay modes, decay energies, or provide comparisons with other
sources.  
People need to more about their natural environment, including the
radioactivity that's been there for about 5 billion years.   Cameron's idea
helps.  Public ignorance has caused a great deal of harm and has cost tens of
billions. 

Cameron's idea would not only be intellectually beneficial to the public, and
worthy educational goal by itself.   It would also help the public identify how
they are being fleeced financially by private and public interests pandering to
public fears of radiation.  It would also aid the citizenry immeasurably by
identifying who has been participating and who has been benefiting in the
fleecing.  Its not a pretty story for a technological nation.
MFox
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