From: carl@victoria.utah.edu (Carl W Howard)
Subject: Re: CBM Announces Price Cuts on A4000/A1200
Organization: University of Utah
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 93 17:06:54 GMT

In article <1993Jan26.181737.18541@ugle.unit.no> eyvind@Lise.Unit.NO (Eyvind Bernhardsen) writes:
>In article <1993Jan26.162343.14030@fcom.cc.utah.edu>, carl@jordan.utah.edu (Carl W Howard) writes:
>
> > BTW, I agree that harnessing energy from the sun is the ultimate goal for an
> > energy source, but for now nuclear power is one of the most environmentally
> > safe major sources of energy available today.
>
>Gee, that's GREAT!  Maybe YOU'd like to have nuclear waste dumped in YOUR back
>yard, so all us misguided morons can be freed from our cancer and radiation-
>sickness paranoias.
>
>-Eyvind (felling pretty DAMN lucky Norway doesn't use nuclear power)
>

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  ***WARNING***  Dangerously long post unrelated to computers follows!
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Greetings,

Many people have an exaggerated fear of the unknown, which in this case is
certainly not helped by the media, environmental extremists, and others, who
play greatly on the fears of the public to their own advantage and goals.

The problem is that most people don't know a micro-curie from a roentgen and
believe everything they are told in the name of SCIENCE - without knowing facts.
I can't blame them for that as not everyone can be an expert. This still does
not help the situation.

Ask yourself:

What do you know about the qualitative and quantitative effects of ionizing
radiation? From what sources? (ie. scientific vs. journalistic) If scientific,
then how reputable?

While it is true and obvious that high-level radiation is harmful, you are
probably unaware that data shows that low-level (above background) radiation
is actually beneficial to us. If this is hard for you to understand, then here
is an analogy: Suppose you have a plant which you place beneath a 500-Watt
lamp. This kills the plant - so you conclude that "Light is harmful to plants".
Obviously this is erroneous, since light intensities below some "threshold" are
beneficial while levels above are harmful and too little light will also kill
plants.

It is NOT a linear relationship like: "If X amount is bad, 1/2 X amount is half
as bad". Similarly, currently used "linear models" for BEIR (Biological Effects
of Ionizing Radiation) do not approximate the actual data (cancer rates etc)
which show that too little radiation is not a good thing.

How much do you know about Statistical analysis of data, and have you seen any
actual data relating to the subject?

You may want to read a good FACTUAL book on the biological effects of low
level radiation such as the following which examines the evidence of beneficial
effects, and theories for this effect.

 Title:          Radiation hormesis
 Author:         Luckey, T. D. (Thomas D.), 1919-                 
 Published:      Boca Raton, Fla. : CRC Press, c1991.
 Subjects:       Radiation--Physiological effect.
                 Radiobiology.
                 Ionizing radiation.

Or articles on the Linear No-Threshold Theory of Radiation Carcinogenesis which
examines data from several large studies of cancer rates vs. radiation levels
and show that for low-levels these have a negative correlation.

As far as nuclear waste goes, there are better ways of taking care of it than
have been used in the past, and with SOME of the methods, I would certainly
prefer a nuclear waste dump nearby than either a chemical dump or standard
landfill type dump (pew!). 

(Note: if there is a total X amount of radioactive material on earth before
nuclear reactors, guess how much is on earth at any point afterward...)
 
Just MHO,  :)

-Carl

p.s.  Until you have read or understand the nature of the aforementioned
article/book, please don't bother with ignorant flames.
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             "All things are possible to the ignorant."
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             Carl W. Howard    email-> carl@mines.utah.edu
       System Administrator - College of Mines and Earth Sciences
 102 WBB - University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT  84112 - (801) 581-3485  
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy