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Scientific Jigsaw Puzzle: Fitting the Pieces of the Low-Level Radiation Debate
New submitter Lasrick writes "Skip past the dry abstract to Jan Beyea's main article for a thorough exploration of what's wrong with current 'safe' levels of low-level radiation exposure. The Bulletin is just releasing its 'Radiation Issue,' which is available for free for two weeks. It explores how the NRC may be changing recommended safe dosages, and how the studies for prolonged exposure have, until recently, been based on one-time exposures (Hiroshima, etc.). New epidemiological studies on prolonged exposure (medical exposures, worker exposures, etc.) are more accurate and tell a different tale. This is a long article, but reads well." Here's the free, downloadable PDF version, too.
Ionizing radiation causes cancer. More ionizing radiation causes more cancer. There is no "safe dose", though there is a certain unavoidable dose. So we're all at risk of cancer if we live long enough.
Low level radiation may be dangerous, but we have to weight that against the benefit to the corporations that sell airport scanners. Some amount of harm is worth it.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Do note that the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" is a generally an anti-nuclear, scare-mongering publication. These are the people whose count-down to nuclear disaster has been just a few minutes before midnight for decades. Whatever they publish should be viewed with this in mind.
As a strong supporter of nuclear power I feel this attitude is exactly what makes it so easy to scare up opposition to nuclear power. That article was extremely well written and researched. IMO it presented a fairly balanced view of the existing studies and the overall challenges to new research and regulation. Yes their are concerns about low and protracted doses, and yes the industry has tried to downplay and bury that research. Just like the "green power" industry doesn't want anyone to look at the lifecycle costs on those PV cells and LiPo batteries.
The only way to stop fear mongering and get new power plants is with open and honest research - not making attacks on an article that tries to present the facts.