| In researching materials addressing objections to my thesis, I came across a book and accompanying website by Professor Wade Allison. Having read Merchants of Doubt (Naomi Oreskes) I found Professor Allison’s radically dissenting opinion regarding the limits of radiation disturbing. |
 “In Radiation and Reason: The Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear Wade Allison explains, in simple terms and without using fancy maths, how radiation affects life. Wade is a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford with 40 years of teaching experience.His account challenges the traditional view that nuclear radiation is hard to understand and an extreme hazard. Modern scientific and medical evidence makes it obvious that this view is wrong — but how dangerous is ionising radiation?Thanks to evolution, biology protects life and radiation is about a thousand times safer than suggested by current international safety standards — but readers should look at the evidence for themselves and make up their own minds.  A little nuclear radiation is quite harmless and in a world of other dangers — social and economic instability, global warming, population growth, shortages of power, food and water — the pursuit of the lowest possible radiation levels is in nobody’s best interest. Levels should be permitted as high as is relatively safe (AHARS). Radiation, far from being a major cause of cancer, is one of its major cures through radiotherapy applied in every major hospital.
Without justification great damage has been inflicted on public health and economic life in Japan as a result of the accident at Fukushima. Throughout the world the intention of many countries to abandon the use of nuclear power or load it with ever greater safety regulation and cost is unnecessary, and even dangerous to the future of mankind. Evidently there should be a complete change of approach by the United Nations towards radiological safety.” |
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