Re: Atomic Train Farce

[Jim Abraham <jimabe@lamar.colostate.edu>]

Sandy,

I would have to disagree.  I think there is a big difference between
radiation professionals preparing for a worse case scenario and the media's
gross negligence in concocting a story line to play on people's fears and
generate $.  I think this is more of an educational issue as to what exactly
is radiation?  You ask anybody who is deathly afraid of radiation and I'll
bet you they don't even know they get a background dose just for living.
The issue is the public's education of our risks and science, not of how we
conduct our emergency drills.  I do agree that our profession needs to share
some of the blame.  We have all of this knowledge and yet in many cases, we
have failed to educate the public in a way 'they' can understand.
--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
James P. Abraham
Alt. Radiation Safety Officer
Radiation Control Office - Environmental Health Serv.
Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO 80523-6021

Phone:  (970) 491-3928  Fax:  (970) 491-4804
email:  jimabe@lamar.colostate.edu
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Sandy Perle wrote:

> Jim,
>
> You make my previous point. What you criticize the movie maker
> for doing is exactly what WE do when we have emergency drills. In
> Florida, the prevailing winds generally take whatever is released
> towards the Atlantic. Yet in many scenarios, the plume is forced to
> hit whichever city is the primary "target" based on which power
> plant we're exercising. If it';s Turkey Point, the primary evacuation
> zone includes Miami .. if it's the St. Luce Plant, the primary zone
> includes Fort Pierce, Stuart or Port St. Lucie. As I already stated,
> we're as guilty as are the movie producers.
>
> Besides, in a movie there need not be all of the required
> meteorological accuracy included, but in an emergency drill, I say
> accuracy is a key element.
>
> Sandy Perle
> E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
> Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
>
> "The object of opening the mind, as of opening
> the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
>               - G. K. Chesterton -
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