The Cult of Nuclearists, Uranium Weapons and Fraudulent Science

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Cult of Nuclearists, Uranium Weapons and Fraudulent Science A Primer in the Art of Deception The Cult of Nuclearists, Uranium Weapons and Fraudulent Science by Paul Zimmerman Chapter 6 The Most Heinous Crime in History: The Betrayal of Mankind by the Radiation Protection Agencies Copies of this book can be ordered at www.du-deceptions.com or by contacting the author at either [email protected] or P.O. Box 145, Lyndonville, NY 14098 Table of Contents A Word About Uranium............................................................................................i Preface.......................................................................................................................v Introduction................................................................................................................1 A Fable for The Nuclear Age.....................................................................................9 The Cult of Nuclearists..........................................................................................17 The Mettle of the Metal..............................................................................................31 A Primer in the Art of Deception................................................................................44 Radiation Safety in Its Infancy: 1895-1953.................................................................84 The Most Heinous Crime in History: The Betrayal of Mankind by the Radiation Protection Agencies......................................................138 The Chicanery of the REAC/TS Radiation Accident Registry.............................368 Are Uranium Weapons Made of Uranium?..........................................................386 Afghanistan: An Unfolding Medical Mystery.........................................................400 Lebanon: The Reemergence of the Banality of Evil................................................409 Port Hope..............................................................................................................422 Undiagnosed Illness and the Radioactive Battlefield.............................................440 The Harlot of Babylon Unmasked: Fraudulent Science and the Coverup of the Health Effects of Depleted Uranium...........................................457 The Key to Gulf War Syndrome — Has It Been Discovered?...............................584 A Short History of Radiological Warfare..............................................................587 Nuclear Colonialism..............................................................................................619 The Mentality of Genocide...................................................................................665 Depleted Uranium Weapons and Humanitarian Law..........................................686 The Eternal Bequest of the Cult of Nuclearists...................................................709 Bibliography..........................................................................................................711 Index..................................................................................................................................765 Author’s Note: In August 2009, I self-published a book entitled A Primer in the Art of Deception: The Cult of Nuclearists, Uranium Weapons and Fraudulent Science. My purpose in writing it was to expose the widespread deceit published by our guardian institutions regarding the health effects of low levels of internal emitters, radionuclides absorbed from nuclear pollution in the environment which undergo radioactive decay while sequestered within the human body’s interi- or. The international radiation protection community interprets the hazard from this type of exposure by relying on a theory of radiation effects which was developed prior to the discovery of DNA in 1953 and the revolution in molecular and cellular biology which followed. Although expedient for its time, aspects of this theory have been proven antiquated and in need of revi- sion. But no change has been forthcoming. The thesis of my work is that this situation has developed because the science of radiation effects has been infil- trated by those with a political agenda to minimize the perception of hazard of radiation released into the environment. The chapter in my book, reproduced here, which reveals the deceit which per- meates current approaches to radiation safety is entitled The Most Heinous Crime in History: The Betray of Mankind by the Radiation Protection Agencies. A trial is convened, with the reader as the jury, and evidence for the prosecu- tion is presented to demonstrate fraud within the science used to dictate what constitutes a safe level of radiation exposure. This material is so important to the common welfare of humanity that it is my desire to share it with as large an audience as possible. The roll I took upon myself in writing this chapter was that of a reporter. The scientific ideas are not my own. They originate from researchers all over the world. I have compiled their work and organized it in a nontechnical form so as to make it as widely accessible as possible. Every statement of scientific import is referenced, so the reader may go back to the original source if required. The ideas presented herein are slowly gaining acceptance is Europe as evidence continues to mount that low levels of internal emitters are produc- ing more disease in exposed populations than what is predicted by the models of risk published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. A free exchange of ideas on this important subject has yet to occur in the United States. (In order to follow the arguments presented in The Most Heinous Crime in History: The Betrayal of Mankind by the Radiation Protection Agencies, some background information is required. What follows is an excerpt from Chapter 5.) 5 Radiation Safety in Its Infancy: 1895 - 1953 ...In returning to the historical narrative, the discussion now arrives at a fateful moment in the history of radiation safety. The Manhattan Project was a gigantic experi- ment in applied physics. Physicists dominated all aspects of the science required to build the bomb. This included all aspects of the Health Division. When the Manhattan Project got under way, the only standards available to the Health Division were those established prior to the war by, respectively, the US Advisory and the International Committees on X- ray and Radium Protection. The complicated undertaking of building the bomb and hav- ing thousands work in close proximity to high levels of radioactivity and novel radioisotopes demanded a revolution in all aspects of radiation safety. Herbert M. Parker, a British radi- ological physicist, headed the Protection Measurements Group of the health physics section of the Health Division. Besides being responsible for designing a new generation of radi- ation detection equipment, Parker had to overcome the major obstacle that had confound- ed researchers and radiologists over the previous two decades: how to devise a meaning- ful way of relating x-ray exposure to biological effect. The exposure to x-rays impinging on the surface of the body from an outside source was quantified by so many roentgens — a measure of the amount of ionization that quantity of x-ray energy would produce in air. Once that x-ray energy passed into the body, it was traveling through a different, nonuni- form medium and interacting with a variety of biologically significant molecular structures. Some means were necessary for quantifying the changes being induced within the biologi- cal system. Ionization of the air external to the body, or the gas within a radiation detec- tor, was one phenomenon. Biological changes in an organism due to that radiation was another phenomenon. The problem was how to connect these two into a meaningful 121 A Primer in the Art of Deception framework. A further problem also confronted Parker. The roentgen was a measurement for x-rays and gamma rays. People working in the Manhattan Project were potentially going to be exposed to additional radiation in such forms as alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons. In order to effectively protect workers from the cumulative effects of differ- ent types of radiation, what was required was a method of quantifying the dosages from different types of radiation by a single unit of measurement. In this way, exposure to a combination of gamma rays and beta particles, for instance, could be combined in a mean- ingful way to denote the total dosage of radiation received. Parker was a physicist. He brought a physicist’s mindset to the problem of how radi- ation impacted on biological systems. And the simple and practical solution he devised was a physicist’s solution. To Parker, when looked at abstractly, the essence of radiation’s inter- action with matter was the transfer of energy. X-rays transfer electromagnetic energy from an x-ray machine to the human body. These x-ray photons, interacting with the atoms of the body, transfer their energy to orbital electrons. Alpha particles and beta particles, with the kinetic energy they derive from being ejected from an atom undergoing radioactive decay, transfer energy from the nucleus of atoms to the electrons of the atoms within the human body with which they collide. What these types of ionizing radiation have in com- mon is this capacity to transfer their energy into the body where it is absorbed by electrons, thus exciting them in their orbits and/or ejecting them from the atoms to which they are bound. As the amount of energy
Recommended publications
  • Fizzling the Plutonium Economy: Origins of the April 1977 Carter Administration Fuel Cycle Policy Transition
    Fizzling the Plutonium Economy: Origins of the April 1977 Carter Administration Fuel Cycle Policy Transition The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Williams, Peter King. 2010. Fizzling the Plutonium Economy: Origins of the April 1977 Carter Administration Fuel Cycle Policy Transition. Master's thesis, Harvard University, Extension School. Citable link https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37367548 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Fizzling the Plutonium Economy: Origins of the April 1977 Carter Administration Fuel Cycle Policy Transition Peter Williams A Thesis in the Field of History for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University May 2010 © 2010 Peter Williams Abstract This study examines the scientific advocacy that shaped President Carter’s April 1977 policy decision to block the domestic implementation of so-called “plutonium economy” technologies, and thereby mandate the use of an “open” or “once–through” fuel cycle for U.S. nuclear power reactors. This policy transition was controversial, causing friction with U.S. allies, with the nuclear power industry, and with Congress. Early in his presidential campaign, Carter criticized the excessive federal financial commitment to developing plutonium-based reactors and adopted the view that the weapons proliferation risks of plutonium economy technologies were serious and needed to be addressed.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenging Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Findings Robert M
    Georgia State University College of Law Reading Room Law Library Student-Authored Works Law Library 12-1-2011 Challenging Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Findings Robert M. Berryman, P.E. Georgia State University College of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/lib_student Part of the Law Commons Institutional Repository Citation Berryman,, Robert M. P.E., "Challenging Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Findings" (2011). Law Library Student-Authored Works. 34. https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/lib_student/34 This Article was created by a Georgia State University College of Law student for the Advanced Legal Research class. It has been preserved in its original form, and may no longer reflect the current law. It has been uploaded to the Digital Archive @ GSU in a free and open access format for historical purposes. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Challenging Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Findings - LibGuides at Georgia State University College of Law Challenging Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Findings Guide Information Last Updated: Jan 24, 2012 Guide Index Home Guide URL: http://libguides.law.gsu.edu/content.php?pid=258191 Primary Sources Tags: advanced_legal_research Secondary Sources RSS: Subscribe to Updates via RSS Interest Groups and Associations Home Overview The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granted broad authority relative to the regulation of commercial nuclear power plants. The NRC implements an inspection program consisting of both announced inspections and daily oversight conducted by resident inspectors. In the course of these NRC inspection activities, violations of regulatory requirements may be discovered. The NRC screens these violations of regulatory requirements using the significance determination process (SDP).
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear-Spent Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Preface and Acknowledgments 5
    Nuclear-Spent Science Matters, LLC Science Matters, Bethesda, Maryland Fuel and High-Level Radioactive December 2019 Waste Disposal A Review of Options Considered in the United States An independent report Deepcommissioned Inc. Isolation, by Arjun Makhijani, Ph.D. Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgments 4 Executive Summary 8 i. Early considerations 9 ii. The 1980 Environmental Impact Statement and geologic disposal 11 iii. Retrospective on the geologic disposal decision 13 iv. The 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act 14 v. The Continued Storage Rule 15 vi. Conclusions 16 I. From the 1950s to the mid-1970s 18 i. The 1957 National Research Council Report 20 ii. Lyons, Kansas 26 II. The changing framework in the 1970s 33 i. The energy front 34 ii. A change in nuclear power prospects 35 iii. The Indian nuclear test 38 III. Options for spent-fuel and high-level waste disposal 41 i. Transmutation 45 ii. Disposal in space 48 iii. Ice-sheet disposal 54 iv. Sub-seabed disposal 58 v. Island disposal 61 vi. Well injection 61 vii. Rock melt 64 viii. Disposal in very deep holes 66 ix. Disposal in a mined geologic repository 69 IV. Retrospective on disposal options 78 i. Breeder reactors and reprocessing 80 ii. Reprocessing-dependent disposal approaches 83 iii. Non-reprocessing dependent disposal concepts 88 iv. Deep-vertical borehole disposal 93 v. Horizontal borehole disposal 95 V. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act 98 VI. The NRC’s Continued Storage Rule and geologic isolation 106 i. The Continued Storage Rule 107 ii. Comments on continued storage and geologic isolation 108 VII.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography on Saskatchewan Uranium Inquiries and the Northern and Global Impact of the Uranium Industry
    University of Regina iNis-mf—13125 __ CA9200098 Prairie Justice Research Bibliography on Saskatchewan Uranium Inquiries and The Northern and Global Impact of the Uranium Industry :• IN THF PimhlC INTEREST BIBLIOGRAPHY ON SASKATCHEWAN URANIUM INQUIRIES AND THE NORTHERN AND GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE URANIUM INDUSTRY Jim Harding, B.A. (Hons.), M.A., Ph.D. Director, Prairie Justice Research Beryl Forgay, B.Ed., B.HE., M.A. Research Officer, Prairie Justice Research Mary Gianoli, B.Ed. Research Co-ordinator, Prairie Justice Research Cover Design: Rick Coffin Published by PRAIRIE JUSTICE RESEARCH 1988 SERIES: IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST (Research Report No. 1) Published by: Prairie Justice Research Room 515 Library Building University of Regina Regina, Saskatchewan Canada S4S OA2 Cataloguing in Publication Data Harding, Jim, 1941- Bibliography on Saskatchewan uranium inquiries and the northern and global impact of the uranium industry ISBN 0-7731-0052-0 I. Uranium mines and mining - Environmental aspects - Saskatchewan - Bibliography. 2. Uranium industry - Environmental aspects - Saskatchewan - Bibliography. 3. Uranium industry - Government policy - Saskatchewan - Bibliography. I. Forgay. Beryl, 1926- II. University of Regina. Prairie Justice Research. III. Title. Z6738.U7H37 1986 016.3637'384 C86-091166-: ISBN 0-7731-0135 (Set) This is a publication of Prairie Justice Research at the University of Regina. Prairie Justice Research is funded by an operating contract with the Ministry of the Solicitor General and has the capacity to conduct socio-legal research for a diverse range of constituencies. For further informaiton contact: Dr. Jim Harding Director Prairie Justice Research Library Building University of Regina Regina, Saskatchewan Canada S4S 0A2 (306) 584-4064 NOTE: This research project was funded through "Human Context of Science and Technology" strategic grants of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • Dragon Magazine #108
    DRAGON 1 SPECIAL ATTRACTION 49 12 Mutant Manual II Various authors Another collection of GAMMA WORLD@ game creatures 87 OTHER FEATURES 9 Leomunds Tiny Hut Lenard Lakofka Ideas for adding variety to AD&D® game monsters Publisher 2 The role of nature Bruce Humphrey Mike Cook Systems for bringing physical environment into play Editor-in-Chief 22 The ecology of the pernicon John Nephew Kim Mohan Dont let a bunch of these bugs get to you Editorial staff 25 The pernicon: a new version John Nephew Patrick Lucien Price Suggestions for toning it down and tuning it up Roger Moore 28 Cantrips for clerics Arthur Collins Editorial assistance Introducing the orison, 0-level magic for those other casters Eileen Lucas 30 A different design Lisa R. Cohen Making tournament adventures requires a special outlook Art, graphics, production Roger Raupp 36 Agents and A-bombs Thomas M. Kane Kim Lindau The TOP SECRET® game comes of age nuclear age, that is Subscriptions 40 After the blast Roger E. Moore Pat Schultz How to play it right, in case anyones left 42 The plants of Biurndon Eric W. Pass Advertising Creating customized greenery for your campaign Mary Parkinson 62 ORIGINS Awards nomination ballot Contributing editors 68 The Grey Stones Josepha Sherman Ed Greenwood Its whats inside the stones thats really important Katherine Kerr This issue's contributing artists THE ARES SECTION Brian McCrary Larry Elmore David Trampier Joseph Pillsbury 78 High Tech and Beyond James Collins Edward B. Wagner Roger Raupp Globe crackers and smart computers in TRAVELLER® gaming Richard Tomasic James Faulkenberg 81 An Honorable Enemy Gregg Sharp Stephen Hearon Janet Aulisio Oni, the greatest enemy of Japans CHAMPIONS villains Jeff Butler 86 Old Yazirians Never Die Peter C.
    [Show full text]
  • NUCLEAR ENERGY in TEXAS, 1945-1993 By
    THE LONE STAR AND THE ATOM: NUCLEAR ENERGY IN TEXAS, 1945-1993 by TODD WALKER, B.A., M.A. A DISSERTATION IN HISTORY Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas' Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Chairperso/i ot tlie Committee Accepted Dean of the Graduate School August, 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I extend my thanks and much appreciation to the many people who helped and encouraged my efforts in completing this dissertation. Certainly, I must thank Dr. Paul Carlson for his guidance and unending patience and for devoting large amounts of his personal time in reviewing and editing my many drafts. His direction and knowledge were invaluable in helping me keep my focus. I also must thank the other members of my doctoral committee: Dr. Donald Walker, Dr. Joseph King, Dr. James Harper, and Dr. Grant Hall. Their suggestions and encouragement helped greatly in preparing this dissertation. All of the faculty and staff in the Department of History were helpful and invaluable. In addition, I thank Steve Porter for allowing access to his papers. They supplied a wealth of information without which this dissertation would have been impossible. No amount of thanks can show my gratitude towards my parents, Thomas and Martha Walker, for their support. Without their encouragement, this dissertation would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my sister and brother and their families who also supported me. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow graduate students and friends in the Department of History.
    [Show full text]
  • Plutonium: Deadly Gold of the Nuclear Age
    You have downloaded the electronic version of Plutonium: Deadly Gold of the Nuclear Age by a special commission of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Prepared under the direction of Howard Hu, Arjun Makhijani, and Katherine Yih The copyright of this book in all formats is held by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. This electronic file is made available for downloading at no charge for non-commercial use only. Any commercial use, including sales in paper, electronic, audio, or any other format or via the Internet, is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized sales in any format are a violation of copyright law. Hard copies of this book available for sale at http://www.ieer.org/ Plutonium.: Deadly Gold of the Nuclear Age Contributing authors (alphabetically): Alexandra Brooks, IEER Bernd Franke, IEER Milton Hoenig, IEER Howard Hu, IPPNW Arjun Makhijani, IEER Scott Saleska, IEER Katherine Yih, IPPNW Reviewers (alphabetically}: Thomas Cochran, Natural Resources Defense Council, USA Charles Forsberg, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA Rebecca Johnson, Greenpeace UK John H. Large, Large & Associates Consulting Engineers, UK Robert Morgan, Washington University in St. Louis, USA Alan Phillips, Canadian Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Joseph Rotblat, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs Kathleen M. Tucker, Health & Energy Institute, USA Frank von Hippe!, Princeton University, USA Book and cover design: Nick Thorkelson, IPPNW Financial support: W. Alton Jones Foundation John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation New-Land Foundation Simons Foundation Svenska Llikare Mot Karnvapen (Swedish Physicians Against Nuclear Weapons) Deadly Gold ofthe Nuclear Age by a special commission of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Prepared under the direction of: Howard Hu, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Atomic Power in Space, Dr
    ,:,,, .,..., ,+ . :, DOE/NE/32117-Hl ,.., ,,,., ‘..’ . ..1.1 .3 ,:.. .;. ,. ,7.. ./. .;, Atomic Power ,., In Space ,,,.,. .,,,’., ; ,?, ,,... A History ,.,,, .,, ~,,;,,, ‘, ,,r .,.v . ,’*,; : ,- ,,,,,. , ,;..,. ,,;-,,,. ‘/., - :., ,, ~,/, ... , March 1987 ,’ .,’ J ,. ,1, , ,.,’ ,.,’.., ‘r, . DOE/NE/32117--Hl DE87 010618 ., . Prepared by: ,; Planning G Human Systems, Inc. Washington, DC $3 Under Contract No. DE-AC01;NE32117 ,: ,. ,,., Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy ,. : Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor Systems ,,, ,, Development and Technology .,,, Washington, DC 20545 ., MASTER f, .;. DISTRIBUTIONOf THIS @3WMfi4T IS UiJLirfilTED ,,, 9-J ., ,’ ..,;,. .$, . ,!, , (: ,.” CONTENTS .,’ . ~, ,: Forward ... ‘ Preface iv Chapter I Introduction . .*..*.*.. **.*..*.. 1 Chapter 11 The Beginnings ● *****O**. ● *O***.**. ● *.**. 4 .,, ! -, ,, .J, ,,, , ‘:., Chapter 111 .;, , .; ., ,. 1: Recognition of Potential . 14 , -:’ ,., ,,, .;. .,‘. Chapter IV ,,.- .~, ,, .,:’ Golden Days atthe AEC... .. 28 ,../ ,, ,,,, : .,,,. Chapter V , .- ,, “ ., ,! : ,’ Momentum from the Lunar Race . ...56 i .’:, .,’ ,., , ,,<,, Cliapter VI ,,>,;. i“,,’, ,!.,, A Maturing Program . 72 .;,, . ,, )., ,: Chapter VII ,,,,.. ,.,.-, ,,,,....:, Persistence Amid Change . 83 ‘f. , ., .(’ ,: Chapter VIII .,,. .. .,- .> Past Lessons and Future Challenges . 99 ,, ..- ./:,. ,-,.. ,,,.. ,,,., ,! Foreword FOREWORD On December 8, 1953 President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his famous “Atoms-for-Peace” address, proposed that the United Nations
    [Show full text]
  • Notes and References
    Notes and References 1 The Future: a Search for Values t Loren Eiseley, The Firmament of Time (New York: Atheneum Publishers, 1962) p. 117. 1. Giscard d'Estaing, quoted by Richard Lamm, Governor of Colorado in 'Promoting Finitude', The Amicus Journal (Summer 1980) p. 7. 2. R.P. Turco, O.B. Toon, T.P. Ackerman, J.B. Pollack and C. Sagan, 'Global Atmospheric Consequences of Nuclear War', Science, 222 {1983) pp. 1283- 92; P.R. Ehrlich, M.A. Harwell, P.H. Raven, C. Sagan, G.M. Woodwell et al., 'The Long-Term Biological Consequences of Nuclear War', Science, 222 (1983) pp. 1293-1300; C. Sagan, 'Nuclear War and Climatic Catastrophe: Some Policy Implications', Foreign Affairs (Winter 1984) pp. 257-92. In late 1983, the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a report arguing that agriculture would 'emerge in relatively good shape' after a major nuclear war; the report received scathing ridicule (see Science, 222 {1983) p. 1308). 3. J. Schell, The Fate of the Earth (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982). 4. W. Alvarez, E.G. Kauffman, R. Surlyk, L.W. Alvarez, F. Asaro and H.V. Michel, 'Impact Theory of Mass Extinctions and the Invertebrate Fossil Record', Science, 223 {1984) pp. 1135-41; D.A. Russell, 'The Mass Extinc­ tions of the Late Mesozoic', Scientific American (January 1982) pp. 58-65. 5. Turco et al., 'Global Atmospheric Consequences'. 6. Ehrlich eta/., 'The Long-Term Biological Consequences', p. 1299. 7. Sagan, 'Nuclear War', p.264f. 8. For a recent update on the scientific consensus on nuclear winter see M.A.
    [Show full text]
  • A Note on Information Sources
    106 BIBLIOGRAPHY A Note on Information Sources Various types of materials were used in preparing this history. At the outset, an extensive computer search of the Department of Energy (DOE) library, including the data base at the Oak Ridge Laboratory, revealed that the type of technical reports there would not be helpful in developing this history. Pri­ marily, three other sources of information were relied upon: materials from DOE Archives, which were identified and assembled by Roger Anders of DOE's History Division; the data bases of the Library of Congress, which led to a review of newspapers, periodicals, technical journals, and books; and inter­ views. Three classes of information were used: technical events and developments, institutional developments, and related events in the milieu. The five categories of materials used are discussed below. Printed reports and government documents were used to identify particular facts about the RTGs and the program. Some of the materials provided relevant facts covering broad time periods; other sources pinpointed narrow time periods and revealed program status at a time, or presented important decisions or statements relevant to the program. A few of the materials focused on particular aspects of the program. Books and pamphlets provided a breadth and depth of understanding. Several stand out for an understanding of the technology and the broad and changing issues of the time period covered: the historical documents about the AEC, ERDA, and the DOE, and the energy chronology produced by the history staff of DOE (Buck, Dean, and Holl) were invaluable in succinctly presenting relevant events in the institutional environment.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Nevada, Reno Silence and Fallout: the Nuclear Legacy Of
    University of Nevada, Reno Silence and Fallout: The Nuclear Legacy of a Father and Son A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Richard Kmetz Dr. Scott Slovic/Dr. Cheryll Glotfelty, Advisors May, 2014 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the dissertation prepared under our supervision by RICHARD KMETZ Entitled Silence and Fallout: The Nuclear Legacy of a Father and Son be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Scott Slovic, Advisor Cheryll Glotfelty, Co-Advisor, Committee Member Jennifer Mahon, Committee Member Cathy Chaput, Committee Member Stephen Lafer, Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph. D., Dean, Graduate School May, 2014 i Abstract This dissertation explores nuclear testing in Idaho’s Lost River Desert, including the first deadly nuclear explosion on United States soil. Through personal experience, research, and interviews, the author traces nuclear experimentation as it weaves through the history of the Lost River Desert and the cultural, economic, and religious history of the atomic cities nearby. ii CONTENTS Chapter One: Silence and Fallout Chapter Two: Idaho’s Atomic Cities, God’s Time, and the Apocalypse Chapter Three: Of Mountains and Fathers Chapter Four: A Place for War, A Place for Peace: From Mountain Meadows to the MX Missile Chapter Five: The Lost River Desert Chapter Six: Place: A Story Happening Many Times Chapter Seven: The SL-1: A Deadly Nuclear Explosion Chapter Eight: The Dream That Failed: The Legacy of the SL-1 Chapter Nine: On Going Back Chapter Ten: A Nuclear Inheritance 1 Silence and Fallout: The Nuclear Legacy of a Father and Son Most of my memories, either consciously or subconsciously, looking back, begin with silence—the silence of a room once vibrating with the rattle of my father’s labored breathing, in relentless, sporadic rhythms.
    [Show full text]
  • Rocks and Reactors: an Atomic Interpretation of Human Rights, 1941-1979
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Linda Marie Richards for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History of Science presented on May 1, 2014. Title: Rocks and Reactors: An Atomic Interpretation of Human Rights, 1941-1979. Abstract approved: ______________________________________________________ Jacob Darwin Hamblin The atomic age was enacted by many scientists as a way to realize health and human rights. Human rights were conceived in this context as rights to economic development, science education, and nuclear medicine. The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) acted hand in hand with UN agencies and educators to spread nuclear knowledge and technology as a tool to advance health and human rights for peace and prosperity. UN agencies such as UNESCO, IAEA, and WHO standardized AEC interpretations of radiation exposure. Academics served as the glue to promote nuclear and health physics, research reactors and uranium prospecting. Technical experts traveled the globe to build nuclear infrastructure and institute ideas of radiation exposure that originated from the AEC. Trust in the ability of scientific experts to provide radiation health safety was central to the expansion and acceptance of nuclear technology worldwide. Willard E. Libby of the US Atomic Energy Agency, while admitting uncertainty, believed that under a certain threshold, radiation would not be dangerous. The international field of health physics, dominated by the AEC trained scientists, interpreted radiation danger with one particular and lasting trope: artificial radiation below natural background radiation levels was safe and acceptable. The construction of background radiation as “safe” by American and international agencies was a speculative and exclusive process. Radioactive accidents were interpreted by agencies and nuclear scientists as experiments to improve technology.
    [Show full text]