Radiation exposure and the power of zero

[bananas]

"The trend throughout the nuclear age has been a growing recognition that there is no "safe" or "harmless" dose of radiation." ...
"The real issue is that the use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons is forcing humankind, and indeed the whole ecosystem, to participate in a particularly cruel and totally uncontrolled experiment. Given the scientific evidence that there is no safe dose of radiation, this is an experiment that has already gone awry. Indeed, if this were a true scientific experiment, it would have been halted a long time ago."

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/radiation-exposure-and-the-power-of-zero

Radiation exposure and the power of zero
By Jeffrey Patterson | 26 April 2011
Article Highlights

* The accidents at Fukushima have once again raised concerns about public exposure to elevated levels of radiation.
* Science tells us that there is no dose of radiation so low that it can be considered completely "safe" or "harmless."
* We cannot afford to risk annihilation and continued environmental contamination; we must turn away from nuclear power and weapons.

The ongoing nuclear power plant disaster in Japan has once again pushed the topic of radiation safety into the public consciousness, while also reminding us that the public continues to doubt government and nuclear industry information on safety and the effects of radiation. Part of this wariness stems from the fact that people cannot detect radiation using their own senses, which creates a dread of the unknown. People are also very aware that the effects of radiation are cumulative and may not appear for many years, so the outcome of a disaster like Fukushima is not easy to predict. Finally, the nuclear industry has a history of secrecy, cover-up, and soft-pedaling that does not engender public trust.

<snip>

Yet even in the 1970s it was common medical practice to x-ray pregnant women during labor to see if the pelvis was "adequate" -- a procedure, incidentally, that was absolutely worthless. Sentinel work by Alice Stewart, a physician and epidemiologist who studied the effects of radiation on health, revealed that even one x-ray before birth could increase a child’s chances of getting leukemia. Despite criticism of Stewart’s work by the nuclear industry, doctors no longer perform x-rays on pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. The trend throughout the nuclear age has been a growing recognition that there is no "safe" or "harmless" dose of radiation.

<snip>

The real issue. Scientific arguments regarding the effects of particular doses of radiation will and should continue. However, to make this the focus of any discussion of nuclear safety obscures the real issue, thus missing the forest for the trees. The real issue is that the use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons is forcing humankind, and indeed the whole ecosystem, to participate in a particularly cruel and totally uncontrolled experiment. Given the scientific evidence that there is no safe dose of radiation, this is an experiment that has already gone awry. Indeed, if this were a true scientific experiment, it would have been halted a long time ago.

<snip>

We must choose to halt this process. To do this we need to quickly abolish all nuclear weapons, and make a dramatic and rapid retreat from the use of nuclear power to generate electricity. Only then will we demonstrate that we recognize and appreciate the true meaning of Einstein's prophetic words: "The splitting of the atom has changed everything save our mode of thinking. Thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."

[aquart]

1. We're going to glow and so is every bit of our food.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN PRACTICAL TERMS? Do we have to do totally different medical planning for our society? Do we have to make abortion much MORE available for irreclaimable fetuses? What next?

[madokie]

2. What should be next is shutting these plants down

We'll figure out what to do to continue without nuclear energy but we won't necessarily do that if we don't shut the sunasbitches down. Its not a fission or fossil question either, nor is that the answer.

[enough]

3. That was a powerful statement by Dr. Patterson. Thanks for posting this.

It appears to be very similar to his presentation at the Physicians for Social Responsibility press conference in DC earlier this week. For anyone who wants to watch the entire event (with other excellent speakers and Q&A), here's the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkYCWTpUuLU

[flamingdem]

4. Good information, thanks nt

[kristopher]

5. K&R