Biomedical subjects
J F Ahearne
Publications and source records attributed to J F Ahearne.
Scientists, policy makers, and the public: a needed dialogue.
Effective incorporation of scientific knowledge into public policy requires effective dialogue among scientists, policy makers, and the general public. How can this be accomplished so that all three groups have confidence in the processes leading to policies? What are the appropriate roles for scientists? What are the appropriate uses of science? Suggested answers will be proposed.
Intergenerational issues regarding nuclear power, nuclear waste, and nuclear weapons.
Nuclear power, nuclear waste, and nuclear weapons raise substantial public concern in many countries. While new support for nuclear power can be found in arguments concerning greenhouse gases and global warming, the long-term existence of radioactive waste has led to requirements for 10,000-year isolation. Some of the support for such requirements is based on intergenerational equity arguments. This, however, places a very high value on lives far in the future. An alternative is to use discounting, as is applied to other resource applications. Nuclear weapons, even though being dismantled by the major nations, are growing in number due to the increase in the number of countries possessing these weapons of mass destruction. This is an unfortunate legacy for future generations.
Nuclear power after Chernobyl.
The causes and progress of the accident at Chernobyl are described, and a comparison between the Chernobyl accident and the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station is made. Significant similarities between Chernobyl and Three Mile Island include complacency of operators and industry, deliberate negation of safety systems, and a lack of understanding of their plant on the part of the operators, which shows the critical importance of the human element. The Chernobyl accident has implications for nuclear power in the United States; it will affect the research program of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, regulation of Department of Energy reactors, new reactor designs, and public attitudes.