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student request
I just read my RADSAFE update and have to agree with the replys to Carol
Marcus concerning the journalism student's question. What an
opportunity for those of us in the field to provide some working
knowledge of health physics to an aspiring journalist who may not have
any scientific literacy. We should point out that a correlation does
not mean a cause and effect relationship. We should recomment NCRP
Reports 93-95 about exposures to man-made and the variations in natural
radiation. (By the way Carol, typical doses around a nuclear plant are
much less than 1 mrem, 25 mrem is the 40CFR190 fuel cycle limit. Even
the EPA got this one correct on their education page for calculating
your personal exposure - the dose fro living within x miles of a
coal-fired plant was higher than for a nuclear plant.) We should inform
her of the ethics of our profession and how we value the health and
safety of the public. [Just because we are experts in the field of
radiation protection and work for does not mean that we in league with
the devil (or the nuclear establishment - whatever that may be, etc., as
opined by the anti-nuclear folks) to foul up this earth with
radiation.] There was an excellent article about the occurrence of
clusters by Joel Cehn in the IAEA Bulletin several years ago which would
do much to explain their occurrence to the lay person. There is so much
we can do to educate. Let's take this opportunity. Let's not get
paranoid everytime someone asks a question about a the relationship
between cancer and nuclear plants.
So, Amanda, if you happen to be reading this, just as my job is to
protect the public, the environment, and those people in my company who
work with radioactive materials, your job as a journalist, in addition
to selling newspapers, will be to present an ACCURATE and TRUTHFUL
story. Get to know your sources and get to know the arguments and FACTS
on each side of the argument. Remember Chicken Little. A little
knowledge is a dangerous thing and irresponsibly used can cause a lot of
damage. Keep in mind a line spoken by Thomas Moore in A Man for All
Seasons as he finds out a "friend" lied about him to gain wealth and
position "All of this, for Wales?" No slander against the Welsh intended
on my part, just quoting in the historical context of the play.
Just my own thoughts.
Kjell A. Johansen, Ph.D.
Wisconsin Electric Power Company
Milwaukee
kjell.johansen@wepco.com
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