Assimiliative Capacity Program: Plutonium Surfaces in the Geysers


What is important about this book by Carolyn Raffensperger?
When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment,
precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships
are not fully established scientifically.
 In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public,
 should bear the burden of proof.
... if you have reason to believe that your building may be on fire, 
do you estimate the probability that the damage will be "acceptable" and
wait until you see flames shooting up into the sky? Or do you take
precautionary action based on incomplete evidence and call the fire department.

The following is paraphrased by Peter Montague from the scientific Restoration of the Earth, published in 1973.

ASSUMPTION 1

We protect the earth by deciding how much of any destructive activity the Earth (or any portion thereof) can safely absorb without harm. We call this the "assimilative capacity" of an ecosystem... or a human being...or a population of fish.

According to this assumption, scientists can reliably decide how much damage a river or the Florida Panther or a human can absorb without suffering irreversible harm. The purpose of every risk assessment is to predict the limits of this "assimilative capacity."

ASSUMPTION 2

Once the "assimilative capacity" of a person or system is established for a particular toxicant or destructive activity, limits are imposed so that irreversible harm will not occur. These restrictions are set, river by river, forest by forest, factory by factory, chemical by chemical, everywhere on the planet, so that the total, cumulative effects do not exceed the "assimilative capacity" of the earth or any of its ecosystems or inhabitants.

ASSUMPTION 3

WE ALREADY KNOW which substances and activities are harmful. In the case of substances or activities we never suspected of being harmful, we ought to be warned of their possible dangers by traumatic but sub-lethal (except for firemen) shocks that alert us to the danger
before it is too late.

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Alternative Risk Analysis

Plutonium and fissile products of radioactive Uranium in process is 3 billion more times radioactive than when first mined.
In the event of an accident,
the amount of plutonium-235 and by-products continually generating would extend from the earth to the moon and back within three seconds.
Because of the immense amount of waste,
it is important to shut down a nuclear reactor with control rods and moderators: steel beams, boron, cadmium inserted into the reactor core as soon as possible.
Plutonium 235 in process is 3 million times more radioactive than fuel first mined.