Re: Letter to NPR

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Sat, 2 Oct 1999 GlennACarlson@aol.com wrote:

> Just passing on an excerpt from 
> http://www.rochestercareers.com/careerwatch/980112careerwatch.html:
> 
> "In addition to getting a bachelor's degree, [Dave] Lochbaum [of the UCS] 
> suggests working in an internship during college and joining a student 
> chapter of the American Nuclear Society. 'Getting involved with the ANS gives 
> insight into what's going on in the industry and what the focus of the 
> nuclear industry is.' "

	--Surely none of this qualifies him as a national expert on health
effects of radiation, or on nuclear safety for that matter. It reads to me
as a political statement, consistent with his joining UCS which is a very
political organization. If NPR wants to consult one scientific or
technical expert in the U.S., surely they should not choose a person of
the qualifications you mention with no record of publications or of
professional contributions to the field. I don't think the qualifications
you mention would merit ranking him among the top 10,000 Americans worthy
of being consulted. Obviously. he was chosen because of the political
connections of UCS.

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html